San Jose: Curvy Girl fashion show to showcase plus-size lingerie

Event to include tastings, vendors

Chrystal Bourgon believes everyone should love their bodies, whether they are a size 0 or a size 28.

That’s why she opened the plus-size lingerie store Curvy Girl in Willow Glen. On June 8, Bourgon will host her second annual fashion show at Villa Ragusa in Campbell.

Between 30 and 40 plus-size ladies will strut their stuff in Curvy Girl corsets, bustiers, baby doll dresses, panties and stockings during the event.

The models are regular people–customers of Bourgon’s. “It’s so beautiful and fun to work with these ladies,” she said.

Bourgon expects between 250 and 300 women to attend the show this year: People are already “snapping up” the tickets, she said. Last year, she sold 190 regular tickets in addition to VIP passes.

Bourgon opened her shop, which sells plus-size lingerie as well as other related items, in 2012. Since then, she says, business has been “amazing.” The store boasts more than 60,000 Facebook fans and 82 five-star reviews on Yelp.

Curvy Girl is the only store in the nation of its kind. Previously, it had been one of two plus-size lingerie stores in the United States. The other, a shop in Philadelphia called Lovelies, opened a few months before Curvy Girl but closed about three months ago. While Lovelies is still selling merchandise online, Curvy Girl is the only brick-and-mortar lingerie store specializing in plus sizes.

Bourgon originally didn’t want to have an online component to Curvy Girl. However, after being bombarded by phone calls, she created a website last fall and has one employee who spends 25 hours a week shipping items. Although the majority of Bourgon’s business is still in-store, she has started shipping internationally: she recently sent $350 worth of products to Dubai.

Bourgon said the Bay Area is a “hotbed” of body acceptance activists. In fact, well-known writers and bloggers such as Marilyn Wann and Virgie Tovar will be VIP guests at the fashion show.

The two women are known for their messages about eating healthy and intuitively rather than buying into fad diets, Bourgon said. Wann’s book Fat!So? Because You Don’t Have to Apologize for Your Size was published in 1998. Tovar wrote the 2012 book Hot Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love and Fashion and is known for the movement #losehatenotweight.

The fashion show–for women only, by the way–will include wine tasting, chocolate tasting and a cash bar. Attendees will receive goody bags sponsored by LELO.com and be able to nibble on food provided by Simply Delicious Catering and dessert provided by Nothing Bundt Cake of Willow Glen.

There will also be about 25 vendor tables with items including jewelry, purses, lingerie, candles and skin care products, plus romance toys from blissconnections.com.

The uniqueness of Bourgon’s store has earned her a fair share of media attention. Her “UNPHOTOSHOPPED” campaign, which encouraged “unphotoshopped, regular women” to send in scantily clad photos of themselves to the Facebook page for her business, led to a well-documented disagreement with “Fit Mom” Maria Kang, who lives in the Sacramento area.

Kang said Bourgon was glorifying obesity; Bourgon said Kang was fat-shaming.

Their dispute was publicized by CNN, Good Morning America, Bethenny, Access Hollywood, Yahoo Shine and the Huffington Post.

The disagreement turned out to be good for Bougon’s business, however. It earned her 20,000 new Facebook fans and “tons” of Internet orders in a few months, she said.

Bourgon insists that she doesn’t glorify obesity. Rather, she wants women to celebrate how they look now rather than wait to be happy.

“Don’t put off wearing lingerie for your husband or your wife. … I’m not telling anybody to gain weight, lose weight or get fit. Just seize the day,” she said.

Bourgon said she understands that Kang markets herself as a fitness guru.

“I think what she does is lovely and fabulous,” she said. “I want her to do what she does on her slice of the Internet. And I want to do what I do on my slice of the Internet. And I don’t want to be judged or shamed.”

The pair reconciled during Bourgon’s company Christmas party. Kang, who happened to be in town, dropped in at the store to apologize. It turned out that she has her own body issues and has struggled with bulimia.

“Fat or skinny, we’re all struggling to love our bodies,” Bourgon said.

The Curvy Girls Rock! Curvy Girl Plus Size Fashion Show is 2 to 5 p.m. on June 8 at Villa Ragusa, 35 S. Second St., Campbell. Tickets are $15 and available at curvygirlinc.com or 408.264.4227.

One-third of the price of each ticket will be donated to Next Door Solutions, a campaign to end domestic violence. For more information about Next Door Solutions, visit nextdoor.org.

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The One Piece Of Lingerie That Every Woman Should Own

It’s safe to say that the most neglected part of most womens’ closets is the lingerie department. It could be because undergarments aren’t seen by that many people, or maybe it’s because bra shopping sucks — one way or another, when it comes to underthings, most women could use a serious upgrade.

And if there is one lady who can teach us a thing or two about lingerie, it’s Jennifer Zuccarini. The Toronto native is the co-founder and one-time creative director at Kiki De Montparnasse and former design director of Victoria’s Secret. She also recently started her own lingerie line, Fleur du Mal, which offers beautiful lingerie at reasonable prices. So to say this lady lives and breathes intimates would be an understatement.

Naturally, when we had the opportunity to chat with Zuccarini, we grilled her on all things bra and panty-related and learned everything we need to know about caring and shopping for our undergarments.

Jennifer Zuccarini in her studio wearing Fleur du Mal.

First off, why should we bother buying nice lingerie anyway?
Spending upwards of $100 on luxurious panties isn’t something most people feel comfortable with. To that Zuccarini says, “I think lingerie is for yourself. It can make you feel and look more confident. It can make you more seductive and I think quality pieces last longer, so it’s an investment. And for women who might not have anyone seeing them in their lingerie, I think build it and they will come.”

What if all that lacy, frilly stuff peeks through — should we stick to flesh-tone colors?
“I think most women are so obsessed with not showing anything. Like no lines, no nipples, no panty lines. It’s crazy. I think it’s nice when there is a little peek of a bra, a little lace showing through.”

Anything we should know about washing fancy bras?
“I’m a fan of washing less because every time you wash something you are breaking it down — breaking down the fibers. I think maybe after wearing it three times. If it’s summertime, maybe you want to wash it more often. I think definitely three wearings at least and then hand washing it in cold water or in a lingerie bag on a delicate cycle in cold water and definitely never, ever putting it in the dryer. Ever.”

OK, if we’re only going to invest in ONE expensive piece, what should it be?
“The perfect black lace bra.” BRB, we’re going shopping.

• Wanker, $45

• Chiffon Unlined Demi Bra, $115

• Rose Lace Quarter Cup Bra, $125

• Haori Kimono, $525

• Rose Lace Unlined Demi Bra, $128

• Oleander Lace Bodysuit, $295

• Fleur Du Soie Front Strap Bra, $98

• Leopard Knit High Waist Panty, $120

• Chiffon Ruffle Hiphugger, $65

• Rose Lace Applique Slip, $365

• Fleur Du Soie Peekaboo Thong, $20

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