There is something about Maria Sparacio that is difficult to capture on a page.
She is, quite simply, one of those people who makes you feel good to be around. Beautiful inside and out, warm and energetic, Maria has a way of talking about her work that makes it clear that The Pink Room is about so much more than shapewear.
It is about women.
It is about confidence.
It is about healing.
And, ultimately, it is about purpose.
For Maria, that purpose has deep roots.
Growing up in Cali, Colombia, Maria watched her mother—a dedicated nurse—work tirelessly caring for others while struggling with her own weight and discomfort in her body. Maria didn't fully understand the significance of those memories when she was young. Only recently has she recognized how much they influenced the woman and entrepreneur she would become.
“I wanted to help women feel comfortable in their bodies,” she says.
That desire became the foundation for The Pink Room.
A Colombian Beginning
Maria came to the United States in 2001. She had studied law in Colombia, but building a new life in America meant working hard—very hard.
She worked multiple jobs while going to school and saving money, determined to create something of her own.
In 2008, she opened The Pink Room on Morris Avenue in Elizabeth and in 2017 she opened her second flagship location on Morris Avenue in Union.
The Pink Room has grown into a destination for an extensive range of shapewear and compression garments, from everyday and special-event pieces to postpartum, bariatric and post-surgical garments. There are different levels of compression and garments designed for specific procedures, including postpartum, tummy tucks, liposuction, breast surgery and hysterectomy recovery.
When Shapewear Becomes Part of Healing
For women recovering from surgery, the right compression garment can be an important part of the postoperative experience.
The Pink Room works with women preparing for procedures and often helps them select and be fitted for their garment before surgery, so the appropriate support is ready when they leave the hospital. Compression, construction, fit and the location of support all matter.
Maria has since partnered with Trinitas Hospital and many medical offices, including Westfield plastic surgeon Dr. Carlos Burnett, who specializes in body contouring surgeries.
[INSERT DR. BURNETT QUOTE HERE]
The Pink Room's medical collection includes specialized designs for different stages of recovery, with features such as adjustable construction, flat seams and hypoallergenic materials. Its BlueBalance Mineral Collection incorporates eight essential minerals into the fabric. The company says the technology is designed to support circulation, reduce swelling and discomfort, and assist the healing process while being gentle on sensitive skin.
The products are also rooted in Maria's Colombian heritage, using Colombian materials and workmanship that reflect the quality and craftsmanship of her homeland.
For Maria, that connection is personal.
Her heritage isn't something she left behind when she came to America. It is woven into the business she built.
More Than a Store
That attention to detail extends beyond the garments themselves.
Walk into The Pink Room and the experience feels less like shopping for shapewear and more like stepping into a beautiful, welcoming space where women can ask questions, take their time and receive personalized attention.
Every customer receives a complimentary fitting for her garments—a particularly important part of the process when a garment is being used following surgery. Proper fit isn't simply about comfort or appearance; for post-surgical garments, it can be an important component of the garment's intended effectiveness.
The Pink Room team takes the same personalized approach for special occasions. Women are encouraged to bring the dress they plan to wear into the store so the team can consider the cut, fabric and silhouette and help determine which shapewear will provide the desired support without interfering with the way the dress fits or looks.
The goal isn't to put every woman into the same product.
It is to understand her.
Her body. Her needs. Her moment.
A Business Built Around Empowerment
The Pink Room's mission is perhaps best summed up by Maria herself: “When women feel their best, there's nothing they can't achieve.”
That idea of empowerment is central to the brand, and to Maria personally. As co-founder of the Latin District Association, Maria works to support Latinx people and businesses. In 2018 Maria received Union's Hispana of the Year for her dedication to empowering the Hispanic community.
But perhaps the clearest evidence of Maria's philosophy is what happened when her homeland needed help.
150 Pallets of Hope
Following the devastating earthquake that struck Colombia in August, Maria took action. Through The Latin District Association and Instagram, Maria asked the community to help. The response was overwhelming. Soon, her humanitarian initiative required warehouse space. More than 350 volunteers came together to help. Supplies were collected, sorted and organized. What began as a social media appeal became a massive logistical operation involving approximately 150 pallets of donated goods and even a private plane to help transport the supplies.
Volunteers worked for days, often without sleep, to keep the operation moving.
For Maria, though, the most important part wasn't simply collecting as much as possible. Transparency mattered. She wanted donors to know that the supplies were reaching people who genuinely needed them.
That insistence on accountability is the same quality Maria brings to her business:
A Purpose Bigger Than Business
Her humanitarian work is not an isolated effort. It all comes back to the same philosophy.
Help people.
Treat people well.
Build relationships.
Do things with integrity.
Do them with love.
“When you do things with love, passion and integrity; when you make conscious decisions to HELP, every kindness adds to a greater whole” Maria says.
It is a fitting philosophy for a woman whose business helps women feel more supported in their own skin.
The Pink Room may be about shape, but Maria's story is really about something else.
It is about a little girl in Colombia watching her mother care for everyone else.
It is about a young woman arriving in America and working her way toward a dream.
It is about Colombian craftsmanship carried across borders.
It is about building a business that helps women heal, feel confident and embrace their bodies.
And it is about what happens when success gives you the ability to help someone else.
Maria Sparacio didn't set out to build a life around the word purpose.
She simply kept following what mattered to her.
And somewhere along the way, her purpose took shape.
For more information, visit www.inthepinkroom.com or visit The Pink Room at 1944 Morris Avenue, Union NJ.
“When women feel their best, there's nothing they can't achieve.”
Every thought. Every action. Every act of kindness adds to a greater whole.