Your Cart is Empty
The feeling that you get from putting on a garment that makes you look and feel great can completely transform you. I remember the first time I had this had this feeling -
I was about 4 years old and had just made my first ever outfit. I raided my mothers sewing room and found this fluorescent hot pink knit tubing that I pulled on like a strapless dress. I then headed out into the garden for baby pink roses that I stuck all over it with cellotape to finish. I was so proud of my creation and felt so great in it - I didn't want to ever take it off.
This formative moment started a lifelong passion for creating beautiful clothes that make me feel great.
I learnt to sew as soon as I could hold a needle and graduated to a sewing machine not long after that. Both of my grandmothers and mother fostered this passion. They taught me construction and how to think through a garment to reach the highest quality finish.
They taught me the importance of beautiful fabrics and the different elements to consider when putting outfits together.
But most importantly they taught me to be true to myself, to dress for myself and to wear things that make me feel great. They taught me to be confident in who I am, and it's this feeling that drives me in my designs today. This is the feeling I want to inspire in other women.
We make clothes that make women feel great about themselves. Clothes that empower them to do the amazing things they do in the world.
We empower women to be their confident selves.
Annabelle x
For as long as I can remember I've loved making things with my hands. I was always creating as a child and very early on fell in love with fabric and began sewing as soon as I could. It is my all time favourite hobby, something I do for myself, something that makes me feel great and that I am lucky enough to have been able to turn it into my job.
Throughout school and university I chased other passions whilst sewing in my own time. I completed a history degree at Otago University, and spent my spare time making all of my own clothes and quite a few sets of costumes for my flat.
Once I graduated I headed to Auckland to cut my teeth in the big city. I spent my days in a marketing job, and my nights and weekends behind my sewing machine. I took pattern making classes at Whitecliffe College of Art & Design which helped expand on the introduction to pattern making my mother had given me on our kitchen floor as a teenager. Many months of trial and error honed my skills and gave me the confidence to start making items for friends.
I got itchy feet in Auckland and it was time to move on to the next adventure. I wasn't ready to pursue my true dream, I knew I needed more life experience and I was also still too scared. I headed to Europe, the UK and New York where my mission was all things fashion. The fashion districts, the fashion muesums, fabric stores and I even stalked down the workrooms of some of my favourite designers (Alexander McQueen's was just around the corner from my London home). I spent time in Berlin exploring the city, the fashion scene and experienced Berlin Fashion Week first hand.
Even though I was travelling I was still sewing where I could and created my signature bonnet while I was there - inspired by the freezing temperatures and the fact that I didn't want 'hat hair'. All of these experiences left a lasting impression and inspired me in more ways than I could have imagined.
One of the most important parts of my journey was attending Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London to study the business of fashion. It was so special to walk the hallways of this prestigious institution where many of my fashion idols studied. Not strictly coming from the industry this time was invaluable. It cemented what I thought I knew already from many years of research and following the industry from the outside. It also filled in a lot of the gaps I had and equipped me to start the next stage of the journey.
When I returned home to Wellington I knew I was ready and set to work on WT. Since then 5 years have flown by. My mission hasn't changed from when I first began to sew 20 years ago, 'make beautiful clothes that make you feel great, because when you feel great you can do anything.'
Opened in September 2017, our Wellington store has been an important milestone in our journey to date. We love getting to meet and help our customers in the flesh. It is priceless to us to get to see your reaction first hand to our beautiful fabrics and to learn more about your needs so we can better design for you.
The decision to open permanently followed two years of pop-up stores in both Wellington and Auckland. We learnt a lot over this time, especially a strong appreciation for being able to fully express our brand through our own space and really invite our customers into our world.
We love to meet you so please do come and say hello. We are located at 1/115 Victoria Street, Te Aro.
Our Wellington workroom is where all of our designs come to life.
Each garment is made to last. With a focus on timeless design that is cut with thought to best flatter the female form.
We sample our collections locally, working with local pattern makers and graders.
The production of our finished garments is split between Auckland & Wellington in New Zealand, and Guangdong in China.
We are committed to the ethical and sustainable production of our garments and are continuously working towards becoming a circular company. We will be sharing more about our roadmap to make this happen over the coming months. Stay tuned for updates!
If you have any questions in the meantime, please don't hesitate to be in touch via the link below.
Get In Touch
| Size | Bust (cm) | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) |
| 6 | 78 | 65 | 92 |
| 8 | 83 | 70 | 97 |
| 10 | 88 | 75 | 102 |
| 12 | 93 | 80 | 107 |
| 14 | 98 | 85 | 112 |
| 16 | 103 | 90 | 117 |
| 18 | 108 | 95 | 122 |
| Wilson Trollope | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| Aus/UK | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| USA | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| EU | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
| Japan | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 |
There are three body measurement points that you need to know to ensure a great fit – bust, waist, and hips.
When taking your body measurements, wear the undergarments you normally wear for the most accurate results. Use a flexible tape measure, or a piece of string and ruler, and hold it around each body point so it is comfortably snug. If the tape is cutting into your flesh, it is too tight.
To ensure an accurate measurement around your body, keep the measuring tape as level as possible from front to back. We recommend measuring yourself in front of a mirror so you can check this from a side view. If you can, get a friend to help you to ensure the most accurate measurements.
Bust: Wrap the measuring tape around your back and where the tape meets across the fullest point of your bust is your bust measurement.
Waist: Wrap the measuring tape around your natural waist, the slimmest part of your torso, pulling the ends to the front. Where they meet is your waist measurement.
Hips: Wrap the measuring tape around the widest part of your bottom – this is usually low down towards your thighs. As with your bust and waist measurements, where the tape meets is your hip measurement.
Length: To measure the length of individual garments against your body it is best to measure down the centre of your back. To do this, start the measuring tape at either the base of your neck for dresses and tops, or at your waist for skirts. Measure down your body to the measurement listed in the garment description. This will show you where the garment comes to on you. When you are measuring for length, remember to make sure you are standing completely upright – it is best to have someone help you with this. Alternatively, compare the measurement with the length of a garment you already have.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Annabelle – annabelle@wilsontrollope.com, she is here to help.