11 years ago by
Last Saturday, I went to La Petite Coquette.
La Petite Coquette is right on my block. It might be one of the best lingerie stores in New York but yet still has a very real vibe.
It doesn’t feel “branded*” at all, even with the color pink all over, and its little kinky corner (sexy toys, crotch-less panties**, garters, whips.)…
“Hello! My name is Chantelle. Can I help you find anything?”
“Yeah, I’m coming for bras.”
…
“Wait, Chantelle, is that your real name? Like the lingerie brand?”
“Exactly!!!” Chantelle tells me, the biggest smile across her face.
“Okay, the bra you’re looking for, something sexy or to go with a t-shirt?”
Hmmm! Good question!
A little of both, I explained.
“Do you know your size?
Ha! Great question.
It appears that most of us don’t know our actual size. Knowing your size doesn’t just magically come out of nowhere.
So I respond, “No.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll do a fitting for you. Follow me. Here’s your dressing room. Don’t you worry one bit.”
I relax and make myself at home in the fitting room.
And without even realizing, I start listening to the conversation in the fitting room right next to mine…
“You look amazing. Don’t cry!!!”
I get curious (I know. Bad, Garance, Bad).
“Do you need a little more support there? Okay.
How about now….? Mmmmm…
Wait, I’ll go get you a little pad. You’ll see, it’ll work out great. You just need a little extra hold so nobody can guess.”
I wonder what is it that people shouldn’t see.
“Darling listen, Angelina Jolie took out both and she still looks great! So don’t you worry.”
I start making theories about what’s happening to the woman next door. I become pretty emotional.
Chantelle comes back with her army of bras in her arms.
“So, according to what you showed me, these are the different bras I picked out for you. You want ot start with these?”
With a shy smile, I start trying on the bras. She discretely closed the curtain and tells me to let her know when I have one on, which I then do.
Chantelle comes into the room, takes a general look, very pro, and starts adjusting all the straps. And right there she says “Okay, just a warning, I’m gonna touch…”
“…”
I burst out laughing. I’m not shy at all and I think she got that.
“No problem!”
She adjusts the fit around my breasts, literally pushing her hand right into my cup and then decides it’s not the right size.
“Okay… Do you mind waiting here a second? I’ll be back…”
Meanwhile, the conversation next door continues…
“Do you feel secure in this one?”
“…”
“Oh… Come here!!! Shhhh, don’t you worry sweetie. All you need is a little structure to keep the skin tissue in place. There, that better? You know how in life, when something is no working, you just fix it!!! That’s what you’ll do soon. Don’t’ you worry, sweetie.”
Chantelle’s back. We go through the same process as before. She makes her adjustments, I crack up, and then she seems satisfied. Now I just have to try on each and every one of them. I try on a whole bunch of them and Chantelle stays right there with me. Each time, she gives me her advice and encourages me to try it on with a tank top (there’s one in every fitting room so you can see how things look)(Super important). I find some good ones and am happy.
I leave the fitting room, super curious to see whomever was in the room next to me. I stall a little, counting my bras…
When suddenly, the owner of the store – I can tell right away she’s the owner. She has a certain confidence and benevolent authority that leaves no doubt – Rebecca, pokes her head out of the room and looks at me.
“Just look at this. She is sublime!” pointing at the cabin “She just lost 150 pounds. There’s no reason to be sad!!! We should celebrate!”
A second head pokes out from the room, a visibly emotional truly radiant young woman… 150 pounds, I can’t believe my eyes. I congratulate her and we get to talking. She shows us her driver’s license with her old photo. She’s so proud yet so nervous at the same time, not sure how to act in her new body.
She tells us about what clicked for her and how she found the motivation to lose the weight when she moved to New York to become a lawyer.
I could’ve spent hours there, the whole thing it was so great, this little fitting room rendezvous. But I don’t want to impose. I start to slip out, mentioning to Rebecca that I have a blog and that I’d love to ask her a few questions abount lingerie. She seems good.
She says to me, “We’ll talk about that later,” seemingly implying that there are more important things in life. And then she turns right back to the sublime young woman. “Okay, tell us all how you did it. How’d you lose the weight?”
It puts a smile on my face. She’s right. We could talk about it later. Me and my blog… Pffff.
“You should answer her questions,” a third head pokes out, “Her blog is awesome!”
A reader!!! So so cute! Right there in the room next door to me.
And we’re off again, talking Twitter, blogs, social media, all of it.
I spend another 10 minutes there.
The young woman tells me not to mention her name if I want to tell her story.
I tell her I’d never do something like that.
I left so happy and touched by this explosion of femininity and intimacy. Simple strangers, from totally different worlds, coming together in a safe place with the intense knowledge that the people around would understand, share and not judge.
I think that’s called a sisterhood, right? A little like this blog can be sometimes…
Well, it feels good.
Big hugs!
———
* You know… That type of place that’s so common in New York where you have the impression that everything has so much thought behind it, even down to the color of the toilet paper and the length of the server’s beard. Well this isn’t like that.
** Ok, can we talk about crotch-less panties for a second. What’s up with them? Seriously, I’m asking.
arf, c’était super touchant. oui, à fond pour la sisterhood !!!!
very moving indeed! :)
http://littleaesthete.com
Trop beau, tu me donnes les larmes aux yeux.
C’est tellement bien d’être une femme !
Bisous,
bravo,
merci !
On peut appeler ça spontanéité,
ma copine Yannick parle de sororité (le mot est très moche, mais c’est en fait tellement ça …)
I got emotional just reading this, cannot imagine being right there. Love to stumble upon such human moments of kindness and togetherness like that.
A bra that fits just right, or even somehow better than just right, can make an incredible difference.
Sometimes I think that’s what’s so great about being a woman.. there’s always another one there to understand exactly what you’re talking about and listen to what you’ve been through. Congrats to her for such a success.
And yay for you, Garance, for getting bras that fit.. I have a pretty small bust so I always opted for a small size, but I got measured a couple years ago, and it’s great knowing that I’m buying the right bra. Every woman should get measured at least once. ^^
hahahaha, crutchless panties are weird and funny.
I loved you story about the bra shop. I went to one in NY a few years ago and it was weird having a woman pull and push my boobs around while adjusting the bra, but it was quite liberating because after we found the right bra for my big boobs, my waitsline never looked so good :)!
When i saw my silouette in clothes after that, I was amazed.
– Kaila
Très belle histoire! Très bien racontée. Merci Garance!
http://www.modeskine.com/en
What a nice and sweet encounter, I would be that reader to say to you should to answer the questions lol. And I would love to have run into you in a store.
What a sweet post, totally put a smile on my face (and ok, maybe a teeny tiny tear in my eye as well). Thanks Garance!
http://www.nomadicd.com
Such a great story! I so appreciate that you use your blog to spread positive stories like this, when you could be just filling it with sponsors, etc. (and no one would blame you!). This just made my day.
http://www.anna-bird.com
I love the funny yet touching anecdote!
C’est exactement pour cette raison que j’adore bosser au contact des femmes!
Enormément d’échanges et plein d’entraide: vive la solidarité féminine!
(contrairement à ce que disent les mauvaises langues!)
Super article ET super histoire!! Le sisterhood, ma foi, il n’y a que ça de vrai ;)
Des bises Garance!
Pilou
J’adore! Tu réussis à créer cette ambiance sur ton blog aussi ! Merci Garance!
Bah en fait j’ai pas grand chose à dire sur ce post…Juste envie de sourire.
Ton illustration déchire.
xx G.
That was so sweet… I got emotional reading it. A real NY story, and only you can tell it !
Lovely story! I watched a comedy show recently where the comedian compared the scenarios in men vs women’s public restrooms. Men go in, do their business, then go out. 3 minutes tops. Women go in, do their business, notice the earrings (or perfume, or shoes, or skirt) of another woman, strike up a conversation, share some lipstick (or make up tips, or contact details), hang out for another 15 minutes, and walk out with their new BFFs! C’est vrai. . . and something to celebrate about women! Go sisterhood! Thanks Garance!
Un pur moment de féminité en effet, la force des femmes quand elles s’unissent.
J’adorerais entrer dans ce magasin avec un compte en banque non débiteur… one day. Lucky you !
Love your blog!
almu
http://www.mavieenroseblog.com/
Génial et touchant! On dirait une virée au hammam chez moi, en Maghrébie, bien loin de New York, mais où les choses se terminent un peu de la même manière : les langues se délient en même temps que les corps se dévoilent, et une intimité bienveillante se crée entre des femmes de toutes origines qui en dehors de ce moment de grâce ne se seraient pas fait confiance…
Bisous !!
such a touching story!!
La culotte fendue, je ris, la question.
Je ne sais pas si c’est ça, je n’en porte pas, et je n’en ai jamais eu envie, mais une culotte fendue, c’est être “prête” à faire l’amour n’importe, n’importe quand non? Il n’y a pas d’obstacle, il n’y a rien à enlever (bon d’accord, je pars du principe de la jupe ou robe), hop plus qu’à se faufiler. Et plus délicat, subtil que d’être sans culotte. Avec une culotte fendue, ça peut arriver comme non.
Je me trompe?
What a wonderful story and congratulations to the young woman who lost the weight – I’d love to hear more of her story, especially in the lovely way you can tell it. That is an amazing achievement! Good for her.
Thank you for a fantastic post – truly a NYC story and what makes this a lovely city to live in.
Nice story. I would love to have been part of it.
C.
http://www.cforstyle.com
Garance, thanks for this post! It made my day ;)
Here I am sitting in the cafe and smiling like a fool. Love your blog a lot!
Très jolie histoire, merci de nous avoir fait partager ce beau moment, cette “fraternité” des femmes entre elles,
Si on pouvait être aussi bien conseillée dans toutes les boutiques de lingerie, si les tailles des modèles les plus mignons ne s’arrêtaient pas au C ou D (je fais du E…), si on pouvait faire preuve de plus de bienveillance avec sa prochaine,
Et bien oui on vivrait dans un monde meilleur
C’est si précieux des moments comme ça.
Un de mes plus grand fou rire c’est passé dans les cabines d’essayage du rayon lingerie d’un centre commercial. On en reparle à chaque occasion avec mon amie d’enfance, c’est vrais que la lingerie c’est de l’intimité à tout les niveaux.
Pour ce qui est de la culotte, les premières que j’ai vu se trouvait dans un catalogue de vente par correspondance à coté des masseurs pour joues…, je déduit donc que ce doit être fait pour la ménagère de plus de 50 ans… bien que ma maman en avait une petite trentaine à l’époque. Et comme j’y ai jamais eu droit je ne peux pas donner mon avis sur le côté pratique de la chose. Y a plus qu’à demander sérieusement à Rebecca
PS: tout le centre commercial c’est retrouvé aux cabines quand j’ai ri…
J’ai oublié de dire, que de lire cela rend un peut jaloux le garçon que je suis. Oui mesdames y a pleins de trucs qu’on ne se raconte pas entre nous (on est des blaireaux de l’émotionnel)
Beautiful, Garance.
Très touchant! :)
ça m’a pris à la gorge! Merci garance <3
Hyper touchant cette histoire de cabines-confidences. J’en ai eu la gorge serrée (bon ok je suis un peu hypersensible…) bisous
Yes ! :)
C’est pour ça que j’adore les filles…ce contact familier qui s’instaure parfois naturellement avec bienveillance. C’est aussi pour ça que je viens ici…on ne te connait pas et pourtant tu nous racontes un peu ta vie :-) et on te répond avec tout autant de sincérité. Bon ok, il n’y a pas vraiment d’échanges mais on fait comme si :-)….
http://www.mode9.fr
J’adore ces moments de complicité. Ca me fait penser au film libanais “Caramel” de Nadine Labaki… Des moments d’échanges féminins dans un salon esthétique d’un quartier de Beyrouth. On pleure, on rit, on partage ses moments de vie autour du caramel au citron fait maison qui sert aux épilations…
Très touchant. Les femmes sont bien ensemble.
Comme tu vas partir à Bali, vas déjeuner ou diner au Café Bali ou à The Junction, sur Jalan Oberoi, (Jalan veut dire rue) à Seminyak. Il te faut également aller à cette boîte/lounge à l’architecture extrooordinaire Potato Head (à Seminyak également).
Si tu vas à Ubud et j’ espère que tu iras car cet endroit a énormèment de charme, il te faut aller au restaurant IBU RAI et au 3 monkeys.
Enjoy, moi j’ irai au mois d’ aout.
Wow, really emotionla and I like it.
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
trop emouvant! tu racontes hyper bien ;)
des bisous
J’en ai des frissons. Ton post est très touchant !
ça fait un peu vieille époque je trouve, ça me fait penser Au Bonheur des Dames cette solidarité féminine.
Merci pour ce joli témoignage.
Manon
This was very touching, Garance.
Wonderful story to which I can thoroughly relate. La Petite Coquette is in my neighborhood too but I’ve always been worried about going in there. The crotchless-panty aura is very strong, at least from the street, and I thought perhaps I was too old, but now I feel emboldened. I did, though, have a similar experience to yours at a very unsexy Upper West Side bra store many people recommend. A far-from-attractive place, but a marvelous woman helped me. At first I was shocked that this person actually expected to SEE me. (What was I thinking? I was in a bra-fitting shop, for Christ’s sake.) But I lightened up. OK, she’d seen my scar. OK, she’d seen I wasn’t perky. What HADN’T she seen, after all? Then she too was rummaging around in my bra and hauling things up and around . . . and I was totally comfortable!
At the end, when she’d found me the right bras, I hugged her in thanks. It took me a few seconds to register that I was still topless when I hugged her. I’d come a long way.
Thanks, as always, for your great blog.
La culotte fendue c’est un “accessoire” au même titre qu’un sex toy par exemple…
Un truc qu’on ne porte pas la journée mais au moment où…comme un déguisement je dirais.
Ça peut être excitant de faire l’amour pas totalement nue
Et en comparaison à une culotte ou un string que le mec aurait décalé pour te pénétrer et bien, ça ne le frotte pas et ne lui fait pas mal
Voilà voilà, on est en plein dans la sisterhood là ;-)
lovely story..that is why women are there for..communication, exchange, help for each other! women power……………………..
What a lovely story! Sisterhood rules :)
C’est vrai que les discussions qui naissent dans les cabines d’essayages sont parfois insolites, j’en ai également fait l’expérience! Mais ton histoire est carrément touchante!
Garance,
Thank you very much for sharing a beautiful story! Sometimes great stories are found in everyday incidents. I am not shy to talk to people when I go shopping and have my own moments like that!
I will certainly check out the store when I am in New York next time.
Merci! :-)
That’s really empowering. Isn’t it funny how you can go through life doing your ‘day to day’ errands and you come across the most interesting, inspiring and life-changing people. Maybe she doesn’t think her bra insecurities mean anything to anyone else but it’s empowering that she set a goal, achieved it and went out proud. Congrats on the weight loss. And yay- new bras!
xoxo
http://www.thewrittenrunway.com
this made me cry!!! True human compassion! Kindness! Sisterhood! I wish more people understood the bonds of humanity. Everyone is fighting a battle….be kind. Thanks for sharing this G. It makes me proud that you are so kind, humble and just like all the rest of us girls fighting our way through the world! Big Hugs!!!!!
xx
And congrats to your neighbor in the next dressing room…. So proud of you and happy for you!!!!
shopping can be a truely intimate experience !!! :) sweet and sincere story.
Lovely. Lovely. xoxo
Add me to the list of readers reaching for a hanky to dab my eyes. What a wonderful story. Then again, it takes a certain sensitivity that I know you possess to be so in tune with what’s going on around you. It does make me happy to be in such a sisterhood that celebrates each other’s successes and helps one another back up on their feet when we stumble.
those little magic moments! :) xx
I wonder the same thing about crotchless underwear! LOL
http://www.FashionSnag.com
Precious moments can happen anywhere, anytime and if they happen with “strangers” it’s even more special! Or are we no strangers…..?….no, we are sisters and brothers and all in between :-) xxx
Très chouette histoire! Ta question sur la culotte sans fond m’a fait marrer. Si on veut vraiment faire l’amour n’importe où, n’importe quand, autant ne pas en porter, je trouve ça d’un vulgaire!!!
http://mafaldadotzero.blogspot.fr/
Love bra shops like these. I am not a typical size and when you are able to step inside a shop that really knows what they are doing, its like a commune! I love it! What a great moment!
So emotional! :)
And I absolutely love the illustration!
xx
Tatiana
http://tatiana-kurnosova.blogspot.com/
The story really is sweet. I’m kind of wondering why is the owner inside with her in the first place again?
By the way, it really is awesome how the small little things can actually bond us together. Inspiring!
Belle histoire emouvante. La solidarite feminine est essentielle. Vive le sisterhood !
Tellement touchant!
Ca doit être formidable de rencontrer une lectrice :)
Hayfa
http://chic-and-cliche.blogspot.com/
Ahh I love this story. How wonderful.
What a wonderful story!
And on the subject of crotch-less panties, in Norway we actually call that a french opening. Unfortunatly i have no idea why…
Putain d’article. J’y étais avec toi dans la cabine!
C’est pour ces post là aussi que j’apprécie beaucoup ton blog!
Lovely….
xx
Mónica
MES VOYAGES A PARIS
Quel bel article ! Une histoire touchante et à la clé un bel exemple de solidarité féminine :)
xx.
Funny post. Everyone should get a proper bra fitting at least once in their life.
I did a post on my blog a while back re: bras & how to find your correct size yourself:
http://intrigueimports.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/intrigue-insider-keeping-fit/
What a unique and lovely moment :) Thank you for sharing it with us all!
Speaking of New York, have you seen the video about culture and fashion in Jackson Heights on nyt?
Right now it is on the front page online, but I’m sure if you search for it you’ll find it. It is short and sweet, and very intriguing. (I don’t want to paste it here in case the link will be cut out for spam, etc)
This story is so nice! Love your blog!
http://www.laurablogmode.com
Beautiful story. Brought tears to my eyes.
J’adore, ca m’a beaucoup touchée, j’ai très envie de vivre des moments de sororité (mochemoche) aussi.
Pour la culotte, j’ai toujours imaginé ca comme un élément de scénario, genre tu te balades innocemment dans une ruelle vide un soir d’été, tu croise ton partenaire de sexe que tu fais style de ne pas connaitre et que vous êtes trop surpris de vous croiser, et lui : bonjour mademoiselle, que vous êtes bonne, ne voudriez-vous pas niquer par hasard (en t’enlaçant et tout) ? Et toi : oh oui oui d’ailleurs lève ma jupe ca va bien se passer (on croit qu’on est habillée ET EN FAIT PAS !), et tactactac.
;)))))
Thank you so very much for sharing this story. It is easy to feel alone and unconnected, but stories like these help me remember that while we are all unique, we can find the support we need (lingerie and otherwise) in many surprising places.
What a beautiful story! And, such a brave woman in the stall next to you; just imagine learning to live in a whole new body. Wow. I hope she knows how inspiring and brave she is.
Your story reminds me of the first time I got a bra. I was all of 10 years old (yes, I started early) when my mother, grandmother and two aunts (yes all of them!) took me to a store in Cleveland called “Solomon’s”. All the women who worked there, on that particular day, were at least 78. And, like Chantelle, one of them asked me what I liked, measured me, brought in different bras, adjusted them, and then told me how pretty I looked. Of course, I was mortified, but the family had to see them too. And, I did think that I looked just a little pretty.
This started a tradition for me. Don’t worry, I leave the relatives at home! But, I buy my bras at “Lady Grace,” a tiny store in Boston where most of the women working there are in their fifties. They start by asking you’ve come in for, then what you like, they measure, bring in bras, adjust, reassure, adjust more, reassure more.
Garance, I think you have discovered a whole network of breast professionals (Bra-essentials?) hidden in our very midst! A single consultation will do as much for your figure as an hour at the gym.
Viva la sisterhood!
Très touchant =) Belle histoire ! Merci Garance=)
J’étais tellement touchée par l’histoire que j’ai oublié de dire que j’adore ton illustration :) bravo :)
Formidable ton post, Garance. Tellement drôle et touchant à la fois !
Je ris parce que la culotte fendue fait l’objet d’une simple note de bas de page dans ton post et presque toutes les commentatrices françaises en ont parlé. En revanche, quasiment pas un mot dans les commentaires en anglais. Après, il ne faudra pas s’étonner qu’on l’appelle “French opening”. Ca me fait vraiment beaucoup rire !
Oui, c’est super, la sisterhood. C’est étonnant comme entre femmes on peut passer d’un état de méfiance réciproque où l’on se jauge, s’évalue, s’observe, où l’on tente de mesurer le potentiel de la concurrente, à un état de connivence profonde, d’affection qui provient du seul fait d’appartenir à la même espèce, celle des femmes. Et là, on se sent incroyablement comprise. Ca procure un réconfort et un état de confiance merveilleux.
Je que comme beaucoup de lectrices j’aime vraiment dans ton blog, c’est justement cet esprit de sisterhood grâce auquel on peut assumer ses faiblesses et se sentir normale avec tous ses doutes.
Je regrette seulement qu’en France on n’ait pas autant que les Américaines cet état d’esprit très “supportive”. J’imagine assez mal chez nous une commerçante féliciter à voix haute une cliente pour sa perte de poids et la rassurer sur sa nouvelle image. Mais ça n’empêche pas de vivre parfois de beaux moments de profonde compréhension mutuelle avec des femmes.
La sororité naît souvent de la nécessité de faire face aux hommes, de s’unir face à eux. Peut-être que dans les sociétés où les rapports entre hommes et femmes sont moins traversés de tensions et plus harmonieux (je sais, ces sociétés-là sont rarissimes), l’affection est-elle moins grande entre les femmes. J’ai remarqué qu’en Bretagne où la culture est très matriarcale et où les femmes jouissent d’un statut vraiment avantageux dans leurs rapports aux hommes, voire d’une position psychologiquement dominante (je n’ai pas dit que les Bretons sont des hommes soumis, loin de là !, mais les Bretonnes sont très affirmées face à eux) il n’est pas rare d’avoir du fil à retordre avec ses congénères féminines. En revanche, dans d’autres régions de France ou dans d’autres pays où les femmes occupent des positions plus subalternes dans les relations avec les hommes, j’ai vécu des moments de véritable solidarité.
Chantelle, vendeuse dans une boutique de lingerie. Hahahaha ! Ca ne s’invente pas !
En effet, peu de monde semble avoir relevé parmi les anglophones :)
Pour ma part, je ne comprends pas ce concept qui me semble contradictoire :
le fait de ne pas enlever sa culotte implique une certaine hâte, une spontanéité dans le feu de l’action qui se trouve démentie en même temps par le fait d’avoir au préalable acheté et mis exprès un article spécialement prévu à cet effet…
Finalement la culotte fendue me semble assez peu effortless et du coup, pas sexy!
http://nin-blogfashion.blogspot.fr/
J’ai beaucoup aimé cette histoire. J’aimerais tellement faire ce genre de rencontres, c’est vraiment enrichissant!
Je n’ai jamais eu le désir de perdre du poids parce que je n’en ai pas besoin, mais des personnes autour de moi en ont perdu beaucoup, et c’est vrai qu’il faut un certain temps pour se faire à son nouveau corps. Apparemment beaucoup de ces personnes se voit toujours grosses et ont du mal à accepter leur nouveau corps, mais ce qu’elles ont entrepris est vraiment impressionnant parce qu’il faut vraiment beaucoup de volonté et de courage, et elles peuvent être fières!
Merci d’avoir partager cette histoire avec nous G! Xo
http://leblogdelacurieuse.blogspot.fr/
Garance, you are wonderful.
Don’t you have a phrase in France about “the sweet things in life’ doceur de vivre or something? (I’m horrible at French),…it’s very magical. These moments of togetherness and living in the moment.
Thank you for sharing and I need a new bra so I know where to go!
HI GARANCE dore,
love your ILLUSTARTION and love it…. and when I read our journal..love it
and Girls and WOMEN must celebrate their own body and being happy with their
own skin. And look at ANGELINA JOLIE she’s brave and she take the breast off.
And i respect that she made the right decision to take it off and happy that she’s
strong and proud. And I’m really moved by reading your journal about you fitting
bras, hearing the next cabin not being happy with her size, and about weight.
people must understand that people need to accept and embrace people’s personality,
weight, race, and sexuality.
I’m really touched and love your illustration!!…
please check out my new blog: http://www.oenshit.blogspot.com
thank you, GRANCE dore
C’est émouvant et étonnant cette histoire ! C’est vrai, comment on peut perdre 70 kg ?! Moi même 3 kg, je n’arrive pas à perdre pourtant j’ai arrêté de manger le chantilly !
Bises
Kyok
Beautiful story, Garance.. it’s because of this spirit that I come here everyday..
<3
I love this story, and how you tell it, Garance! Now, show us the your finds!! xx
http://www.timelessdifference.com
Je lis ton blog chaque jour, et je connais tres bien ce petit magasin pour passer devant regulierement.
Je trouve qu’il est tres difficile de trouver de jolis sous vetements a NYC; ton post m’a convaincu, je vais aller chez La Petite Coquette!!
Merci
Sooooo… How did she lose those 150 pounds?
Garance, merci pour ce post, émouvant
ps: et celui sur la psy, j ai adoré, j avais l impression de m entendre parler ;-)
baci bacioni
Très belle histoire Garance! Ta manière de la raconter est si touchante!
that’s moving !!intelligently-sexy.centerblog.net
Ooohhhh such a moving story! I’ve missed the posts about your “random rencontres” like one of my favourites ever: http://www.garancedore.fr/2009/11/05/where-the-heart-is/
So good to know you still have this curiosity and wonder about the people you meet, you totally rock!! Bonnes vacanes, Garance, Bali is a great get away;-)
une belle histoire et superbement racontée, les rencontres fortuites comme celle là sont très touchantes
“…… How many Anitas were out there? Young girls with so little else in their lives that they measured their worth, their confidence, their entire existence around the clothes and the models they saw in Runaway? How many more had decided unconditionally love the woman who put it all together each month – the orchestrator of such a seductive fantasy – even though she wasn’t worth one single second of their adoration? How many girls had no idea that the object of their worship was a lonely, deeply unhappy, and oftentimes cruel woman who didn’t deserve the briefest moment of their innocent affection and attention?……” – The Devil wears Prada or just a simple a Lingerie…….
abdsign.blogspot.com
lovely story :). xx
http://izzyandjude.com/
Ok how do i start… your stories touch a button all the time and either i start crying or laughing or all of that in the same time. Your stories warm my heart they are genuine honest and show such deepness and compassion to the human nature that i cant hold it back. Like Goethe said what is uttered from the heart alone will win the hearts of others to your own. You definetely have mine(eek i know quite chessy, but you have that effect on me ,)
When i have a bad day you have me cracking up of laughter.
Im struggling to find my way and i see your hangout session and i feel empowered anew.
I have a bad body day( equivalent of bad hair day) i see you writing about it and i go back to bed thinking that lady is a true gem to the world.
And today it happened that my ex had a go at me… I was a passionate sales manager “had it all together” but one day i decided to leave london and see the world from the view of an au pair in paris. The part of the sales woman just brought back memories cause i could see myself in this very “handson” saleslady. But in this bohemian year i accomplished not professionaly but mentally so much and im proud of the person im becoming, but he couldnt see that. Your story touched me deeply. You just remembered me on the reasons why were not anymore i have a heart beating in my chest.
And to bring that back on the light side again crotchless panties saving time? Or desperate attempt of showing your naughty side or you have a quicky planned, i can imagine must come very handy…never tried it though.
Thank you Garance
Thanks Garance. One of your best posts. Yay for the sisterhood! XX
Garance!! I’m so glad you went here – I used to be a coquette at LPC, and it was possibly the most enjoyable and gratifying job I’ve ever had – I met so many great people working there!
Thanks for such an honest story. It made my morning
I love this illustration!
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great post.
I have a huge amount of respect for women who work in that industry. They truly have a gift to make each woman who walks through their doors feel like the most beautiful woman alive…which is much harder for some of us than others. That, and I can never be trusted to pick out my own bras – ever. :-)
ok at least the lady gave you fair warning! when i went to a store of a well-known lingerie brand, the woman who helped me with my fitting didn’t give me any. she just stuck her hands in, tugged here, tugged there and sent me on my way with a mindset to never again being fitted. she was a matronly woman so i know she meant well, but it was still a shock. i need new bras so after this delightful anecdote, i might consider braving a lingerie store again. i dunno, maybe.. to the sisterhood!
so what’s her 150pounds less story? how’d she lose the weight?
That brought tears to my eyes. Either I’m premenstrual, or you are one great writer lady :) I’m thinking it’s a little bit of both.
MAGIQUE !!!
Yes. That is a sisterhood and isn’t it great that in a time when many women would not want to call themselves feminists we create them through our blogs, twitters, Facebooks, instagrams and interactions. We are women and we are lucky
WOW Garance the way you write can change lives you know…
Very touching story indeed! “Sisterhood of traveling bras-and-crotch-less panties”….Now I just want to go and shop for new lingerie!
J’ai vraiment aimé ce poste !!! Il est génial. Un ou deux mots me sont venus à l’esprit: confiance + féminité ! On devrait tous entre femmes avoir cette confiance et cette esprit de féminité et comme plusieurs disent et diront: « Entre femmes il faut se soutenir et non se rabasser. »
J’aime tes mots, tes aventures et ta sensibilité. Avec ton regard d’artiste tu sais décrire et dépeindre les gens et les situations avec merveille. merci
Salut garance
Pour ta seconde semaine de vacances à Bali
Je te recommande la culotte fendue ,
Voilà !!!!
Very nice story…light and yeah..bras.. :)
Ca m’a donné envie de lingerie tout ça et hier j’ai passé deux heures délicieuses chez Princesse TamTam. C’est vrai que c’est sympa d’être une fille…
Hi! Are you going to tell us how she did it? You must make us part of the sisterhood now…
Wow…tellement belle histoire et tellement bien racontée…Merci!
Magnifique article ….on aurait aimé être là pour sentir ce moment tenue ou la vie prend le pas sur les heures moroses et où les rencontres se font sublimes ! On imagine le visage de cette magnifique jeune femme … merci encore Garance ! on attend de voir ces emplettes …. Bizzzz….. Stella
http://www.carnetchic.com (blog available on French, English and Portuguese versions)
J’ai adoré lire ce post.. la vendeuse qui s’appelle Chantelle, trop rigolo.. et puis la culotte fendue, pas encore achetée car à part à enfiler au moment X, pas trop envie de me promener comme ça dans mon jeans :-)
C’est une très belle histoire et cette personne a été extrêmement courageuse car effectivement l’après régime n’est pas toujours très facile à vivre surtout si la perte de poids a été importante ! J’ai vu des amies le vivre et c’est plus difficile que le régime en lui même !
magnifique :)
J’aime bien quand tu transmets une anecdote en dialogue, on se croirait dans un livre! Ça donne un impact plus grand à l’événement je trouve! Bref vive la sisterhood!! C’est tellement beau quand les femmes s’entraident plutôt que de se jalouser!
xxx
http://cheersleblog.com/
Ps: La culotte fendue a été découverte pour ma part l’an dernier durant mon erasmus à glasgow!
C’est vraiment très touchant.. (oui j’ai les larmes aux yeux devant mon pc, au boulot!). J’ai l’impression que parfois c’est tellement plus facile de se livrer entièrement à de parfaits inconnus. La peur d’être jugée s’efface et toutes nos inhibitions s’envolent. La sisterhood, j’adore.
Merci,
xx
une belle rencontre dans un bel endroit!
La “sisterhood” c’est ce qui arrive naturellement entre des femmes intelligentes, je pense.
À savoir que l’intelligence rejette automatiquement : la jalousie, les rivalités à la con, la compétition, la comparaison, les complexes d’infériorité, le besoin de se valoriser, etc…
Les Américains ont encore trouvé un joli mot pour définir ça.
C’est rare quand ça arrive par hasard, au détour d’une cabine d’essayage, mais il me semble que ça se met en place tout seul quand une amitié est sincère et dure longtemps.
En revanche, les culottes fendues, je ne comprends pas.
Le plus simple étant de ne pas en porter du tout, si tu veux vraiment faciliter les choses…héhé
Bises,
C.
http://le-blog-de-clou.blogspot.fr/
jolie histoire…
http://lanoura.blogspot.fr
What a fantastic post. One of my favourites! We ‘sisters’ should support each other there is so much to love and talk about!
http://www.ireneweekly.com
Ce genre de magasins me manque, celui où tu te sens à l’aise pour essayer la moitié du magasin.
such a lovely story. great effort that young woman has made. getting fitted for a bra is the first step to being dressed properly & feeling great whatever size we are. once when i was getting fitted the woman said women should be fitted once a year and throw out your bras after a year.
Great story, a bit different from what we see here almost daily, yet I loved it :)
Bises
Lovely and inspiring, like a lot of things you tell us… but this really touched and impressed me. This is a good exemple of the hard work and the insecurty that all women have! :)
Ah Ah, j’ai lu les commentaires pour m’informer sur la culotte fendue ; merci, j’ai appris quelquechose aujourd’hui ! Et beaucoup aimé ton récit de ce joli moment.
C’est difficile d’habiter son corps….elle devrait faire de la danse (dans un bon cours), ça l’aiderait!!
Garance, you’re so awesome.
Please continue being so awesome.
xox
Thankyou Garance, you’re so refreshing in this world of “fashion” that can sometimes seem so exclusive (only available to those whom don’t eat and/or have huge incomes). In actual fact it’s a very feminine thing, and something that can be a treasure trove of bonding if we treat each other with kindness and humility. Thanks for being REAL!
xxx
You are simply sublime for sharing this moment of encapsulated joy and encouragement. Merci.
Only you could walk into a lingerie shop and come out with a gentle, funny tale of of changing rooms, changing lives and crotchless panties. Man you make me smile Garance. x
Beautiful. Now I feel all warm and fuzzy. Thank you for that slice of sweetness xxxx
I am in utter suspense. Will you share what motivated the young woman to loose weight and how she did it?
Can’t wait!
Oh maintenant j’ai envie de tout savoir sur cette jeune fille ! C’est le genre d’histoire tellement inspirante, … C’est bon de avoir que des gens y arrive, et sont soutenus comme ça, par hasard, aider à gagner de la confiance… Mais donc, comment a-t-elle perdu ses kilos ? Quel a été sont déclic ? Combien de temps cela lui a t il pris ?
This place looks amazing. Visit Coco De Mer when you’re in London, I think they’re similar though I’ve only ever been to the London one!
Raah! mais c’est génial, encore un témoignage qui nous montre que partout dans le monde, il y a ces petits endroits où en l’espace d’une heure ou moins, on fait des rencontres extraordinaires!! C’est juste fantastique, je te jure je me sentais limite sur place!! “Sisterhood” c’est le mot juste pour décrire les histoires comme ça!!!
D’ailleurs en lisant l’article avec ma “sister” on a eu un fou rire lorsqu’on a lu le mot “culotte fendue”.. je crois que c’est un kif particulier… très particulier..
Garance, this post reminds me of why I love your site so much – for all of the amazing things you get to do and glamorous people you meet in this business, I know that this small encounter made that woman’s day…and I suspect she made your day too.
Ce post m’a vraiment touché. C’est très bateau comme remarque, mais c’est vrai, et je ne sais pas quoi dire d’autre.
Tellement touchant ! Girl power !
Dear Garance,
Perhaps this may seem inappropriate, but I’d like to say it anyway.
You love our bodies. Your readers’s bodies, that is. We know that you do, and that you accept us just as we are, because we can see in it the way that you strive to accept yourself, and we love that about you. We also know because you flat-out tell us :).
We acknowledge the fact that you work in the fashion world–in fact, it’s one of the reasons we love this blog! Given the world you work in (and the fact that we’re not stupid), we understand the current standard for the more “preferred” body type. Most of have no problem with that–I know I don’t! Bodies are stunning in all shapes and sizes.
However, I’d like to make one simple request. If it’s possible, and not too much to ask, could one of your blog posts feature an illustration that includes a more… “curvaceous” woman? In this illustration (which is currently my desktop background), there are two females. Perhaps one of them might have had larger legs or thicker hips or fatty arms? I suppose this came to mind simply because it’s a body-related post, and all types of women look wonderful in lingerie :).
It doesn’t have to be a continuous thing. We know you accept us in all shapes and sizes, just as we are! Why knows? Maybe it would be encouraging to one or two of us to see that reflected in your art, even if it were just a one-time thing.
I truly hope this doesn’t sound like a criticism. I suppose I’d just like to see what Garance Dore’s take on “I’ve had children, I’m voluptuous, and I’m still sexy as ever” would look like.
Ah!!! I just got around to reading this post — it is pure beauty, wonder and inspiration!! x Loved reading every bit of it.
Amazing post! Fantastic femininity and positive message! An other astonishing post by Miss Garance! Love, Marc from Catalonia.
This is why I love you and your blog! You’r able to see and describe the special moments in life.
Thank you Garance!
Funny how I was really upset right now and then I come here and read this “You know how in life, when something is no working, you just fix it!!! That’s what you’ll do soon. Don’t’ you worry, sweetie.” and I immediately felt a little better, with more faith. That’s why I love your blog, Garance. Your stories and your view of the world are amazing. Thank you for that!
Dear Garance, this is why I love your blog so much! Amazing article, and so touching, I have a lingerie store in my city I love shopping, and I absolutely feel the same! I wish they would have tees to try on with the bras, too!
Garance, how did she lose the weight?!?! I’m down 30 :)… 30 more to go :(
I love that store so much! I treat myself to a visit every time I am in New York. The owner always knows just what will make you look and feel like a goddess. Your story was so perfect I felt like I made an extra trip there this year :)