Theo Paphitis – one of the famous Dragons – is renowned for resuscitating La Senza and turning it into a multi-million pounds business. He’s now moved on to take care of Boux Avenue – a lingerie brand and store chain that prides itself in giving its customers a luxurious high-end experience without the big price tags but high-street prices. Boux Avenue also pride themselves in serving a wider range of customers due to the huge range of products (standard underwear, nightwear, swimwear, bridal wear, etc) and sizes they offer (30A to 40H, size 8-20) – again, without the extreme price tag. They even offer decorative things for bridal showers and weddings (or just to pretty up your makeup desk) and some beauty essentials like lip balms, hand creams, wet wipes, nail files and the like.
Theo & me – he wasn’t so scary after all! What a tame dragon! ;)
After having 8 stores across the country, Theo opened the 9th Boux Avenue store in Birmingham’s Bullring last Thursday and I got to take a sneak peek in the store before the mad rush of the on-lookers. I had already been to the store in Manchester and therefore sort of knew what to expect, but if you haven’t been to Boux Avenue yet – YOU ARE IN FOR A LUXURIOUS TREAT!
Clean, structured layout
The first thing you notice when you come into any Boux Avenue store is that the rails and racks aren’t overly cluttered with all the products being on display. Bras and knickers are either nicely laid out on trays or hanging of wooden hangers or – what I love most – in little trays in drawers, nicely sorted by size for the customers and sales assistants’ benefits of finding the size you’re looking for so much quicker.
Amazing changing rooms
The changing rooms are another highlight of the store. Taking your clothes off and showing yourself in your undies for a bra fitting can be a very frightening experience for some people, including me. But the ladies are so lovely that they make you feel at ease immediately. Each changing room has a cute little name matching Boux Avenue’s bras (e.g. Taffeta) and the room has a door that shuts the outside world away rather than the typical curtain kind of ‘doors’ you find in most fashion retailers. The room also offers three different light settings so you can see what the undies you’ve picked to try on look like in different lights: Day, Dusk and Night! What a brilliant idea!!
The huge range with amazing fabrics, designs and sizes
Where to begin? I really don’t know! I would’ve loved to buy the entire store if I had the budget, that’s for sure. Looking at the different bra types (t-shirt bras, plunge bras, balconette bras, etc) it’s immediately clear that quality fabrics are used and yet the most expensive bra is only £28!!! Most ladies fall into the standard sizes of bras that can be bought at many places, but unfortunately I’m not one of those. I’m a 30-back. So I always struggle finding the right bra, and up until now it was only La Senza that were doing this size – and only in one style: t-shirt bra. Great selection, right?! Most of Boux Avenue’s bras start at 30-back! Hurrah! So that for me is a big win!!
But it’s not just me who can benefit from Boux Avenue’s wide range. For example, normally bigger ladies find that clothes for their sizes are just upscaled, bigger versions of standard sizes – completely ignoring that bigger ladies need support in specific areas that average size women don’t need support in. But Boux Avenue takes that into consideration!
Or take their swimwear. Normally, you go into a store and you get a set of say, size 10. Or maybe 10/12 if you are lucky. But most of us are not the same size top and bottom! You can be a size 6 but have big boobs, you can be a big girl with small boobs. We come in variety, don’t we! Again, Boux Avenue takes that into consideration. So you match your bikini tops & bottoms to a set that fits YOU.
I could go on and on about this store, the brand and how amazing it all is, but I’d like the images to speak for themselves.
swimwear
cutest pjs
My favourite part was buying my Ultra Boost Bra (*), which is Boux Avenue’s absolute hero product. It makes your boobs look full and more importantly TWO SIZES BIGGER!! I myself have already seriously considered getting a boob job done, but this is a fabulous, cheap and safe alternative. The bra comes in I believe 4 different colours/patterns and when you get everything packed up, the lovely ladies wrap up the bra and put it into a cute little box and sprinkle it with fragranced fabric rose petals!! It’s all so very luxurious. I love it.
Ultra Boost bra in Leopard Print (*)
Have you ever experienced the luxury that is Boux Avenue? What were your experiences? Or are you now going to check it out? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear what you think!!
PS – Sorry for the picture & text overload!
Maria xoxo
