Lingerie made in France: what it really means in our workshop

At atelier culotté, lingerie is made in France from start to finish: every piece is imagined, drawn and sewn by hand by Chloé, in her workshop in Andoins, in the Béarn. The fabrics come from France or elsewhere, and each product page states exactly where.

Lingerie made in France: what are we talking about?

“Made in France” can cover quite different realities from one brand to another. A piece of lingerie goes through several stages: design, pattern making, cutting, sewing and finishing. The fabric itself was produced somewhere, and so were the lace and the elastics. When a brand talks about French manufacturing, a few simple questions are worth asking:

• Where is the piece designed?
• Where is it cut and sewn?
• Where does the fabric come from?
• Does the brand say so clearly, piece by piece?

At atelier culotté, the answers are written in black and white: everything is imagined, drawn and made in the workshop, and the origin of the fabric appears on the page of each design.

Imagined, drawn and sewn in Andoins

Andoins is a village in the Béarn, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, near Pau. This is where Chloé set up her workshop. A pattern maker by profession, she honed her skills with major brands and young French labels before founding her own brand, whose story she tells on The Brand page.

In practice, one single person follows each piece, from the idea to the last stitch. This is also why each label states how long it took to design the piece you are wearing: a piece of information that makes visible the work behind a pair of briefs or a bralette. The stages of that work are described in how a piece of lingerie is made, and the workshop itself in In the workshop.

Where the fabrics come from

The making is French; the fabrics are chosen for the look and feel each design needs. The product pages give the origin for every piece:

• EXPRESSO lace: a Turkish fabric, 79% polyamide and 21% elastane, for the EXPRESSO bralette, bloomer briefs, ruffle thong, tanga bloomer and draped top.
• 50 NUANCES floral lace: a fabric from Germany, with the same composition, for the bralette and the 50 NUANCES briefs.
• KITTY and GRRR jersey: a 100% cotton jersey of European origin, for the thongs and tank tops.
• Swimwear: a French fabric for the RHUM COCO, SOLEIL BLEU, SUNSET, BICHOCO and DIABOLO FRAISE collections.

On top of that comes a comfort detail found on every bottoms page: the briefs, thongs and tanga bloomers have a 100% cotton gusset.

This transparency is worth more than a vague label. You know where your piece was sewn, and you know where its fabric comes from.

What French manufacturing changes for you

Buying lingerie made in France in a small workshop is not only a question of origin. It shows in the way the pieces are produced and sold.

Small collections

The workshop’s rule: “Small collections that mean more. Less quantity, more quality.” Each design exists in limited quantities, and some pages show “Last pieces”. As everything is made by hand, slight variations in cut, shade or finish may exist between two copies of the same design.

A preparation time we stand by

Your order goes through the designer’s hands before it leaves: allow 2 to 5 working days for preparation, then dispatch by tracked Colissimo. Delivery starts at €8.55 and is free in France from €120.

A designer you can reach

A question about a cut, a size or a fabric? You write directly to the person who designed and sewed the piece, from the Contact page.

Cuts 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.” Depending on the piece, sizes run from S to XL, sometimes to XXL.

The workshop’s lingerie

The lingerie section brings together the bras (triangles, bralettes) and the bottoms (briefs, tanga bloomers, thongs), all sold separately. A few landmarks:

• The EXPRESSO tanga bloomer, in sheer lace, is presented on its page as “the best-seller”.
• The VALENTINE tanga bloomer, in sheer polka dot tulle, is described by the designer as the brand’s iconic design.
• The CARMELIA triangle, in red and pink lace shaded with sheer areas, belongs to a very limited collection; its central jewel is stainless steel.
• The 50 NUANCES bralette offers light support and fastens at the back with 3 settings.

The bottoms are €35, the EXPRESSO bralette and 50 NUANCES bralette €55, the CARMELIA triangle €60.

Frequently asked questions

Is atelier culotté lingerie really made in France?

Yes. Every piece is imagined, drawn and sewn by hand by Chloé in her workshop in Andoins, in the Béarn. The origin of the fabrics is stated separately on each product page.

Are all the fabrics French?

No, and the product pages say so. The swimwear is made from a French fabric; the EXPRESSO lace comes from Turkey, the 50 NUANCES lace from Germany and the KITTY and GRRR jersey from Europe.

How long does it take to receive an order?

Preparation takes 2 to 5 working days, because each order goes through the workshop. The tracked Colissimo delivery time then comes on top.

Do you deliver outside France?

Yes, delivery to Europe costs €9.86. In France, delivery starts at €8.55 and is free from €120.