Rigby and Peller- A Lingerie Styling

A few weeks before Christmas I was asked by a friend to join her at a Shopping and Social  event hosted by Santander, for Women in Business. Always up for an afternoon out, I went. One of the stands was held by Rigby and Pellerhttps://www.rigbyandpeller.co.uk/, the prestigious lingerie retailer who hold the Royal Warrant of Appointment, no less.

I am obsessed by bras. Like many women I have a complicated relationship with my boobs. What can I say ? By 13 they were a size that I couldn't handle and the options to contain them limited . I don't think that cup sizes went beyond a C cup and to accommodate my abundance, I was forced to wear a larger back size, in a style the thought of which still gives me nightmares- ' Doreen ' by Triumph ! Google it ! The shape Madonna achieved in her Gaultier silk shell bra but none of the glamour. 4 hooks on the back and a flower pattern punched into the scratchy nylon. My shoulders still bear the indentations of straps hoiked too high. Poor me !! Anyway, I soon realised that I had to give up hurdling - can you imagine , meeting yourself coming back that many times over 80 metres!! 

With the help of Mr BUPA and the realisation that 3 pregnancies had not done any favours to a 5ft 4 frame,  a 32inch back and a nudging FF cup, I am now in a happier place, chest wise , but my eternal quest for a pretty, comfortable and effective bra is endless. The offer of an appointment with a Lingerie Stylist at the Harrogate branch of Rigby and Peller was just too good to miss.

Me about to set off

Rigby and Peller was founded in 1939 by Gita Peller and Bertha Rigby with a shop in South Molton Street in London's West End. It is still very much London centric with branches in Knightsbridge , Bow Lane, Chelsea, Mayfair and St. John's Wood. It is also in Guildford, Cambridge, Bluewater and...... they have now leapfrogged to that most Southern of Northern towns....Harrogate !! Luckily for us ooop North!!

And , actually, just in the nick of time. I went to a Charity Ball last Saturday ( think we were a stand in ) but who cares, a night not scrolling through Planner and settling on " 24 Hours in A & E" or dear Dr Michael Mosely was a triumph in my book . Anyway, there were some great dresses but, dear Lord, let down so badly by the foundation garments, as my Granny would say. Bulging out like tubes of ' Aquafresh' squeezed by an exuberant toddler !! They need to visit Rigby and Peller pdq. It was a revelation. So I'd better get on with telling you why !!

Entrance to Harrogate Branch

Valentine's Window

My appointment was with Kelly Dunmore who is Chief Lingerie Stylist and who is usually based at the Knightsbridge Store. Kelly is also the Training Manager looking after 95 Staff to ensure they are all fully trained . She was visiting the Harrogate store and, after meeting her at the Santander event, it was she who arranged our session and kindly offered me a discount on the basis, I think, of me doing this blog. I certainly wasn't going to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth, whatever the basis of the deal.

Kelly Dunmore Chief Lingerie Stylist

The store itself is spacious and uncluttered with racks of the most beautiful lingerie in an array of mouth watering colours against the walls. The central display is given over to swimwear and kaftans but I really did not dare to allow my eyes to linger too long in that direction lest I discover a , previously unknown , NEED for a swim suit or bikini. I had given myself a good talking to about what, precisely , I was going to spend my money on - one bra - and how much I was going to spend. Did I stick to it ? Do you care ? Well, for dramatic tension, I'll tell you later !!

On arrival, we sat together on easy chairs and I was offered tea or coffee or a soft drink . This is standard before a fitting and is an opportunity for the Lingerie Stylist to find out a little more about the Client and her requirements. In my case it was also a chance  for me to ask Kelly what, in her opinion, made Rigby and Peller so special and, in a way, what it is that justifies the price tags in particular. For this is top end lingerie and the cost reflects it. Bras ranged from the £60 mark to over £100.

First off, amazingly,  Rigby and Peller's bras have between 40-50 components as opposed to High Street brands which usually have only 10-16 at most. Each has over 40 processes to pass through, from creation to final production, which is, apparently, and in fairness, understandably , why their bras are so comfortable. They are then, incredibly well made and Kelly assured me that, although the price  was higher ( often more than double ) than the offerings on the High Street , their durability , wear for wear, actually made them good value. By now I'm eating from her hand and am willing to believe anything.

Let's look closer though . Kelly's view was than a bra from M&S would need replacing every 3 -6 months ( are you feeling awful now that you think how long most of yours have hung about ?! ) . A Rigby and Peller bra, properly cared for ie hand washed ( and for £75 I'd damn well hand wash it in Evian) should last for 12 months at least . Ta Dah !!! The maths proves it and don't bother to squeak up that doesn't it depend on how often one wears the bra over the said period ?! It's maths. It must be true.

Before moving onto the Fitting Room , the thought of which did fill me with a frisson of dread, we chatted about bras generally. It seems that the British are not great in the undergarment department. The French and Italians dress from the ' inside out' according to Kelly with a great emphasis on beautiful lingerie whereas she has seen Ladies here arrive in Chanel and Armani , only to disrobe and reveal ill fitting and unflattering underwear completely at odds with the outer image. This was not said in any judgemental sense .She was at pains to say that it did not matter AT ALL what underwear a Customer wore to the fitting but it did bring home that a great many of us could do with some kindly guidance in this department.

5 Bra Styles

Kelly began by saying that there are 5 key shapes:

1.Full Cup

2. Half Cup

3.Balcony

4. Plunge

5.Sweetheart

In addition your wardrobe might also include a Sports Bra, Strapless and Shapewear/ Contour Wear, Nightwear/ Loungewear .

All of these are available at Rigby and Peller with the appropriate advice as to what style suits you or the particular garment you are wearing, for instance the right bra for a smooth look under a T Shirt, under a shirt or with a plunge dress. I , for instance, was convinced that I was a balcony bra girl but, after trying a sweetheart shape, I'm a convert. 

Kelly also mentioned style tips such as wearing red under cream. Apparently it doesn't show !

A really nice touch is the fact that the Fitter is usually teamed up with a Customer of a similar body shape and age. Presumably when you book the fitting appointment some careful questions should sort this.

The Fitting Process 

After our chat I went into one of the changing rooms which had some lovely perfume and tissues. Clean, functional and stylish. Enough said.

You can be fitted with a bra on or off. The choice is yours. Once upon a time it was always with the bra off which can be off putting but if you're not keep on flashing your assets, that's fine. Frankly, I didn't care. After 3 children and a reduction op I hardly feel that mine belong to me anymore and have perfected the art of looking but not looking , if you see what I mean. The trick is to look boldly into the eye of whoever is talking to you, ignoring your state of undress and the clear power disparity that gives rise to. Try it next time someone comes near you with a speculum !! It works for any part of the body.

Me in the changing room

Then came the most wonderful half hour or so of my bra life. Kelly brought in probably 12 bras in different styles and different colours and helped as I tried them on, adjusting me and giving guidance as to the fit and the cut. I wish I had taken a photograph of the pile. It reminded me of how Dorothy must have felt when she pitched up in Oz, surrounded by all that glorious technicolour. 

Establishing your size

Finding the right size is a matter of applying 5 scientific tests/ facts and one emotional one. No tape measure was used.

1. The Band . 80% of the support comes from the band around the rib cage and therefore the band size is vital. Kelly described the tightness as being like a hug , not a squeeze. If the band is too loose the bra rides up and causes one to shorten the straps to compensate. This is what gave me the terrible groove marks.

2. The Wires at the side- need to be checked. If they bounce the cup size is too small as they should sit on the breast tissue.

3. The Bridge/ Sternum. The wires should sit flat against the body between the breast and rest on the breast bone, not away from it.

4. Check that there are only 2 boobs !ie that the breast tissue is not spilling out above the cups ( or anywhere else for that matter)

5. The Straps. It should be possible to get 2 fingers underneath the strap. Any less then it's too tight and any more then it needs shortening. The purpose of the straps is to hold the bra to you, but is not where the support is. 

6. How does it feel ? It should feel great !! 

I tried on all the styles and because they fitted properly , some which I has previously dismissed as ' not for me', became a possibility. I have always rejected a plunge bra, thinking that within 5 minutes I'd be spilling out and that I'd very quickly look like a bike rack as my boobs migrated towards each other. Not so with these bras. So, dresses or shirts that I would not have entertained are now back on the agenda. 

Amid all this finery I was trying to be sensible. What I really needed was a bra to wear under a T a shirt or something silky. On this quest, in the  past I have ended up with a bra which gives me very little shape, manages to spread my boobs all over my torso, and makes me feel like Pam Ayres. Sorry Pam, you're very funny, but I don't  want to look like you !!

Well. I bought these 2. They look better on, honestly. They have beautiful soft lace at the sides and manage to give a forward shape that seems to gather me in at the sides too. As Ronnie Barker once said - A Sheepdog Bra - rounds them up and points them in the right direction !!! Perfect ! I cannot tell you how comfortable they are.

They are £61.95 which probably makes them one of the cheaper ranges and they are really just the the bread and butter when set against the feast you could be having. You could go wild with lace and colour and it's just the place to do it but, if you wanted to start at the bottom and work up, I reckoned these weren't a bad place to start.

Well, I wouldn't be me if I'd stuck to the plan. I was so delighted to find this soft style bra which actually fitted, that I thought , blow it , and followed my heart to the coral option. I couldn't justify the £37 odd for the knickers - my backside has no special requirements - but I did find an ( almost) matching pair from a Bravissimo set at home. Result !! 

Amour Plunge £74.95 

The ( almost ) matching knickers 

I considered putting a few photos grabbed from the website of some of the bras but decided that it's a bit like photographing food- it doesn't always work and looking at too many can make you queasy. Also, what if you hated my choices and I put you off?? Do look at the web site. It will give you the idea of the sheer range and well, the beauty really, of the products . What it won't do is give you the amazing experience of having the expert attention of a Lingerie Stylist who will devote time only to you to sort out your assets so that you leave knowing that you will now be comfortable and stylish, with a better silhouette . For that you need to make an appointment and visit one of the stores. I promise that you won't regret it. I don't. Thank you so much Kelly.