BILLINGS — A Billings woman has found a creative way to help women feel comfortable in their own skin by converting an old Franz Bakery truck into a mobile bra fitting service.
Tana Re, owner of TLC Lingerie, first got the idea to launch a mobile service three years ago while helping her mother.
See the truck below:
"I was helping her with the bra. And she said, 'Do you think you can help my neighbor? She doesn't have anybody that really cares about her like you do,'" Re said.
That conversation sparked the idea for a mobile service designed to make every woman feel beautiful, regardless of her circumstances.
"I want people to know that they're perfect just the way they are, and that I'm here to help them feel comfortable in their own skin," Re said.
With one in eight women facing a breast cancer diagnosis, Re recognized that feeling comfortable during or after treatments isn't always easy. She specializes in helping women navigate this challenging journey.
"Anything cancer-related, cancer-fitting mastectomy, any deformities, any reconstruction, that's my specialty. That's what I excel in. And so, I'm certified in prosthetic fitting. And so, it's very dear to my heart," Re said. "It's a very intimate experience when someone has lost their breasts or lost a breast. And to be able to help figure out what they're really seeing, what they want to do. Some people don't want prosthetics. They just want something that makes them feel whole."
The mobile service became possible in part through the generosity of Michael Stoller, senior food manager at Franz Bakery, who sold Re an old bread truck for just $1.
"There was no way that she was not going to leave without a truck. She was going to make sure she had a truck. No matter what it took, what I had to do," Stoller said. "To make sure that her vision would come true and help everybody that needed to be."
Re specifically wanted a bread truck for both practical and personal reasons.
"I'm a jokey kind of person. And so to me, I always wanted to have something that I got your buns covered. So, I needed a bread truck," Re said with a laugh.
For Re, the work represents more than just a business, it's about making a difference in people's lives during difficult times.
"Just to know that we are making a positive difference one person's life at a time in every day. And it's just an honor," Re said.
This week, Q2 is featuring stories highlighting breast-cancer survivors leading up to Friday's Pink Breakfast at 6 a.m. on Montana This Morning on Q2. Click here to learn more on how to donate to Pack the Place in Pink to support local survivors.
