Disclaimer: I was sent this lingerie free of charge by La Senza to review. My opinions of it are 100% honest.
I bought my lingerie pretty much exclusively at La Senza from my mid-teens until about a year and a half ago when the brand went into administration and the stores near me closed down. The lingerie was gorgeous, well-made, well-fitting and, importantly for someone in their teens and early twenties, very reasonably priced. Then La Senza got bought out by a company called Alshaya who relaunched it, but with a very different aesthetic.
The lingerie now is much more bright and colourful, and the more luxurious stuff that looked far more expensive than it cost is gone. Maybe it’s because Boux Avenue popped up right when La Senza temporarily disappeared, offering very similar lingerie, that La Senza seems to be targeting a much younger market now. I would have loved a lot of what they’re selling when I was in my teens!
So when I accepted an offer to review a bra set from La Senza it wasn’t so much that I loved the look of the set (it was okay, but not something I’d personally pick out for myself), but more that I wanted to see if the quality and fit I’d always loved La Senza for was still there.
Unfortunately I encountered a problem straight away, which was finding my size. La Senza state they use American sizing which differs slightly from UK sizing when you get to DD+, so I checked out their size chart which wasn’t helpful since it only goes up to a 32D, despite the fact they sell bras up to a 32E. So then I clicked their Size Guide link on the product page. My measurements are 26″ underbust and 32″ overbust which, according to this chart, puts me at either a 30D or a 32A. That’s not even close to my size! It also doesn’t seem to make much sense since the sister size to a 30D is a 32C, a whole two cup sizes bigger than a 32A. So in the end I ignored their size advice altogether and asked for a 30E, the size I wear most often, and a size small for the knickers.
The second problem was when the lingerie arrived. I was asked if I’d like to review the Body Kiss bra and bikini knickers in blue, but what I received was the The Show Off Push Up Plunge bra in aqua and a non-matching thong that I can’t actually find on the website. (Edit: The thong is now available here.) Not only that, but I was sent different sizes too, 32E and M instead of 30E and S!
Sizing and customer service issues aside, here’s what I thought of the items they sent me…
Appearance
The bra is actually a much lighter shade of green than shown on the website, overlaid with a lovely floral lace. The band is made from the same lace, left sheer, and you can see attention has been paid to the smaller details such as the La Senza logo stamped into the hook part of the band. I like that the straps can be hooked together really easily at the back too for two looks in one.
The thong doesn’t actually match the bra although the colours are pretty similar. This is my favourite part of the ‘set’ – it’s a soft, silky aqua fabric with black lace and ribbon. Very typical of what I used to see in La Senza!
The gift-wrapping too was gorgeous. My initial impression (before I opened the box and saw the wrong item inside) was ‘wow’, and the box is super sturdy so it makes not just great gift-wrapping but a great long-term lingerie storage solution too!
Verdict: 7 / 10
Construction
This was what I really wanted to find out – are bras from the ‘new’ La Senza as well-made as from the ‘old’ La Senza? Luckily, they are. There were quite a few loose threads on the band and straps which I snipped off, but otherwise the construction is pretty flawless and the bra feels nice and sturdy. It also comes with soft fabric fillets which are super easy to remove and put back.
The thong is well-made, again just a few loose threads here and there.
Verdict: 8 / 10
Fit
Unfortunately, since La Senza sent me the wrong size, this bra doesn’t fit so I won’t be able to wear it. The 32 band is just about passable (a tad too loose though so it rides up slightly) but the E-size cups, equivalent to F-size cups on a 30-band, are definitely too big. Not huge, but they gape near the straps. I’m almost certain that had they sent me a 30E like I requested, it would have fit perfectly. (There’s also no way a 30D or 32A would have fit like their size guide was suggesting!).
I was pleasantly surprised on the other hand that the size medium thong fits just fine. That’s all the more surprising when you consider it’s American sizing which usually runs larger than UK sizing (I typically wear a size small here, but a size extra small out there). As I mentioned, this particular thong isn’t on the website, but if you are buying any of their g-string style thongs I’d recommend sizing up if the fit of this one is anything to go by.
Verdict: 3 / 10
Washability
Because I can’t wear the bra due to the poor fit, I haven’t washed it. I checked the label and the ‘special care’ tag though and am a little surprised to say the least – according to La Senza you can machine wash this on a cold setting and tumble-dry it on a low setting (I’d personally recommend never tumble-drying your lingerie though!) but not hand-wash! I’m a little baffled as to why you can’t hand-wash this…
The thong also says machine and tumble-dryer friendly, and this one you can hand-wash if you prefer.
Verdict: 7 / 10
Value for Money
I was sent this set for free by La Senza to review. According to the price tags, the thong is £11 and the bra is £22, although the bra is £25 on the website. That’s roughly the same as my other La Senza sets cost, and about what I would expect to pay for a set of this quality.
Verdict: 7 / 10
Would I recommend it?
If what you want is a ‘superboost’ bra, then yes. Even with the fillets removed, it’s still very much a push-up and boost bra. It’s just a shame La Senza sent me this instead of the Body Kiss bra set because I don’t feel like I need a ‘booster’ bra! As far as the thong goes, I would recommend it to you all if only I could find it on the website… Oh, and if you’re buying as a gift, I would definitely recommend the gift-wrap which is well worth the £3.95 price tag.
So overall, mixed feelings on this one. I did like the presentation, the thong and the overall quality, but I didn’t like being sent the wrong item, being sent the wrong size, or the utterly unhelpful size chart that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. If you’re buying from La Senza, ignore that chart and stick with your usual size!
Have you bought from La Senza since the re-brand? What are your thoughts on the new look, and how did you find the sizing?
