It was 1983 when Diane Thomson opened the doors of her specialty lingerie boutique, Diane’s Lingerie, on Vancouver’s South Granville Street. Backed by a decade of purchasing experience working with Canadian retail leaders, Thomson evolved the business as the neighbourhood grew, thanks in large part to the passion and dedication of staff members like Lynda Barr, who recently celebrated 28 years with the company. In 2004, Diane’s welcomed Sharon Hayles, a seasoned retail consultant, to the team. When Thomson’s thoughts turned to retirement, she passed the reins—or, in this case, the straps—to Hayles, who purchased the business and has been operating the store since 2012.
Today, Diane’s continues to do things right, providing best-in-class fittings, beautiful merchandise sourced predominantly from Europe, a comfortable and inviting store environment and superior knowledge and service to guests. Says Hayles, “That is how we change women’s lives with a bra fitting, and make magic happen behind the fitting-room curtains. The number 1 comment we hear from our customers is how much more confident and comfortable they feel when wearing a bra that fits properly. We hope to inspire customers to be just as passionate about their lingerie wardrobe—or as we say ‘inner wear’—as they are about their outer-fashion wardrobe.”
In 2014, Hayles and her team adopted the motto, “Every body is different—we fit them all,” in order to keep abreast of and, indeed, become a local leader in the size inclusivity movement (be sure to ask about the art canvases on display in the store, to hear the story of how they were created). “We have always embraced that message and, in the last eight years, have been working with our suppliers to have them make a change in their photography images. We also do our own photo shoots so we can emphasize this even more,” she says. “There is still a way to go but we certainly want to do our part in empowering women one fit at a time.”
In a similar vein, Diane’s has long supported breast cancer through awareness campaigns, fundraising initiatives and assisting breast cancer survivors with their fitting needs post surgery. “Health is also one of our concerns [when it comes to helping clients find the right fit]; many women come in complaining of neck, back or shoulder pain. This can often be the result of an improperly fit bra that is not the correct size or provide the correct support,” Hayles adds, stressing that, when it comes to bras, panties and shapewear, “You shouldn’t have that ‘I can’t wait to get this off at the end of the day’ feeling.”
More recently, Hayles’ daughter, Jamie Slater, joined Diane’s, working her way up through roles inventory co-ordinator, fitter and, finally, buyer. With Mother’s Day approaching, Hayles reflects fondly on the dynamic of a mother-daughter working relationship: “As you can imagine, we have had to separate the mom/daughter role from the professional roles we both hold in the company, however, it is rewarding working together in the family business and has allowed us to enhance our relationship to appreciate each other in the work environment as well as the family dynamic.”
Despite a tough year for all retailers, Hayles looks to the future of Diane’s with boundless hope and optimism, and stresses the fact that the brand will continue to provide excellent service and knowledgeable bra fitting as well as noteworthy trend assortments. “We had a great retail strategy planned for the start of 2020 and then the pandemic hit. It stopped us in our tracks. We had to regroup, but during a time of great upheaval, we had the time to reflect on our purpose, what we are grateful for and what is next once we get through this,” she says. “We are looking to launch some new merchandise brands in the coming year, we have revised our strategy that was in place before the pandemic and are looking to expand our ‘virtual fitting capabilities’ as well as a brand program to further strengthen our ongoing commitment to inclusivity and body positivity.
“I cannot thank our customers enough for the heartwarming show of support they have provided over this past year,” she adds. “They have truly become part of the Diane’s Lingerie family and it feels like we have walked through this difficult year together.”
Diane’s Lingerie, 2950 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C., 604-738-5121, dianeslingerie.com
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