Best Lingerie Stores: Brazen Bras Boutique in Freehold, New Jersey
All About Brazen Bras:
Parfait Team: What inspired you to start a business?
Christine Longette: It’s kind of a funny story. A few years back I had been frustrated at my job where my boss haphazardly decided to close the office over the holidays and leave all the staff without pay for 2 weeks. During that 2 weeks, my one and only bra that really fit somehow disappeared. In looking around for a store near my home that sold my size (34G) I found that there weren’t any unless I drove over 30 minutes away. So… I guess I was inspired by my own need, and knew that couldn’t be the only woman in my area who wears a hard to find size.
PT: What about the lingerie industry interested you?
CL: My first experience with anything business related in the lingerie industry was when I attended my first CurvExpo Show in NY. Once there, I was hungry to learn all I could about what was available and what might work in getting my business off the ground. I sat in countless booths during the 2 days I attended and learned from so many different sources. The most interesting aspect of the whole thing was how helpful and community-like it felt. I even spoke with other boutique owners and they were so helpful. The feeling I got, and still have, is that we’re not competitors – we’re all in this together.
Image via Brazen Bras
PT: What do you enjoy most about working with your daughter, Angela Longette?
CL: We have so much fun at work. We seem to complete each other’s thoughts most of the time, and other times we balance each other out. We get a lot of mother/daughter shoppers and it’s always fun to work with them. Funny thing is many times she ends up working with the mom as I work with the daughter.
PT: Your store is located in Freehold, NJ. How did you decide on the location?
CL: I’ve lived in Freehold for the past 28 years. When I realized there were no specialty lingerie boutiques in the area, I knew it was time to open one.
PT: Tell us about your store name. What inspired the name Brazen Bras?
CL: I had been throwing ideas around but nothing seemed to stick and then, believe it or not, I just woke up with the name in my head one morning, along with the logo idea. I wanted my shop to empower women. Essentially what we sell is confidence. The bras are just a means to an end.
Image via Brazen Bras
PT: What do you enjoy most about your local community?
CL: My local community is wonderfully diverse. We have a wonderful mixture of ages, ethnicities, and orientations in ours and the surrounding towns which gives us the opportunity to reach out to an incredibly large pool of women/people who can benefit from what we offer. It also makes shopping and buying the lingerie we sell much more fun. We carry a large variety of different types of lingerie beyond the bra and panty. We strive to be a “safe place” where anyone can feel comfortable shopping and our local community seems to be very supportive of that. Our participation in the Susan G. Komen fund raiser is an example of the community supporting us as we help to empower our community.
PT: Congratulations on your four-year anniversary! Do you have any big plans you can share with us?
CL: We haven’t planned anything yet but we’re hoping to put some kind of celebration together in the late spring or summer.
PT: You were a part of the 2nd Annual Pink Power Party fundraiser on February 9 at iPlay America! What can you share with us about the event?
CL: The Pink Power Party was a huge success! We raised over $12,000 for Susan G. Komen. The original date of the event was snowed out and on the “snow date” some of our models were not available so all of our staff modeled lingerie in the show. It was an unexpected but fun turn of events and I think did a lot to empower the community women when they saw the women that work at the store up on the runway being “Brazen”. We’re all different shapes and sizes here so it was a great example of the range of sizes we carry and how ANY woman can feel bold, beautiful, and brazen.
PT: Brazen Bras has 45 5-star reviews on Facebook! What’s the secret to creating a memorable experience for customers?
CL: We try to make a visit to our boutique relaxed and fun. Many women are stressed out by trying on bras so we try to take that stress out of the equation.
Image via Brazen Bras
Bra Fitting at Brazen Bras:
PT: Why is it important for women to get a professional bra fitting?
CL: Women’s bodies never really stop changing and I feel that is the most important reason to come in at least once or twice a year for a professional fitting. A woman may gain or lose weight, she may be pregnant or have just given birth, or had a procedure, or is going through puberty or menopause, or so many other factors, and all these things can affect the size and style of bra that would be best for her. Sometimes a style she has been wearing for years is no longer right for her body. A professional fitting can diagnose and fix any bra issues she has been having.
PT: What do you wish all women knew about lingerie and professional bra fitting?
CL: The fitting is so much more than reading the numbers on the tape measure. We are constantly astounded at the number of women who come in needing to learn how to put on and arrange themselves in a bra properly. It always feels great to have women leave feeling like they’ve had a life changing experience just by getting a proper fit and learning the proper placement of the wires or how tight straps should be worn. It’s also great to see the boost in confidence they get along with the new lingerie they take home. I also wish that women didn’t get so caught up in what “size” they are. We like to point out that they may end up in several different sizes depending on where something was manufactured and the style.
PT: You’re committed to offering a diverse range of styles and sizes for your customers. What do you look for when selecting new styles?
CL: Each time someone comes in with an impossible list of bra traits that makes them a difficult sell we will make a note of what they want that we don’t have. Then, when we shop for new styles we take a look at our customer “wish list” and see which wishes we can fill. Some things it doesn’t make sense to carry, and others may be impossible to even create, but it does help us to pick new styles.
Image via Brazen Bras
PT: We love that you carry bras under $50. What are some of your favorite budget-friendly bras?
CL: Well, Parfait is our favorite brand of lower priced but still good quality bras. It seems to appeal to a wide range of women and they like that it is not too expensive to get two or to add the matching panty.
PT: What is the largest bra size you carry?
CL: Currently the largest band size is 52 and the largest cup size is K. The number of choices of styles varies with more choices in the more common sizes.
PT: What are your current best-selling bras?
CL: The Parfait Aline is very popular right now, as is the Andorra by Panache. The Panache sports bra is also popular.
PT: How many bras does a woman actually need in her lingerie wardrobe?
CL: I would say a woman needs approximately 6 good bras in her lingerie wardrobe. A t-shirt bra in beige & black; a strapless; a non-molded bra, a sports bra, and a date night pretty bra.
Image via Brazen Bras
PT: Some of us are shy about buying colored bras. What advice would you give to a woman who loves color, but isn’t sure how to incorporate it into her wardrobe?
CL: Many times a bra in a fun color can be worn under anything that you would normally wear a black bra underneath. Why not have fun with color instead of wearing black all the time?
PT: What can you tell our readers about the bra fitting experience at Brazen Bras?
CL: All of our sales girls are trained to fit to the person. We don’t just look at the tape measure. We take into consideration the customer’s preferences, their body concerns, and we are sensitive to their insecurities. Our goal is to have to remind you to put your shirt back on before you leave. Most times we succeed! Overall, it is a fun experience and surprises our customers who come in expecting something less pleasant.
PT: We love that you offer appointments for bra fitting. How can we schedule an appointment?
CL: Appointments are offered but not necessary unless you would like to come in when we’re not normally open. Just give us a call at 732-333-0259 during business hours and we’ll arrange to have someone open up for you and you will essentially get your own private shopping day. Another reason you might want to call for an appointment is if you have a specific fitter you’d like to work with. If so, just give us a call at 732-333-0259 and we’ll let you know when your fitter is on schedule. You can also email us through the contact us button on our website and leave a phone number for us to call you.
Image via Brazen Bras
Shop at Brazen Bras Boutique
Store Address: 3333 US Highway 9, Freehold, NJ 07728 (in Chadwick Square Shopping Plaza)
Phone Number: (732) 333-0259
Website: Brazen Bras Boutique
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Feature image: Brazen Bras Boutique
