Bringing a love of lingerie to Dartmouth

Downtown Dartmouth will be welcoming another new business this March.

Custom Curves is the name. And 135 Portland Street will be the spot. The store will specialize in bra and corset fitting.

Owner Dorothy Yang wants to target those bra shoppers who feel left out of the mainstream market.

“I am excited to be able to change people’s minds about how bras should fit. I want them to feel good about themselves and I want to make lingerie shopping fun. Because for many women, it isn’t.”

Shopping for bras is a chore for many women because there isn’t enough of a size range to choose from, says Yang.

“I have a beef with mainstream manufacturers and their idea that the range of 32 to 38 A through D should fit everyone. Well, they don’t. I will carry U.S. sizes D to O cup, at least initially. Never heard of those sizes? Think those are huge? No, they are normal or average.”

She will carry bras in a wide size range in multiple styles to suit a variety of shapes.

“You see statistics in bra marketing that say 70 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra size, but they fail to mention why. The actual reason being that the widely available sizes of 32 to 40 A-DD only fit a small percentage of the population. Even though mainstream stores rarely carry bras above a DD cup, it doesn’t mean that larger cup sizes are uncommon. In fact, it is the opposite. I want to change the minds of people who think bras are supposed to be uncomfortable when they are suffering from improper fit because of poor selection.”

Yang went into the Costume Studies program at Dalhousie after graduation from Auburn Drive High School. She graduated from NSCAD where she majored in textiles and has been a tailor’s assistant- preparing clothing alterations and fitting customers at Mic Mac Tailors since 2005.

She also creates custom clothing, specializing in costumes, under her personal brand name, Cutopia.

Having a love for lingerie opened her eyes to the fact that the market was lacking.

“Lingerie should be a fun and sexy clothing item and a way to boost your self confidence in a private way.”

And corsets are the ultimate in confidence boosters, she says.

She started selling them at Hal-Con in 2012. Her business soon grew to the point where she was offering fittings at her home and selling them at local markets.

“I started selling ready-to-wear steel-boned corsets because I knew that it was a niche market that was not being catered to locally. I wanted to share my knowledge and personal experience to help people understand and appreciate corsets and to normalize their usefulness as shapewear as well as fashionable outerwear.”

Corsets first became popular in 16th-century Europe.

“But today corsets do not cut off your breathing. And just wearing one makes you walk taller and feel confident.”

She may eventually carry corsets for men and mastectomy bras.

Yang was raised in Cole Harbour and said she always thought of downtown Dartmouth as being ‘close to home.’

“It is highly accessible by public transit from both Dartmouth and downtown Halifax. The variety of small indie businesses that are setting up in the area is a big draw in itself, but I have also found that the shops and business commission are run by the nicest people you will ever meet. Everyone I have talked to has been extremely helpful and supportive and you can tell that they are doing what they love. I am excited to be setting up shop here.”

For information on her inventory and for sneak peeks at all things “Custom Curves” check out her Facebook page. Or go to her website www.customcurves.ca.