Little Black Box celebrates 15 years of business

LEWISBURG (WVDN) – Local business Little Black Box is celebrating 15 years of empowering women by helping them find bras that fit their body type.

In September 2007, the owner, Ginger Steele, opened the boutique, which continues to thrive in downtown Lewisburg.

Steele said she started with only the knowledge that she wanted to be her own boss.

After researching a few potential ideas, she found excitement in the concept of a Valentine’s Day shop. It was this concept that took root and transformed into the bra and lingerie boutique that now resides at 818 Jefferson Street South.

“I discovered that most department stores do not offer quality intimates for fuller busted or plus sized women. I bought a tape measure, learned how to fit bras, and in September 2007 I opened Little Black Box Bra and Lingerie Boutique. Fifteen years later and we have fitted thousands of women.”

According to Steele, her favorite part of running the boutique is helping people see the difference a well-fitted, quality bra can make.

She said, “Nothing gives me greater pleasure than taking women out of ill-fitting bras and show them the difference that a quality bra can make in how they look and feel. When a woman looks good, she feels good, and that’s empowering.”

Concerning the topic of finding the perfect bra, Steele says she has two rules.

The first rule, she said, is “don’t live and die by what the tape measure says. I tell women all the time, ‘the tape measure lies!’ We are very holistic when it comes to fitting bras and intimate apparel. Just because the tape measure says you wear size ‘DD,’ doesn’t mean it’s true; that’s just a starting point.”

The second rule is “don’t judge lingerie on the hanger, judge it on your body. Some of the prettiest things look weird on a hanger,” Steele says.

Providing beautiful, well-made lingerie to as many different body types as possible is one of Little Black Box’s goals. Steele noted that they carry more than 100 sizes and have more than 1,500 bras.

“We have fitted thousands of women and yes, we have a size for you!” she says.

Steele has had many memorable moments since opening the shop, but there are some that stick out more than others. Each one comes from helping someone discover the joy in finally having the correct size bra.

“The most memorable moments happen when those clients who have struggled finding a comfortable bra finally discover the issue is not their body shape, but the bra was just the wrong size. Imagine shopping in a shoe store that only offers three sizes of shoes and none of those are your size, but you force it to work because there is literally nothing else to choose from. After a while you would believe the problem was your feet instead of the shoe stores. It’s the same way with bras, but when you discover that all you needed was a different size, that can be life changing.”

Every business owner takes many aspects into consideration when choosing the optimal location.

When talking about the choice to start a business in Lewisburg, Steele says, “Lewisburg has done an excellent job attracting visitors and has many vibrant, independently owned businesses. The Lewisburg Downtown Business Association and the Greenbrier Visitors Center are wonderful about promoting our area. Lewisburg is the coolest town in America!”

Like most businesses, Little Black Box had to close briefly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, it still had its website to supplement.

Steele says, “Little Black Box had to be closed for two months during the pandemic. Fortunately, our website loveLBB.com has been operating since 2011 so we were able to make some sales. Once we reopened many of our loyal customers immediately shopped with us and for that I am very grateful. We have many wonderful, regular customers from all over the region who supported Little Black Box by shopping online and picking up at the shop; and, we still offer that service.”

For 15 years, Little Black Box has been providing quality service to its patrons. Steele said, in the future, they will continue this tradition.

“We will continue to offer quality, affordable lingerie for women of all sizes. We love being part of downtown Lewisburg and look forward to the next 15 years,” says Steele.

For more information on Little Black Box Bra and Lingerie Boutique, visit the website at lovely.com or head to the shop’s Facebook page.