South Bay lingerie store for plus-sized women targeted by vandals

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) — A South Bay business owner thinks her store could be the target of recent vandalism attacks because the business offers lingerie specifically made for plus-size women. 

Vandals have repeatedly thrown rocks into Chrystal Bougon’s Curvy Girl lingerie store in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood.

She said it has happened three times in two months. The store has surveillance cameras, an alarm system and bars on the windows, but those measures haven’t deterred the vandals.

“My gut is telling me that we are definitely being targeted,” said Bougon. “We are the targets a lot of times of a lot of fat shaming and fat trolling.”

Bougon founded the boutique in 2002 so curvy women can buy sexy clothes. Strangely, when the vandals strike overnight, nothing is ever stolen. She thinks the attacks are personal.

“There are sites out there dedicated to just hating my store and hating me,” said Bougon. “They say things like I glorify obesity.”

One of the comments online said “Fat is gross.”

She said much of the hate is toward her using real customers to promote her merchandise. Bougon said she’s the only store in this busy shopping center targeted. The store next door has been around for 30 years.

“We’ve never really had a problem,” said Sandy Ervin, who owns Merle Norman Cosmetics. “This is a very safe shopping center.”

“I would be completeley surprised,” said Richard LaCuesta, who lives in Willow Glen. “I would probably assume it’s kids; misguided, mis-opinionated kids.”

So far, cameras haven’t captured the culprits. Bougon said they can break her windows, but can’t break her spirit. She even put a smiley face on one of the rocks used.

“You can try what you want to try break my windows,” said Bougon. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to continue my work to make women feel beautiful and sexy.”

She may move her store to Campbell when the lease is up in October. She thought about making the move before for parking reasons but she said this vandalism is weighing in on her decision.

San Jose Police tell KTVU since the owner hasn’t received any specific threats or messages. Without more evidence, they can’t say if these are isolated and unrelated incidents. They ask anyone with more information to call them.

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Homme Mystere’s lingerie line for men ‘manssieres’ a success

Who’s up for lace-trimmed boxer briefs?

By Raif Karerat

WASHINGTON, DC: Thanks to Australian brand Homme Mystere, lingerie designed specifically for men is now available online and has attracted customers from across 30 different countries, including the United States, Russia, and Canada.

“Men’s lingerie sits in an undefined territory deemed ‘not exciting enough’ for adult stores and ‘too confronting’ for mainstream retail stores,” explains the HommeMystere website.

The retailer offers a wide variety of lace-trimmed boxer briefs, suspenders, bras — also known as “manssieres” — and more. All the lingerie pieces look like women’s undergarments but are specifically designed to fit a male body, reported The Independent.

Despite the perception that the designs cater primarily to the LGBT community, a survey carried out by the brand revealed that 90 percent of the customers sampled were in heterosexual relationships.

However, the retailer highlights they just want to provide the luxury option for men, regardless if they’re “gay, straight, vegetarian, Republican, Anglican, Martian or any other persuasion”.

“Our goal has always been to offer an alternative style of underwear for men, based on their physique rather than their sexuality,” the company says on its website.

According to The Independent, HommeMystere describes its customer as “male, married and older than 40  … He has discerning taste … and wants luxury garments, but does not need to show it off to others. He wants something new and exciting to buy.”

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