The
Ruff Life Lingerie & Vintage opened its doors Friday, March 29th, 2013
in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District. The
Ruff Life hopes to revolutionize lingerie sales in Oklahoma City by offering an
upscale atmosphere, competitive pricing, and a complete range of sizes (from
32A to 40H).
The Ruff Life sought to find high quality brands not available in other metro area shops. Parfait by Affinitas, Gossard and Curvy Kate offer high quality intimates in larger cup sizes. Kiss Me Deadly, Playful Promises, La Fee Verte and Lucy B provide fun retro inspired bras and panties. Blush and Elle Macpherson are luxury brands with pricing comparable to the major mall retailers.
The
shop’s largest room is only for lingerie and intimates, but that is far from
all that is offered. A second room contains only hand-picked vintage items from
the 1930s through 1960s.
Aside
from the offering of sizes and pricing, The Ruff Life hopes to woo customers
with its amenities, ranging from complimentary sodas, water, champagne and
wine, custom bra fittings, special orders, to coloring books on hand for
mothers trying to shop. Also, each 10th purchase of $100.00
qualifies a customer for a customized plaster cast of their breasts.
Some
of the most exciting news for The Ruff Life is coming soon. A 1973 Winnebago
Brave, appropriately named Busty the
Brave, is currently being painted with the store’s logo. The RV will serve
as a mobile shop for special events and available upon request (e-mail therufflifeokc@gmail.com) for bridal
showers, bachelorette parties, and any other special days.
FAQs
Where did the shop name come from? Shop owner,
Merry McGinnis Ireland, has a tattoo of a bulldog on her arm that says “Lifes
Too Ruff Ruff.” Ireland gave the tattoo as a gift to herself after performing
burlesque shows for a year. The tattoo was Ireland’s conception of her own
femininity. It was silly and tough on top of pale blonde with a sweet voice.
The Ruff Life is about finding and defining your own womanhood.
Explain the logo? Along with
the concept of the name, the logo reflects the same idea of discovering your
own sensuality. The mirror frame is meant to reflect whatever you want to see
yourself as, not predetermined Playmate ideals. (On a side note, both all the
tattoos on Ireland’s arms and the logo were created by incredible female
artists.)
Is this a plus size store? No. There
is no ‘plus size’ because there is no ‘normal’ woman’s body. Part of The Ruff
Life’s employee manual forbids body discouragement and frowns upon phrases such
as ‘plus size.’ The store carries a wide variety of sizes. Different sizes can
require certain things. For example, a cup size H needs a lot more support than
an A cup, which sometimes means the same brands do not always cover all sizes.
The shop provides brands that have equally cute, sexy, or sophisticated options
in a range of sizes.
Why are bra fittings important? 78% of
women are wearing the wrong size, which can create bulges, back and shoulder
pain, and breast soreness. Correctly fitted bras boost confidence, prevent harm
to breast tissue, provide support and can lessen back, neck and shoulder pain.
A pair of D-cup breasts can weigh between 15-23 pounds. Heck, that’s like
carrying a backpack on your front side! If a bra is not fitting correctly, the
weight of the breasts will wall on a woman’s shoulders, instead of being
distributed proportionally across the back.
Breast
sizes have increased substantially over the past twenty years, from an average
34B to a current average estimated between 36C and 34DD. Bras do not have to
cost a fortune, but if your bra isn’t fitting correctly, it is not worth a
dime.
