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Susan Detar, the founder and owner of The Pink Door in Palatka, sits at her desk to discuss the need for her business, which provides bras to women who have had breast surgery.
By Ginger Danto
Special to the Daily News
The front door is no longer pink and there are no more large displays of lingerie, medical or otherwise, but the mission and the need of the newly relocated eponymous Palatka boutique, the Pink Door, are as vital as ever.
The mission? To help women look their best and, more importantly, feel good about themselves, said founder and owner Susan Detar, whose specialty is fitting women who have had breast surgery with the right size bra.
“It’s life changing,” said Detar, echoing clients’ written testimonials going back 16 plus years in the business.
It all began all those years ago when a close friend underwent what is known as a bi-lateral surgery i.e. a double mastectomy — and was given few options by doctors to address the radical, if necessary, change to her body after the fact.
“I saw a niche in the market,’ said Detar, whose background is business but whose passion was always fashion. She said she considered opening a clothing store, but the scope of work involved, with no guarantee of success, was impractical. So instead — she chose the hard path: to become a certified mastectomy fitter, with all the hours and cost of training that entailed, in order to help more women like her friend look and feel their best after breast surgery.
After investing several months in research and planning, the Pink Door opened in downtown Palatka in 2005. Detar is accredited by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics. The mission, as stated in the brochure, is “to provide women with a warm and attentive environment where they can be professionally fitted for bras that will minimize their imperfections and maximize their potential.”
Detar feels the medical profession hasn’t been evolving, in terms of offering women post-surgery options. She also feels that the area could use more compassion through the adjustment process. But she feels this need has been a boon for her business, helping her draw clients from teens to seniors, as well as from nearby counties and neighboring states. While her initial goal was to serve the needs of her community, Detar notes with pride that her clientele come, often via word of mouth, from near and far.
The advent of the pandemic did not change demand – breast cancer did not take a break in 2020 – but the manner of dealing with clients shifted.
“I was already seeing most clients by appointment,” said Detar, who saw her overhead costs rise along with everything else in the last few years. So it made good business sense to consolidate her operation — and her life — by moving the Pink Door to her sprawling Palatka home, located in a cul de sac in the Point of Woods development.
Here, a few steps from the front door and opposite a guest bathroom, a pleasantly decorated fitting room purposely feels more like a boudoir. There is a large mirror, a satin bathrobe on a stand with a sample bra, and a closet full of products for such ancillary conditions as medical hair loss, lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency.
The words “support” and “inspire” are written above.
“I love what I do,” Detar said. “And it’s important people find me.”
The Pink Door is located at 101 Sunset Point in Palatka. For appointments call: 386.328.9424.