Madame Pirie’s was originally located in Downtown Albany at 32 South Pearl Street. Then in the 1970s, Madame Pirie’s moved to Central Avenue and in 1999 Madame Pirie moved to where she currently resides at 1660 Western Avenue in Guilderland. With over 75 years in business, the staff at Madame Pirie’s has top notch customer service. Learn more about the history of the business and what makes Madame Pirie’s so special from Owner, Rosa Belleville below!
Name of Respondent: Rosa Belleville
Rosa Belleville (middle) with two of her staff members wearing their Breast Cancer Awareness Month Masks in 2020.
Years in Business/Role: 75 years in business, 50 years store Shoppe manager and Owner, 40 years doing surgical fittings.
Tell us a little bit about your business, how you got started in your role?
My mother started to work for the original owner, Pearl Spitzer, a very wonderful woman, I think it was around 1960. When Pearl sold it to my mother Clementina Mesiti, I began working for the store beginning in the 1970s as the store manager. I helped run the store with my mother and found out that I loved helping women find the right fit, both regular and surgical clients.
I started doing surgical fittings about 40 years ago. Madame Pirie was one of the first shoppes in the Capital District to do surgical fittings and offering services to help cancer survivors feel beautiful again. My role is a very personal one. It’s building confidence for women whether they are cancer survivors or not and bonding with the customers that come in. Every woman gets individual treatment to find her unique fit and style, because every woman is different.
What sets apart Madame Pirie’s Famise Corset Shoppe from other women’s boutiques?
Decades of experience. Personal feelings for each individual who comes into my shoppe. I am very particular to each woman that comes to make sure we get her the right fit and she and I feel confident when she leaves. I have to be as happy as she is.
What is your favorite part about what you do?
Original Madame Pirie Ad from 1950s.
My fittings.
What services do you offer at the shoppe?
Mastectomy fittings. Bridal services with all the undergarments. Serving very petite to very plus size women.
Fun Fact about Madame Pirie’s?
About 10 years ago Oprah pushed the brand Le Mystere bras and a day later I had a line for two blocks of women wanting to get fitted for it.
About 9 years ago I had a very emotional and sentimental moment when a woman came in after losing everything in a house fire. As this woman told me this, another woman in the shop overheard her, and told me she wanted to pay for everything. It came to about $500. The woman who paid wanted to remain anonymous. When I told the fire victim her garments were all paid for, she broke down.