Petticoat Fair Elevates Bra Fitting into a Fine Art, Earns International Recognition as Best Destination Lingerie Store in North America

    AUSTIN, TX, August 22, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Shopping for women's undergarments can be anything but uplifting, yet Petticoat Fair, an Austin-based intimate apparel store has turned that notion upside down. The store has built a devoted following and earned global industry recognition, due in large part to professional, experienced fitters, a vast selection of hard-to-find sizes and a team committed to making bra selection a positive experience.

In business for almost 50 years, Petticoat Fair was recently named "Best Destination Store" at the prestigious 2013 Best of Intima Awards gala, hosted in New York by The Best of Intima magazine. Petticoat Fair was nominated by a team of industry peers representing several apparel brands. According to The Best of Intima, the annual awards event is one of the lingerie industry's most anticipated functions, and this year, more than 200 nominations were submitted from intimate apparel manufacturers based in the U.S. and internationally.

This is the second award for Petticoat Fair from The Best of Intima. Previously, the specialty store was recognized in 2006 for "Best Women's Care."

"Customers come to Petticoat Fair from many states and even from out of the country," says owner Kirk Andrews. "Every day, you can find women of all ages and body types searching for the perfect fit, as well as teens with their moms making their first selection, bridal parties and women who are nursing, recovering from surgery or coming in for the first time based on a friend's recommendation. About 20 percent of them are from out of town."

The reason? "Petticoat Fair has an absolutely phenomenal store, but it's what they do on a daily basis that makes the difference," says Joe Smith, specialty stores sales manager and manager of international logistics for Wacoal. "The combination of personal service and knowledgeable fitters makes a trip to Petticoat Fair a great shopping experience. Women from surrounding communities appreciate that."

The store's hallmark is a personalized bra fitting method that requires a four-month apprenticeship before an employee can become a personal fitter. In addition, the specialty store offers hard-to-find sizes, from 28 to 56 band and AA to H cup. The store also features intimate apparel accessories for brides and mothers-to-be, sleepwear and swimsuits, and it keeps detailed fitting and purchase records.

That level of service is a big reason for the store's success, says Jim West, senior account executive for the Chantelle line who has worked with the store for 17 years. "At Petticoat Fair, they're open to a lot of new things," he explains. "They are all about the product and the features that will ultimately satisfy a customer. There are so many different shapes and body frames, but Petticoat Fair is passionate about getting a customer into the right size."

The right size is a real issue for many women, according to Andrews. "Probably nine out of ten women come into the store wearing the wrong size." That statistic held true and was publicized on the popular bra-fitting episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Petticoat Fair's professional fitters are able to guide women to bras that actually fit. For many women, the difference in comfort and appearance can be life-changing.

Petticoat Fair (www.petticoatfair.com and www.fb.petticoatfair.com) has been committed to finding the right fit and providing personal care since 1964, when Andrews' parents, Bob and Betty Andrews, opened the first store on Guadalupe Street near The University of Texas campus. Today, the business is run by Kirk Andrews and has expanded to include an 8,850-square-foot location near Northcross Mall carrying apparel from more than 200 vendors.

What remains the same is the store's reputation far and wide for exceptional customer service. And that is why women look to Petticoat Fair for the right fit - whether they live in Austin or not.

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