1940s downtown Albany, New York; the streets were filled with trolleys helping people get back and forth, neon signs lit up the names of local businesses and shops, food carts sat on sidewalks and people walked the streets going in and out of their favorite stores. According to Madame Pirie’s current owner Rosa Belleville, Albany was like a miniature New York City. Restaurants and shops got busy during lunchtime and after work hours and the streets were filled with the buzz of the Big Apple.
It was the era our founder Pearl Spitzer opened Madame Pirie Famise. In January of 1945, Pearl opened the store at 32 South Pearl Street, to help women all over the Capital Region find top quality, custom fitted undergarments and the perfect fitting bra. Pearl founded one of the first woman-owned businesses in upstate New York. At the time long-line bras, girdles, slips and corsets were all the rage.
To the left is one of our first advertisements from the 1950’s. It features an illustration of a woman in a long-line bra. On the right it reads “The bra that makes you feel like the alluring woman you are…Escapade by Formaid. Escapade’s four light plastic panels take inches off your waistline. In fine white cotton. Sizes 32-44, A, B,C, D cups.” The cost was advertised at $5.95. Below reads “NOW available in a many-purpose, reusable black lace plastic case at no extra cost. Perfect as a lingerie case, to carry cosmetics, and for dozens of other uses.”
Below is our 20th anniversary flyer from 1965; various one-piece foundations, latex girdles and both long and short bras were advertised. Madame Pirie was still located on South Pearl Street. Our phone number was also 4-2600.
After more than 20 years at 32 South Pearl Street, Madame Pirie moved to the Broadway Arcade group on Maiden lane. Then in the 1970s, Clementina Mesiti and her daughter Rosa, took over the store and made it their own. That is when they moved the store to Central Avenue and remained there until the late nineties.
On the left is the blue and pink bags from our Central Ave location.
In 1999, Madame Pirie moved to its current location at 1660 Western Avenue in Albany. To this day Madame Pirie has remained strong and thriving.
Today Madame Pirie sells brands you don’t see anywhere else in the Capital Region. Many of our vendors are from all over the world.
Every staff member that comes through Madame Pirie goes through extensive training. We have staff that are also certified to do mastectomy fittings. Our owner Rosa trains everyone with care and commitment to make sure every costumer that leaves our store feels confident and beautiful.
Later this week we will have a blog dedicated to the lives of Clementine Mesiti and Rosa Belleville.