New for Spring: Adhesive Prosthetic Kit, Spring Colours, Natural Options

The Amoena Contact Multi is a new innovation for women who want the flexibility of wearing a breast form (prosthesis) directly against the skin, for example if you’re wearing a lower-cut or strapless dress.

With this kit, women can get more use and flexibility out of their breast form, such as the temperature-regulating Natura Cosmetic Breast Form. Instead of inserting the breast form into the pocket of a bra, this adheres to the skin and can then come off and be fitted back into your bra.

This kind of innovation parallels the amazing advances we’ve seen in the medical field, where cancers that were once fatal now have many survivors.

Here are two other changes we can look forward to for spring:

Embracing spring colours

Spring has definitely sprung here at Brabary, where we’re seeing exciting new colour palettes from our wonderful suppliers. Isn’t it great to go beyond black, white and beige into the colours of the season? Come and check out the stunning and vibrant Passion Orange, and the calming and serene Ocean Blue, just to name a few.

Eliminating harmful chemicals

Today more and more people are sensitive to chemicals and looking for healthy options for cleaning products and makeup. Helpful resources include the Queen of Green blog from the David Suzuki Foundation, and the Skin Deep database from the Environmental Working Group.

Already free of any harmful chemicals, we were excited to learn that Forever New will soon be launching an fragrance-free lingerie detergent for those with sensitivities to scent.

We’re 10 years old in April!

We’ve seen many changes over these 10 years, including a move seven years ago. We’ve always been thrilled with our current location, with its ample free parking and fantastic neighbours.

Recently we did some renovations to address comments and requests from customers. They liked the size of the store and the amount of stock we can provide, but they (and we) wanted a more intimate setting. One of the things we did was change the lighting to be more welcoming and calming. You can read more of our renovation story in this earlier post.

Our industry has grown and changed a lot over these 10 years, with innovations in technology, research and development by our manufacturers. When we started, a molded cup bra never went above a D cup; now we can get up to an H cup. Even seamless, non-molded bras now go up to a well-fitting G cup. You can even get a really good fitting G or H cup in a strapless bra. It’s tremendous how far they’ve come.

As the industry has changed in what it offers, we’ve expanded our inventory as well. We wanted to get our feet firmly planted before expanding into swimwear and hosiery, and especially before starting to help women with prosthetics, from pre-surgery considerations to getting fitted for prostheses.

In talking to clients about what they wanted in bras and hosiery, we brought in great luxurious Italian brands like Trasparenze and the simple elegance of Phillipe Matignon. This range of mid- to high-end products is unique in Barrie.

Quality is important to us; we don’t do anything halfway. As we’ve expanded our product lines, we’ve taken our time to research the products we feel would be good for our clientele. We continue to listen to our customers and bring in products based on their needs.

This commitment to customer service has been recognized by our community as well. We are honoured to be the recipients of the Bell Business Retail Excellence Award from Barrie Chamber of Commerce in 2008, and the Businesswoman of the Year from Barrie Examiner in 2013.

We support our community in numerous ways, by dedicating time to several charities, as well as donating resources for fundraising. Some of these are listed on our Community page, and others we’ve written about on the blog, like the Barrie Toy Tea, 100 Who Care, and the NSMHPCM Palliative Care Conference.

Our caring staff has grown with us - always eager to learn about new products and finding the perfect fit for you.

Thank you for joining us for this trip down memory lane, and thank you for your continued support. We look forward to the next 10 years with you!

Winter 2014 Palliative Care Conference

The annual winter conference of the North Simcoe Muskoka Hospice Palliative Care Network (NSMHPCN) is coming up on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at the Grandview Golf Club in Huntsville. The theme is “Consent, Capacity & Compassion Fatigue.”

I’ll be there as an exhibitor in my role as the owner of Brabary, but I’ll also be there as a participant. I always find the sessions incredibly informative and helpful, and the tools I learn there I can relate back to all areas of my life and business.

I first started attending back when I met someone who was involved in putting on the conference. Her mother was in town and needed a prosthesis, so they found their way to us at Brabary. She suggested we get involved with the conference, since so many health care professionals aren’t aware of the options for their patients – and other people in their lives who may need prostheses.

This upcoming event got me thinking about all the different resources that are out there for people who are going through a cancer journey, such as Gilda’s Club (emotional and social support), Canadian Cancer Society (rides to treatment and lots of information), or retail stores like ours that provide products and personalized fittings and support.

Click here for a registration form for the conference.

Getting Fitted for a Breast Prostheses

In a previous post, we discussed the importance of breast prostheses, not just for confidence and self-esteem, but for health and comfort to compensate for the missing weight of whatever portion of the breast or breasts was removed.

After recovering for 3-6 weeks in a post-surgical camisole, it will be time to visit a specialty boutique and get fitted for a breast form. At Brabary no appointment is required, but check with your local store to be sure. You want the swelling gone completely from the surgery in order to get a proper fit. It’s also important for all the sutures to be healed and closed to prevent infection when putting on something more tightly fitted like a bra.

Here are a few things to note:

Breast form (prosthesis): One brand, Amoena, includes a silicone additive that helps equalize your body temperature and keep you cooler.

Swimwear: There are special prostheses available for swimwear, with a special cavity so water flows through and doesn’t add any more weight.

Bras: A breast prosthesis requires a good bra. There’s weight to it, and the bra must be able to support it, or it will be uncomfortable and you won’t want to wear it. At Brabary we can customize any bra for a prosthesis by adding a pocket – free of charge; you don’t have to buy a pre-made prosthesis bra.

Government assistance: In Ontario, the government will reimburse you every two years for 50% of the cost of a breast form. If there is a significant size change in your breast form, because of swelling or significant weight loss or gain, the government will reimburse you in between that two-year period. See the Ontario Ministry of Health website for more details and the most current regulations.

At Brabary, we will fill out the reimbursement claim form for you. You should also check with your insurance company to see if they cover the balance. Whatever is not covered by either the government or your insurance, can likely be claimed as a medical expense on your tax return (check with your accountant to be sure).

Also give your accountant all of your mileage records and receipts for gas, meals and parking for all medical appointments and procedures so you can claim those as well. These costs all add up and you’ll find that every little bit helps.

Breast Prostheses – Pre-Surgery Considerations

Many people think breast prostheses are cosmetic, but a breast prosthesis is a medical device, recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Health as part of their Assisted Devices Program.

Prostheses are not just for visual affect, they compensate for the weight that’s taken away when part or all of a breast is removed (there are partial prostheses available for those who have only part of the breast removed). A breast prosthesis is weighted and sized to match your natural breast, which keeps one side of the body balanced with the other. Otherwise, the hips, shoulders and the spine can get out of alignment.

A woman shared that her mother was in her 70s when she had a mastectomy, and never gave thought to a prosthesis. “Who’s going to see it?” she thought. Eleven years later, she underwent extensive spinal surgery because of the imbalance the loss of breast weight had caused.  

Because there will be so much to think about after your surgery, you can reduce some of that stress by planning ahead. One thing to consider is a post-surgical camisole. These garments have many special options – you can step into it and pull it up without straining your arms, and it also has a drainage tube pocket that can be removed later when no longer needed. It also has pockets for a single or double fiber fill.

In a follow-up post, we’ll look at the next steps in being fitted for a prosthesis.

Let Us Find You The Perfect Fit At Brabary!

Jane DeCola, the owner of Brabary, was born and raised in Barrie.  since 1994 Jane found herself having to travel to Toronto when she discovered the proper fitting bra CAN be comfortable, and a custom bra fitting would accommodate this.  "I found the experience of shopping in a boutique specializing in plus sizing and selection was amazing! The personal care, attention to detail and expert bra fitting made all the difference in my lingerie and the way my clothes fit."

Jane's dream has been to make a bra boutique accessible right here in Barrie and in 2005 Brabary was opened to help you select the right lingerie.  

The selection of a world-class boutique is now available to you north of Toronto.  Featuring speciality sizing bras, custom bras, fine lingerie, swimwear, wedding day trousseau, sports bras, hosiery, maternity bras and breast prosthesis offered in a broad range of quality brand names.

Contact us today to learn more!