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Images via Farpitzs
For five years, bra expert Linda Becker has been helping uptown girls solve their lingerie problems out of her store on Lexington Avenue in the '60s. But Linda is clearly a woman who knows things are better in pairs, so recently she opened up a second location on Third Avenue between 36th and 37th Streets. No stranger to publicity—she's been featured in the New York Times and on Regis and Kelly—Linda has reached out to local fashion bloggers to spread the word about the new space. Both Cheryl Shops and Farpitzs stopped by this week, and they both had only the nicest things to say. (Farpitzs also said "HOLY CRAP, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SO MANY UNDIES IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE?" which is why we enjoy her blog so greatly.)
Things to know: Linda sells 250 bra sizes, from AA to K, as well as bottoms and swimwear. Fascinatingly, Cheryl reports that the best-selling bikini tops are size 32 G, which, well, if we were size 32 G, we'd probably wear a lot of bikini tops too. Linda can eyeball a cup size from across a room, but she sizes customers with a tape measure—expect some prodding, which is par for the course in old-fashioned bra fittings. True to the oft-cited statistic that most women are wearing the wrong size bra, both of our blogger friends discovered that they needed to switch sizes, and both described the effect of their (gratis) new bras as transformative.
Both also left with some useful bra tips, including these:
· Put on your bra straps first, then hook, then lift everything into place.That last bit of knowledge breaks our hearts a little—what if you find the perfect bra? Can't you treasure it forever? Then again, it is a good excuse for buying more lingerie.
· Don't yank.
· Rotate your bras daily, but wear them a few times before you wash them.
· Don't store your bras with the cups inverted.
· Never put a bra in the dryer.
· Bras should be replaced every six months.
· Cheryl Shops with... Linda the Bra Lady [Cheryl Shops]
· Inside the bra fitter's studio: Linda's Bra Salon [Farpitzs]
· Linda's [Official Site]
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