When Linda opened her first lingerie store, in Philadelphia, twenty-four years ago, The American Cancer Society suggested that to get an edge, she should be trained to fit women with mastectomies or prosthesis. What she learned, applied to every woman. “It was an eye opener,” says Linda. “I realized everyone who walked in my door had the wrong size bra on, and even I had the wrong bra size bra on! She re-worked her store, nixing nightgowns, bathrobes and other undergarments to exclusively sell bras. In 2005, Linda opened Linda’s Bra Salon on New York City’s Upper East Side. Since then, she has been featured in The New York Times, Glamour and on Today as an expert bra fitter. Just this past year, she opened a second location in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. Her store carries more sizes than any other retail store in the country.

• Where do you live?
  • I live in Weehawken, N.J. When I’m not working, I live in Cherry Hill, N.J. I also spend half my winter in Florida.
• Are you married?
  • I live with my boyfriend. I met him ten years ago in a bar. I never dreamed I was going to meet someone in a bar. I was just going out with my girlfriends.
• Were you married before?
  • Yes. I was a widow.
• Do you have children?
  • I have a son and a daughter. My daughter worked in my bra business until she moved to California and my son is now my partner.
• Where did you grow up?
  • Philadelphia. You can’t tell?! I have a very strong Philadelphia accent.
• What were your interests as a child?
  • I always wanted to be a dancer and I was very artistic. In the 60s, I decided that I needed to go to New York to find myself. My father was in shock. I met my husband, got married and had two children. When they were eight and nine years old I felt like I needed to be doing something, because all I did when I didn’t work was shop.
• How did you get your start in bra fitting?
  • I read that women’s lingerie was the fastest growing business in the country, so I opened up a lingerie store called Touchables in Philadelphia. About three months after opening my store, The American Cancer Society asked me if I would go to school to learn how to fit women for bras, because nobody in that area did it. It was an eye opener.  I realized everyone who walked in my door had the wrong size bra on, so I turned my store into a bra store.
• What bra sizes do you carry?
  • We go from 28 A to 56 N. We carry over 275 bra sizes. We carry more sizes than any other retail store in the country.

  

• Does your store have a website?
  • Yes, www.lindasonline.com, and every bra that’s on our website is tried out in the store first. I make sure that it’s right.
• How much should a woman spend on a bra?
  • Our bras start at $29 and go up to $129. You can get a great fitting $29 bra. The difference is in the fabric. For instance, you get a better lace in a $129 bra.
• Does a women’s breast size change after 50?
  • Some women are going through menopause. Some have already gone through menopause. If you haven’t gone through menopause it doesn’t change that much, but once you do, everything changes. My bra size changed a whole cup size overnight! You should get measured often, but if you’re going through menopause you’ll definitely want to get measured.
• What are your favorite bra brands?
  • I have a lot of favorites. Different companies specialize in different things. Simone Perele makes really pretty, well-fitting bras. Chantelle and all the bra companies are making their cups bigger and bigger, which is great.
• How would you describe your personal style?
  • I’m more casual than I’ve ever been. I used to get dressed up everyday for work, but I realized that my customers weren’t. I didn’t want to intimidate the customers so I started dressing like them.
• Do you have favorite places to shop?
  • Saks and Lord & Taylor.
• What’s your skincare routine?
  • Well I do a lot of things to myself and people do a lot of things to me. My skin has been lasered a few times. I get facials every three weeks, and I get a massage every three weeks. I use Dr. Murad’s whole skincare regimen.
• What do you do for everyday makeup?
  • I use a lot of organic makeup. My thyroid stopped working and my homeopathic doctor told me that I had elevated levels of heavy metals like lead and nickel in my body. A lot of that lead comes from hair dye and makeup, so I use only organic makeup now.

  

• Your best advice about bras and breasts for FOFs?
  • You should get new bras every six months. Also, your breasts have to be supported all the time. Whether you’re cleaning your house or going to a wedding, your breasts should always look great because you want them up. When they’re not up... they’re down.