Top 10 Rules for Online Lingerie Shopping

Elomi's Hermione set

Hello Swimwear and Lingerie buddies!

How’s everyone doing today? All ready for another riveting episode of Fitting Tips Thursday? Well, then let’s get to it, shall we?

Today I want to talk about buying lingerie online. You see there’s only about a kajillion online lingerie sales on right now and if my credit card hadn’t recently taken up the disgusting habit of smoking {incidentally, I heard about a radical new therapy to help it stop… paying it down} then I would totally be spending up a storm…sigh…stupid, stupid money getting in the way of all those lovely little bits of lace and silk that so desperately need a home as lovely as my lingerie drawer…

Random Bullet Bra image... just because...you know... I think they're cool

So, since I can’t indulge, I thought I might help you to embrace the wonder that is internet shopping.

Aren’t I nice? I think the term you’re searching for is ‘enabler’. You’re welcome. I give, it’s what I do.

I'm usually not a fan of animal prints but this is pretty

Here are my Top Ten Commandments of Online Lingerie Shopping.

1. Dont assume that lingerie sizes are universal. Seriously, you need to pay attention to the country of origin and then also to where the designers reside. For example, a 32G bra that you buy from Australia will be a very different size from a 32G bra from a North American brand. BUT, if that Australian bra is ACTUALLY made by a French company then the size will be hugely different from what you may be expecting. Luckily I wrote a handy dandy little Fitting Tip post on this awhile ago; US Vs. Euro Lingerie Sizes Explained.

Hmmmm, double check that size ladies!

2. Don’t Share your information. Only buy through reputable retailers and if you have any concerns pay through a third party like paypal. Paypal lets you pay for an item without having to share your financial information with an internet site. It gives you a little peace of mind and a bit of a buffer between your bank account/credit cards and potential scammers.

Ahh paypal, peace of mind and wrecker of my credit limit

3. Keep an eye on exchange rates, duties and shipping charges. That sale isn’t really a deal if you’re going to have to pay triple the cost of the product just to get it sent to you. True story time, my little sister had to pay $40 duty on her last internet order because she didn’t do her due diligence first and find out all the ins and outs about buying from another country and having it shipped to her home. So the awesome deal she got on her bras was severely diminished when the extra fees were added on.

Don't feel too bad for her, the lingerie was exceptionally well priced!

4. Before you buy ensure you have checked the return policies. Lingerie is usually considered the same as basic underwear, so it’s plausible that you may not be able to return a product once it’s delivered. For that reason, be certain that you have chosen the correct sizes, colours and styles. Some companies, however, will allow you to try on several sizes in the same style and send back the ones that dont fit. These companies are clearly run by brilliant people who understand the difficulty of finding fabulous and properly fit lingerie in the proper sizes and that sometimes we need to shop overseas to source it.

Ladies to the computers!

5. Get the Best Deal Possible. Before you buy anything, always search online for extra promotional codes and insider deals that could sweeten the price even more. RetailMeNot is one of these sites, but there are plenty of others you can look at too! Quite often, a site will offer a members’ discount if you sign up for a newsletter or email blasts of their sales. It certainly couldn’t hurt right.{If you know of a great site that offers a members discount, please let me know in the comments section, great information like that needs to be shared!}

La Perla...la sigh...la want

6. Impulse Check First. If the site you want to buy from isn’t having a sale right now, it may be wiser to create a wishlist to bookmark the pieces that have caught your eye. That way when they do have a sale or promotion you’ll be all ready to go and won’t have to waste time finding what you want. Saumarez Lingerie offers a wishlist service on top of their eco-friendly/ethically sourced lingerie… can’t really ask for anything more than that!

Toad Lillie Toadily Rocks... I don't know if she has a wishlist or not...wish she did!

7. Read All About It. Check reviews from independent blogs to get the real scoop on whether or not a particular brand, style or item is really worth the price tag. Blogs such as; The Lingerie Addict, Invest In Your Chest: The Boudoir Blog, Fuller Figure, Fuller Bust, Undercover Lingerista, The Lingerie Journal, oh and me too of course, will all give you the details and hands on info you need. These blogs regularly review lingerie and I trust them completely, they always give their honest opinions. It’s like buying a car only more fraught with danger and the possibility for buyers remorse…

Gilda & Pearl, soooo gorgeous

8. Consider that the luxury lingerie you are purchasing is an investment in your wardrobe. There are certain lingerie staples and must-have items that everyone should own, but you certainly wouldn’t want to try and buy them all at once. That could break the bank {or the credit card… I speak of what I know, trust me!} With this in mind, you may want to look at traditional colours and styles and only purchase one or two fad or trend type items for a season.

Kate Moss for Agent Provocateur

9. When in doubt, call or email their customer service department. I have yet to be disappointed by the customer service I have received when shopping online. You may recall that I placed several online orders during the Canadian postal strike and had that “Ackkk” moment. Luckily Thigh Society have amazingly supportive and involved customer service skills and kept me from freaking out too much!

Where, oh where can my packages be?????

10. Retail Therapy only feels good if it’s in the right size!. Above all, remember that if you buy it…buy it in the right colour, style, size and because it will fit you NOW and you WILL WEAR IT. Dont buy things in order to lose weight or please someone else. Please yourself and wear gorgeous lingerie, after all it’s your body and money!

Well, that’s about it folks. Happy Shopping and don’t forget to pop back and tell me what you get… let me live vicariously through your lingerie shopping okay?

Cheers,

Maggie

Sigh... Dolce and Gabbana Lingerie...double D&G sigh....

Thigh Society Battles the Dreaded Chub Rub

Clearly SHE isn't using chub rub protection

Happy Monday Swimwear and Lingerie Fans!

{Told ya I was going to keep saying Happy Monday until you got used to it. After all, there isn’t anything to dread about Mondays… just means you’re one day closer to the next weekend right?}

How was your weekend? We’re nearing the end of our summer here in Ontario and I’m still test-driving shapewear and trying to find something that Goldilocks would like. Not too tight, not too loose, not too sweat-inducing and not too expensive.

goldilocks-mugshot

Picky. I know.

If it sounds like an impossible list… well, it kinda is. You see, I’m not overly concerned about smoothing out my bumps and bits. My idea of comfort doesn’t include extreme compression. For more on that you can check out my Hanky Panky review. Nope, I have knock-knees and muscular thighs and this leads to what I have delicately come to call “chub rub”. Chub rub sucks and really takes all the fun out of wearing a skirt or dress.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to appear on “People of Walmart” or anything but it’s really uncomfortable and my wardrobe options would be seriously limited if I couldn’t wear skirts and dresses. They are essential clothing when you’re a professional and need to look polished and put together, yet don’t want to be a big old, ball of sweat by the time you commute to work in trousers, in your fuel efficient but non air conditioned car.

Thigh Society- anti chub rub

{Oh and fyi this isn’t a picture of me, although I am totally digging her dress!}

I first heard about the company Thigh Society on twitter and was super excited to find a lingerie company based out of Canada! Their homepage included the terms “chub rub” and “Thigh Society is NOT shapewear”. It’s like they were answering my wish list!!!

So I quickly ordered a pair of the white bamboo in my size. Then the whole Postal Strike thing happened and I knew I would be in for a bit of a wait. However, it gave me a chance to see how amazing their customer service is. I was immediately emailed and informed of the strike and the delay. They were so proactive and offered me options and potential ways to deal with the problem and in the end, it all came out fine. I would recommend them based on their attention to detail and customer satisfaction alone!

Smiley-Face-

By the time I received them, we were well and truly stuck in the middle of a brutal heatwave. I felt like the guy in Indiana Jones with his face melting off.

Ya, this dude... What? It was really that hot out! Seriously!

Anyhoo… I wore them to work under a skirt and spent my lunch hour running errands so that I could really put them through the paces.

thigh-society- White/ Bamboo

First things first, they aren’t lying when they talk about how soft and breathable the bamboo fabric is. It wicked the sweat away from my skin very quickly and didn’t compress my flesh like a sausage stuffer. The undies/shorts just skimmed my body and kept me comfortable. Definitely a big A+ there.

The bottom portion of the leg did start to ride up near the end of the day and that was a bit irritating because I apparently lack the feminine impulse control that says; “Don’t adjust your shorties in public!” and yanked them down into place a few times. Oops. No, I wasn’t raised in a barn and I do know better… I just haven’t been able to comfortably wear a skirt in so long, I guess I’m just out of practice.

Raised in a barn

{sorry Mom}

The waist band rolled a bit too and I wonder if I were to adapt them to have a bit of stretch lace at the top and the bottoms, if I could stop that from happening. Of course, I may want to also think about getting a different size to avoid that issue as well.

All in all, I really enjoy wearing them and have actually been able to wear some of my lovely summer dresses and skirts and be quite comfortable both at work and in my stuffy car. I would certainly recommend them to anyone not looking for the smoothing and compression of shapewear, but the comfort and function of a longer legged panty.

Does any one know of any similar products I could try? It really does seem to be a niche that doesn’t have a lot of options. I would love to try out a silk or a wool blend and see how those work out, just need some suggestions.

Cheers,

Maggie

Thigh Society- Black