Lingerie Review: Videnoir Printed 'Kraken' Lingerie Set & 'Ursula' Stockings

Disclosure: I paid for the garments in this review with my own money. All opinions are my own. 

If you’re at all active in the lingerie corner of the internet, there’s a pretty decent chance you’ll have seen Videnoir’s extravagantly gothic lingerie creations. The label is renowned for its distinctive flocked prints over sheer mesh. Classic horror motifs such as dripping blood, spiderwebs and tentacles have been reimagined as striking underpinnings. I've lost count of how many times I've seen these dramatic designs go viral!

The label is run by a small husband and wife team (Alis and Michael) from their atelier in Milan, Italy. They hand craft every single garment that leaves the studio, and even custom design their signature prints. The prices are shockingly affordable for totally made-to-order lingerie with such exclusive fabrics. Most of their lingerie sets are under $150.

All of the garments offer an impressive degree of customizability. On top of the wide variety of print options and silhouettes, there are also options for custom sizing, bra padding, custom colourways, and various skin tones.

Unsurprisingly, the label is in huge demand. The store will only open for short scheduled periods of time, and usually fills its entire order capacity for months within a matter of hours. If you want to get your hands on some Videnoir, get their next opening date into your calendar and remember to set an alarm!

Order Details

At the brand’s last opening, I was lucky enough to score an order space. I opted for the ‘Kraken’ halter bra and brief set, retailing at 150 euros ($180) and available in standard sizes 30-40 bands, AA-D cups and XS-XXL briefs. Both pieces are also available in custom sizes, for which the brand asks you to contact it directly prior to ordering.

I also ordered the coordinating ‘Ursula’  stockings for 49 euros ($59), available in sizes S-XL and custom measurements. I opted for my normal sizes of 32C bra and M respectively, with my measurements fitting comfortably within the Videnoir size chart.

The Order Process

It is easy to get a little overwhelmed when placing your order with Videnoir. I know that I got hit with choice paralysis! There are so many beautiful print options to choose from, and this is only further complicated by the knowledge that the designs can be customized. Once I finally narrowed down my choice, I simply selected the relevant size options and added the designs to my cart.

As you might expect for any made-to-order lingerie, there was a waiting time before I placed my order and actually received my products. When I placed my order, the website listed the waiting time as 6 weeks. I still hadn’t received any updates after 7 weeks. When I emailed for an update received a prompt response to say that due to overwhelming demand, waiting times had extended to 12 weeks.

I am very understanding of small brands who produce in house having unforeseen delays, though I do wish they had been a little more proactive in communicating this initially. I ultimately received my order 10.5 weeks after my order date. I was not bothered by this waiting time, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re purchasing with a deadline in mind.

My order arrived in a beautiful black gift box, with gorgeous flocked and foiled branded stickers. Unfortunately this box was encased in a mailing bag with no outer protection, so arrived completely crushed! Fortunately the lingerie inside was safe, but it seems a shame to use such beautiful packaging when it just gets destroyed in transit.

Upon opening the order, I was initially disappointed to see that the briefs were improbably tiny. There are no size labels stitched in to the garments, so I took a measuring tape to them to confirm that they couldn’t possibly be the size that I’d ordered. As it turned out, Videnoir had accidentally sent me the wrong size.

I emailed the company with my issue and received a response extremely promptly. They made and sent a replacement within a matter of days, and included an additional necklace gift as an apology. I was very impressed with this level of customer service, particularly knowing that the brand is overwhelmed with orders at the moment. Mistakes are only human after all!

Lingerie Details

All of the pieces in my order are based on a tentacle motif print that has been flock printed onto a sheer mesh base. The bra and brief feature this print on a lightweight tulle, and the stockings using a stretchy powermesh. The flock print has the same effect on both sides of the tulle fabric, with a soft velvety finish. It’s a rather pleasant feeling against the skin. The powermesh print is single sided, but still soft and comfortable to wear.

The focal point of the bra is the printed high neck panel, which is made of a very fine beige tulle. There are two darts for gentle shaping and lift. The darts are finished on the interior with a stiff nylon tape.

I’m not a fan of this method of finishing, as part of the tape is left raw cut and is quite scratchy in a very sensitive area. The tulle is also left raw cut at the neckline. This helps the garment appear more ‘invisible’ against the skin, but I am worried how this will hold up with regular wear and washing as it's already starting to fray.

The bra incorporates a polyester satin fabric for the cradle, and a fine black tulle for the wings. It fastens with a standard hook and eye at the centre back, and a locking black enamelled clasp at the halterneck. Wide plush elastic finishes the underbust edge, and elastic binding trims the underarms.

The underwires are encased in a plush channel, and the halterneck straps are made from adjustable wide satin strapping. A velvet bow finishes the centre front gore.

The coordinating briefs feature a centre panel of stretch black silk satin, embellished with a lavish appliquéd panel of embroidery, beading and sequins. The gusset and centre back of the briefs are made of the same stretch satin. The panels are all seamed together with an overlock stitch, and the waist and legline edges are trimmed with plush elastic.

The gusset is lined with a woven cotton. The stitching on the bra and briefs is mostly neat and accurate, and will largely hold up well to washing and wear. These garments aren’t made to a couture standard by any means, but the craftmanship is solid and what I’d expect at this price point.

The stockings are created from two panels of fabric, with a shaped panel at the foot for better fit. These are overlock stitched together with contrasting black thread, and the top edge of each stocking is finished with plush elastic. The plush elastic is quite a bulky finish, so you will need strong metal suspender clips on your garter belt.

The stitching on the stockings is a little disappointing. Keeping in mind that I've only ever worn these stockings briefly around the house, the heel seams on both stockings have already pulled open and have holes. This is something that I can fix with some hand stitching, but it isn't ideal to have to repair lingerie after so little wear and tear.

Fit & Comfort

The bra fits comfortably true to size. The band is firm, and although the cup darts are relatively shallow and offer a limited amount of lift and shaping, it works with the high neckline of the bra style. Unfortunately  I have quite sensitive skin, and the aforementioned heavy nylon taping at the bust darts is quite uncomfortable with extended wear.

The briefs have a very short rise in the front gusset, which makes for a slightly peculiar fit. The leg sits very low and the garment noticeably pulls at the front crotch during wear. Because the base pattern is poorly balanced, it means that the waist dips down at the back. I imagine this would be even more exacerbated for individuals with a particularly long torso. Otherwise the knickers fit true to size, with a comfortable level of elastication at the waist and legs.

The stockings are a relatively good and comfortable fit on my body, although the foot comes a little too small.  They are sized by thigh width and rise to around mid-thigh on my 5'7" frame. Individuals with particularly long legs may find they come up a little short. My EU 40/US 9 feet really test the limits of the mesh stretch, so I couldn't recommend this style for larger foot sizes. Unfortunately when ordering there is no information about foot fit available, though the stockings can be made as a footless style too.

Final Thoughts on Videnoir

I haven’t seen any other lingerie like Videnoir’s on the market. I’m honestly not surprised that they’re in this much demand, and the originality of the design and quality of the products exceeds what I’d expect at this market level. The products are well worth the wait. Although I found a few issues with the fit and finishing, I also know that the brand is constantly improving and evaluating its products, so I have high hopes that these issues will be addressed going forward.