Women of Porthcawl have long been crying out for somewhere to purchase gorgeous lingerie and swimwear. Leanne Crole has answered their prayers with a fabulous range to die for!
GIRLIE THINGS
Why did you open Girlie Things?
I always had a passion for luxury underwear and felt frustrated at the lack of availability of branded lingerie in my home town. Opening a lingerie store seemed like a logical step so I launched my own boutique in Neath in 2006 and then in Porthcawl in 2008. My passion for the product and a desire to work for myself after bringing up my children have helped me to develop an eye for lingerie that is beautiful yet practical for the modern woman.
Why Porthcawl?
One of the main reasons for choosing Porthcawl, besides it being my hometown, was its fashion conscious footfall, which includes a good mix of tourists and local shoppers. These days many of my customers travel from Cardiff, Newport and Chepstow.
Who are your customers?
Girlie Things is all about enjoying the experience of buying high-quality, well-fitting underwear and our personal service helps to make that happen. We bring together branded lingerie in a contemporary setting, with an emphasis on superior fitting - at Girlie Things, fit is of paramount importance. We stock cup sizes A to JJ and back sizes 28 to 48 and we encourage every customer to make the most of our free fitting service by trained professional staff.
Our customer ranges from seventeen year old fashionistas to ladies that lunch, tourists and women in their sixties enjoying their retirement. As you’d expect, over Christmas men make up a good percentage of our clientele. We also have a few celebrity regulars, but we don’t sell and tell!
We also cater for brides, from hen night to honeymoon. Diamante hen party T shirts for the hen night, beautiful fitting underwear for your special dress and fantastic silks for your honeymoon, plus ‘just married’ bikinis’ as worn by many celebrities.
Which brands do you stock?
We offer many exclusive brands - customers say they can’t find these labels anywhere else, as well as Lejaby, Elixir de Lingerie, Elle Macpherson Intimates & Boudoir, Fayreform, Fantasie, Freya, Fauve, Triumph, Panache and more.
Girlie Things aims to provide our customers with a good selection of brands in a good range of sizes, styles and prices - bras range in price from £18 to £140.
I understand you can help women who’ve had surgical procedures?
Yes, we can help women who have undergone mastectomy surgery. We offer private fittings and our staff have attended training programmes to ensure expertise in this area. We make every effort to engage with local hospitals and breast cancer nurses to ensure the client has all round advice and support.
I like the décor. Tell me why you chose it.
Girlie Things couldn’t be a more appropriate name for the lingerie business. The Porthcawl store has a girlie, fun atmosphere. The interior is decorated in pink and cream Zoffany wallpaper with co-coordinating drapes at the spacious changing rooms. We even have a pink till, and the stock looks fantastic against pale walls and oak flooring. The Neath store is on three floors and is an emporium for ‘all things girlie’ styled with chandeliers, gilt mirrors, swags and tails in duck egg blue and aubergine carpets, this store is a complete shopping experience.
Which swimwear brands do you offer at Girlie Things?
We are an independent all-year-round swimwear specialist. Brands include Moontide, Rasurel, Melissa Odabash, Fantasie, Freya, Miraclesuit, Chloe and Roberto Cavalli. We offer bra-sized swimsuits, tankini and bikini sets and separates alongside holiday accessories such as cover-ups, sarongs, kaftans, sandals and bags.
Any recent developments?
Our most recent addition to Girlie Things is our online shop where most of our collections can be purchased.
We’ve just put ‘Girlie Things on the road’ into action, attending call centres, business centres and sports centres providing ladies with Free Fitting Days and introducing them to the advantages of beautifully fitting underwear. It’s all go here!
