Bra Bar provides support to customers

When Sharon Phillips first decided to open The Bra Bar & Pantierie in 1996, her decision was greeted with skepticism.

“I decided to open up a business and specialize in bra fitting, and of course, everybody thought I was crazy,” Phillips said.

When the original Bra Bar tripled in size, it became clear that not only was she not crazy, she had struck a chord with women across the city — so much so that the Bra Bar recently opened a second location on Kenaston Boulevard to cater to women in the western part of the city.

Before opening the Bra Bar, Phillips had owned a lingerie shop and decided that she wanted her new business to be more than just an underwear store.

“I was just tired of selling things. I wanted to be a service business, I wanted to be able to help women. I didn't want to just sell things,” she said.

“I just wanted to be able to help women that wanted my help and would appreciate the knowledge I had in bra fitting.”

This commitment to service is reflected in what Phillips' customers have to say about her store.

“I went in there and they were just absolutely wonderful,” said Marlene Stephen.

Stephen has been going to the Bra Bar since 1998, after having a mastectomy. She said that the atmosphere in the store helped her through a very tough period.

“We used to go in there and just laugh about life together, and the ladies there were very supportive, in a sort of a stressful situation,” she said.

“I got the feeling that I was a very valuable person to them, not just another customer. So the personal side of it was what drew me there.”

Debbie Neufeld, manager of the Kenaston location, said that there aren't many stores where women can go to get the kind of special attention that the Bra Bar provides.

“There’s not a lot of places that cater to women who have had mastectomies, and there aren't that many of us that are doing this anymore,” she said.

“It's not so much what you offer. Of course, you need the product too. But (it’s also) the service that we provide, and I think we do it very well.”

Neufeld, a former banker, said it was the reputation the Bra Bar has developed as a place where breast cancer survivors can get the help they need that drew her to work there.

“I had a very good friend in New Brunswick who had breast cancer,” she said

“And since I couldn't be with my friend in New Brunswick, I wanted to find a way to help people who have had mastectomies here.”

Though the Bra Bar has become known as a place that caters to breast cancer survivors through prostheses and specialized bras, Phillips says that's only a part of the services the store provides.

“Women who have had a mastectomy is definitely a part of our client base, but our business is based on bra-fitting,” she said. “So many women don't even know our sizes are out there.”

Phillips added that all of her customer service staff go through a six-month training course to learn to properly fit bras.