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Many myths circulate about the kinds of bras you need to wear and avoid after a mastectomy, or if you even need to wear a bra at all. But Anne Peled, MD, a San Francisco–based breast and plastic surgeon, the co-director of the Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center Breast Cancer Program — and a breast cancer survivor herself — says that most women can benefit from wearing a bra after a mastectomy and reconstruction surgery.
“The reality is, you’re just relying on your skin or maybe part of your muscle, depending on what kind of reconstruction you have, to support your implants,” says Dr. Peled. “So there’s no reason to think [implants] are not going to sag over time, and they may feel heavy and pull on your chest if you’re not wearing a bra.”
The bottom line: After breast surgery, it’s still important to wear the right bras and get the support you need, and comfort is key. After the prophylactic double mastectomy I had last year to reduce my breast cancer risk associated with being BRCA1-positive, I’ve tried on a lot of different bras to find ones that are comfortable and supportive. Here are my favorite post-mastectomy bras for every purpose, from everyday bras to sports bras, sleep bras, and bras to feel sexy in. Plus, they’re all from under-the-radar brands doing significant work in breast cancer awareness, charitable giving, and more — so you’re not only getting a great bra, but you can also feel good about boosting these smaller, lesser-known businesses that are making a difference.
Bras for Every Day
Understanding Breast Cancer Risk
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Okko Signature Bra
This bra doesn’t have any clasps or closures, so you need to put it on over your head, and for that reason it’s not appropriate if you’ve recently had breast surgery and can’t lift your arms over your head for a while. But it’s ideal after you’ve recovered: soft, comfortable, flattering, and wirefree yet supportive. The Okko Signature Bra is the perfect versatile everyday bra you’ll love after mastectomy and reconstruction.
Why you should feel good about this brand Okko, which stands for Our Kind of Knockout, is a woman-owned company that truly takes customer feedback into account. The company seeks ongoing customer input and advice to continually improve their products and develop new ones. When you buy an Okko product, you can choose to donate 1 percent of your purchase price to one of four preselected nonprofit organizations featured on their website. Have another nonprofit you’d like to see added to this list? Okko is open to suggestions — email them at hello@loveokko.co!
Okko Signature Bra, $42, Okko.co
Bras for Working Out
Handful Adjustable Bra
This medium-support bra from Handful is great for yoga, Pilates, hiking, walking, and other low-impact activities. It has pockets for pads, breast forms, or prostheses for women who’ve had a lumpectomy, single mastectomy, or mastectomy without reconstruction; removable pads; and straps that can be worn three ways — standard, cross-back, and halter. The Adjustable Bra comes in 12 colors, and if you buy this, or any other Handful bra, in “Battle Cry Pink,” 12.5 percent of the revenue from the purchase will be donated to the breast cancer organization Young Survival Coalition (YSC), representing the one in eight women, or 12.5 percent, who according to the National Cancer Institute will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Why you should feel good about this brand In addition to the charitable contributions Handful makes through their partnership with Young Survival Coalition, Handful also offers significant discounts to women who’ve had a mastectomy through their Breast Friends Forever and Free Pads for Life programs. With Breast Friends Forever, breast cancer survivors, as well as previvors who’ve had a preventive mastectomy to decrease their breast cancer risk, are eligible to receive a lifetime 30 percent discount on all non-sale Handful activewear (not just bras) by completing this online form. And, if you use breast prostheses as a result of mastectomy, you can indicate that when you fill out the form and additionally receive free stackable pads to use as prostheses — for life.
Handful Adjustable Bra, $58, Handful.com
How to Spot Changes in Your Breasts
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SHEFIT Ultimate High-Impact Sports Bra
Wearing a supportive sports bra for any kind of high-impact exercise is especially important after mastectomy and reconstruction, notes Peled. A good rule of thumb: “You want [your breasts] to be moving with your [sports] bra, not inside your bra,” she says. You don’t want your sports bra to be rubbing against or chafing your incisions, continues Peled, and you want the bra to be supportive enough to keep your implants in place while you exercise so the “breast pocket” (the location in the chest where the implant is surgically placed) isn’t disrupted.
When it comes to getting extra support while working out, this high-impact sports bra from SHEFIT — dubbed “the bounce tamer” on their website — delivers. The SHEFIT Ultimate features two hook-and-eye closures and a zipper in front, plus adjustable Velcro on both the band around your rib cage and the shoulder straps. In other words, your breasts are seriously secured and not going anywhere, even during high-impact exercise like running.
Why you should feel good about this brand For the past two years, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, SHEFIT has donated a portion of the proceeds from a specially designated Ultimate sports bra to The Previvor, a women’s health platform for genetic testing, mastectomy, and reconstruction information. In 2021, they also included instructions for how to do a breast self-exam with every order. “We are committed to supporting women and girls all year long and not just in October, but we definitely highlight Breast Cancer Awareness Month during October,” says Melissa Dusendang, the director of customer experience at SHEFIT.
SHEFIT Ultimate High-Impact Sports Bra, $75, SHEFIT.com
Bras for Sleeping
Amoena Kitty Seamless Wire-Free Cotton Pocketed Mastectomy Bra
Another common question that comes up after mastectomy and reconstruction: Do I need to sleep in a bra? Peled recommends it for six months following surgery — a more compressive bra for the first six weeks to three months post-op, and then a softer bra for the second three-month period. This helps prevent implants from flipping, which is especially a risk during the first six months after surgery and usually happens overnight, she says; this compression can also be beneficial for women who’ve had autologous, or “flap,” reconstruction (which per Breastcancer.org is where breasts are reconstructed from their own tissue rather than with implants) to reduce the swelling that can result from this type of reconstruction.
At about a year since my surgery, I’m past that six-month window (and I don’t need to wear a compression bra anymore), but I still like to wear a bra overnight for light support and comfort — and Amoena’s Kitty Bra is soft, comfortable, and supportive, making it perfect for overnight wear. This entire brand is dedicated to women who’ve had breast or chest-related surgery, and all their bras are designed with that in mind — meaning, comfort is paramount, and among other features, all their bras have pockets for pads or breast forms or prostheses, if needed.
Why you should feel good about this brand Through the years, Amoena has worked with several grassroots organizations that support women after a breast cancer diagnosis, most recently The Healing Consciousness Foundation, SurvivingBreastCancer.org, and BRCA Strong. And among other initiatives, in 2020 and 2021 Amoena partnered with JScreen, an Emory University program that promotes genetic testing for Ashkenazi Jews (a high-risk population with a one in 40 chance of carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation) in Atlanta, and now nationally.
Amoena Kitty Seamless Wirefree Cotton Pocketed Mastectomy Bra, $33–$45.95, Amazon.com
Bras That Make You Feel Sexy
Everviolet Vela Wireless Bra
This was the hardest category to find. It’s no surprise that sexy, comfortable, and supportive do not always go together. I tried on (and returned) many styles before I found this one, but the Everviolet bra has everything I was looking for. Founded by Keira Kotler, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 after a routine mammogram, this brand is specifically designed to be worn after surgery for breast or other types of cancer, other kinds of surgeries, pregnancy, and more. And the bra itself, aside from being incredibly comfortable, is gorgeous. Everviolet’s motto is “Beauty of Change,” and there couldn’t be a more apt mantra for healing after a mastectomy.
Why you should feel good about this brand This woman-owned company is committed to giving back by supporting breast cancer research and prevention, and has donated to a number of organizations in this space over the past several years, including Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), The Pink Agenda, Rethink Breast Cancer, and more. And Everviolet uses real women as models — all of whom are breast cancer survivors. “Our mission is to help women renew or redefine a sense of self and femininity following change, enabling them to feel like people first and patients last,” says Kotler.
Everviolet Vela Wireless Bra, $94, Everviolet.com
Thomas Urban Marron, MD, PhD
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Marron received his bachelor's degree in human biology from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 2005, his PhD in immunology from the Icahn School of Medicine in 2010, and his MD from the Icahn School of Medicine in 2012. He remained at Mount Sinai Hospital for his internal medicine residency, which he completed in 2014, and for his clinical fellowships in hematology and medical oncology, which he completed in 2017.
Jennifer Garam
Author
Jennifer Garam is a BRCA1-positive ovarian cancer survivor and advocate, journalist, and speaker. In addition to being a regular contributor to Everyday Health, her articles and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Allure.com, Self.com, RedbookMag.com, Vice.com, Prevention.com, Health.com, HuffPost, and PsychologyToday.com, among others.
Garam has been an expert speaker, moderator, and panelist at healthcare events and conferences in the United States and abroad. She aims to bring attention to important topics that are underrecognized and stigmatized and tell stories that aren't often told. She is passionate about patient education, the necessity of self-advocacy within the healthcare system, and equitable care and access to resources for marginalized individuals and communities. Outside of work, Jennifer is a voracious reader, yoga practitioner, and amateur dancer.