Support Group The post-surgery bra

WHEN A LOYAL customer came shopping after a double mastectomy, the Quebecbased lingerie retailer La Vie en Rose took the opportunity to develop a speeciality bra, in consultation with her, and Muse, its post-mastectomy collecction, was born. Launched in 2010, the bra comes with patented removable figure-balancing pads – the combination of a weighted gel and microbeadss gives the pads a natural movement and shape while being lighter and coololer than traditional silicone prosthetics. s.

Other features include firm cups, straps positioning closer to the centre of the cup for a closer secure fit and, because treatment can increase sensitivity, the bra’s cups are lined with super-soft microfibre.

This fall, the company introduced two breast cancer survivors, Caroline Perron, 45, and Brett McCully, 31 as Muse spokespeople. The company found McCully after an impassioned Facebook post she made about the bras. “Just the fact that you can shop [for] post-mastectomy bras in a lingerie store makes a huge difference,” she says, and who opted for a mastectomy after her diagnosis at age 29, “… it gave me back a sense of normality.”

And fashion wasn’t compromised for all this function. The two Muse styles are available in basic colours and, in seasonal hues and prints. $60, www. lavieenrose.com