Stephanie Ramey needed a distraction.
It was early 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic was still prominent. Ramey was working for the Worcester Railers at the time but she wasn’t used to working only 40 hours a day, she said. While this was happening, Ramey said she came across an article about access to women’s products, including bras. She mentioned that there weren’t many bra fitting stores in the area, with the closest one being Lady Grace in Shrewsbury, which is now closed for good.
The desire to make bras for all women more accessible led to Ramey opening The O Shop on 10 Richmond Ave. in 2021.
Four years later, The O Shop, now called The Bra Store, is moving to a new home in downtown Worcester.
The store, which offers bras up to a size O, is moving to 303 Main St.
“I’ve always wanted a business,” Ramey said about her store. “When I recognized this as an opportunity and as something that would help women, it prompted a lot of research.”
The store at 10 Richmond Ave. is too small to hold the amount of bras the store has in stock, Ramey said. To better accommodate the business and its customers, the decision was made to relocate from the 1,100-square-foot shop.
While the move is taking place, the store is temporarily closed, Ramey said. She said the Bra Store will reopen fully on Oct. 22.
Ramey said that the Bra Store is more than just a clothing store. Women who come into the store share personal stories, she said. Ramey said the store is a place where women talk to each other about their lives — sharing similar experiences.
“It ends up becoming a really fun space for women to kind of congregate and talk about life,“ Ramey said. ”I feel like people make friends at the shop.”
For Ramey, the best thing about owning the store is making people happy. Providing bras to women is a necessary service. Ramey said and she praised her employees for how they have helped and treated the store’s customers.
“I look at this business and I feel like it has to be successful,” she said. “Because how could it not be successful when it provides such an important service to women?”
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