Representing real women
Published Friday October 16th, 2009
Bra shop owners practise what they preach
Actions speak louder than words, right?
Almost one year ago I interviewed two women who were set to launch a business that targeted “real” women.
These ladies openly admitted they could never find pretty bras in their sizes and were tired of wearing boring beige under their clothes. The duo – or the girls, as they’re known – decided to open The Girls Bra Shop in Rothesay to start offering the product they desperately wanted themselves.
At the time, I sat down with the girls to talk about the business.
They candidly discussed their insecurities but focused more on what they liked about themselves and what made them feel confident – starting with a good bra.
These women meant business, and while a world of retail giants displayed thin, busty models in sex-driven ads to sell underwear, the walls at The Girls Bra Shop stayed blank.
By this Christmas, that will change.
Ann Lipscombe and Tammy Newman have taken things into their own hands and, along with their staff, have gotten in front of a camera to pose for their own ad material.
This summer, the women gathered in an open field filled with vintage trinkets and an antique scene and bared all but their undergarments for the camera.
Their message from almost a year ago still stands: women should be able to walk into a bra shop and feel beautiful, not insecure.
“We want to have images people can relate to,” Newman said recently.
The large photographs, taken by Victoria West, will be put up in the shop before Christmas.
The business owners said getting the confidence to pose for the camera was a challenge.
“It took courage,” Newman said. “We needed to prepare ourselves for it.”
Lipscombe said if she expects women to bare all at a fitting, why couldn’t she strip down too?
“We’re asking women to show us their bras and yet we can’t even step in a field with co-workers who we see on a daily basis? If we’re going to ask a total stranger to trust us then we have to put ourselves out there too.”
The photos are something to see. The models and the photographer infused each image with class, luxury, elegance and confidence.
A year later and the girls are still practising what they preach – even if it means conquering some fears of their own.
Candice Mac Lean is the editor of KV Style. Reach her at maclean.candice@kvstyle.com.
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