Disclosure: This lingerie was purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own.
Studio Pia is a luxury brand that made a big splash from its first collection in 2017: a debut of lush botanical colours and floral embroidery. Founded by Pia Conaghan in 2017, this is athat takes its tagline seriously (‘Luxury lingerie with a conscience’). Their designs focus on two main textile varieties: intricate, custom designed embroideries, and ‘peace’ silk satin.
Unlike standard silk, 'peace silk' allows silk moths to emerge from their cocoons rather than boiling them alive to make the fibre. Products are mostly manufactured Romania in small runs, and the business uses a portion of each sale to donate to the ‘One Tree Planted’ initiative.
One of the brand’s design signatures is an adjustable sizing system, with strappy details allowing each garment to fit two to three different sizes. The size range is limited, as one would expect from a small independent brand, and covers bra sizes 1-6 (30-34A through to 32F-36DD), and knicker sizes S-L (UK sizes 6-16).
Studio Pia 'Naga' Robe
Serpentine Arcana
Using an exclusive embroidery designed by Pia herself and inspired by witchcraft, the ‘Naga’ range was love at first sight. As much as I adore Studio Pia’s colourful ranges, my personal style generally centres on an ‘all black everything' best described as 'lingerie goth.'
I prefer designs that move away from traditional florals and bows. The intertwining snake motifs and monochrome colour palette work perfectly together. Although it is now mostly sold out, you may still find the odd piece available with the label's stockists). The original Naga range included a longline bra, plunge bra, brief, thong, suspender belt and robe.
Placing the Order
I ordered the longline bra in a size 2 (30D-34B), and the briefs in size 3-4 (UK 10-12, US 6-8). Bra and brief together originally retailed for £382 or approximately $481 US. The knickers were made in Romania and held as stock for immediate shipping. The bra was made to order in the UK. I was very impressed with how quickly my order was processed. My set shipped just 9 days after ordering.
Initial Thoughts
My first impressions of the lingerie set were excellent. The embroidered tulle is both soft and sheer, but still sturdy enough to offer support. The embroidery has a lovely satin finish. I particularly love how well the embroidered tulle is used, with excellent consideration for the scalloped edge placement. The back of the briefs is especially noteworthy for the beautiful embroidery placement, an area of design that is often neglected in favour of the garment front.
All of the elastic strapping is encased in silk. It’s a luxe detail that feels gorgeous against the skin. It does mean it’s a bit more challenging to adjust any of the straps, as it requires you to pull more bulk through the adjusters, but the straps stay put once the garment is on the body.
The hardware is all 24ct gold plated, and the adjusters all have an unusual angular finish rather than the typical rounded edge you’d normally see in lingerie. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that the hardware is sharp or causes any discomfort. The centre back of the bra fastens with metal clasps that I found a bit trickier to fasten than typical hooks and eyes, but the aesthetic appeal definitely outweighs the extra time needed to get dressed.
I would be amiss not to mention the brand’s gorgeous packaging. The luxury gift boxes are finished with beautiful metallic gold foiled print, and the lingerie arrives in a white cotton branded dust bag. I’ve continued to use both the box and bag for general storage purposes.
How It’s Made
Overall the stitching is absolutely impeccable. The tulle is so sheer that all of the construction details are visible, so there is very little room for error.
The pieces are both made with premium materials. The custom embroidered tulle, 24ct gold plated components, and ‘Peace’ silk are perhaps the most noteworthy, but even the elastic trims and plush wire casings are of a high quality. I cannot find any significant flaws with how these pieces are made. They’re beautifully and sturdily stitched, and absolutely what I would expect at this luxe price point.
Fit
The bra fits me perfectly and is what I’d expect from the sizes recommended by the brand for their size 2 (I normally wear a 30D-32C). I wear the bra with the wings adjusted to around halfway without any excessive flesh ‘spillage’, as strappy details can often induce. I have a relatively narrow ribcage, but there is definitely room for both larger and smaller band sizes. However, due to the wing construction, the shoulder straps are set very wide. They work well on my frame, but it’s something to consider if you have narrow shoulders.
The wires fit true to size and tack well. I fill out the cups completely whilst getting gentle and natural looking lift (as one would expect from a cup structured with just a single dart). The elasticated neckline means that this style should fit well even on busts that are more bottom heavy.
As with any longline bra, the boned structure of the extended cradle can get a little uncomfortable with long periods of wear, especially when slouching. Fortunately, I haven’t had any issues with it buckling or bending out of shape (a common issue with plastic boning).
The knickers have a fairly cheeky cut, but fit well and true to the brand ‘s size chart. On my frame there’s still some room to spare in the adjustable side straps, and the knickers fit flush even without the hip straps cutting in. They’re comfortable to wear for an extended period of time. The tulle isn’t itchy, and the gusset is fully lined in cotton.
Final Thoughts
I’m so glad that I took the plunge to order this set. I adore it, and I’m still kicking myself months later for not saving up for the matching suspender belt in time. It's such a stunning and unusual design, and it's one of those lingerie sets that you just want to show off rather than hide away under clothes. Studio Pia has continued to wow me with their recent releases (Naida is a mermaid dream come true!), and I can’t wait to see where the brand goes next.