Victoria's Secret London: New Bond Street Store Opening

   The time has finally arrived and Victoria's Secret has landed in London at 111 New Bond Street. Victoria's Secret was founded in 1977 in California and since then it has become a cult name in both lingerie and fashion worlds. The brand has acquired an impressive following thanks to its iconic catwalk shows which feature an elite squad of the world's most sought-after supermodels: The Victoria's Secret Angels.

   I first visited Victoria's Secret when I went on holiday to New York as a teenager. I begged my mum to take me to the store almost as soon as we arrived in the US and my girly teenage self was overwhelmed by the size of the store and the amount of cute underwear on display. 

   When I heard about Victoria's Secret coming to London, the teenager in me got quite excited, but I was dubious about anything fitting me as I have come a long way in understanding bra fitting and the importance of well-fitting lingerie since my teen years. 

   Victoria's Secret officially opened its doors at 111 New Bond Street on the 29th of August, but I decided to hold off on my visit for a little bit to see what the store was like after the initial buzz and lingerie mania had subsided..

When I arrived at the store, I was struck by the grand black exterior with the most amazing window displays! The windows exhibit the lavish costumes worn by some of the Victoria's Secret Angels in past catwalk shows..cue lashings of feathers, lace, sequins, diamantés and of course, impressive angel wings!  

   When I had finished gawping at the window display cases, it was time to enter the shop and boy oh boy, was it a sight to behold! The store has a very chic feel with a predominantly black colour scheme, which serves as an ideal backdrop to the bright colours, sequins and embellishments of the lingerie. 

   The Victoria's Secret store is reportedly 40,386 square feet across four floors (connected by a huge mirrored staircase with a ginormous flat screen tv) and it is easy to see why it would be easy to spend hours in there. Each floor oozes glamour and extravagance and the store is an amazing hybrid of shopping emporium, nightclub, museum and ladies boudoir! 

   The décor features hanging crystal chandeliers, a wall of perfumes, boudoir-style changing rooms and a myriad of VS Angels memorabilia on every floor; from costumes to framed portraits! The top floor even has a 'VIP' area - I had a sneak peek and the rooms were gorgeous with plush chairs overlooking a terrace (ideal for a laidback hen do) There were also some rather nice customer toilets (!)

   I did actually like a lot of the lingerie on display - I love a lacey plunge bra and the microfibre styles and memory foam lined bras were beautifully soft to the touch (reminding me of some of the seamless microfibre bras that I used to buy from La Senza many years ago..) 

Aside from the bras, there were also some knock-out lingerie pieces such as the 'Very Sexy' 'Seduction garter slip' in coral/ red and ivory and a gorgeous black and nude lace bustier..if only they didn't stop at a D cup!

    The bottom floor is dedicated to the VS 'PINK' collection. 'PINK' is Victoria's Secret's younger 'collegiate' range; selling underwear, sleepwear, loungewear and sports wear. (It also acts as a 'transition' line to VS's slightly more 'grown up' ranges of 'Body' by VS and 'Very Sexy') 

   As you can see from the pictures below, the collection is young and playful with a distinctly girly vibe...cue lots of rainbow brights, neons and leopard print! Although it was slightly too garish for my taste, I could see how a lot of the lingerie would appeal to young teenage girls..

   The second floor was probably my favourite, with its black, white and pink colour scheme and vintage style wallpaper. It was on this floor that I had my Victoria's Secret fitting experience and I'm sure that you will be keen to find out how I got on...

   A shop assistant with a tape measure around her neck approached me and asked if I needed any help, offering to give me a shop floor fitting as I said that I wasn't sure what size I was. I happily obliged, quite intrigued as to what she would size me as. As with any undercover fit test, I was deliberately wearing an old, badly fitting bra in a 34D from La Senza and prepared myself for some interesting results. After measuring under my arms (not my underbust) and over my chest, I was shocked to hear that my 28FF bust was actually a "32B"! The shop assistant said that it would also be a good idea to get a fitting in the changing rooms to find the "perfect fit". 

   She escorted me to the changing rooms (which were a boudoir delight) and I was met by a very chatty and friendly girl who got one of her colleagues to give me a fitting. When in the changing rooms I asked whether I should take my top off or leave it on. The fitter said that it was fine to leave it on, but given that I had just been 'measured' with my clothes on, I thought it best to be fitted without my top on. Again, the fitter whipped out a tape measure and measured me under the arms and over my bust, stating that I was a "34B" - yikes!

   There was no assessment of the current bra that I was wearing, so the fitter was 100% relying on what her tape measure told her. She came back with a 34B which, in all honesty, didn't even cover half of my breasts! I fastened the 34B on the tightest hooks and the band was clearly riding up, but nothing was mentioned about the bad fit apart from there being a 'gap' at the centre. She also brought me a 32B to try, which was also far too small unsurprisingly.

(Even by eye, it is easy to see that the Victoria's Secret 34B's were much smaller than the 34D bra that I wore into the shop!)

   My fitter then decided that I needed to try a 36B to see if the gaping would go away, which of course it didn't! She looked at the bra and asked what I thought, to which I gave no input as I wanted to see where she would go from there. She then suggested that I tried a 36C. The 36C rode up my back terribly, but she merely adjusted the shoulder straps and pointed out that there was some "gapping" at the top, which suggested to her that I needed a cup size down (eek!)

   Furthermore, she then stated that maybe the "34B as a sister size to the 36C" would be best..what?! At this point, I was growing more and more frustrated with the confusing size jumps and the result still being bulging cups and a back band riding up to my shoulders! I now felt utter despair at being told that a 34B was "sister size to a 36C"!!

(All of the fitter-recommended bras that I tried on..and not one remotely fit me!)

   Taking a few deep breaths, I suggested that maybe I needed to try a 34D as it was "the size of the bra that I came into the shop wearing", to which she replied "yes, that's a really good idea..it will probably be just right". On trying on the 34D, she proclaimed it "perfect" and "just the right size". I had fastened the bra on the tightest hooks to see if she realised that the 34D was still much too loose in the back for me, but to make matters worse, she told me that a bra should be fastened on the middle hook to begin with as "it loosens with wear". I didn't even bother challenging it and hurriedly thanked her, stating that now that I knew my size, I would have a look at what was available on the shop floor.

Me in the 34D that I was told was a '"perfect fit" - you can see how much this bra was riding up my back and I certainly didn't fit into the cups...

"Hi Sexy. Try me on and see the difference the right bra makes" - I definitely didn't want to try this shirt on over the 34D that I had been given to wear..there wouldn't have been anything remotely sexy about the look that it gave me with clothes on!

(My fitting card)

   After my disastrous fitting, I decided to go in search of the only sizes available that were anywhere near my 'true' bra size of 28FF: a 32DD (blue push up bra) and 32DDD (UK 32E) polka dot unlined full coverage bra and back to the fitting room I went on the floor below! Sadly both bras were too small for me, but they certainly fit a lot better than the 34D I was fit into...

(How gorgeous is the fitting room?)

  After my disappointing fitting experience and the acute realisation that Victoria's Secret lingerie would not accomodate my bust, I decided to drown my sorrows in the beauty section...

(Victoria's Secret signature 'London' scent - delicious!)

The beauty section was a candy shop of products from makeup to body lotion to perfume. I was particularly taken by the fragrances and I especially liked the VS signature 'London' perfume, but at around £50, I thought it a bit expensive. I also tried the VS 'Love is heavenly' body mist, which I decided to buy as it was £9 and I really loved the scent. 

   To conclude, I am very much in two mind sets about the introduction of Victoria's Secret to the UK market.     Undoubtedly, the store is an amazing experience and it is great fun to walk around, take in the atmosphere and be amazed by the costumes and décor. 

   The main issue for me is the poor sizing range on offer and their fitting service. Victoria's Secret seems intent on fitting women into the products available, rather than giving an accurate fitting that is based on the individual.

  Being fitted at Victoria's Secret unfortunately goes down as one of the worst (if not worst) of all highstreet fittings that I have ever had. Being fitted as a 32B, 34B and 34D was so vastly different from my 'correct' 28FF size and the severe lack of fitting knowledge from the staff was quite frankly, shocking. 

   What I find particularly worrying is that a lot of young girls look to Victoria's Secret and its models as inspiration and their desire to buy into the Victoria's secret image and lifestyle will inevitably lead them to buy ill-fitting bras. I really think that as such a powerful brand, there should be more responsibility to fit women into the right sizes. The crux of the matter is: How can women love the bodies that they are in if they are crammed into bras that don't support or flatter their curves? 

   I don't believe that fashionable, sexy lingerie and great fit have to be divorced from each other and there really are so many great quality brands out there that champion this (see some of my reviews for some food for thought). I think that the important thing is getting people to strip back the glitz and glam of Victoria's Secret to see the the products as they are.

   Next time you buy a bra, it would be interesting to ask yourself: "Would I buy it if it was in any other store?" "Am I being influenced by the models or celebrities that are selling it?" "Does this product really flatter my figure and fit me well?" "Am I being sold this product or am I choosing to buy it?" With these answers, you have just taken a vital step in taking back your autonomy as a consumer! 

Now with that autonomy, buy the bra that fits!

Love,

Kitty xo

Sizing up Boux Avenue: An undie-cover 'fitting test'

   Since attending Boux Avenue's Autumn/ Winter 2012 collection showcase and seeing the array of boux-tiful new lingerie for the upcoming months, I have been itching to make a trip down to Boux Avenue's flagship store in Westfield. Back in September of last year, I made my first foray into Boux Avenue by way of an online order, without much success on the fit front. With any new lingerie brand, it is always a good idea to visit a 'brick and mortar' store to familiarise yourself with the fit of the products, so I decided to make a trip to Westfield shopping centre to get the complete Boux Avenue shopping experience.

   One of the things that I particularly wanted to try out at the shop was their fitting service. After reading quite a few varying accounts of this service and seeing the dreaded '+4 fitting technique' in action on their website, I really wanted to experience their in-store fitting for myself. I needed to make the experience as authentic as possible, so I dug out an old 34D La Senza bra which was much too loose in the band and too small in the cups for me. I packed my bag with a trusty camera and notebook and prepared myself for an undie-cover investigation... 

   The Boux Avenue store front was very inviting, with the 'Boux' logo in lights and a girly window display of pretty '3 for 2' knickers, a screen showing their 'Wiggle It' campaign video and their accessories showcased under a 'B Academy' logo.

   Walking into the store, I was greeted by a friendly sales assistant who welcomed me to the store. The interior was really gorgeous, well-lit and the products were beautifully arranged, giving the shop a boutique feel. Framed campaign imagery lined the walls, the beauty products were showcased on a 'cake stand' central table and some of the lingerie was even set out in a vintage style suitcase! 

   I also really liked that the shop made use of little lingerie cabinets, so that if your size was not available on the display rails, you could pick out your size from the drawers below. Boux Avenue is definitely all about the details.. 

   After a few minutes of looking around, I was approached by a sales assistant, who asked me if I needed any help, to which I responded that I would like to get fitted. She whisked me off to the changing rooms, which boast a 'Concierge' area with a few chairs at the entrance, giving it a very luxurious and high-end feel. The changing rooms had different names and I was directed to the 'Chiffon' room, which was spacious and chic with a large mirror and an adjustable lighting fixture. Boux Avenue does away with notoriously unflattering changing room lights with their three light settings (Day, Dusk and Night) which can be changed according to your preference!

(Picture from http://blog.bouxavenue.com)

   So, I hear you ask..how was my fitting? 

   My fitter was friendly and asked me to take my top off so that she could assess the fit of my current bra. She had a look at the 34D bra that I was wearing and stated that it wasn't right for me and that I would probably need a 32E. She then got her tape measure out and measured me three times underneath my bust at varying degrees of tightness and asked at each stage how it felt. I told her that I preferred the tightness of the tightest measurement that she did of my underbust, to which she responded "wow, you like your bands tight!"

   She didn't tell me what measurements she had ascertained from the tape measure but did say that she would bring me a few basic bras to try on. It was interesting that she didn't overtly do any +4 calculations in front of me as I had expected that she would do, instead relying more on what I thought of the 'tape measure band tightness test' that she did. She brought me a 32E and 30F pink microfibre t-shirt bra to try on, which I thought was actually quite a good start seeing as I had walked in in a 34D!

   When I tried on the 32E, I immediately fastened it on the tightest hook, which the fitter didn't actually pick up on. She asked me to "scoop myself into the cups" to see if the breast tissue was properly contained in the cups and told me that the gore should sit flush against my chest (which it didn't completely in the 32E as the cups were too small and band too loose). She then asked me how the bra felt, to which I responded "Ok I think..what do you think?" She then proceeded to tell me that "the customer's opinion is the most important". This is all very good and well, but if the customer has no idea what to look for in a bra and doesn't know how tight a bra should feel, how can a good fit be assessed? 

   After I seemed a little unsure on the fit of the 32E, the fitter suggested that I tried a 32F and she again came back to help me. She looked at the 32F bra on me and pressed at the top of the cups and said that I wasn't completely filling out the top. She suggested that maybe the 32E was better, but asked my opinion and said that it was up to me. The 32F actually did fit me better as the central wires were no longer sitting on my breast tissue, but the shape wasn't right for me. 

   When I suggested that the shape was maybe wrong for me, the fitter agreed and consequently gave me a 30F and 30FF to try on to assess for fit. One thing that I was slightly worried about was that after putting the 30FF on the loosest hook, the fitter then proceeded to fasten it on the middle hook and asked me how it felt! I was really confused as to why she did this as it doesn't really matter how a new bra feels on the middle hook as it loosens with wear! After she had fitted me, she said that I was a 30FF/32F depending on the bra and asked if I was "ok being an F cup?". I was a little taken aback by this question and murmured "yeah sure" before feeling slightly uncomfortable. 

   I imagine that it is a shock for a lot of women to be put in a much larger cup size than they go into a shop wearing and I too experienced this a few years ago going from a 34D to 28FF in Bravissimo. I remember that in Bravissimo, the girl who refitted me was not at all phased by such a cup size jump and didn't bat an eyelid at my new size even though I did. This actually made me feel totally normal and more comfortable to change size fairly drastically. I definitely think that fitters should be encouraged not to put too much emphasis on cup size in fittings. If I hadn't been a bra blogger, the response to "are you ok being an F cup?" may have been despair, confusion or embarrassment!

   Never-the-less, my fitter asked me what style of bras I preferred and if there were any that I would like to try. I said that I liked plunge bras and sheer unpadded bras and she consequently came back with a really nice selection in 32F's and 30FF's, all of which I liked! 

(Top 2 bras: Tori lace moulded plunge bra in black 30A-38F - I found that the back band was very loose in both the 30 and 32 backs!

Bottom bra: Loretta full support satin plunge bra in red 30DD-38G - Probably one of the bras that I liked the most of those that I tried. The 30FF was an ok fit, but I probably needed to go up a cup as I was getting some cutting in.)

Poppy full support balconette bra in black mix 30DD-40H 

(Tried in a 30FF and 32F. The 32F was much too large in the back and I didn't much like the shape in the 30FF unfortunately.)

   The fitter offered her advice on the fit of all of these bras, but I felt that most of the input came from me as the Boux fitters seem to be there more to 'guide' the customer. At this point, I decided to go solo as I wanted to see what other bras were on the shop floor. I ended up picking out a range of bras in a 30FF and a few in a 32F - the shop assistants were very happy to aid me in finding my size from the drawers and from the back room. I even tried out the fitting room 'Concierge' and found the assistant friendly, eager to help and very efficient.

(My hand-picked selection of Boux beauties..)

Lyla satin balconette bra 30C-40G 

(Sadly only the 32F was available to try and it was much too large in the back for me)

Carina padded plunge bra 30E-38G

(I tried this in the white colourway in a 30FF and the shape just didn't work for me and it gapped strangely..perhaps I need to try a 30F..?)

Nancie satin and lace balconette bra 32A-38F (includes 30 backs up to an F cup) 

(I tried this in a 30F, which was too small in the cup for me. Such a shame as it is a really beautiful bra!)

After a long time of wanting to try Boux Avenue's swimwear, I finally got to try some:

Cote d'Azur multiway bikini top 32A-38FF (includes 30 back: C-FF)

(Tried in a 32F - too large in the back but I love the print!)

Martinique multiway bikini top in turquoise 32A-38FF (includes 30 back: C-FF)

(Tried in a 30FF and I wasn't mad on the shape of it on me)

Miami frill bikini top in fuchsia pink 32A-38FF (includes 30 back: C-FF)

(Tried in a 32F - back too loose)

Almeria halter bikini top 32A-38FF (includes 30 back: C-FF)

(I tried this bikini in a 30FF expecting it to be spot on, but the band seemed a fair bit tighter than the other 30 backed bikinis that I tried and the FF was too small in the cups. Sadly this bikini doesn't come in a 30G and it is sold out online in a 32F and FF. I'd love to try it in 32F/FF though as I really fell in love with this bikini!)

   After trying everything on, I realised that I hadn't got a fitting card that is normally given to people after a bra fitting, so I asked the Concierge assistant if I could have one for future reference. She apologised and said that I should have got one and that she would tell my fitter off (oops!) On the plus side, it is clear that Boux Avenue strives for high standards, so it is good that feedback is being passed on within the team..

   All in all, my fitting at Boux Avenue, Westfield was quite successful and I was very pleasantly surprised that the fitter could see that my badly fitting 34D bra was wrong for me straight away. It was reassuring to see a highstreet store measure me as a 32F/30FF as this is a lot better than many other highstreet fittings that I have had in the past! 

   There are a few things that I would offer up as feedback though. Firstly, I would suggest that fitters are trained thoroughly and regularly to make sure that they become confident in their roles as fitters rather than just fitting 'guides'. Although it is important for a fitter to listen to the customer first and foremost, I would imagine that most women going into a bra fitting would want to have a large amount of imput from a fitter - customers need to know what to look for, how a bra should feel and also if a bra fits them correctly.

   Often asking a customer "what do you think?" instead of offering an opinion will result in a blank face because the customer has no clue as to how a properly fitting bra should look and feel. I really think that this assertive but empathetic standpoint from fitters will go a long way in helping refit women correctly. As mentioned earlier, I also believe that fitters should refrain from making or inferring any judgement such as "are you ok being an F cup?" or "wow, you like your bands tight!" - although these may just have been 'off the cuff' remarks, I think it'd be best to leave them out.

   Another point to mention is that I felt that the sizing of Boux Avenue's products was a little inconsistent from bra to bra - in some styles, a 30 back was way too big for me, and in others, it fit ok. This may be due to the use of different materials which have varying amounts of stretch, but it is important to factor this in in the production process. Just some food for thought and something to keep in mind...

    Aside from the points that I have just mentioned, I would definitely go back to Boux Avenue, Westfield (or any of their other shops for that matter) as it is absolutely gorgeous! It is superbly set out, well-organised and nicely lit. The décor is also original, chic and well-executed. The shop feels like a boutique and details such as the 'Concierge service', lingerie cabinets and fitting rooms with adjustable lighting fixtures make for great touches that elevate the highstreet shopping experience. It is a plus that the underwear and swimwear is really pretty and accessible to the masses, whilst also being very reasonably priced. I am also delighted to see 30 backs quite readily available in a highstreet store and really hope that other stores will recognise the need for them and follow suit. The Boux Avenue staff were very friendly and eager to help, which is great to see from a customer point of view too. 

    I am really looking forward to seeing what comes next for Boux Avenue as it sets up for global expansion. Boux seems to be quickly filling the La Senza shaped gap in the highstreet, particularly with regard to catering to DD+ sizes (which the new La Senza stores and Victoria's Secret seem to be neglecting) Next time I am in Westfield, I will definitely pop into the store to try on some more lingerie and swimwear..plus I might have to stock up on their delicious bath and beauty products too!)

Love,
Kitty xo