The Silent Partner

Busty. Chesty. Curvy. Big boned. Just a few words to describe the maternal side of my family lineage. We skipped training bras and went straight for something with eight hooks and reinforced framing. We popped buttons off of blouses, we avoided empire waist dresses to not draw more attention to our copious décolletage. We knew the custom bra-fitters in Moncton, New Brunswick on a first name basis.

Despite the burden we all lamented, it was still a shock when my grandmother, Julia Alice Renton (Kelly), in her early sixties firmly announced at the Sunday dinner table that she was getting breast reduction surgery. She was clutching the Reader’s Digest to her ample bosom, where she had read an article about it and proclaimed, “I am getting this done.”

And that is exactly what she did. She found a surgeon and her indented shoulders and constant backache warranted it covered by Medicare. It was the 1980s and this was not a popular procedure, but Julia was ahead of her time in many ways.

Proud as a peacock (and down a dress size), she did not shy away from telling the world about her new boobs. No big busted woman she encountered (e.g. the cashier at the Co-op, the waitress at the coffee shop) could escape from hearing about it. I myself have a vivid memory of her describing her nipples placed on stainless tray waiting to be sewn back on – I must have been about ten years old.

Then her sister Henrietta went in for the same thing, and my mother Susan as well.  I too had a referral for a surgeon in Camrose, Alberta (with a shorter wait list) about five years ago, but international moves and life superseded.

Pre and post-op, my grandmother always had the best braziers available and god help you if you turned up at a family event without your bra straps taught. And it’s for that reason we think of her as the silent partner is our new business venture. She was our ‘bra coach’ before we were The Bra Coach.

She, and her tits, would be so proud.

P.S. We want to acknowledge the previous owner of this venture, Lilly Lezarre (formerly Tender Loving Cups). My mom and I have been her customers since we moved to Edmonton and we have always been in alignment on all things bras and all things the universe. She is on an incredible spiritual journey and we were fortunate enough to have our paths cross. She had incredible customer service and good energy, which we intend on continuing. She is also still on call from Costa Rica for all of our bra-mergencies. Thank you Lil.