A new-to-us brand to feature on the blog today, exciting! Twisted Lingerie is a UK based lingerie brand that aims to fill the gap that so many of us are searching for in the lingerie market – they make seductive and luxurious styled pieces at a lower price point. Their aesthetic to me is somewhere between Bordelle, Creepyyeha and Agent Provocateur but with much more accessible prices. The company is run by founder Sophie Thorne and pieces are manufactured in a small factory in Latvia.
When they let me know about their Black Friday offer of 40% off, I headed over to the website to check out their pieces. I was shocked when I realised that pieces start at £17 and you can get a full set – bra, briefs and suspender – for just £79. These sort of styles are normally much more expensive than that, and with that additional 40% off, I was completely sold. It meant I got this set for just £30.
I chose the Xenia Classic set of bra and knickers, both in a size medium. The set arrived in a glossy black box that was both discreet (no names on the packaging) but felt fancy. Inside, my lingerie was wrapped in black tissue paper – another lovely touch that makes all the difference to lingerie connoisseurs.
The Xenia bra is available at Twisted Lingerie for £30 in sizes small to large; the Xenia knickers are £20 in sizes small to large.
Also make sure to pop over to Esty Lingerie where she has reviewed the Xenia bodysuit.
So here’s how I got on with it!
Shape & Appearance
The Xenia bra is mesh, soft cup, unlined and non-wired bralette with X shaped straps crossing at the front. The cups are designed with two pieces of black mesh – the first is a basic triangle shaped bra that meets in the centre middle; the second piece attaches on the inner cup with straps that join the normal straps with an O ring at the shoulder. The design of these crossing on the chest is a nice nod to the bondage and strappy lingerie trend without being over the top – I’d say it’s a nice way to dip your toe into the trend without going all out.
The shape the bra gives is not particularly supportive nor uplifting, meaning that it’s very natural. On me, the cups are very low cut where the seams meet.
All the fabric of the bra is the same mesh, and the elastics are satin throughout. The rings and sliders are all black coated, but there is an option for gold hardware and shimmering black-gold mesh in the Xenia gold bra.
The straps across the chest are fully adjustable, and you can also adjust the shoulder straps at the front and the back on either side of the shoulder O ring – this is great for fitting a variety of shapes. The band fastens at the back with a wider than I expected set of 3 hooks and eyes.
The knickers use the same black mesh and elastic. It is described as minimum coverage and I’d say that’s pretty true! The mesh attaches to an O ring at the centre front and scoops down low at the front where there are cut out sections around the leg (it’s a lot more difficult to describe than you’d think!). The leg elastic sections are adjustable, then the two pieces of elastic that go around your hips and waist that join at the centre front O ring are also adjustable. At the back, there is a very small section of the mesh fabric, but I’d be more inclined to describe it as a thong than knicker based on the coverage.
I think the look of the set as a whole is really effective. It has an excellent side profile with the straps, and the back view of the knickers is lovely too – always a plus! It’s got the provocative appeal that the brand strives for without being too Fifty Shades. While it’s not handmade or “homemade” (ie. machine-made on a one-person-with-a-sewing-machine scale), this is the debut collection for an independent lingerie brand started in the UK, so I’d say it’s pretty impressive. It’s pretty sturdy feeling too for a fairly delicate set.
Size, fit & comfort
I chose a size medium in both the bra and knickers. The website equates this to a size 12-14. The size chart for the bra says that it should it a 34-36 band and a B-D cup. As we all know, I’m a 28GG and usually a size 10, so I was taking a bit of a chance by ordering a medium in both pieces.
The bra isn’t a perfect fit on me, but it’s not really half bad for a more generically sized bralette. I debated over getting the large for more space in the cup but the mesh has a small amount of stretch which means that it adapts pretty well. I think technically the X straps at the front are supposed to cross over the O rings based on how the models are wearing it, whereas on me they cross higher up and stand out from my chest a little. Nevertheless, I think it still looks good there!
Due to the adjustable straps all over, the bra definitely lets a variety of sizes get away with fitting it. If you’re a smaller cup size, you’d be able to tighten the straps to pull the cups closer to your body, whereas I keep them looser to allow more room.
The band is definitely too big for me, but that was expected. I currently wear it on the tightest hooks and it does ride up my back a little. To be honest, I’d probably tighten the straps at the back a little more if the band wasn’t so big – it pulls it up too high if I tighten the straps any more though. Despite this, it’s still definitely wearable for me.
I’ve actually worn this bra for daily wear under clothing for a day in the office – nothing hardwearing exactly, but that’s my normal day! And it did well. It was comfortable and while it did move a little, it wasn’t so much that it required adjusting – just so much that I experienced a little spillage through the cut out sections towards the end of the day.
I’m a funny fit in knickers, but I’m happy with how these fit. The reason I’m a funny fit is because I have a small but very short waist – it’s 27″ but literally dips in and goes straight out again very quickly – basically, I have a hip “shelf” rather than a hip curve! My hips measure around 38″ currently. In the past I’ve usually worn size 10 or small in briefs, but I’ve recently started wearing a size 12 or medium because I’m not a fan of the elastic digging in to my hips look. A smaller size might be just as comfortable but bigger can be more flattering I find.
So anyway, these knickers are a size medium and fit just about right, but I don’t think I’d be far off a large in them as I’ve got the adjustable straps almost on their loosest. Considering the medium is listed as a size 12-14, I’d say they run on the smaller side.
I also wear the top strap higher up than the model does, just because I felt it looked better there on me than lower down – just a matter of personal preference I suppose.
Check out some similar sets here:
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