Featuring ~ Sylene of Washington
Submitted by Cyla Weiner, owner and partner of
Sylene of Washington in Chevy Chase, Maryland
While growing up in the lingerie business in NJ I never thought about having my own store. Until one day after I got married and was teaching French, that I had a brilliant idea to open a lingerie store similar to the one my parents had in NJ. Teaching wasn’t as appealing to me as shopping. My husband gave me his blessings because he felt I would stop shopping for myself and start shopping for profit. The year was 1975 and little did I know what I was really getting into. I went to school to learn to do mastectomy fittings and to fit clients for back braces. The back braces fell to the wayside as it made me nervous thinking about someone being in pain but the mastectomy fittings took off in an unbelievable manner. We were so busy helping women look their best after breast surgery that I found myself fitting Nancy Reagan in the White House one day. The satisfaction from making women smile after such a difficult experience was truly gratifying.
In 1980 my sister Helen joined me. I like to say that Sylene was my 1st baby because I had the store for 3 years before my son was born. Over the years the store has moved to 3 different locations and has evolved as the place to come for the perfect bra and swimsuit. We feel that there is no experience like a Sylene experience. We are synonymous with carrying the best there is to offer in the lingerie and swim categories. We pride ourselves on developing relationships with clients and so far we are now watching the 3rd generation of girls walk through our doors. We’re here to help with that 1st bra, wedding bustier, maternity and nursing bra, and everything in between. Our reputation precedes us as we’re the place to come when celebrities need that special item for their performances here or visits to the White House. Whether we’re getting the right bra for Aretha Franklin’s concert or the shapewear piece for the reporter going to the correspondent dinner we want YOU to look your best.
We ventured into the online world when we launched our website. This is truly a work in progress and something I never dreamed of undertaking. We have a blog called “Ask the Bralady” and you can find us on Facebook too.
A woman’s intimate apparel wardrobe is as unique as she is, and we believe every woman can experience the special pleasure of beauty, style, and a great fit. We also believe in giving back to our community. We’ve initiated store wide events where we collect and donate bras and swimwear to organizations around the world that can benefit from them. Everyday is fun, challenging and rewarding even after almost 40 years in the industry. We love what we do and we hope that we show it to our clients each and everyday.
Sylene of Washington is located at: 4407 South Park Ave, Chevy Chase MD 20815
