Bras ‘n More FashionBoutique

BODY associate publisher Ted Vayos interviewed Kathleen Hendrickson of Bras ‘n More FashionBoutique in Pennsylvania.

Ted:  How many years have you been in this industry?

Kathleen Hendrickson: We have been in the bra business for 25 years.

Ted: How did you get started in this business? 

Kathleen: We started as Wigs ‘n More mastectomy boutique. We have been selling wigs, mastectomy bras and mastectomy products for 25 years. Wigs ‘n More provides the largest selection of wigs and mastectomy products on the East Coast. Wigs ‘n More works with a lot of insurance companies in store and online.

Ted:  When did you open your first retail location? What is different about this new business? Why the rebrand? 

Kathleen: In 1988 we started as Tangles, a large hair salon and day spa. Next, we removed the day spa and kept the hair salon. In addition to the hair salon, we added a medical aspect to our store, carrying wigs and mastectomy products. With all the medical business and requests, we recognized the need to offer fashion brands as well. Bras ‘n More Boutique was added to our building in June 2024. At Bras ‘n More Boutique we carry high quality fashion bras for women, in a large range of sizes.

Ted:  Where is this store located?

Kathleen:  Bras ‘n More is located at 5924 Route 981 Latrobe Pennsylvania.

Ted:  Please describe your new location to our readers. Did you do anything different from the last location?

Kathleen: Bras ‘n More is 1000 square feet; the décor is very warm, ornate and sexy. Red, gold, and silver were used to give a romantic, boudoir feeling. We designed the store and dressing rooms to help women feel beautiful, comfortable and good about themselves.

Ted:  What other retail businesses and services are in your immediate area?

Kathleen:  Our boutique has a wonderful view of St. Vincent college, Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is just a few miles from our shop.  Arnold Palmer and Mr. Rogers both had homes in Latrobe. Latrobe is also the home to the Arnold Palmer Country Club and golf course. We have a local big box store, quite a few restaurants and a shopping mall nearby. Latrobe is also the birthplace of the Banana Split.

Ted:  Do any other local businesses send customers to your store?

Kathleen: Yes, stores at the mall, JC Penney’s, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret and Torrid send customers here frequently because they are unable to fill the sizing needs of all customers.

Ted:  Do you have any store you consider competition in the area?

Kathleen: Possibly Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret, there are no stores like ours in the area.

Ted:  Do you have an internet website?

Kathleen: Yes, brasnmore.com and brasnmore.net.

Ted:  What makes your store special?

Kathleen: Customers are greeted at the door by our friendly and knowledgeable staff. We have multiple-qualified fitting specialists that help to make the customers feel comfortable. We carry bra sizes between 30AA and 52NN. An entire corner of our store is used to showcase our underwear with brand logos which we call “Fancy Pants”. There are four spacious beautiful dressing rooms.  The entire shop was built inside part of the original building. The white and gold front counter is from Hornes department store many years ago. Most of our display racks, shelving, and mannequins were bought second hand. The seating area and table were all refurbished and reupholstered. Everything has been painted, and appliqués were applied everywhere giving the boutique an ornate look. We dedicated ourselves completely and passionately to this project.

Ted:  What do you look for in a brand?

Kathleen: Aesthetic bras in a variety of colors. Structure is a must; sizing is very important to us. We like to deal with brands that their representatives take the time to visit us and train us in their brands.

Ted:  List some of the brands that are important to your stores.

Kathleen: Some of our main brands are Anita, Elomi, Goddess, Panache, Sculptress, Fantasie, Le Myster, Pour Moi, and Wacoal.

Ted:  Do you sell lingerie?

Kathleen: We do sell lingerie. Our top brands are Elomi and Goddess. They are different because of their size, they run into larger sizes which is hard to find elsewhere. They are also very beautiful.

Ted:  Do you sell bras? 

Kathleen: We sell Anita bras; we love the make and structure of their bras. Anita also has a wide range of sports bras. We carry Elomi, their bras have extra wide sides for the ladies with extra side tissue and a wider band in the back.  Panache is a great supportive bra. Another brand we like to carry is Fitfully Yours they fit true to size and the colors are beautiful.

Ted: Do you sell shapewear?

Kathleen: Yes, we do sell shapewear. We sell Dominique and Rago. We also sell Elila shapewear, which is extremely well made. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued like many brands Post Covid.

Ted: Do you sell bridal?

Kathleen:  We do sell some bridal. We sell a lot of strapless bras. We carry soft cups and molded corsets. We do not sell a lot of them, but we do carry them. Our top brands are Dominique, Elomi, Goddess, and Le Mystere. We also carry maternity bras.

Ted: What intimate apparel accessories? 

Kathleen:  The brand we carry is Fashion Forms, it has always been our best-selling brand. We carry their Backless Strapless Bras, Silicone Lift Bras, two sizes of Silicone Gel Petals, Nipple covers and Buty Pants. The best-selling accessories are Tape and Shape, we carry the thin and the new wide tape. In other brands we carry bump ups, swim forms, extenders, and strap holders.

Ted: Have you brought any new products or brands into your store recently? Which ones?

Kathleen:  Wacoal, which fit great and is very pretty, was recently brought into the boutique. Danielle Kosberg from Pour Moi called us in October 2024, she wanted to introduce us to the brand. We had a great visit, set up an account and placed an order. Pour Moi bras are beautiful and fashionable.

Ted: Describe the most popular styles or trends in your store.

Kathleen:  Popular styles are molded bras, although we are getting a lot of requests for wireless soft cup bras. Another very popular bra is sports bras. We also utilize mastectomy bras in our fashion fits when necessary, because of the way they are made. Wider on the sides, wider in the back and full front coverage. The Larger bands are available in small cups, for example 46AA to 46A.

Ted: What are your most popular colors?

Kathleen:  Based on our demographic here in Pennsylvania our most popular color is nude followed by off white and a little bit of black.

Ted: Describe your price points and size ranges.

Kathleen:  Our bra price starts at around $48.00 and goes up to $110.00. Sizing starts at 30A and goes up to 52 NN. We do have some 56 and 58, plus some O cups.

Ted: What is your typical or average customer size?

Kathleen:  I would say start with size 38 and go up to size 44.

Ted:  What does your average customer spend per visit to your store.

Kathleen:  Roughly $200 To $400.

Ted:  Describe your customer base.

Kathleen: Our customer base ranges from women in their thirties up to their seventies. Occasionally ladies in their eighties come in looking for bras for more support.

Ted:  What have you done to draw attention to your location?

Kathleen:  The local Chamber of Commerce held an Open house, ribbon cutting for us. We have done commercials which have worked well. Newspaper, radio, mail outs, Instagram, Facebook, and word of mouth.

Ted: Who are your favorite sales representatives in the business?

Kathleen: We have built strong relationships with our representatives. Colleen Ruby from Anita, Kindra Miller from Panache, Andrea del Pielago from Wacoal, and Danielle Kosberg from Pour Moi. They offer help and have expertise in their product. These ladies know and understand our customers’ wants and needs as well as ours. When they visit our boutique to show new seasonal lines, they’re always knowledgeable and fun.