Buffalo retail just got a little steamier. Lace & Day has opened at 445 Franklin Street, bringing with it the ultimate in bra fitting, luxury sleepwear and lingerie. Owners and sisters Holly Constantine Ortman and Emily Constantine Doren have come together to build out a sensational undergarment shop that rivals anything that you might see in NYC. The two-storey intimate apparel boutique is a pleasure to visit, with its clean, naturally lit open floor plan, its uncluttered layout, high ceilings, and matching professional service-oriented attitude.
In a somewhat unprecedented move, the sisters opted to purchase a handsome house on Franklin Street,rather than setting up on Elmwood or Hertel. The decision afforded them to design exactly what they wanted, on an intimate tree-lined street in Allentown. When I first saw the setup, I couldn’t believe how perfect the fit was – for years I have talking about creating more retail destinations throughout the city, in buildings that were formerly designated as office and residential. In this case, Holly and Emily took a professional office and transformed it into a swank, cosmopolitan, upscale lingerie store. Not only is the setting unique, the intimate offerings are unparalleled in Buffalo.
“We are thrilled for our business to be part of the vibrant Allentown neighborhood and to be a part of the resurgence of Buffalo,” said Holly. “Lace & Day is expanding the options for shopping on Franklin Street in the increasingly active and vibrant Allentown neighborhood.”
Brands carried by Lace & Day include bras and panties from European companies Marie Jo, Prima Donna, Lise Charmel, Antinéa, Empreinte, and Simone Pérèle. Sleepwear from Natori, N Natori, and Josie by Natori, as well as Bedhead (designed and produced in Los Angeles). Men’s boxer briefs from Canadian company Saxx, and stretch lace panties from Hanky Panky.
“We are so exited to provide an exceptional bra fitting service in Buffalo. We have been able to shop and work at similar stores in larger cities and we can’t wait to bring this to our own growing market,” said co-owner Emily Constantine Doren. “We are committed to giving women a positive, fun, empowering experience when they come to Lace & Day.”
Holly and Emily explained that their lines are “intimate but accessible” – the undergarments can (and should) be worn whenever a women is looking to feel empowered, whether that’s at a cocktail party or at work. So often, women are relegated to wearing uninspiring and ill-fitted bras and panties, when they could be feeling and looking their best around the clock. Not only are the Lace & Day lines visually appealing, they are designed to fit comfortably while accentuating a woman’s wardrobe.
The sisters told me that statistics show that 90% of women are wearing the wrong size/style bra. In order to ensure that every woman is accounted for, a fitting team is now in place at Lace & Day to help customers identify the perfect matches. We’re not talking about sports bras here – we’re talking about quality, finely made, sexy undergarments that, until now, were not found in Buffalo (women had to travel to find these types of lines).
Holly and Emily both quite their professional day jobs to open the boutique. Now the two are trained fitters who are excited to outfit women who have been looking for a little bit of alluring pizzazz to rock their professional and social lifestyles. “The magic happens in the fitting room,” they told me. “Our fitters ask the women about they want and what they do. Then we head to the bra closet where we pick out some of the styles that we believe will suit them. Most times, women are stuck rifling through drawers at department stores, not knowing exactly what it is they are looking at. We put a lot of time curating this assortment, and we’re here to make sure that the experience is informative, fun and ultimately satisfying. Women who spend a lot of money on their wardrobes, and then don’t think about the undergarments are not doing justice to their clothing. We can even help women who have undergone breast size reconstruction, augmentation, size variations, reductions, lumpectomy, and those who are nursing. From teaching a client how to put a bra on properly to learning about how to match a beautiful bra with a lifestyle, we are here to make sure that women are offered the same sorts of experiences, services and brands that, until now, they had to leave Buffalo to find.”
Lace & Day | Premier bra fitting, upscale lingerie & sleepwear | 445 Franklin Street | Buffalo NY | (716) 884-1580 | Facebook
Lace & Day will celebrate its grand opening in October 2015. The Grand Opening weekend will include three days of giveaways and celebration. A special event will occur on Thursday, October 1st featuring refreshments and tours of the shop from 4pm-8pm. The shop will have expanded hours on Friday (10am-8pm) for the Allentown First Fridays event and Saturday will be open 10am-6pm.