When Judi Brabant first walked into the Wig Boutique in Sudbury, she had absolutely no intention of making a purchase.
She was there to bring her longtime friend Jo-Anne Cross a card to say congratulations on opening her first shop in the northern Ontario city.
“I had no intention of buying a wig. It was the last thing that I was going to do, but I was going in there to support her grand opening because Jo-Anne and I go way back. We grew up together,” said Brabant.
“I walked in and I thought, while I am here, I might as well try on a couple of these. Well, I tried a couple on, and I walked out the door with a new wig on my head. I have been wearing them ever since.”
Wig Boutique, located on Ester Street at the corner of Long Lake Road, celebrated its grand opening in Sudbury in November 2009. Since then, Cross has been offering wigs, synthetic and human-hair top pieces, clip-in and permanent hair extensions, headscarves and sleep caps for her clients.
Cross caters her business to different clients with diverse needs. This includes those with hair thinning or hair loss, those undergoing chemotherapy or those just looking to change up their style.
“Some ladies come in who are going on a trip or they are working moms who don’t always have time to do their hair in the morning. Wigs have now become something that is a part of our lifestyles. It’s an accessory. More and more ladies are catching onto it,” said Cross.
In Brabant’s words, wearing a wig gives women the hair they’ve always wanted but never been able to have.
“Other women coming through the store are experiencing either temporary or permanent hair loss. For those women, getting hair can be a life-changing experience. The ladies going through chemo are often devastated," she said. "They are fighting a killer disease and suffering hair loss as a result. Ladies with thinning hair are often embarrassed and ashamed. Giving them hair is an unbelievable experience.”
To illustrate her point, Cross told the story of a woman who showed up one day at closing time. She came into the store and told the staff that she needed a wig. She immediately pointed to one that she was interested in and said she wanted to try it on.
“We brought her into the back room – we have a lot of privacy here. We’re very discreet and conscientious of our clients. When we put the wig on her, her face just lit up like you had given her $10 million,” said Cross.
“As she was checking out and leaving the store – with her wig on – she looked at me with tears in her eyes. Since I’ve been in this business, I’ve heard from a lot of people how much of a difference a wig has made. But this lady looked at us and said, you saved my life.”
It turns out that the woman had become a recluse because of how ashamed she had been of her thinning hair. She hated looking at herself and how other people tended to stare.
“She was at the point where she didn’t want to live anymore. It does really affect our self-esteem, no matter what age you are. There are few people out there who are not bothered by it. That’s why we always tell people that there is no shame in wearing a wig. It’s terrible that there can be a stigma. It shouldn’t be like that.”
These days, thanks to celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, wigs are gaining more acceptance and popularity. Women like Brabant, who have never had issues with their hair necessarily, are wearing their wigs loud and proud.
“Most people don’t know that I wear wigs because Jo-Anne’s wigs are top-quality. I’ve had people flag me down to ask where I get my hair done,” she said.
“When they ask, I never lie. I tell them I get my hair from Wig Boutique, and they say, well I didn’t know they cut hair, too. I tell them, they don’t. It’s a wig. Their jaw just drops.”
Although business is usually booming at the store, COVID-19 has hit Cross’s business hard. Not only have sales slowed down, but a lot of her clients are also immunocompromised and do not want to take the risk to travel in public.
“A lot of people can’t afford to buy wigs right now because of the pandemic. Strained finances have really affected the way a lot of people are feeling. Some of them are scared of being in close contact with anyone, which is understandable,” said Cross.
“I am still open during the pandemic, but I am following some very strict rules when ladies do come in. Our door is locked all the time. Nobody comes in without an appointment. Everyone is pre-screened. We are making sure that we’re creating an extremely safe environment for our clients and for ourselves, too.”
Masks are mandatory, and social distancing is enforced. Cross wears proper PPE if she has to come into contact with a client, including gloves and a face shield. Each wig is also sanitized with alcohol after it is tried on by a client.
“Jo-Anne is just a wonderful, caring woman. And she’s a hard worker. She treats every single person who comes through her store with tender, loving care and she gives them the best of the best,” Brabant said about her friend.
“She puts her whole heart and soul into what she does, and she has certainly done that with her wig business.”
Wig Boutique has two additional licensees in Barrie and Sault Ste. Marie. They service clients from all over northern Ontario.
For more information about Wig Boutique, visit www.wigboutique.ca. Call 705-222-9447 or text 705-626-2020 to make an appointment. For more information email [email protected].
The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.
