Bra Size After Breast Augmentation

By far, one of the most common questions I get asked is “What size will I be after surgery?”

Here at The Centre, PC we try to encourage our patients not to think of size in terms of a cup size.  Most of you will agree that the size you wear at one department store may be very different from what you may wear at a specialty lingerie boutique.

According to a September 2006 episode of the “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” approximately 80% of American women are wearing the wrong size bra.  I think this is a result of several common misconceptions.

The first misconception is one that I, myself, am guilty of.  Many women have never had a bra fitting and we continue to buy the same size our whole lives despite changes in our bodies.  Women’s bodies are constantly changing.  Weight gain, weight loss, puberty, gravity, pregnancy – all these things will affect your bra size on an ongoing basis.

In addition, many women go through breast augmentation, opting for breast reductions or undergoing breast reconstruction following surgery for breast cancer.

Consequently, there is a demand for a wide variety of sizes and shapes. The good news is that manufacturers are doing a much better job of working with the changing bodies of women and are creating choices where once there was none.

For example, Fruit of the Loom’s Pick Your Perfect Pair™ bra comes in “just about” and “exactly” sizes.  You can buy exactly C for one side and just about D for the other, and snap the two together.  For only five dollars a cup, you get a customized undergarment.

Another reason why many women are wearing bras that don’t fit is that they have “letterphobia.”  They have some deeply rooted idea, that having to wear a DD size is somehow synonymous with licentious moral convictions. This phenomenon has been dubbed by the bra fitting community as ‘letterphobia,’ or an irrational fear of the suggestion of a D-plus bra size.

Hailed as the “bra fit guru” by the New York Daily News, Jené Luciani is a nationally acclaimed fashion journalist and author of “The Bra Book.”  Luciani states that bra fitting measurements should be used as general guidelines and not an absolute.

See her appearance on the Today Show by clicking here.