Lingerie: getting the fit right, and keeping it

Lingerie sizing is not standardised. Two garments labelled the same size, from two different makers, can fit completely differently — so the label is a starting point, not an answer. Measure yourself once, write the numbers down, and use them every time: bust at the fullest point, underbust firm but not tight, natural waist, and hips at the widest point. Measure over nothing, or over the thinnest bra you own, and keep the tape level. If you sit between two sizes on a chart, the fabric decides which way to go.

That is why the material matters as much as the number. Stretch lace is the most forgiving thing we stock: it moves with the body, tolerates being between sizes, and recovers its shape. Sheer mesh has less give and shows every line beneath it, so it wants your true measurements rather than a hopeful size down. Satin has almost no stretch at all, which is why satin chemises and babydolls hang from the shoulders and skim rather than grip. Structured pieces — corsets and basques — are sized to be firm; if you want to be able to breathe through an evening, buy for comfort at the waist and let the hooks or laces do the shaping.

Different categories fail in different places. In a lingerie set, the bra almost always decides the fit, so size on the band and cup and accept whatever the brief measurement is. Bodysuits and catsuits are one continuous panel, so height matters as much as girth: a garment that fits at the hips can still pull uncomfortably at the shoulders if you are tall. Bodystockings are the exception — they stretch enormously and most are made in one or two generous sizes. Hosiery is sized on height and weight together, not dress size, and that combination is on the packaging for a reason. With shapewear, going smaller does not make it work harder; it makes it roll.

Try things on carefully. Keep underwear on underneath, check the garment over rather than through, and be honest about whether the discomfort is the fit or the newness. Move in it — sit, reach, breathe out fully. Straps should sit flat without digging; a band should let you slide two fingers underneath and no more; nothing should need constant rescuing. This matters commercially as well as physically: sealed intimate garments can be returned unworn within fourteen days, but once a hygiene seal is broken we cannot resell the item, so the fitting is the moment to decide.

Care is where most lingerie is actually lost. Lace, mesh and elastane hate heat and hate agitation. Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, no fabric conditioner and no bleach, press the water out rather than wringing, and dry flat and away from direct heat or a radiator. A machine is survivable if you use a mesh bag, fasten every hook, and stay on a cool delicate cycle, but a tumble dryer will kill elastane quickly and permanently. Store bras with the cups nested rather than folded inside out, and hang satin and structured pieces instead of stacking them.

A few small things extend the life of everything else. Fasten hooks before washing so they cannot catch and pull threads. Keep hosiery away from rough nails, jewellery and velcro. Rotate pieces rather than wearing one favourite until the elastic goes. And if a garment came with removable pads, straps or laces, take them out before washing and put them back afterwards — most bra accessories are designed to be swapped, adjusted and replaced independently, which is the cheapest way to keep an expensive set wearable.

If you are buying a first piece, the easiest route is a stretch lace set or a bodysuit in your measured size, because both tolerate small errors. Save sheer mesh, structured corsetry and anything cut long for once you know your own numbers.