About Ann Summers

Founded in the early 1970s and now a nationally recognised brand, Ann Summers sells lingerie, nightwear and adult products through its own shops and online. It was among the first British retailers to put this category on the high street rather than behind a curtain.

Most of what it sells is ordinary lingerie. The adult range sits alongside it rather than defining the shop.

What they sell

Bras, briefs and lingerie sets, bodies and basques, nightwear and loungewear, hosiery, swimwear, and a separate adult range of toys and accessories.

Sizing spans a wide band of bra and dress sizes, and the own-brand construction means fit is consistent between styles in a way it rarely is across different labels.

Getting lingerie sizing right

Most people wear the wrong band size, usually too large, with a cup too small to compensate. The band does the supporting; if it rides up at the back, it is too big.

Sister sizing is the useful trick: going down a band size means going up a cup size to keep the same volume. A brand's own measuring guide is worth ten minutes before ordering several sets.

Underwired styles and non-wired styles fit differently at the same stated size, so buy one before buying three.

Practical and hygiene points

Deliveries are sent in plain outer packaging without branding, which is the reason many people order online rather than in store.

For hygiene reasons, opened intimate items and adult products are generally non-returnable unless faulty, so check size and specification before opening the packaging. For toys, body-safe silicone is the material to look for, only water-based lubricant should be used with silicone, and every item should be cleaned before and after use according to its instructions.

Using an Ann Summers discount code

Enter the code at checkout and check whether the adult range and clearance lines are included, as the two halves of the shop are often promoted separately.