Designed specifically for petite frames, this beautiful bralette supports smaller chests. Lace and mesh Kiara, Lula Lu Petite Lingerie, $46; lulalu.com.
People Style Watch
People Style Watch
Find Your Perfect T-shirt Bra!
May, 2009:
002 Houston
002 Houston
Sexy Sunday
April, 2009:
In Style
November, 2009
Petite Lingerie
lulalu.com
A fantastic resource for women who wear an A or AA. Be sure to check out the Lula Lu brand, created in response to customer fit needs and style requests.
San Francisco Magazine
October, 2009
The little town that can
Perhaps the Governator should take a revenue-generating lesson from San Mateo’s flush downtown.
By Carolyn Jung, Photograph by Jenny Elia Pfeiffer
Shuttered storefronts have been multiplying at an alarming rate in most downtowns, but not in San Mateo’s. In Palo Alto’s more diverse cousin (ethnically and economically) to the north, the ground-floor-retail vacancy rate hovers around an enviable 6.8 percent—compared with 13 percent in downtown San Francisco and a whopping 27 percent in nearby Redwood City. The combination of quaint old businesses that have managed to survive and some exciting new developments (thanks in part to lower rents than you’ll find in other Peninsula towns) has injected real urban energy into San Mateo’s intimate downtown. The city even dug up $234,000 for a marketing campaign to showcase its many attractions, the highlight of which will hopefully come in 2011, when a San Francisco Ferry Building–style marketplace is slated to open. The project boasts a well-known partner in Roy Fong, owner of the Imperial Tea Court, in San Francisco and Berkeley. Surveying downtown San Mateo, he liked what he saw. “It’s centrally located between San Francisco and the South Bay, and it borders several affluent cities, like Burlingame and Hillsborough. It just has great demographics.”
SHOPFRONTS
Lula Lu (8) is the only store in the United States specializing in petite lingerie. Browsing through more than 25 brands of A and AA cups—and the owner’s own line of AAA-cup bras—those who are a little less endowed will find comfort and style. 212 E. 3rd Ave.
Ellen Shing wants you to know that in a society where bigger is flaunted as better, at least where the bustline is concerned, there are plenty of small-chested women who beg to differ.
Shing's Lula Lu lingerie in San Mateo specializes in bras whose cups are so small and shallow they are not quite cups, and almost not even saucers.
And yet there is so much demand for sizes from 30AAA to 38A that Shing has done what any entrepreneur would do: failing to find as much as she needed at trade shows, she's begun designing and selling her own line of lingerie to supplement the 14 lines she stocks.
Shing said that her best-selling size is 34AAA and that many women do not - repeat, do not - want padding. Are you listening, Hugh Hefner?
"T-shirt bras are usually heavily padded, if they're geared toward smaller-busted women, based on the assumption that anyone who is small-busted wants to become big-busted, and that's really not always the case," said Shing, 41 and a 36A herself. "A lot of our customers are happy with their bodies. They find the bra shopping experience wrong because nothing fits."
Lula Lu's new line includes plain-Jane, smooth cotton styles in nude and white, coquettish styles in bubblegum pink with white polka dots, and racier styles in black lace with blue or fuchsia satin underneath. Some have underwires; bralets do not. There are corsets, too.
They supplement the national brands she carries: Wacoal petite, L.Z., Spank, Mary Green and Timpa. She stocks full cups, demi cups, push-ups, racer backs, sports bras, strapless bras, T-shirt bras and lace bras, as well as underpants, camisoles, pajamas and swimsuits. The store also carries interchangeable beaded, bejeweled bra straps that are meant to be seen, not hidden; water-resistant pads for swimsuit tops; and jewelry by local artisans.
Customers of all ages
Shing's customers range in age from their late 20s to their 50s. Many have tried boutiques, chain stores, department stores and online stores, with varying degrees of success.
One customer, Trina Enriquez, 30, a copy editor in Menlo Park, has purchased two of Shing's designs. She notes that fashion magazines and department stores rarely celebrate the small-chested woman.
"When you've lived for so long without something, you sometimes just become subconsciously resigned to the idea that that something either just doesn't exist or isn't for you, until a place like Lula Lu comes along and basically says, 'Um, honey, let me show you what you've been missing ...,' " she said in an e-mail.
Keira Knightley drew a collective "you go, girls!" recently after reportedly resisting having her bustline digitally enhanced in publicity shots for her new film "The Duchess."
The Daily Mail in her native United Kingdom said that the movie studio wanted to pump up Knightley's cleavage in the photos, à la posters for "King Arthur," in which her bosom was blown up to buxom proportions.
"Those things certainly weren't mine!" Knightley said then.
This time, the 23-year-old actress "insisted that her figure stay in its natural state," an insider said. "She is proud of her body and doesn't want it altered."
"The trend now is toward 'natural figures,' whether voluptuous or small-busted," said Jacqui Stafford, executive style director for Shape magazine. "It's a movement toward accepting what you have and making the most of it."
Ellen Shing started a San Francisco-area store and Web site, Lula Lu Petite Lingerie (lulalu.com), about 3 ½ years ago, after her torturous efforts to find 36A bras.
"Even though manufacturers make this size, I couldn't find it in the stores," Shing said. "I started to wonder about my friends who were smaller busted than I am, and had this outpouring about being shooed into the children's department to find a bra. Women were tired of bras caving in, gapping, puckering. These are women who don't want augmentation and are happy with their size. They're just unhappy they can't find anything to fit them."
Flat & Happy! Cups are Half Full for AA-Listers Keira & Co.
August 5, 2008:
by Anahita Moussavian
SOMETIMES, bigger isn't better. Need proof? Twenty-three-year-old box-office babe Keira Knightley recently refused to have her boobs enhanced in publicity photos for her new movie "The Duchess."
"She is proud of her body and doesn't want it altered," a source told Britain's Daily Mail last week.
So for all of you lesser-endowed ladies - author of this article included - take note: Keira's proud of her chesticles and thinks you should be, too.
And she's not the only one.
Big-timers Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow have maintained sexy status (and staying power) without the aid of chicken cutlets, implants or up-to-there cleavage. In fact, their mosquito bites commanded some of the highest Hollywood paychecks in 2008. And while the zaftig likes of Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Hefner's Girls Next Door might have had you thinking it's all about the bazoombas, the tides are turning - and it's finally the smaller girl's turn to bust out on top.
We found more than a few New Yorkers with mini-mamms who love being little.
"I can wear anything I want without worrying about how I look in it!" says Miss 34A (who, like the rest of our interviewees, asked to remain anonymous).
Another member of the small girls' club, Miss 32A, points out that she "never has to worry about looking too provocative - there's never that feeling of 'Oh my God, I have to cover up.'" While A-cup A-listers come with a team of stylists who know the ins and outs of keeping the girls looking good, regular ladies turn to Ellen Shing, owner of Lula Lu, a boutique specializing in smaller bra sizes. Once she realized that "smaller-size women don't want to be shopping in the tween section for SpongeBob SquarePants underwear," she started stocking up on sizes 30AA and up.
"There are some who ask to 'bring it on' when it comes to padding, but most women just want a little shape so they don't look completely flat," says Shing.
Lingerie Entrepreneurs Jump In to Address a Petite-Size Market
April 25, 2008:
by Rhea Cortado, Associate Editor
[Excerpt]
Ellen Shing’s store, Lula Lu in San Mateo, Calif., caters to a niche within a niche.
Shing specializes in petite lingerie for small-busted customers of all heights and frames. Shing opened her store in 2005 after she and her friends searched fruitlessly for petite-size bras. Lula Lu carries about 25 bra brands ranging from sizes 38AA and 32AA to 36C. But still there were some women who could not find the perfect bra. So last year, Shing developed her own line of bras, Lula Lu Petites, to sell in her boutique. She plans to start wholesaling the line this June. “The designs of our bras are based on the we got from the customers,” Shing said.
The debut collection included two basic T-shirt bras and a lacy bra that comes in basic and fashion colors. “Some people want to look bustier,” Shing said. “Some people want to look natural. Providing variety is the main thing for me.”
Shop Scouting World Wide
Shop Scouting World Wide - The Book
March 2007:
Lula Lu was selected as one of the 100 stores worldwide featured in this special edition, 200 page book showcasing Concept Lingerie Stores (that's us), Reference Shops, Personal Touch Shops and Brand Name Shops.
The book was based on six of years of research, interviews and scouting the world for various types of lingerie stores.
Available for sale, the "SSWW" book can be purchased through NetworkDessous' website at http://www.networkdessous.com/inglese/shop.htm
San Francisco Magazine
Serafina Blog
Serafina Blog
Lula Lu
November 5, 2006:
Ellen Shing is the mastermind behind , a San Mateo shop specializing in petite lingerie. At Lula Lu you’ll find bras sized 30AA-38A (dress sizes 0–8), and small size lingerie, sleepwear, camisoles, and panties. Lula Lu carries comfortable and fashionable lingerie that not only fits the petite figure, but is flattering as well.
What is specifically unique about Lula Lu is that the company stands by its products; a team of product testers rate and scrutinize, snag, stretch, pinch, pull, snap, unroll, and unfold all of the shop’s lingerie. This equals unparalled fit, style, and quality before you leave the store with your fancy new finds.
Lula Lu carries brands like: Wacoal, ,On Gossamer, Wendy Glez, and Princess Tam Tam, among others. Because department stores rarely carry lingerie in petite and small sizes, Shing is always on the prey for new lines and styles suited to her petite and small-chested customers. Her most popular sizes are 34AA and 36AA. Know why? Cause good things come in small packages. That’s why!
But should your tatas reside outside San Mateo, Lula Lu is also a virtual shop. Shing offers a fully e-commerce website. Her collection is extensive both in-store and online.
Stay tuned for an interview with Ellen! Entry will be posted Thursday!
Savvy Mommy
Mommy Style
Lula Lu - Pretty Lingerie for Post Pregnancy Petite Moms
Sometimes after pregnancy, our cups no longer runneth over. And it can be extremely frustrating shopping in department stores for a good fitting and stylish bra in the new size.
Ellen Shing, who has extensive marketing and merchandising management knowledge, experienced this problem first hand. Realizing there was a huge need in the lingerie market for someone to focus just on the smaller and harder to find sizes, Shing decided to take matters into her own hands.
Shing opened the solution for every petite mom’s bra shopping dilemma – Lula Lu, a lingerie store in downtown San Mateo. Lula Lu is the only store in the U.S. to specialize in pretty lingerie for post pregnancy petite moms. So when moms are ready to toss out their nursing bras, Lula Lu is there for them with a beautiful selection of strapless, t-shirt and push-up On Gossamer, Princesse Tam Tam, Bratex, Wendy Glez,Samantha Chang and Eberjey brand bras ranging in sizes 30AA through 38A plus panties, sleepwear and camisoles.
Even better news, you don’t have to be in downtown San Mateo to shop Lula Lu online.
Nylon Magazine
Newsletter | May 4, 2006
ITTY BITTY PINK... PANTIES?
Yup, that's right. Plenty of bathing suits will be coming your way this summer, but don't forget about the other tiny two-piece bits--bras and panties. We just couldn't help ourselves at Lula Lu, Ellen Shing's new boutique in San Mateo, California. In a sea of Southern California silicone, small-chested women can rejoice because Lula Lu specializes in petite lingerie imported in from Europe and Asia, including bra sizes you probably didn't even know existed, from 30AA to 38A, and panties sized zero (yeah, we wish, too). Whether you're looking for a strapless, t-shirt, or perhaps a push-up, luxe brands like Wacoal Petite, On Gossamer, Princesse Tam Tam, Bratex, and Samantha Chang have got you covered. Lula Lu, 212 E. 3rd Ave., San Mateo, CA (650-348-8858). www.lulalu.com
Buss Buss
Your Cup Don't Runneth Over
May 02, 2006 :
Those of us who are less endowed in the tatas department will go gaga for darling petite lingerie boutique Lula Lu. Carrying lingerie solely for bra sizes 30AA to 38A and dress sizes 0-6, owner Ellen Shing (a 36A herself) tests out each piece and then stocks the shop with the best underthings by trendy well-known brands like Eberjey and up-and-comers such as French Kiss. We love the sweet and sexy bras, panties, camis and jammies and lurve the concept even more – it's nice that things are getting more niche and less mass (department stores could learn a lil sumpin' sumpin' from pioneers like Shing). Support your bust while supporting small business at Lula Lu.
Gentry Magazine
San Mateo Daily News
Audrey
Lucky Magazine
SFGate.com: June 26th 2005
Little people: The shop, like its owner and the merchandise, is small. Lula Lu, a new petite lingerie shop on San Mateo's Third Street, is one of the only places in the Bay Area to find a large stock of AA- and A-cup bras.
Owner Ellen Shing, 36 (who wears a 36A), stocks lingerie by name brands like Wacoal and Eberjey, and lesser-known brands such as French Kiss, in the 500-square-foot space. The walls are lilac, the furniture Indonesian and the light fixtures modern, for an airy, contemporary look.
" I didn't want to go the French boudoir look,' Shing says. "Too many lingerie stores go down that path.'
To help her stock her shelves, Shing turns to a group of small-busted friends who try on the bras for fit and comfort. "I have at least two people of similar size try on a style before I buy it for the shop,' she says.
Small women like herself are used to leaving the lingerie department empty-handed, she says. "Our choices are usually so limited; mostly you can't find anything smaller than an A cup. Even for me, it took an enormous amount of energy to find bras in my size that fit well. Not fun.'
Shing said some of her best-sellers so far are 34AAs and 36AAs, in part because large retailers have very limited styles in those sizes and she carries more than a dozen. She's constantly on the lookout for new merchandise, Shing says, and is thinking about adding even more unusual sizes like 38AA and 38A bras.
" Those are really hard to find. I'm a niche store right now, and I'm working on being a niche within a niche, to try and fit women who need a big band but a small cup, and those who are small in the back, but big busted. I'm searching for some nice 32 D bras.'
Shing worked in marketing for duty-free shops for a time, but this is her first boutique. Like most boutique owners, she's shocked at how much work it is.
" I'm the owner, the janitor, the marketing person, the accountant, and I'm on the sales floor every day. I finally took my first day off in six weeks the other day.'
Daily Candy
Daily Candy: June 21st, 2005
Survival of the Flattest Aren’t you just a little tired of the whole good-things-come-in-small-packages refrain?
Gifts are one thing (even the biggest diamond is smaller than your average box of chocolates), but when you’re talking about chest size, girls with bigger packages are generally considered the lucky ones.
Lula Lu restores dignity to flat-fronted females. A jewel box of a lingerie shop devoted to petite women, the San Mateo boutique stocks bras from sizes 30AA to 36B.
Start off with an expert fitting. Next, peruse the racks for snappy polka dots and pastels from Eberjey, comfy basics from Wacoal and LZ, sexy numbers from Simone Perele, and push-ups from French Kiss and Princesse Tam Tam. The shop also houses an exquisite collection of matching undies, cozy pajamas by Arianne Rachel and Samantha Chang, and loungewear by Loveletters. So march your tiny tatas over to be measured.
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