Most women in the Capital Region know if you want something special, you go see Rosa Belleville at the Madame Pirie Famise Corset Shoppe in Albany.

“This is my number one seller to make people look thin and comfortable,” Rosa Belleville said.

The boutique owner is so good at what she does, and she can size you up with just a glance.

“I don’t need to measurement," Belleville said. "I can look at you and tell you exactly what bra size you are.”

And it’s no wonder. Bras have been in the family business for as long as she can remember.

“This is a picture of my mom. She used to be the seamstress of the shop,” Belleville said.

The "shoppe" has been around since the 1940’s. It was first run by its founder Pearl Spitzer, and then passed down to Belleville's mom, Clementina Mesiti, in the 1970’s.

Rosa Belleville, 76, followed in her mother's footsteps, taking over the business of helping women feel their best.

“To be a good professional fitter, you have to have a lot of years of experience,” said Belleville.

She says it’s what has built their loyal clientele, and the thing that's helped them sustain business throughout rough patches of the pandemic.

“I have clients buy $300 to $400 worth of gift cards just to keep us going, because they don’t want anything to happen to us,” Belleville said.

The inventory is more than just pretty lingerie. Belleville and her staff also specialize in helping cancer survivors regain normalcy after mastectomies.

“We want every woman to leave here feeling confident. That’s what Rosa has taught me and I teach to other women," store manager Amelia Waters said.

For Cynthia Carter, a survivor and client, the shopkeepers have been like a second family.

“Found Madame Pirie on South Pearl Street, and I’ve been with them ever since,” Carter said.

And after more than five decades, that what continues to put a smile on Belleville's face.

“I love it when my clients are happy. I’m happier,” Belleville said.