As December 2021 rolled to a close with its dreadful déjà vu feeling, I self-soothed by reviewing the logs of our survival since the epidemic first broke upon us. As we prepare for the expected Omicron wave of infections–ordering masks and rapid tests, revising sick-out policies, budgeting possible shutdowns–I am grateful to be in a far stronger position than we were in March of 2020. We’re all vaccinated and boosted, N95 masks are easily available, our finances are stable, and our team is well trained and committed. Morale is high.

Back in the scary days of April 2020, with all our stores closed, our Buyer, Miss Maisie, wrote a remarkable blog post. I’m resurrecting it below, slightly condensed, for what it says about the distance we’ve travelled and the sense of mission that is going to take us the rest of the way through:

– APRIL 2, 2020 –
“It’s weird to think that just a month ago, Sasha and I were slinging sports bras with Anita at the LA Marathon Expo downtown. Life at that point was pretty normal. Sure, we had taken up singing “Good as Hell” while dutifully washing our hands throughout the day, but we also rode the Metro from East Hollywood to the convention center, did dozens of fittings in a pop-up dressing room, and even stopped to split a bottle of wine at the local haunt on our way home. Early March feels like ages ago.

March 2020 was always going to be a crazy month for us. That Sunday, our long-awaited Atlanta location opened its doors. I ordered strapless bras from France for Glamour Gowns, shapewear from Spain for our new store in Burbank, and nursing bras from Germany for the OG Eastside shop. The designer of Noblesse Oblige, Igor, stopped by to show us the fall collection. I looked forward to finally getting my Fall/Winter 2020 orders completed now that inventory for the new shops was on the way to Burbank and Decatur. Val was prepping Eastside for a massive block party at the end of the month with our amazing HelMel neighbors. Sharlene was brainstorming ways of reaching new clients in our community. We were kicking ass and taking names.

And then everything changed. And it happened so quickly. Everyone is facing things they fear and struggle with. Me? Well, I don’t do well with uncertainty. Survival is on our minds, on many levels, and I want to protect the women I have the privilege to work with. There wasn’t time to really process what was going on since everything changed so rapidly each day. We try to roll with the proverbial punches, but sometimes you just have to let yourself have a meltdown and mourn. I tried to keep it together as much as I could, but I cried a lot (tbh I’m still crying a lot.)

We put all our eggs in the brick-and-mortar basket because we’re confident that one-on-one service with expert fitters is something that hasn’t been replicated online, despite venture capitalists’ best efforts. And now we’re facing a world in which we can’t provide that service to our clients or that work for our fitters. I can’t really put into words how much it hurts.

What keeps me going is the refrain I hear from all around: that we will get through this together. Collectively, we’ve been through a lot, and collectively, we will help each other through this. I know how corny talking about a brand’s “community” can be, but I do feel a part of a community through my work and I feel an obligation to all of you. When it’s safe, I can’t wait to see everyone again. I want to provide our staff a great place to work alongside other incredible women, and our clients an experience and service they value. I love lingerie, but that is really what Jenette Bras is about for me–the women I work with and the clients we serve.” – Maisie

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2022!

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