From Bust to Boom!

Ladies of Cavan, your prayers have been answered as a Lingerie shop has opened its doors on the streets of the county town.

Viola Benedyczak founded Black Rouge Lingerie after noticing a big gap in the market. “There are not enough choices. The ladies are coming here saying - ‘oh, I have to go to Dublin or Navan’.

When asked what motivated her to open the lingerie shop, Viola quickly relayed, while she was at work one day, the underwire in her bra pushed through the material, digging into her ribs.

“I put some tissues under but it wouldn’t work. So I went all around the town but there was no bra for me. I’m quite small under the band and my bust is size K, so it’s very heavy and very big. That made me want to open it.

“There is nothing in the town that would be for my age group. It’s very difficult. And there is no one in Cavan at the moment that will be able to do the bra fitting.”

Speaking about her vast collection, Viola said: “We do all the fittings and advise you with the sizing. The cup sizes we have available at the moment are from size A to N. The band sizes we have are from size 24, that’s very very very small, up to 48, that’s quite a big bra under the bust.”

While Viola has taken a large variety of bra sizes into consideration, she also has a great understanding of which bras suit different styles and cuts of clothing.

One of Black Rouge Lingerie’s best sellers is their “rabbit bra”, which has interchangeable straps allowing you to adapt it based on the outfit you’re wearing.

“You can wear these seven different ways. You can criss cross the bra on the front and the back, take off the straps, and put one strap around the neck. There are so many ways to wear it.”

Aside from this versatile bra, there are also many other options available in store including strapless bras, which suit bandeau style outfits, bras with a deep back strap to suit a scoop back dress.

“We have all types of bras, this is just the beginning of the bras we will have. We have bralette, plunge bras, sticky bras, wings bras, we have covers for the nipples, all different types of bra.”

Viola also stocks a large range of shapewear including items to flatten your stomach, accentuate your bum and slim your waist.

“We have all types of shapewear and they shape different parts of the body and have different strengths of shaping the bodies.

“We have beautiful full body sets. We have shapewear with sleeves, we have corsets. This really helps with the body, some have legs for dresses. They have a beautiful finish, some have lace.”

Speaking enthusiastically about one piece of shapewear in particular, Viola states “in my case it gives me 2.5 to three inches off my waist. That’s a lot, that’s up to even one size.”

Also available in store is a range of tights, stockings, straps for lifting and shaping the bust, pyjamas and robes and underwear.

The store also has a variety of intimate products including underwear to increase your confidence, as well as other items to increase pleasure during these moments.

Viola, who also owns the Zipyard in Cavan Town, has vast experience in the fashion industry. Therefore she believes she has the knowledge and experience to support Cavan women.

She was first introduced to the industry at a very young age as her parents owned a men’s clothing company.

“I grew up in fashion factories, my parents owned a big factory for men’s suits, so I was always using the patterns and fabrics, sewing and everything. I know everything, I know about the shapes and how to advise the women how to get a better look.”

Viola has been working in women’s clothing since moving to Ireland nine years ago, and has since worked with some of the well known women in the country. The one which stands out most to her is Longford lassie, Maura Higgins.

“I’ve worked with women for the last nine years in Ireland, all the time in fashion and advising. I was dressing up Maura Higgins. I was doing dress alterations for her in Ballymahon.

“She was an absolutely lovely girl and inspired me with loads of things. She asked me why I hadn’t opened an alterations boutique because we were working at home. So we opened up a small boutique on the main street and then I bought the Zipyard.”

If you’re interested in upgrading your underwear, or want to get measured, drop into the lovely Viola and Liene at Town Hall St, Cavan.