Expensive bosom buddies!

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Toronto’s first Victoria’s Secret opens in Yorkdale Shopping Centre

Victoria's Secret Angels Erin Heatherton, Adriana Lima and Chanel Iman open the store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre on Wednesday. (Tannis/Toohey/Toronto Star)

Tracy Nesdoly
Special to the Star

Victoria’s Secret, the U.S.-based mega lingerie chain known for its sexy catalogues and nearly naked fashion shows, has finally come to Canada. It opened its first Toronto store Wednesday at Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

Indeed there are no mere models for Victoria’s Secret. All the dirty work such as store openings in barren outposts like Edmonton (where the first store outside the U.S. opened on August 12) or Toronto is done by supermodels rather than dreary company officials.

Brazilian beauty Adriana Lima, at 29 one of the oldest and longest-serving of the Angels, wielded the oversized scissors to cut the hot pink ribbon, flanked by models Erin Heatherton and Chanel Iman, who is so long and lean she was asked if she eats. Yes, often, she said. “Food is so great for energy!”

That none of the three was wearing lingerie we could see came as a slight disappointment. In fact, all three were fully clothed in jeans and t-shirts and Lima even wore a jacket.

They did, however, reveal the secrets under their demure t-shirts.

The slight Chanel Iman was wearing Miraculous, which promises to pump a girl up two full cup sizes.

“It’s the bra my friends and I wear to go to parties,” she said. “It makes the most of something I might not have. Loads of cleavage and loads of bust.”

Lima, meanwhile, is an Incredible girl. The chain’s newest collection is a gravity-defying miracle of engineering that comes, as any Angel will tell you, in three styles, is seamless, “embraces” you rather than digging into your back, and has self-adjusting, hardware-free straps. The whole thing moulds to your body like it belongs there.

But, Victoria’s Secret isn’t only about lingerie. If you want mere underwear and practical support, go to the Bay, conveniently located across the hall from this new bastion to bras and knickers.

No, Victoria’s Secret’s special sauce is sex appeal, or, as all three Angels uttered in almost identical language, “feeling good in your own skin,” “loving your body no matter what shape or size,” and “treating yourself to something a little lovely” to celebrate that body confidence.

The black-walled, chandelier-lit boudoir look comes as a dark and mysterious surprise to those of us weaned on the white and bright Victoria’s Secret stores in many a mall across the border.

While there is a smattering of comfy cotton knickers and proper pyjamas in this shop, you can’t see them from the front. This place is less girl next door and more femme fatale, with boned and glittery corsets and a plethora of bras and panties in leopard prints and black lace.

Sex sells, and maybe confidence does too.

But what becomes an Angel most? Between interviews, booked in 10-minute increments, speed-dating style, Lima was busy scooping up not corsets or demi-cups but rather roomy cotton pyjama bottoms and oversized sweatshirts from the collegiate collection, Pink, tucked in half way to the back of the store. Seems sex is fine, but it’s important to be comfy, even for Angels.