Opening a lingerie shop in Singapore

By Heidi Sarna
Issue 87 - October 2009

Im the Bra Lady. Sometimes I think no one knows my actual name!

In the middle of the economic crisis, I open a lingerie shop!” says Mette Holte Jensen with a chuckle.

It all worked out just fine. During my recent visit, customers popped in and out of Mette’s year-old Holland Village boutique. A regular came in chiming, “I’m back and I brought a friend with me!” Within ten minutes, the friend had tried on and purchased a bra and bikini bathing-suit bottom.

Mette, a tall Danish blonde with a bright smile, started her business after an innocuous comment her husband made a few years back.

“When we decided to move to here, he said, ‘Oh, you get everything in Singapore.’ Well, it turned out that didn’t include appealing swimsuits or lingerie in my size,” remembers Mette.

Not one to waste time complaining, Mette started a lingerie business from her home. Trade was booming by the second year and it was time to open a shop, which Mette calls Change, after the Danish lingerie brand she exclusively sells.

It offers chic, youthful styles as well as traditional basics and pretty European lace pieces in sizes from tiny to extra-large. I spotted a pale pink bra and panty set in a 30-AA that was perfect for young girls, and Mette showed me a pretty sage green lace bra in a 40 J-cup. Mette encourages customers to try on as many garments as they like to make sure they find the perfect fit.

Riffling through the racks, I found everything from seamless push-up bras to full-cup, padded plus, and shaper styles in lavender, steel blue, taupe, mauve and bold prints, as well as the classic white and black. Matching panties range from high-cut to hipster strings. There’s also a full wall of two-piece swimsuits in classic black plus teal green, chocolate brown, pinky-red and other bold hues.

“People are surprised there’s so much here because it’s a small shop; we really squeeze it in,” Mette says.

Change lingerie is of comparable quality to other exclusive lines, though Change is about half as expensive in the $50 to $125 range. Offering about 65 percent of the entire Change collection, she brings in five collections a year and gradually adds pieces to her shop as new styles arrive, relegating older styles to the discount racks in front of the shop.

To keep everyone up to date with her inventory, Mette sends text messages to several hundred customers whenever new stock comes in. She solicits her clients’ two cents as well. A few times a year, she hosts a group of ten or so regular customers in her home to get their opinion on which styles she should sell. One of her sample-sized customers (an enviable 70cm-C cup or 32-C cup) is on hand to model the options.

“It’s a girls’ night. We drink wine, have some laughs and my clients get to see what’s out there.”

Change is in the Holland Road Shopping Centre, 211 Holland Road #03-23, Singapore.

Contact Mette at change@holtejensen.dk. www.change.com