La Senza (Shop)

Note: there's no La Senza website category at the moment but I promise to get it moved as soon as there is!
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I use internet shopping quite a lot. There was a time I used it because I couldn’t get out to many shops. Now I just use it because it’s convenient – I can browse a website at any time of day, I don’t get jostled by other customers and I can be nice & warm at home. The downsides are that ordering online can go wrong – you can’t check the quality of the product, aside from a tiny picture, so sometimes you may be disappointed. Other times the delivery process goes awry and you end up with no item, the wrong item or a dog-eared parcel. Sometimes, however, you find an internet shopping company that exceeds all expectations and La Senza is one of those.

I only came upon the La Senza website from a link on Chris (Borntoloaf)’s website, offering me 5 pairs of thongs/briefs for £10. When I saw it was La Senza, a brand I have always wanted to try, I jumped at the chance, clicked the hyperlink and went to look around.

The website:
The website at www.lasenza.co.uk is pretty plain but easy to navigate. The background is plain white and the index shows a few images of the lingerie you can buy on the website.

The website is divided into 4 key sections: lingerie, nightwear, swimwear and accessories. I entered via a link at Borntoloaf and was only looking for the thong/brief offer, which there is a large graphic for on the index page so I simply clicked on that to find the offer. The site is also running another promotion which is 2 Flamenco vest & brief sets for £20, which is a saving of £10.

LINGERIE
This area contains various items of lingerie – bras, thongs briefs and basques, separated by theme. This is quite useful because you can find the right bra depending on the occasion you need it for.

- Glamour contains matching sets of bras, briefs/thongs and basques which are a bit more sexy and ornate. For decent underwear the prices are quite reasonable – most bras are £18 each, although they do have special offers, and thongs and briefs average at around £8.

- Character contains lingerie with characters such as Little Miss Naughty Fairy. These are cute (and fairly cheap too) but not my personal cup of tea.

- Everyday section is bound to appeal to most people since what a woman wears every day is pretty average looking. These are actually the most attractive every day underwear sets I’ve seen – there are plenty of frills and ruffles – they’re not exactly frumpy! Bras prices range from £7.99 to £18 so there’s something for most budgets here.

- Full support section of the site is very handy for the well-endowed woman – but these aren’t exactly unattractive either. Sizes range from 32DD to 38FF (in certain styles), which isn’t bad for your average company. It is nice that La Senza recognise that the more breastily-blessed women would also like to wear pretty bras. You’ll also be glad to know that La Senza charge no more for larger size bras, unlike some companies.
- Speciality contains items such as sports bras and race back bras, which are essential for this summer’s racer back tops. I’m tempted to buy the racer back bra at £16 but with 3 shades (black, white and nude) I’m spoilt for choice!

- Briefs/thongs mostly come in sizes Small to Large – Small being a size 10 and Large being a size 14. I ordered Large thongs (because I would rather my underwear was too big than too tight!) and they’re actually pretty big – I think they’d stretch to fit a size 16 (unless you’re a 16 and hate tight undies!). On the briefs/thongs page the promotional items are clearly labelled with bright pink rectangles around the price “Any 5 for £10”. You can pick any 5 briefs or thongs (mix and match with a few of each if you wish) that are included in the promotion for just £10 – the reduction will show when you checkout. Sometimes these offers only include the unattractive items but not so with La Senza. I picked a nice white satin hipster thong, a black ruffle mesh thong, a black low back thong, a white ruffle mesh thong (adorned with pink bows), a black fishnet thong and black hipster lace thong. I’ve noticed that some of these are no longer available on the site so they must have sold out. These thongs/briefs usually retail at £4 a pair so the offer of 5 for £10 is very reasonable.

NIGHTWEAR
Nightwear is divided into 4 sections, most of which is available in sizes 8-16.

- Glamour is probably best suited for a naughty weekend. There is a really good range of chemises, baby dolls and cami sets. These cheapest item here is £9.99 on special offer and rises to £28, but the luxurious items look to be worth every penny. For the record, I’m rather fond of the Suivez Moi babydoll which is only £16.

- Casuals is a bit more every day and contains the Flamenco vest offer as well as vest & shorts and pyjamas. Prices range from £12 to £25, which is pretty average. I’m quite fond of the Cheeky Girl pyjamas and may have to treat myself to them sometime soon.

- Character contains cute character pyjamas and vest & shorts sets which are priced between £20 and £28. These are a little bit pricey but look nice & comfortable.

- Mix and match enables you to chose either a shorts or pyjamas bottoms to go with your vest or cami. There are only 2 sets here, which seems a little sparse.

ACCESSORIES
I didn’t even notice this section on my first visit, which is a shame.

- Bra accessories includes such things as bra inserts, breast daisies (honestly!), stick and show tape (that’s not we call it!), as well as bra strap converters. The bra accessories and nipple covers are all around £5-8 whereas the breast inserts are pretty expensive at £29. Honestly, ladies, is it worth it?

- Gifts contains all kinds of goodies such as a La Senza heart mirror, lip gloss, body lotion and even candles. There are all pretty inexpensive (£1-5) so it would be a nice idea for a little extra gift for someone (or yourself next time you order undies! That’ll be me then.)

- Slippers contains a small variety of slippers and flip flops priced at £8-14. I’m not really a slipper enthusiast but they might make a nice Mother’s Day gift/Christmas present for your mum.

- Hosiery contains a small selection of hold ups, stockings and tights, all priced at £6.

SWIMWEAR
For some odd reason they only have bikinis listed under this section, although maybe they stock swimming costumes in store for the more body shy. The bikinis are available in a nice range of styles and colours, all costing around the £22 mark, which is fairly average for a fashion bikini. Bikini top sizes start at 30AA and in some ranges go up to 38F (denim being one of the styles that feature a support bikini bra). Briefs/shorts and thongs begin at size 8 and go up to size 16 depending on the style. The styles are really pretty but they do lack a more plain, every day bikini.

CUSTOMER SERVICES
You can visit customer services by clicking on the link at the top of the page – on every page.

I only had to use the customer services section of the website to find out about clothes sizes – they don’t explain next to the thongs/briefs that a large is a size 14 – and payment options. However, if you want to find anything out about shopping on the site, here is where you’ll need to come.

In the customer services section you can find out store locations, search for a bra, order gift vouchers, check out the size guides and read about website security. If your queries aren’t answered, you can always use the contact us link to get in touch with them by e-mail, post or via your local store (which lists its phone number).

ABOUT LA SENZA LINGERIE
It looks nice and isn’t too expensive for the average woman! No, if you really want to find out more about La Senza you can click the link entitled About La Senza Lingerie at the top of every page, just below customer services. I checked this out, just for you, and I found the company values to be very nice:

“La Senza's primary objective is to provide an affordable lingerie product which is comfortable, romantic and sensual. Our stores offer women of all ages exquisite lingerie in a beautiful and intimate setting, providing our customers with a unique La Senza shopping experience.

La Senza is proud of its award winning customer service and recognises the value of its staff, and its ongoing ability to inspire, motivate and reward them in order that this objective is constantly met.”

I personally think they’re doing a pretty good job.

Checking out:
When you’ve selected all the items you want, simply click on your bag in the top right hand corner in order to view your items and checkout. I found the checkout procedure to be really easy and hassle free. Obviously you have to provide your address and card details, but nothing too rigorous. I had no glitches and the order was completed in no time at all. The website accepts all the major credit and debit cards - Mastercard, Visa, DUET, Delta, Switch, Solo, American Express and Diners Club International. It delighted me to find that they accept Solo because a lot of online stores don’t.

Delivery and packaging is £2.95 for all order under £50, but it is definitely worth it in my opinion. Good news for anyone living outside the UK is that you can still order – delivery will be slightly higher at £7.95 within Europe and £14.95 for the rest of the world. For those living in USA or Canada, it might be a good idea to check out the other La Senza sites which it links to at the top of the page.

Confirmation:
I ordered my items on Monday afternoon and received a confirmation e-mail immediately after. On Wednesday I received a despatch e-mail to let me know my order had been sent out by recorded delivery and even gave me the tracking details, just in case I wanted to check its progress.

Delivery:
The parcel arrived on Friday (which was well within their 3-5 working days guideline), when I was out so it went back to my local sorting office until I could pick it up, today. This means your parcel won’t end up in the wrong hands and very rarely goes missing, which is very reassuring.

I was half expecting a soft envelope but instead my underwear was encased in a narrow cardboard box. Upon opening it, I found another, thinner pale lemon gift box, with the La Senza symbol on. Inside this, which I would have expected had I read the site properly, the goods were wrapped in La Senza tissue paper and sprinked with scented beads. I was surprised and very pleased with this – it shows how classy La Senza are. Sure, people who are worried about waste won’t be impressed but I just thought it showed a very good attitude towards pleasing the customer. The casing kept my products protected (not to mention sweet smelling) and as the site suggests, it is really good for surprising someone with a La Senza gift.

Would I shop with them again?
Yes! If I can get gorgeous underwear, loving packaged and sprinkled with nice smelling beads, then I am definitely going to take advantage of it as often as I can afford to. I highly recommend taking a look at their website and trying them out as a special treat for yourself (or your partner!)