Nothing skimpy about this business
Every morning, Kiki and her two girlfriends stand in the store window at 35 Railroad St. and show off their outfits.
Sometimes the women are wearing pastel-colored, diaphanous nightgowns, or sexy, full-length nightwear. Sometimes they’re wearing a good deal less.
No matter what they have on, they catch eyes but never utter a word.
That’s because they’re mannequins.
Kiki and her friends model at Great Barrington Bra & Girl, a lingerie store that is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month.
Since opening on June 15 of last year, the 850-square-foot store has attracted nearly 2,000 customers and has turned a profit despite the rough economy, according to Dan Alden, who owns Bra & Girl with his wife, April Burch.
“It’s more than exceeded our expectations,” Alden said.
Alden and Burch, who live in New Marlborough, have copyrighted the name “Bra & Girl,” which is a play on the words “Bar & Grill.” The couple said they have tentative plans to open another store in a similar-sized community, although they haven’t finalized the location.
“We get a lot of repeat customers,” said Betsy Eiler, one of the store’s sales associates. “We get people who come in here, see what we have, and go out and tell their sisters, daughters, mothers, friends.”
