Ahh… Victoria’s Secret. What was once a small lingerie store in San Francisco is now a mall staple and a haven for college girls. We love it because of its cute decor, sexy bras and comfy loungewear. Also, if you’re lucky enough or go to a big enough school, PINK’s Collegiate Collection has some awesome school-spirited merchandise that’s much cuter than your average bookstore fare!
However, shopping in a VS store can sometimes be a pain- dressing rooms are often packed and sizes are missing everywhere. Want to avoid those problems? Shopping at VictoriasSecret.com is your solution! Here are three tips to keep in mind when shopping online at Victoria’s Secret:
Table of Contents
Try it On In-Store- Then Buy Online:
While this may not be a tip for Victoria’s Secret online store, this has definitely made my shopping experience at VS more fruitful. Every time I go into VS, I try on at least half a dozen bras, but I can never seem to find any in the color I want!
A few years ago, I’d just buy the last clementine-colored tee-shirt bra and try to ignore how visible it was under a white tee, simply because the store I went to was out-of-stock in the colors I wanted. Now I know to try whatever bra on in the store first, then actually purchase it online! They’ll most likely be in stock in your size and color, so you won’t have to regret your in-store purchase later. Plus, if they are out-of-stock, you’ll be first to know when that particular bra is available to ship!
Wait for Steals and Offers:
I literally get about five emails a week from VS about their latest deals and steals. For the week of the 25th of January, I saw they offered $15 off orders of $100, an offer better than free shipping, as bras at Victoria’s Secret can run $50 each! Also, they often offer deals like 2/$40 bras and 5/$25 panties, so definitely check out the sales+specials page. Basically, if you’re thinking of buying a new bra, sign up for their mailing list and wait for these ‘steals,’ as you’ll end up saving lots of money.
Pay Attention to Sizing:
I, perhaps naively, thought that if I was a 34B at Victoria’s Secret then I would fit into all of their 34B bras. Imagine my surprise when I received two bras of the same size that fit me completely differently!
VS bras have different levels of padding: from “lightly lined,” which has no padding, to Level 5- Ultimate Lift. Different levels of padding definitely affect how a bra fits. If you have the opportunity, figure out what size you are in each of their padding levels- so next time, when you shop for bras online, you’ll be able to order each in the correct size!
What other tips do you have for shopping at Victoria’s Secret online?
What have your experiences been? Tell me everything in the comments!
Thanks! I’ll buy them online then.. 🙂
You may have better luck shopping for dresses on Victoria’s Secret website. I haven’t seen any day or evening dresses in the shops!
To anyone who has had a bad experience with sizing at VS, request to be fitted by the Bra Specialist. While every associate is taught how to size, not everyone is good at it. The Bra Specialist has her position because she has been with the company for a long time and has an extensive knowledge of fittings and our products. We never want anyone to have a bad experience at our store and if you have let us know so we can make sure you leave happy!
oh i forgot: another great tip for shopping online is to buy gift cards or store credit cards on ebay. you can sometimes buy them for half of what they’re worth. once you get them in the mail, you can punch in the code online.
Don’t forget to mention the clothes! Literally almost half of my wardrobe is from VS. Most of the time the clothes are fairly affordable, but they have a good selection between trendy and classic. It does run a little small, but not too badly. The pants also run long. VS is a great way to try out a new trend without investing too much money into it (just in case you hate it).
Wanted to put a word in about VS bra sizing versus real bra sizing. (And yes, I’m American.) I wore a 36D or a 34DD for a long time. When I got bras from VS and Gap and other places like that, those sizes were the most well-fitting (i.e. came the closest to containing my boobage). However, after a while, the bands would stretch out, and I would notice that the girls were hanging a little low. Finally, I went to a specialty bra shop (Intimacy in Boston–they have stores all over) where I got a REAL bra fitting. I sized out at a 32F. Basically, the cup on a 32F, a 34DD, and a 36D are the same size (by volume, basically), but the band on a 36D or 34DD is just way too loose on me, which you can tell because I was riding low.
With a 32 band, the band does most of the legwork and my boobs are up where they should be (halfway between shoulder and elbow). Looking back on my old bras, the bands were too loose and they fit funny as a result (little wings where the cup met the band) and were less than flattering.
The problem is that VS does not make sizes above DD, and certainly not with small band-sizes. Most women are wearing too large a band size and too small a cup size, because we think that cup sizes run from A-DD and band sizes from 32-38, which they don’t.
So when you go to VS to get sized, they would never size you at a size they don’t make. lalalina, for instance, is trained to fit women in order to sell VS bras, not to fit them correctly. (If she were, she would know that 30F is a real size, even in America. No disrespect intended, but that’s a fact.) So the VS sales associates try to guess what’s closest, and you end up with an ill-fitting bra because hey, after all, you were fitted, right?
I would suggest that everyone who thinks this might be an issue get fitted at a specialty bra shop or Nordstrom (who also carries higher cup sizes and smaller band sizes, and whose associates are trained about the possibility of small band sizes with larger cup sizes). You probably wear a larger cup size and smaller band size than you think you do.
Try this:
http://myintimacy.com/whatsmysize.html
And see what you get, for a general idea of what your actual size might be.
And no, I’m not paid by Intimacy or Nordstrom or any of that. I’m just sick of VS dictating that my size doesn’t exist or should be crammed into a too-small-but-too-loose bra.
That said, I’ve been pleased with the quality of VS clothes–but size up!
i agree! i’m surprised that no one has mentioned the weird sizing of vs sweats…I consider myself very curvy and a small can sometimes be too loose!
Hey all! I am actually a VS employee. First about the sizing, it is very true that you can be two different sizes depending on what bra you are buying. The material the bra is made out of can effects the fit.
Breanna- I am not sure what country you are from seeing as you wear a 30F, but I would go into a store to get a fitting. We don’t just use the measurement under your bust for the band size. So even if there are some girls that measure a 26 around there rib cage, very rare because I have worked with VS all throughout college and never encountered someone with that measurement that needed a bra, some bras run small and can accommodate them.
Sherry- Trying on a convertible or strapless bra in the store is a MUST because the cups are different in those types of bras.
As for the bathing suits, please check your local store to see if they have them. I tried on one in a similar style to check the sizing before I purchased mine online.
Sorry this is so long, but one last thing. You can not return online merchandise in the stores. The stores, online, and the catalog are actually different companies. If anyone has any questions about VS stuff do not hesitate to ask!
this is such a great post! i never thought that you would have to buy different sizes from the same brand. i was just about to buy the convertible bra online, even though i’ve never tried it on. i figured if i was 32b in the regular bras, i could buy that one with no problem. thanks for catching me before i did!!