Liz - Made in England with Recycled Fabric
Our Liz lingerie range, as well as our Beth range, are made in Nottingham in the UK, using recycled fabric and is our most versatile easy fit lingerie set.
If you're new to retro style hosiery, or hosiery of any kind, then the terminology can be confusing - but help is at hand!
Check out our guide to hosiery and all will be revealed.
One of the questions I get asked a lot is, why we don't manufacture more in the UK. And the short answer is there really aren't very many factories left at all in the UK. I tend to get quite defensive when people ask why, What Katie Did, doesn't manufacture very much in the UK. And I feel like saying, "Why don't you ask Marks and Spencer'?" Because, if you're overseas, Marks and Spencers is a huge multi store brand and it's very, very well known for its lingerie.
Something like one in three women wear lingerie by Marks and Spencer, and it was them in the 70's and 80's that actually started moving all the manufacturing offshore and having it made overseas and basically all the British factories shut down. And now we are left with very few working lingerie factories, in particular. And when I say lingerie factories, I mean very, very minute factories with just a few people working, which is where Liz Lingerie is made. It's not a place where there's a huge factory, everyone making lingerie. It's a shame that the garment industry doesn't seem to be taken very seriously in England, lingerie in particular, when it comes to what's been manufactured in the UK it tends to be very much towards the lower end of the market, as opposed to the designer expensive pieces that you think would be manufactured in the UK, where the staff, the garment workers wages are more expensive.
Our little trick with manufacturing in the UK comes down to the fabrics: when it comes to manufacturing overseas in India, the designs we make a lot more intricate because the actual machinist cost is a lot cheaper. Their hourly rate is a lot cheaper than in the UK. So what we tend to do in the UK is we use very simple designs so we're not paying so much for the labor of sewing everything together, because when it comes down to it, when you're manufacturing, you're basically timing per the minute and every seam adds costs. So with our Liz knickers, Liz panties, we've only got one seam at the back. So it's very, very, very simple but made with high quality fabric. So in the end, manufacturing in India and the UK, the finished garment, there's not a huge amount of difference in price at all, but where there is a difference is you don't get all the intricate stitch details that you do, but when we manufacture in India.
Our basic Liz range comprises four pieces. We've got the soft cup bra, a suspender or garter belt, a high waist knicker, and a garter panty. And we introduce it in various colors throughout the year, and the black we have year in, year out. Our black Liz is actually made from recycled fabrics as well. So it's not only environmentally friendly, but it's supporting manufacturing in the UK. So really it's a win, win set.
Comfort and Gentle Shaping Combined
The Liz suspender belt is actually my favorite to wear because it's so stretchy, you can wear it with or without a corset, and because it's matte black, and I tend to wear a black corset all the time, I tend to always wear the suspender belt and just wear different lingerie to go with it and it works really well. And because it's got the stretchy waistband and stretchy fabric, it fits a variety of sizes with a corset and without a corset with no issues at all and giving a smooth line. So yes, it might look tiny when you look at it, but it does stretch, and it's comfortable, and it does wear really well as well.
Now, for the knickers, they look small compared with the size and this is because it is made from the stretch fabric. And I know the feedback we get is that some people say, they come up
small and yes they're right, they do come up small, but they’re supposed to be more of a shapewear garment. They’ve been cut with wide leg holes so you don't have to worry about constricting your circulation! They’ve been designed to lightly shape your tummy and give you a smooth line under clothing. So yes, they’re supposed to be tight. And to shape.
If you do want more of a traditional, looser fitting knicker or panty, then you could size up with this one. I should mention that the garter panty version of it is basically the same just with four detachable garters. So you can wear it with or without, and obviously, because it is a tight garment, you don't have to worry about the stockings pulling everything down.
Soft Cup, Easy Fit Bra
Finally we have our Liz bra, which is one of my favorite pieces to wear on lazy vintage days. It's a soft cup bra with a stretchy elastic at the bottom, and a slight stretch panel at the top. It doesn't exactly cover a multitude of sins, but it means that the fit's very forgiving. And even if you're wearing the wrong size, it still basically looks fine and feels okay as well. So the fit isn't as critical as when it comes to say our bullet bra, or our CCO9 bra, or you're used to wearing a full cup true vintage bra, you'll be aware that the fit really is critical. Whereas with our Liz bra, you can really get away with three or four different sizes and they'll still look just as good on you as the official correct size.
With the cup of our Liz bra, the bottom cup is very lightly padded. I know I've used the word lightly padded in descriptions before, and people expect to get an inch of foam like you do at Victoria's Secret. So when I say lightly padded, I mean a very fine three millimeter foam at the bottom which just shows off the stitch detail really nicely and just adds a little bit of support.
We do have a side bone with our Liz bra and I know we have had a few people comment that they don't like the side bone. We do sell an awful lot of our Liz bras, and we don't have very many comments at all about the side bone, but it is something we are aware of. So if you do have the Liz bra and you're concerned about it, then let us know because the more feedback we have from you, the more likely we'll know what the true situation is. Certainly I wear mine a lot and I've never had issue with the side bones. They are covered with Fortitube and they don't stick out at all. They are completely covered so you don't have to worry about a raw edge or something that's going to dig in at the end, but I know a few people have said that they don't like the side bones. So again, let me know. And any feedback we'll keep an eye on it and improve things if we can do.
With all of our made in England pieces it does say under the product description, if you look under size and fit, it does have the full breakdown of where our lingerie is made, and also the fabric breakdown, and everything you need to know. So if you're particular about where you want your pieces made, then if you check under size and fit, it does say the country of origin.
Credits
Which of our pieces is your 'go to' for everyday wear?
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