Orchard Corset Discount

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Decorated with little more than pictures of smiling ladies modeling giant white brassieres, this small Lower East Side shop is cluttered with countless boxes of bras stacked floor-to-ceiling against the walls. The first order of business here is finding customers the right size bra because—according to store owners Peggy and Ralph—they’re almost always wearing the wrong one. After sizing a woman up (usually using nothing more than the naked eye), the owners direct her to one of the makeshift changing areas in the back and bring her some traditional styles to sample from names like Bally, Champion, Crepe Suzette, Goddess, Olga, and Wacoal. Brides-to-be come for strapless versions, girdles, or corsets, while others order brightly colored, elaborately designed custom-made corsets to use as tops or lingerie. — Chrissy Persico

Key Departments

Bridal

This shop carries undergarments from sizes 32AA to 56L, and owner Peggy Berg can guess just about anyone’s size by looking at them. Women come here for customized satin or lace corsets by Goddess, Wacoal, Crêpe-Suzette, and Carnival ($40 to $80), or Edwardian-style whalebone lace-ups ($50 to $70).

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Featured In

• The Search for the Right Bra (12/10/07)