Mastectomy Bra Fitting – Take Your Time to Find the Perfect Fit

The history of bras is inextricably intertwined with the social history of the status of women, including the evolution of fashion and changing views of the female body. Women have used a variety of garments and devices to cover, restrain, reveal, or modify the appearance of breasts. Bra- or bikini-like garments are depicted in some female athletes of the Minoan civilization in the 14th century BC. From the 14th century onward, the undergarments of wealthier women in the Western world were dominated by the corset, which supported the breasts. In the late 19th century, bras replaced the corset as the most widely used means of breast support.

During the 20th century, greater emphasis has been given to the fashion aspects of bras. Today bras are an essential item for all women and we often overlook them and forget how important they are to us. A woman’s comfort and breast health is worth being taken seriously. When you wear a bra it should fit in a way that you don’t even know it’s there. When you have a poorly fitting or poorly made bra you will be conscious that you are wearing it all day long.

Take more care with fitting of mastectomy bra

If you have a comfortable, well made and well fitted bra you won’t even know it’s on you. When you have had a mastectomy, lumpectomy or axillary clearance you will need to take even more care with the fitting of your bra. Your bra needs to support your prosthesis (breast form) closely to your body and needs to support and shape your natural breast. By wearing a well fitted, supportive bra you will reduce the feeling of weight that can be associated with carrying a prosthesis – even a lightweight one!

How to figure out a woman bra size?

Band size: Wrap a measuring tape around your underbust (the ribcage area directly underneath your bust), making sure the tape is parallel to the floor.

Cup size: Wrap the tape loosely around the fullest part of your bust, crossing your nipples. Take this number (in inches) and subtract your band size total from it. Each inch in the difference is a cup size. For example, if my bust measurement is 39” and my band size total is 36”, the difference is three inches and my cup size would be C. Less than 1” / AA, 1” = A and so on.

Women’s breasts not only differ in cup size and band size, but also in cup forms take a little time to choose your bra, consult an expert bra fitter that knows what they are talking about and reap the rewards in all day comfort.

“The bra does not confine the person anywhere except where it is needed.” Mary Phelps Jacobs (first United States Patent and Trademark of the garment that lifts and separates, via cups and straps called a “brassiere”)