Mastectomy and Other Specialised Swimwear

Many women have difficulty purchasing swimwear. The whole experience can be totally demoralising. However, the challenges of finding the best fit, or the most flattering garment pale in comparison to the difficulty of purchasing a mastectomy swimsuit for example. Many women come to us for assistance in this matter. The problem with mastectomy swimsuits is that it is impossible to just mass-produce them - they need to be modified for each woman (left, right, B, C, D - there is so much variation). We have made the mistake of attempting to do this without the woman's body present - it didn't work.

Our solution was to design some swimsuits which can accommodate a pocket. If a woman has her own prosthesis, she can come in, be measured, choose a swimsuit and we stitch in a made to measure pocket for the prosthesis to slip into.

In our experience doing this we have found that one of the biggest issues is making sure that the swimsuit is high enough in the bust to avoid the visibility of scarring and high enough under the armpits to ensure maximum support. Usually swimsuits with a slightly thicker strap work best.

However every one's body is different and so is every one's taste - we have also occasionally put pockets in skimpier bikinis when that has been the preference and has provided enough support. Some women who don't have a special prosthesis (these can be quite expensive) have also opted for a swimsuit with cups included in it or one with lining or bust detailing - which can be a great option as well.

We really want to continue to help women with special swimming needs. I was recently contacted by a woman with lymphoedema who required a specialised pressure swimsuit. We're racking our brains right now to see if we can come up with something or modify something we already have. If you want to know more about this problem check out the Lymphoedema Association of Australia website.

I want to know of any other major issues people are having buying swimwear. We might not have the solution here at Sue Rice, but if we open up a general discussion we might be able to point you in the right direction.

Please leave comments on this post about swimwear challenges you're aware of. Lets see if we can all rack our brains and come up with some solutions.