Cheeky Lingerie: A Boutique With No Limits On Size Or Style

Far too many of us know the acute disappointment of finding the exact item of clothing we’ve been searching for (the cut! the color! the material!) only to realize it doesn’t come in our size. Not only does the store not carry it in our size, but the company doesn’t even make it in our size.

That experience is so common, says Karlie Cappuccilli, co-owner of the new Cheeky lingerie boutique on Main Street in North Adams, that it’s often the first thing shoppers say when entering her store. “They’ll say ‘I know you probably don’t have my size, but…,’ and to see the shock on their faces when I say that I do is amazing,” she says. On the contrary, at Cheeky, intimate apparel is available in sizes XXS-6XL.

Cappuccilli and her husband, Mike — who is the store’s manager, merchandiser, and scheduler — opened Cheeky this past June. It was an obvious next step in Cappuccilli’s career as a luxury boudoir photographer. Under the name Karlie Rush Photography, she has been hosting photo shoots in her Norad Mill studio for the past five years.

“I noticed my clients coming in for shoots with lingerie that didn’t fit them well,” she says. “They would feel bad in it and they couldn’t return it.” It was not exactly conducive to a fun, fearless photo shoot.

With Cheeky now open, her clients are directed there to find something they can feel great in, at a discounted price. But you don’t have to book a shoot to shop at Cheeky and get help finding something you love.

Karlie and Mike Cappuccilli

In addition to browsing during store hours, you are also able to book a fitting time online. A Cheeky associate will take some quick measurements in the privacy of a large, wheelchair-accessible dressing room and bring you a selection of lingerie to try on based on your needs and wants.

Your odds of finding something that fits is high because of the care Cappuccilli takes in ordering a wide range of sizes from multiple brands. “Some companies offer 42 different sizes,” she says, “while some specialize in smaller sizes and some in larger sizes.”

When opening a retail store, the common advice is to start with a small size range and see what sells. Cappuccilli knew that advice went against the reason for Cheeky’s entire existence: to offer a kind, helpful, body-positive shopping experience. “Everyone deserves to have things that fit and a bra that feels good,” she said. “All humans should be celebrated.”

The entire range of sizes has been selling consistently, she says. The boutique carries bra bands in sizes 28-54 and cups A-O. Bras from the brand Harper Wilde have been flying off the shelves, along with lingerie from Oh La La Cheri and Thistle and Spire, which comes in sizes XS-3X. Cheeky also carries a selection of slips, robes, stockings, and underwear, bathing suits in the warmer months, and sex toys displayed in an alcove toward the rear of the boutique.

Although opening a retail shop was very different from running a photography business, and there was a lot to learn, Cappuccilli says it feels both exciting and fulfilling when a shopper turns to her and says, “Oh, this is what a bra is supposed to feel like!”

Cheeky
77 Main St., North Adams, MA
(413) 346-4401