Sigh. There’s nothing I hate more than mayo and being disappointed by a subscription box for reasons outside of my control. I subscribed to Splendies in September (you can read all about that here and here) and had an issue with the sizing. If you’re not familiar with Splendies, they are a monthly subscription box that sends you a few pairs of adorable underwear each month.
The concept is great, but a common issue everyone seems have is that the undies run on the small side, and I was no exception. My bootie is around a medium/large when it comes to undergarments, but when I received my x-large box it was still way too small. I reached out to Splendies because I suddenly had about 9 pairs of underwear that I couldn’t squeeze into. They suggested that I try their plus-sized box called Voluptees, and since I’ll try anything once, I was in.
It turns out Splendies and Voluptees are polar opposites in terms of sizing. Behold – the largest Splendies size (XL) sitting atop the smallest Voluptees size (1X):
I feel like I need to preface what I’m about to say with this – I am 100% behind the body-positive movement. I think that women put too much emphasis on body size and shape and that there is nothing wrong with having a few extra pounds. Plus-sized girls are fine just the way they are, and society needs to get the hell over it if they think otherwise.
That said, I am not plus-sized. I am 5’8″ and on the smaller end of a size 12. The underwear that Voluptees thinks I fit into is so large on me that they won’t stay up, and I now have a box of skivvies that is either comically large or laughably tiny on me. The sizing issue is a real problem with this company. I think it would be fairly helpful for customers if there were measurements listed on the website so that they don’t end up with a surplus of unwearable undies like yours truly.
Nevertheless, the underwear IS cute, and it does seem to be pretty decent quality.
The black pair with leopard print lace trim are so soft that it makes me sad that I can’t wear them. No amount of shrinking will help either, and I am jealous of whoever gets this pair in their correct size. The pink camo-print I can live without, but that’s what I’ll do anyway since they are way too big for me. Still, they’re of decent quality and the lace is really soft.
This pair almost fits me. It’s by far the smallest in the box (which is another problem, because why are they sending such drastically different sizes in the same box?), but it’s still about a size too big. I love the hot pink and the striped backside. I would totally wear this pair normally, even though I typically tend to stay with boy shorts. They are a stretchy, dense material that I’d imagine is 100% synthetic, but it’s underwear so who the hell cares.
These are by far my favorite pair in the box. I am going to throw them in the dryer for an hour on high heat and hope that they shrink a little. They are SO soft and So light and lacy and pretty. I also really like black underwear. The back of them are polka dots, which is adorable. I really wish they were smaller, but we’ll see what I can do.
The last pair is the only thong they sent, but it is so weirdly shaped that without looking at the tag I can’t tell which side is the front and which is the back. It’s basically symmetrical. Actually, I’m not sure if it’s a thong. The fabric is kind of large to be a thong. I suppose it’s an enigma.
If anyone was interested in giving Splendies or Voluptees a whirl, I would seriously consider your size. Smaller sizes seem to work best with Splendies, and larger sizes with Voluptees. Sizes sort of in the middle, like me, are out of luck unfortunately. If you fall on either side of the spectrum, I’m sure you’ll be really happy because the undies really are super cute!
xo,
Jill
I have ordered from Voluptees for the last three months, I am waiting on the fourth package currently. I am on the larger side and generally wear and 2x and sometimes a 3x depending on the fabric an cut and whatnot. In my first two packages only one or two pairs fit. In the third one none of them fit at all, and some of them were labeled as a 4x.
Like you, I am a littler frustrated with the sizing difference in the same package. This will be my last month, if I don’t get something good I will cancel. I have just seen so many women my size and larger get Voluptees that fit and love them.
I think that if the undies fit you this is a great deal.