I know you’ve heard me talk about my Wishlist constantly and how many brands and sets I’ve wanted to try. Fifi Chachnil has been more of a dream, an unrealistic one at that. When I think of lingerie, of French, feminine lingerie, I think of Fifi. If I could only visit one boutique in the world, I would chose to visit Fifi. Not that I’ve been. I’ve been scouring eBay looking for something, anything in my size, just so I could try the quality and style without having to invest so much. With no such luck over the course of 2 years I finally decided to bite the bullet and order form the website.
After analysing the size chart for weeks I decided to order the Parisienne bra in a 80E and the high waisted brief in a 38. It took me awhile to work out French sizes, never having ordered anything online and only having tried on brands in person like Chantal Thomass. I would also like to point out this is one of the few times I have paid full price for lingerie. I try to be savvy with my shopping as I spend way too much. I make use of any sign up discounts or promo codes available. I rarely wait till things are marked down as if I want something, I’m not very good at waiting. I would never buy say a Hedi Klum set full price, but when it comes to independent designers I feel more comfortable paying the full price as I know the money is going directly to the people involved and back into the business. Why am I telling you this? Well when I pay full price for luxury lingerie I expect more and that is reflected in my review.
I’m big on presentation and packaging and this initial first contact with my new lingerie really affects my overall opinion on the products. My Fifi arrived in the cutest packaging ever!!! It’s like a mini shopping bag/box. The items were wrapped individually in tissues paper and padded out to protect them during shipping. Unwrapping it was my dream come true, it was the best unboxing experience I’ve had so far. The items themselves were so light and delicate it really was like I was unwrapping a precious jewel.
I was initially scared to try the items on. I wanted them so badly to fit and suit me. I tried them on after a few days and I absolutely loved them and I still do. The knickers felt slightly tight when pulling them up over my thigh bones but when they rested on my waist, it felt like they were on the bigger side. That might be something to think about if you have a large waist to hip ratio. Luckily this style comes with a few different types of briefs so you can pick the style that will best suit you. The briefs are unlined except for the gusset which is lined in silk. I feel like the underwear should be fully lined to help maintain the strength of the silk as I’ve said before they do feel extremely delicate and I wouldn’t wear them under anything to form fitting for fear of damaging them.
The bra band is the biggest 32 band I’ve ever worn. If you wear a 28 or 30 like I normally do, I would suggest getting a custom size as I’m not sure I trust anyone to alter the bra when it feels so delicate. It’s wearable when the band is bigger but the cups have some wrinkles as they are not pulled taut. The back of the bra is made up of a soft mesh, not silk like I was expecting. Usually at this price point you would see the band being made out of the same material as the main parts of the bra so I was slightly surprised by this. If the underwear also had silk front and mesh back I would find it appropriate to carry that design through all the garments but having one and not the other is slightly confusing. The mesh used is very soft and feels great against the skin but it isn’t power mesh so the support is minimal. The straps on the other hand are perfectly wide for this retro style and nice and plush. Considering I don’t have much support from the band, the straps feel very comfortable all day and never dig in. The wires feel a bit more flexible than I’m used to, but again they don’t dig into my armpits even though this bra isn’t a perfect fit.
It is very much a full cup bra yet this set feels very far from granny even when its paired with the high waisted knickers. The set evokes a sense of femininity and a carefree spirit. It is both young and old, practical and impractical. The full cup bra and high waisted knickers seem like a style for an older, practical woman. yet the lightness of the silk and the vibrancy of colours leans towards a younger less practical one. In my opinion, it could be a set for anyone, it blends the lines between markets.
The colour of this set is something I was slightly surprised by. The advertised colour as of a softer pink and calmer blue. In actual fact it is the most vibrant pastel pink and a turquoise blue. I do not mind the colour, but it does look very different from what I thought I was getting. If you are quite particular about colour I would suggest getting in contact via the website to confirm, as I viewed this set on many different devices before purchasing and all of the computer screens did not match the colour I received.
I do love my Fifi set and I think I would purchase from them again but I do not think I’m willing to pay full price again when some design details are not quite up to my standards. I hope my husband never reads this because this set cost $465 AUD. That’s about $150 more than I would pay if I was to purchase a two piece set again. It’s not great value per wear but I do have something beautiful to admire every morning as its in my pride of place in the top drawer of lingerie. For now…
Lace and Haze 
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