I will always remember the day I found out my mom had breast cancer. For someone who had already overcome much adversity in her life, I didn’t understand why she now had to deal with such a terrible disease.
Even between all the medications, appointments, and taking a break from work… One of the biggest and hardest challenges she had to face was overcoming the loss of her hair. You don’t initially realize how much impact your hair has on your confidence until you start to lose it.
At this point, she wasn’t feeling or looking like herself, AND she was undergoing treatments. It’s common for patients to be cold when spending multiple hours in the hospital, so warm blankets and beanies were frequently provided. She always appreciated the gesture, but the beanie quality/style varied, and Mom was never truly excited to wear them.
Naturally, it became our mission to find the perfect accessory to wear during treatments. We began searching online, and the results were dismal. There were plenty of options - but it was a struggle to find the perfect balance between breathability, comfort, and style. It seemed like you would never wear any of these products unless you had cancer, and that's not what we were looking for.
It was around this time that I started working for Banded. As a new part of the product development team, I began to express the struggle my mom and I were going through to find the perfect head covering. Everyone was extremely passionate and supportive. We all agreed we wanted to explore creating a product for others going through this experience. As a group, we began researching different styles and fabrics and started working on the Spring/Summer collection.
We knew immediately that we wanted to give the women wearing our products an even mix of gorgeous prints and solids to choose from. We also knew we wanted to create two different products: one that is pre-styled, ready to wear, and one that allows for more creativity. Using feedback from Mom and other patients, we were able to create what is now our Oncology Collection!
“I enjoy the Banded products because they are well-fitted, lightweight, and stylish. I don’t feel as self conscious when I’m wearing them because the variety of patterns/colors allow me to express myself with different outfits. I always feel comfortable in them and that’s hard to come by.”
-Kellye, Breast Cancer Survivor
It’s my hope that the Fashion Turban and Full-Coverage Headwrap continue to bring comfort and happiness to patients and survivors alike. To say I’m proud of what we have created is a HUGE understatement! I had no idea those initial conversations would turn into something so meaningful and close to my heart.
By creating the Oncology Collection, we remain #Banded2Gether and aim to inspire all women fighting cancer now and in the future.
-Riley M., Graphic Designer