The Shop
Can a service be both niche and necessary? Allies, a Specialty Boutique answers that question with a resounding ‘yes’ by providing mastectomy products and compression garments to breast cancer survivors and other patients.
Allies is a Bellingham-based business that began in 2014 when Owner Laura DeWitt realized there were no postmastectomy prosthesis or garment resources for patients north of North Seattle. DeWitt herself is a breast cancer survivor who underwent a bilateral mastectomy in 2009, and she knows how vital those services are.
“I knew what products should be available and they just weren’t in our community. I just wanted to make a difference to people that joined this sisterhood they never wanted to be a part of,” she explains.
What You’ll Find
Allies provides a wide array of breast forms, post-surgery garments like pocketed bras (breast forms fit into the pocket on the inside of the cup), and compression garments.
Breast forms are prostheses that come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and even different materials— while many of them are made of soft silicone, active forms are lightweight and can withstand intense exercise and swimming! DeWitt can also fit clients for custom forms with a compact 3D scanner, so that they “fit on like a puzzle piece” to the chest wall.
Breast forms and other symmetry shapers meet both physical and emotional needs for people after mastectomies and lumpectomies, according to DeWitt. Physically, you may feel imbalanced and clothing might not fit how you’d like. Emotionally, the forms allow people to take control and present themselves to the world in the way they choose.
Allies’ compression garments are medical-grade wearables that help people with lymphedema, lipedema, or serious vascular issues. DeWitt started off with compression sleeves, since lymphedema in the arms can be a side effect after breast cancer surgery, but expanded the selection over the years to meet the complex needs of patients that weren’t being served.
The Atmosphere
Allies has just moved to a spot on Fraser Street that’s two-and-ahalf times the size of their last location! The new boutique has a front room with a reception area and retail space, a few rooms for storage, shipping, and office space, and a HIPAA-compliant private fitting room where DeWitt meets with clients.
At the time of writing, the new shop is being redecorated. DeWitt hopes to create a welcoming, upbeat, and calm place where folks can come for guidance without getting overwhelmed by “a wall of [compression] socks.”
“I want people to be able to come in, sit down, figure out what it is they need and want and to not feel rushed, to really get the service they deserve,” says DeWitt.
Key People
Allies is accredited by the Board of Certification and DeWitt is a certified mastectomy fitter, one of only 13 in Washington state. Allies also operates in Anchorage, Alaska— DeWitt flies there to perform fittings seven or eight times a year, making her the only mastectomy product provider in the state of Alaska.
DeWitt has two employees who help her with scheduling, billing insurance, and operations. Altogether, the team at Allies makes sure that everyone who comes in gets the guidance they need. Being fitted with prosthetics and medical-grade garments involves measuring, trying on, and learning proper use and care, but with the right help it doesn’t have to be scary!
Favorites
When asked about her favorite part of her business, DeWitt explains:
“Working with people for their first fitting after surgery is really, really special. Sometimes, I’m the first person who’s seen their chest wall after surgery, sometimes even before their family. Having been a breast cancer survivor and having gone through chemo, having gone through radiation, and having gone through reconstructions … I can relate on a level where maybe they haven’t been able to talk to somebody before. So, it’s really special to me for somebody to share that part with me, and I’m always happy to talk about my experience or talk with them about theirs.”
