Last Thursday, May 24, it was ladies’ night at luxury lingerie retailer Rigby & Peller. My best friend and I hopped onto the Trenton train for a short ride to the Big Apple, where we enjoyed a fun evening. Did I mention that the New Jersey Transit train costs only $15.30 for a round trip to New York City for people of a certain age? After we arrived at Penn Center Station, we hailed a cab to the Upper East Side for a relaxing early dinner at a cafe down the street from our final destination, Ladies’ Night at Rigby & Peller.
When we arrived, I spoke with Nijah, my Rigby & Peller lingerie stylist, who asked a few questions about my wardrobe and lifestyle to help determine which style would best suit me. She quickly went to work to pull a few designs after pinpointing my correct bra size without a tape measure. And oh my god! The bra selections included lace, tulle, bows, and ribbons. By now, we all know gravity changes our breasts, so proper support in a bra does wonders for the “girls.”
After all these years, I had no idea that I was wearing the wrong bra size. However, I often wondered why my bra sometimes creeped up my back. Now, I had the appropriate results to prove that I needed to size down a number and up to two cup sizes, eliminating armpit bulge. With this knowledge, I felt compelled to splurge on a few things: a lacey sheer number, a gorgeous black one, and a new strapless bra I wore at last weekend’s annual black-tie event.
Armed with the proper sizing info, I moved on to the next thing on the evening’s agenda. I met up with Sandra Mimran Smith, the Boostwr designer, who organized the event and her range of products, including “loungerie.” In the Youtube video above, Sandra gives an excellent explanation of the purpose of Boostwr. I don’t consider myself full-busted. However, since menopause, my breasts have become fuller, so I selected the Loungerie nightie, a lightweight support item to sleep or lounge around the house.
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Deb Pagano (second from right) with her customers at NYC MeetUp Bra Crawl at Rigby & Peller with friends Arlene, Deb Tamagni, and Campbell and Kate owner, Darlene Campbell.The evening was all about women entrepreneurs. Two women founded Rigby & Peller. There were Deb Pagano and her Queenbitter handmade baubles; Campbell and Kate custom-made shirts for the full-bust woman; Alchemy stylist Michelle Mandelstein; and Sandra’s company, Boostwr, with its tagline, “supporting women who need support.”
Deb Pagano’s Queenbitter jewelry line, made in New York City, added a little sparkle. The line features feminine yet edgy chokers, stackable tassel bracelets, and elegant beaded necklaces.
As mentioned, attorney Darlene Campbell was on hand with her Campbell and Kate button-down shirts for fuller busts displayed at the store’s rear. The line is geared toward the professional woman with an hourglass figure. You can see from the photo the swatches of different available colors and rack with possible shirt designs. Size charts – not here; once one is sized up for measurements, you receive up to three shirts to try to determine your custom fit. And Alchemy Stylist Michelle Mandelstein rounded out the evening by offering summer styling tips.
It’s worth noting that a percentage of all the bra purchases made during the NYC MeetUp Bra Crawl event last Thursday will be donated to Uncommon Threads. Uncommon Threads is a non-profit organization that provides women in need with confidence-boosting wardrobe updates in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The organization is the passion project of The Midlife Fashionista Blogger Susan Kanoff, a Forever Fierce member.
Thank you to all the ladies for making it such a special night. And to the attendees: @agelesswonderstheshow, @2chicdesigns, @kandidlykim, @debt11228, @zoomerfam, and @jaimiezmakeup.
Ladies, stay tuned for the next NYC MeetUp. You never know what this group will do next.
Thank you for reading! Have a fabulous week.
