Dolce&Gabbana Leopard Bra balconette bikini top Swimwear Lingerie 32B Uk8-10

Dolce & Gabbana has been dressing Milan since 1985, and the pieces that age best are the ones that already looked like costume: leopard, corsetry, black lace, tailoring cut close to the body. D&G, the diffusion line that ran from 1994 to 2012, is where most of the 2000s denim and T-shirts that reach us come from.

One of each, measured flat on our table in inches.

How the sizes run

The label and the tape do not always agree, so we go by the tape. Our W28 embroidered shorts measured 14.5 inches across the waist, 29 inches round, which is a UK 8 on our chart. The painted denim mini skirt, labelled W26 and IT 40, measured the same 14.5 inches across. Two labels, one waist. The difference is stretch: the shorts have a little give, the skirt has none.

Tops depend on stretch. The 90s knit, IT 40, measured 17.5 inches across the bust, 35 inches round, and fits a UK 8. The IT 42 T-shirt and the 32/46 wool vest both measured 19 inches across, 38 inches round, listed as a UK 12 to 14, fitted. The 90s midi dress is the odd one: IT 46 on the label, 17 inches across the bust and 14 across the waist. But it is a stretch bodycon cut, so we list it at a UK 12 to 14. The leopard balconette bra has its own scale: EU 70B, a UK 32B, which suits a UK 8 to 10.

What is a Dolce & Gabbana IT 40 in UK sizes? Roughly a UK 8 on paper; IT 42 a UK 10 and IT 44 a UK 12. Older pieces wander, so read the listing measurements against our size guide.

What to check on a second-hand piece

Start with the label, then work outwards.

On the pieces we have handled, the diffusion label carries D&G above the Dolce & Gabbana name and the mainline label the full name alone; a D&G label puts a piece between 1994 and 2012, a mainline label on its own dates nothing. The two 90s pieces in stock, the knit and the dress, are made in Italy and say so. Then the hardware: logo mother-of-pearl buttons on the knit, a concealed back zip under a full lining on the vest, so check the lining has not puckered along the zip. On stretch knits, look at the underarms and the neckline, where the fabric thins. On embroidery, look for loose threads; the shorts show light wear there, as listed. On the bra, the elastic should still spring back.

Do you have D&G jeans? Not today. The last pair, low-rise embroidered flares, sold at £85. In stock are the W28 shorts and the W26 mini skirt, both the low-rise Y2K shape; new arrivals land on the vintage rail first.

Free UK delivery on orders of £40 or more, and 14 days to change your mind.

Know your own bust, waist and hip? Will it fit? does the comparing for you.

Labels and tags from Dolce & Gabbana pieces that have passed through this table.