What’s real is this… One of my roommates from college came in this past weekend with her 11-year-old daughter. My dear friend looks good, her hair is growing back, and her sense of humor still slays me. Her mastectomy was in May. She told me the pocketed bra she tried on was “perfect” and she also bought (her words) “a filler.” Her daughter found her very first bras that day. She wore one out of the shop.
What’s real is the woman who must have spent two hours here on Sunday lovingly choosing gifts for daughters, granddaughters, and daughters-laws. She declined our offer to giftwrap saying she enjoyed wrapping on her own. “Boxes are key,” she said, so we gave her some boxes that were just right. I am imagining her picking up each item and delicately placing them in those boxes, choosing the wrapping, and enjoying it all. I think of her planning her day around her visit here to the shop. I remembered her from last year when she did the same thing.
What’s real is the two daughters of a local businessman. These women grew up locally and came back to Vermont to visit their father this weekend. He encouraged them to come to the shop because of a donation we made to a local charity. One bought four bras. The other a bra and a pajama set. They both thanked me for having a shop like this in Manchester and said they’d be back.
What’s real is my staff who worked long and hard this weekend sacrificing days home with their kids. What’s real is that I can’t run this shop without them. What’s real is that what we do for a living is a real job. We have real skills.
What’s real is that we are women just like you.
I went to a “Thanksgiving left-overs” dinner party on Saturday night and was re-acquainted with a friend’s stepfather. We had bonded over retail a few months ago at another get together. He’s retired now, but grew up in New York City and had a career in the garment industry.
He told me about a department store named B. Altman. He told me his mother shopped there because of this one “sales lady.” He said whenever his mother needed something – and even sometimes when she didn’t – she would go see that sales lady. “My mother trusted her. They had a real relationship,” he said. “My mother liked her and wanted to support her. She genuinely liked going to see her.” I told him a couple of JOY stories just like I just told you and he looked me in the eyes as seriously as I’ve ever seen anyone look and said, “Keep doing what you are doing.” I think that was actually his mother doing the talking. I sure would love to meet those two women.
So while the weekend was really great (we also debuted our holiday window and had belly dancers perform), the Cyber Monday thing kind of passed us by. Maybe in time we’ll get better at it, but the real people we meet and the real stories we hear and the real work we do is what JOY is really about. A customer who brought some relatives in for the first time this weekend described the shop as a religious experience. I just don’t think you can get that in a click or two.
Thank you for being part of our reality. Thank you for being part of this joy.
xo – Joy
JOY all things underthings is open every day by 11 in Manchester Center, Vermont by a woman who takes being called a sales lady as a compliment. The bra, sleepwear, and lingerie retailer has an online shopping site just in case you can’t get in – or maybe you just don’t want to leave the house. Orders are picked, packed, and shipped by real sales ladies. We also take orders on a landline at 802-362-2727. To cyber shop, click here.
