Written by Epiphany Dames
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Can the meaning of sexy really be found in fabrics? Or a new appreciation for yourself as a woman be discovered merely by spending a few hours in a lingerie boutique?
On Friday, April 15, I walked through the doors of 109 West Broughton St. into the grand opening of Victoria’s Secret (VS).
Despite being a lover of all things VS, I entered the store with mixed emotions. As a young woman with scoliosis – spinal curvature – the search to find undergarments that would correct the unevenness of my breasts rather than accentuate them, often proved to be in vain.
Though it stands as a part of a larger brand catering to a variety of shapes and sizes, there was still a lingering concern that I would leave annoyed at not finding something I look irresistible in as opposed to lopsided.
I need not have worried. I was welcomed by walls adorned with some of the most exquisite and jaw-dropping pieces of intimate wear and they breathed a feeling of pure feminine power upon me.
But it was in the quality of the service that their team provided that made the experience so worthwhile for me. It was hard to believe that many of the women who worked there were new to the brand of VS, as they went above and beyond to ensure my time in their store was nothing short of perfection.
The employees took their time to not only ask my name, but also questions about myself that eventually lead them to select pieces that accurately represented me. No request of mine was too daunting or treated as unimportant by the ladies who helped me. Everything about my time spent in VS left me with a greater sense of appreciation and respect for myself.
There is something spectacular to be noted about the confidence and positivity exuded by a woman who knows that she invests in herself. An air of dedication surrounds she who takes special care and consideration to even the aspects of her being that the everyday person will never see.
It was in the development of that mentality that I was able to redefine the true nature of sexy. It isn’t in the way others perceive me, but rather in how I perceive and treat myself. This reality was utterly encouraged as I noticed how colors and fabrics made my skin glow or how certain pieces seemed to have been made just for me.
Two hours, and a rather unexpected bill later, I stepped back onto the cold and rainy Broughton Street and left behind the mysterious world of Victoria’s Secret – better known as a woman’s secret weapon.
The world where matching bras and panties are just as acceptable as mixing and matching prints in a button down and cardigan. Where the choice between risqué lace or comfortable cotton depends solely on whether you’re in a smoldering temptress or cozy-night-in state of mind.
For many women, the thought of being sexy has become a watered down idea of unrealistic perfection, achievable only at the cost of surgeries equivalent to the down payment on a car.
Yet, often times, the state of being seductive, vibrant and vivacious doesn’t lie in what is easily perceived by the naked eye. Rather, it is found in the mystery of the unknown.
Lace, silk and cotton, all delicate pieces of fabric woven together in such a barely-there manner hug curves and adorn the most sacred parts of women. Hidden beneath business suits, uniforms and even pajamas, lingerie empowers the divine in each woman and awakens the strength that may lie dormant.
Regardless of who you are, or what you’re in the mood for, one thing is for sure: when you enter the Broughton Street Victoria’s Secret’s doors; you enter as a mortal but you leave as a goddess.
Epiphany Dames is a Writing major from Nassau, The Bahamas. She loves reading, writing, tea, and yoga. She enjoys writing short stories, editorial pieces, and literary journalism. She hopes to one become a travel writer, and an author.
