Bruges celebrates women with ‘spicy’ chocolates and bras in the trees

The city will host Lingerie Week, highlighting breast health and the local history of lace manufacturing

This week, the Belgian city of Bruges is hosting Lingerie Week (Lingerieweek), an event organised by the local fashion trade union Fedelin to highlight the local artisanal lace industry and the importance of properly fitting lingerie.

The event aims to promote local lace craftsmen and lingerie tailors and includes quirky curiosities like a bra garland on one of the main streets in Bruges, as well as a tasty gift for visitors in stores - bust chocolates. The week will also feature a course on corsets for the curious.

According to an official statement by the city, the event aims to mark 8 March as International Women’s Day and Belgium’s 9 March, the Day of Female Entrepreneurs. Local authorities are also promoting the event as a point of empowerment.

Bras hanging on trees and the importance of form-fitting lingerie

According to research by Fedelin, around 70% of women wear the wrong bra size. This is why it is important for vendors to offer cup measurements. Wearing the wrong bra size can lead to issues down the line, like breast pain, back and neck pain, as well as loss of shape and firmness.

Additionally, cup sizes change as women go through life events like motherhood, so regular measurements can help. This is why, during lingerie week, some local Bruges shops will offer free cup measurements to visitors.

Making a show

At the end of the day, Lingerie Week is a promotional campaign for lingerie stores in Flanders. The city of Bruges alone can boast 20 spread out across municipalities. Additionally, the face of the campaign is one   Cilou Annys, who is also an ex-miss Belgium, entrepreneur and model.

The week will be dotted with bra-related activities, most centred around Smedenstraat. One particularly fascinating addition is a 500-piece bra garland. The street will also feature lace decorations, celebrating the long craftsman history of Bruges as a lace manufacturer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shopping Brugge (@shoppingbrugge)