Ask any lady of Waterford where to get a good bra and she will direct you to The Lady’s Slip in Tramore, Co Waterford.
The small and beautiful boutique was opened in August 2020 during the Covid19 Pandemic by sisters Sandra Power and Miriam Keating. You might ask why two smart women would open an up close and personal boutique in the middle of a pandemic, the answer is quite simple, says Sandra, “This had been a dream of mine for years, and even in such a strange time, life seemed to be giving me ALL the signs that this was the right time. In my naivety I thought that the lockdowns were finished after the first one of 2020 – I really had no clue that we would spend half of our 1st year closed, however we had no option but to make it work”.
The Lady’s Slip has defied all pandemic odds and has become a favourite boutique going on to win awards with Waterford Chamber, WLRFM and has even been featured in Hello Magazine. Situated aptly on Queen’s Street in Tramore, it stocks the best-known brands in the business, such as Fantasie, Panache, Elomi, Wacoal, Chantelle, Freya, and these days to get a Saturday fitting you’ll have to book in advance.
Despite the global pandemic and the shop spending its first few months in limbo – opening and closing as restrictions dictated. The business has gone from strength to strength. The Lady’s Slip has become renowned for their passion for educating bra-wearers, ensuring their in-store customers and 23k followers on social media are empowered to know the signs of a proper fitting bra. This reputation has seen the team welcome customers from all over Ireland into their shop on Queen’s St. Tramore, Co. Waterford.
Commenting on reaching their third birthday milestone and having had to expand their store since opening owner Sandra says, “Miriam and I knew that there was a market for a brilliant lingerie shop in Waterford, however, we didn’t anticipate such an incredible and loyal customer base.
We are very passionate about correct fit, and we will absolutely not leave anyone pop in buy and bra and walk out, they will have to try it on and we will work on best fit with each customer individually. That’s pretty much our policy and I think that our passion to ensure women are comfortable and feel great leaving ‘The Lady’s Slip’ has really stood to us and has helped us to develop strong repeat business.”
The now team of three at The Lady’s Slip say they are celebrating their 1st, 2nd and 3rd birthdays plus a store expansion all in one go. In Spring of 2023 the store needed an expansion due to customer demand, it grew from 110 square feet doubling in size to 225, whilst also welcoming Anne Marie Sheridan, a well-known face in Waterford retail, to the team.
Sandra says, “Covid robbed our opportunity to open The Lady’s Slip in the traditional way – however, we are delighted to celebrate all our achievements over the past 3 years in one go. Our shop provides a safe space for our customers, and we appreciate the trust that they have in us, none of this would be possible without the wonderful people who support us (to help us support them!). Our shop has not just survived, it has thrived, despite the rocky start”.
If you’re planning a trip, The Lady’s Slip is located at 13 Queen’s Street Tramore and online on www.tlslingerie.ie