I love lingerie. I love lacy bras, sexy camis, and bustiers. Basically, I love all things lingerie that are cute and spiced with a little naughty!
When I received an e-mail about Alicia Vianga—the owner and certified bra fitter of Premier Jour Lingerie, I quickly perused her website. I was overwhelmed. Visions of sizzling hot lingerie danced on screen! Victoria’s Secret has nothing on her! I decided then and there that I must meet her. After a few e-mails, that became a reality.
I set out to meet her on a blistery, snowy afternoon. I walked into her quaint lingerie boutique located in the heart of Little Italy and was greeted with the biggest smile and the cheeriest hello from a very bubbly sista. We introduced ourselves, and she graciously took my coat and told me that I was going to have a bra fitting.
I’ve been fitted in the past (well, according to Alicia, it wasn’t a REAL bra fitting!), but Alicia insisted that I go through the whole bra fitting experience for the interview.
I’ll be real with you; I really wasn’t in the mood to get fitted. I am shy at times, and I felt a little nervous showing my girls to a total stranger. Lame, I know!
Alicia walked me over to a very spacious and glamorous fitting room adorned with sky-high stilettos, peek-a-boo negligees, and an ornate chandelier. The room wasn’t intimidating at all—it was designed to let your inner sex kitten escape!
Alicia and her staff brought me a multitude of bras to try on. It was at this time that Alicia informed me of my real bra size and she even showed me how to properly put on a bra. For years, I was not only wearing the wrong size, but I’ve been putting it on incorrectly! Yes, I am soooo unbelievably grateful for this bra fitting.
After I tried on beautiful bra after beautiful bra, I began to feel sexier, and I loved the way I looked. I kept staring at myself in the floor-length mirror. Damn, I looked and felt hot!
Once I was able to tear myself away from the mirror, I was more than happy to interview the woman who made my girls look so damn good!
What inspired you to open a lingerie boutique?
I was inspired years ago. One day, a friend of mine came to my workplace and said, “Alicia, I have to show you this! I have to show you this!”
We went to this fantastic lingerie boutique, and I was shocked to see that lingerie came in colours other than black, beige, and white. I was awestruck by the beautiful pieces. I wanted to purchase the boutique but decided against that and decided to open my own.
I spent a good eight years studying and researching. I travelled to Paris… London.
I believe that women need fantastic foundation pieces. Like most women, I wore beige, black, and white and nothing of quality. I wanted my boutique to be different, and I wanted women to have different bras and to feel really good when they wore them. It was all about quality. Your pieces are like works of art. How do you choose which pieces you want to sell in your shop?
When I look at the bra or feel the bra, it’s more about something that I would want to wear for myself. I sometimes think about my clients. “She would love this!” It also has to be something that is different. Something that will make a woman feel sexy and beautiful.
I think about the body shape, the colour of the skin, and what they are going to wear with it. Like you said, they are works of art—pieces that you want to show! What type of shopping experience do you want your clients to encounter?
It is really important to me that they feel at home…, that they feel welcomed. I want my clients to feel comfortable with their clothes on and when they are off. I want a woman to feel like a woman.
What services are available at Premier Jour?
It’s mainly a personal bra fitting boutique. It’s not a service where you pick up something and walk out. We try to make sure that everything is tried on and that it’s the piece you want.
Everyone who walks out of here is pretty much fitted.
We also do gift wrap, bridal registry, gift suggestions and a girls’ night out. What’s the girls’ night out?
It’s where you bring a couple of your friends, and everyone is fit. The boutique is closed for a couple of hours, and everyone tries on various bras. You see, shy girls become bolder when they are wearing sexy lingerie!
How important is it to get a bra fitting?
It’s essential because every bra is different, and every body type is different. Our bodies change through age, weight gain, weight loss, babies, and stress. It is essential to get a bra fitting every six months. Your bra doesn’t stay the same.
How long should you keep a bra?
It depends on how many bras you own. I believe that women should have at least six bras in their wardrobe—six good bras! Six will last you about a year. Don’t hang on to them. Send them to bra heaven! They don’t last forever.
Why should a woman buy lingerie for herself?
Why shouldn’t she?
It was such a pleasure meeting Alicia. She’s so right about women buying good-quality lingerie. I loved all of the bras that I tried on that afternoon, but I was only able to pick up two. I guess I’ll have to make another trip to her boutique to get some more!
To view her lingerie ranging in sizes from 28-48 and cups A-H, visit Premier Jour Lingerie at 1288 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario. Also, check out her website at www.pjlingerie.com
