Handmade lingerie near Pau: a designer in the Béarn, France

Looking for handmade lingerie near Pau? The atelier culotté workshop is in Andoins, a village in the Béarn, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Chloé designs and sews lingerie and swimwear by hand there, sold online and shipped by tracked Colissimo.

A lingerie designer based near Pau

atelier culotté is a designer: Chloé. A pattern maker by profession, she honed her skills with major brands and young French labels before founding her own brand in the south west of France. Her workshop is in Andoins, near Pau, and everything happens there: the pieces are imagined, drawn and made in the workshop.

She sums up her role in one sentence on The Brand page: “My role? To give you confidence through design, colour and my know-how.”

What sets a craft workshop apart from a conventional brand comes down to a few very concrete points:

• the same person designs and sews each piece;
• each label states how long it took to design the piece;
• the collections are produced in small quantities;
• the product pages give the origin of each fabric.

Handmade lingerie from the Béarn: what the workshop makes

The workshop works in two worlds: lingerie and swimwear. Both are sold by the piece, with tops and bottoms sold separately.

Lingerie

The lingerie section brings together pieces in lace, tulle and cotton jersey:

• EXPRESSO: a sheer brown lace, as a bralette, bloomer briefs, ruffle thong, tanga bloomer and draped top. The EXPRESSO tanga bloomer is presented as “the best-seller”.
• 50 NUANCES: a sheer floral lace, as a bralette and as low-rise briefs adorned with jewels at the front.
• KITTY and GRRR: a printed 100% cotton jersey, as a thong and a tank top.
• VALENTINE and CARMELIA: a tanga bloomer in polka dot tulle and a triangle bra in red and pink lace.

Swimwear

The swimwear is made from a French fabric: textured white for RHUM COCO, sky blue with a lurex effect in the sun for SOLEIL BLEU, orange with floral jewellery for SUNSET, black and white gingham adorned with pearls for BICHOCO, pink and blue waffle fabric for DIABOLO FRAISE. The BICHOCO triangle and its tanga are the designer’s favourite set.

Why choose lingerie made close to home

Buying from a local designer means, first of all, knowing who made your piece. But the benefit goes beyond geography.

You can ask the person who sews. Unsure about a cut, a fabric or the level of support? The Contact page puts you in touch with Chloé, not an anonymous customer service.

Quantities stay small. “Small collections that mean more. Less quantity, more quality.” Some sizes are already sold out, and several pages show “Last pieces”.

Each piece carries the mark of the hand. Slight variations in cut, shade or finish may exist between two copies of the same design. They are part of a handmade garment.

The cuts are designed for every woman. “Petite, tall, slender, curvy, radiant or discreet: I design my creations for every woman. Each design is made to reveal, never to constrain.”

To learn more about where the fabrics come from and what French manufacturing really covers, read Lingerie made in France.

Ordering from Pau or anywhere else

The pieces are ordered from the online shop, whether you live in Pau, elsewhere in the Béarn or at the other end of France.

• Preparation: 2 to 5 working days, while the order goes through the workshop.
• Dispatch: tracked Colissimo.
• Delivery: from €8.55, free in France from €120; €9.86 to Europe.
• Returns: within 14 days, return costs at your expense unless the item is faulty.

Choosing your size from a distance

Ordering lingerie without trying it on calls for a few landmarks. Each page gives the available sizes (S to XL for most pieces, up to XXL for some bottoms) and the size worn by the models in the photos, with their own measurements. For example, on the EXPRESSO tanga bloomer page, Audrey is a size 38 (French sizing) and wears S-M. For swimwear, on the BICHOCO triangle, Marie and Chloé are a D cup and wear size L. For the RHUM COCO one-piece, Marie is a size 36/38 and wears M, Chloé is a size 40 and wears L.

All these landmarks are gathered in the size guide. And if you would rather let the person you are buying for choose, the gift card comes in €50, €100, €150 or €200, valid for one year across the whole shop.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the atelier culotté workshop?

The workshop is in Andoins, a village in the Béarn, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, near Pau. This is where every piece is imagined, drawn and sewn by hand.

Is the swimwear also made in the Béarn?

Yes. The swimwear is sewn by hand in the workshop, just like the lingerie. It is made from a French fabric, and several designs are fully lined, with no sheerness.

How much does delivery cost?

Delivery starts at €8.55 and is free in France from €120. To Europe, it costs €9.86.

Can I give a piece without knowing the size?

Yes, with the gift card. It is sent by email right after purchase, stays valid for one year across the whole shop and can be used over one or several orders.