Sizing
Sizing is a very vexed issue! We’ll start with some practicalities.
This chart gives a rough guide to our sizing; the amount of stretch in our items varies depending on the fabric. The Van Doren basic 6 strap suspender belt stretches enormously, the Alouette not so much, for example.
| Waist | Hips | UK Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 24-26 | 34-36 | 8-10 |
| Medium | 27-29 | 37-39 | 12-14 |
| Large | 30-32 | 40-42 | 14-16 |
| Extra Large | 33-35 | 43-45 | 18-20 |
Our stockings are also sized, because they are pure nylons, the same as the Cervin stockings we sell. Pure nylon stockings have very little stretch, so these come in 5 sizes, roughly corresponding to your height:
| 1 | 4'10" – 5'1" |
| 2 | 5'1" – 5'4" |
| 3 | 5'5" – 5'7" |
| 4 | 5'7" – 5'9" |
| 5 | 5'8 upwards |
Go one size up if you are a very curvaceous woman for your height.
With respect to bra sizing, we use the old standardized system; this means that the actual underbust measurement of our bras is 4 inches LESS than the stated size, which can be small compared to value brands. Our bras are made with stretch fabric. This gives them some flexibility of fit, so that you can try going one back size up and a cup size down, or vice versa, if we don’t have your size. However, this may not work, so see if you can find a shop close to you to try styles on. If you order online, be aware that removing the tags may mean a return is refused.
And now for a spot of theory and explaining:
Despite the best efforts of the EU, there is no longer much real agreement on what measurements constitute a certain size. This can make life quite difficult, but it allows different brands to cater for different groups of people; you can be the same size at age 18 and age 30, but you’ll probably be a different shape - and that’s assuming you haven’t changed sizes a few times during those years! So, please take the dress sizing as very roughly indicative.
Like any other clothing, some lingerie styles will help you look your fabulous self, and some maybe won’t do much for you; so it’s worth trying a few different styles from us, especially as we introduce new ones regularly.
As a general rule we tend to make our items for people who are bigger in the rear than up top, as we're a UK brand that sells largely to women in the 30’s upwards. Women come in all sizes and our choice of what we make is based on the market, not what size and shape we think you should be.
That market thing; we’re a tiny brand. We only employ two people full time. You can count the numbers of things we make in the hundreds, not the tens of thousands that high street stores and supermarkets manage, and that means we have to choose the fastest/best selling sizes and shapes.
We have been trying to expand the range of sizes we do as fast as we can, but it’s often a choice between spending thousands of pounds on new sizes, or on new styles in sizes that always sell. In 2009/10 we’re going to be doing the latter, mostly because to keep our prices low we’re having to buy many more of each item than we used to.
For those of you who are outside of the current size range, we’re really sorry about this, and we’ll get back to doing more sizes when the government stops the recession. That’s a promise!