Race for the Cure is this weekend in Manchester and for the third year in a row, Courtney and I will be at our table in the sponsorship area. This “area” used to be a tent, but this year the event will be at the Riley Rink and I found out yesterday that the sponsor tables will be set up inside. I guess this means we will be in the Sponsors Rink. Sounds good!
When I opened the shop, there were very few things I knew for sure, but one “for sure” was that I wanted my business to have a tie-in with Race for the Cure. I…like unfortunately probably you… know and have known too many women diagnosed with breast cancer. Donating money and energy to finding a cure’s main fundraiser has always been part of my business plan. Post-mastectomy customers don’t walk into the shop every day, but when they do, we know they’ve been through hell.
We are careful not to promote that we are experts in the art of “post-surgery” bra fitting, although we’ve seen just about post-everything at this point: mastectomy, lumpectomy, reduction, augmentation – you get the idea. I attended a post-mastectomy bra fitting course in New York City back when we opened and in the two years since, we’ve seen a lot in those dressing rooms of ours. Despite this, I still wouldn’t call us experts, but I am grateful for the experience of women who have come in after their procedure and for the position we are in at the shop to at least have the knowledge that we do and the “tools” that we do, i.e. a fair assortment of specialty bras. We have five different styles of pocketed bras, a bunch of traditional non-wire styles, and this year we’ve added “Coobie” bras to our mix. We also have our “world-famous” (ha!) Knitted Knockers, which the great gals at Knit 1, Purl 1 keep us supplied with. We don’t take insurance, and the reason for that is simply that it is too difficult for us to administrate.
A woman who had reconstruction on both walked into the shop saying she’s hated the way she looks in a shirt for twenty-five years – that’s how long ago she had the surgery – and she’s sick of it. She figured something had to change so she decided to give the shop a try instead of just going to K-Mart again. According to her, she “bulged out the sides” and just looked “so round.” She summed her description up with, “It is bad…”
She said she wore her horizontal stripe shirt on purpose. She was going to test the bras with that shirt. If she could find a bra that tucked her in a little on the sides and gave her some shape, she just might buy it. She was funny. And I’m a sucker for that nautical look.
She tried on my “go-to” bra for women shaped like her and who share her history. She gave me a side-glance as I tried to keep my mouth shut. No bra sales speak was going to sell this bra. “Give me the shirt,” she ordered, and she held her hand out.
She pulled the shirt over her head and smoothed it down. She profiled in the mirror and looked to me, “You know… This isn’t half bad.”
I thought maybe that meant it was half good. I’m not sure if I actually said that or not, but I do know that I definitely said, “It’s better than all bad.” In some sort of Erma Bombeck way, she had to agree.
She left with that damn bra and boy, do I hope she is still feeling better than bad. Twenty-five years is a long time.
See you Saturday. Race on.
Joy
