Cancer Patients Tell Us About Clothing for Changing Bodies

Where was Reboundwear when I needed you? Your concept is great! I resorted to big flannel shirts and careful maneuvers . But sadly, no really tells you what medications post-chemo, post -radiation does to you. I had breast cancer and the full array of treatments 3 years ago and still feeling the aftereffects. Shoes that don't fit and my walking gait is off due to continued neuropathy in my feet (from the chemo). A postmenopausal belly that I never had before. At least my hair has grown back but the texture is still off. You just have to make adjustments like stretchy skirt waistbands, wider shoes, smaller steps and a positive attitude that I am alive and intend to live longer and enjoy life more!

How is it possible that no fashion house has opted to make fashionable post-mastectomy (unreconstructed) tops and dresses? Given the numbers of women needing flattering, flat-chested clothes, they're leaving money on the table.

Having had head and neck cancer, I must stay out of the sun. Rash guards and tops that adequately cover the neck don't seem to exist for outdoor living, at least that I've found. I wonder, is the birkini my primary option? Comfortable garments made of non-irritating fabric that are designed to keep the neck adequately sun protected would greatly benefit folks like me and the general population as well.

Yes, yes! Great, great role models all of you! How refreshing attitudes!!! And, don't worry how you look! Have you seen the Fashion shows at the NYT yesterday? Well, actually, you can dress as you really want ! And, always, you will find people "criticizing your look" be cancer free or not. The very BEST for you all and thank you for sharing your wonderful attitudes!

It is nearly impossible for me to find a comfortable bra after a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction four years ago. My “new normal” really means “you’re going to be miserable every day for the rest of your life.” Along with clothing, there is a great need for physical therapists/trainers who understand how to work with cancer patients. Yes, your life is never the same after cancer.

Apparently this issue doesnt affect male patients.

I didn’t read every comment but it appears no one mentions custom made clothes. I had a man who came from Hong Kong So was VERY affordable. My bespoke black dress pants were cheaper than me walking into a nice store and buying some off the rack. A client of mine asked for his name, and she had tears in her eyes explaining how much she liked him. She had Parkinson’s - so shook greatly. She was tilted & hunched from osteoporosis. She said he was professional & gentle & unjudging (I’m sure he’s “seen it all”) and the clothes were designed for HER and hid her tilt & “buttons” were false & his the real fasteners - Velcro. Any challenged readers of this might look into a local seamstress or knitters. Not everyone is “NYC prices.” Also, as a Hospice volunteer I worked with many older ladies. Bras. BRAS!! Who can imagine those frail fingers - weak fingers! opening and closing bras? Someone needs to invent a better bra - especially one that helps someone who has almost no need but modesty. Many very old ladies are so thin & tiny it’s more like a “training bra” that they need. (As one 95 lady in a retirement home said to me “look around - the only people in here have mobility issues, and no one is fat. The fat ones are long gone.”) Best of luck to all those grappling with these challenges.

This is an important article in that it opens a window of empathy for people with cancer. It is something for family members to consider. Most people under normal conditions deal with image problems and this makes me realize how all the more difficult it is when one is ill. It can be something that perhaps the social worker and/or support group can advocate. I remember shopping for shoes with my mother when she had ill effects from her cancer treatment. She had neuropathy, her feet were swollen and painful. It was a good moment when she found comfortable shoes. Your article reminds us of the difficulty of body change and reminds us that we need to be present and aware to help and to understand. And, to be patient. Thank you to the people in the article who shared their challenges.

I am 89 years olf. My figure has become decidedly pear shaped and I have lost a couple of inches in height. This plus some mobility problems have necessitated some wardrobe changes and adaptations. Anything with a "turtle" neck or that zips up the back has been weeded out. Since I sew my own, I have been able to insert cloth triangles (matching if possible) at the side seams of blouses and cover the patch work with an open mid-thigh length vest. Pants with front zips have been replaced with loose fitting elasticized waist ones and, since, due to an inability to tie traditional shoelaces on my sneakers, I have discovered elasticized shoelaces and two foot long shoe horns. And of course pantyhose is out now. Muu muus that slip on over the head and bypass a non-existant waistline work nicely too. I concentrate on eye-catching colors and soft draping fabric near my face with dark/neutral colors to downplay problem areas. And it works for me.

Thank you for this article. Very helpful and compassionate. Having different women contribute their experience and decisions is a tremendous guide and support.

I looked at the Roundwear website. The Lindsey top is stylish, and practical in shape, but the fabric seems off. Polyester and spandex? Not something I would want on my skin. I could have used the Molly trousers when I broke both my legs, though. That is a very useful design.

My heart breaks for these women. We are all judged too much, daily! I would love to style their wardrobes for them. Everyone should feel beautiful because they are. If you can afford the rather steep prices (or snag a good sale, or find pieces on online resale sites), Eileen Fisher clothing is perfect for changing bodies, sensitivity to heat, hypersensitive skin, etc. The pieces are designed to be layered, most of the fabrics are soft and washable, and EF make great trousers with (wide, so not binding) elastic waistbands. And the clothing looks fashionable without being too young or trendy. It’s dignified and flattering. It’s forgiving of lumps and bumps and ports and such. I had to wear a taped-on heart monitor recently, and I guess it peeked out from under the edge of my shirt. The device sort of looked like a port.The looks I got from people varied from pity to empathy to revulsion. I don’t think people men to be unkind, but they don’t always disguise their reactions.

If it is of any solace, many future designers are gearing up to address the needs of customers with innovative and adaptive clothing. Programs in NYC at designs schools such as Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design at The New School have dedicated time and resources for students who wish to elevate creative design to address special clothing needs in ways that still deliver beautiful and trendworthy looks for customers. The missing link is the taking up of these initiatives by the industry as a whole to give these aspiring designers a place as fashion creators that is more than a novelty, and commercialize their vision to connect to the customers who would benefit from these inclusive ideas.

Cancer patients have certain (predictable) bodily changes and challenges that the fashion world prefers to ignore. The same is true of other post-surgical patients, those who deal with chronic medical conditions, the disabled, etc. Just sizing up or down is not a fix, since clothing comes with fasteners that no longer serve our needs; seams that cause pain, or even injury; sleeves, legs, waistbands or other features that bind; hi-low hems that catch in wheelchair tires -- The list can go on and on. Were I not at retirement age and dealing with debilitating neurological disease, two auto-immune disorders, the after-effects of twenty-seven major surgeries; and insurance battles that make me crazy -- not to mention clothes that just don't fit like I need them to -- I'd start a clothing company to try to meet some of these needs. Is anyone out there reading?

I’m also a cancer patient, Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer. Because my treatment includes steroids, my body has definitely changed. I’ve gained 20 lbs, mostly in the abdomen area so have had to start wearing pants with elastic waists and ordered new tops to fit my new silhouette. Like other patients, I’m grateful I’m alive (6 1/2 years and counting) and have had the time to enjoy my family. But it does disconcert one to look in the mirror and not recognize the person who is looking back; just another life adjustment.

My body got a bit stocker (went from a roomy medium to a comfortable large). The biggest change was the addition of a hat. With my high radiation dose in my head, the docs said, “No more sun.” As I frequent Las Vegas, I choose Stetson. The wide brims give me portable shade. Oddly enough they work for me. They are perfectly fitted. Having never been considered “fashionable,” I am surprised by the number of compliments I get. Visiting Santa Fe, the locals and a few Texans thought I was “one of them.” Random people tell me they love the hat. Fun factoid, the first Stetson plant was in Philadelphia.

Oh, men are inconvenienced as well. After gastrectomy (removal of the stomach) at age 62, I went from 170 pounds to 135 pounds, and from a 33-inch waist to a 29-inch waist. Smaller trousers were required, as were extra-slim shirts. But, a year after surgery, I've recovered some muscle tone, my hair is thicker and darker than before, and I'm back playing singles at tennis. In shorts. I'm no longer troubled by the way I look.

From this article it appears only women get cancer, or at least are the ones inconvenienced.

Good choices for women with arthritis and other ailments too.

Reach out to a Registered Occupational Therapist, we are uniquely qualified to address issues related to education regarding disease processes & adaptive expertise to address issues with ADL's - activities of daily living. I had a PICC line for Lyme treatment and my own training really helped for problem solving and coming up with solutions. Good luck and don't give up

You are all so beautiful!! I have the privilege of working with cancer patients. I think that you look beautiful no matter if you are bald or wearing a poorly fitting wig. And some people go wild for the first time in their lives and go full-sparkle; Bully for you! Avon sponsors a program for cancer patients called "Look Good Feel Better". They do one-on-one consultations to advise patients on how to put on make-up and how to dress. This is FREE! Spoiler Alert-- my favorite charity--Contact your local branch of the American Cancer Society and see if they know of any programs There needs to be more awareness about this. I thank all of the people who wrote in for this article and educated me about what they are experiencing. Respect

During chemo I found Hell's Angels Biker doo rags (spelling?). You can find them online and at any truck stop. They come in tons of colors and patterns, lots of them feisty and empowering, like flames and lightning bolts. You tie them around your bald head and they won't slip off, like scarves and turbans can, AND they have a little flap which hangs down in the back and covers your spindly, naked nape! Much better than a wig for hot summertime chemo and for being active. Silver lining: we were driving through Sturgis, South Dakota during the biker rally, on our way to camp at Sylvan Lake, and I got lots of props for my fashionable headgear. They all thought I was a sister biker!

There's a whole tribe of us taking back what was stripped away by cancer. We make our own clothes. And we're on Instagram. I will be removing my reconstructive implants soon. Having an entirely different silhouette will be an experience for sure (emotional, physical, etc, etc). But the one thing I won't have to worry about are my garments. Care to join us?

All women, I see. I'm a man who had his right leg amputated at the hip in 2018—too high up to make a prosthesis practical—and although I know that no matter what I wear my appearance will still be visually alarming, I make clothing choices differently now. You always hear about the slimming effects of black and vertical stripes but you don't hear much about the oxymoronic notion of how to minimize something that isn't there anymore. The only advice I've heard for amputees is to have clothes neatly tailored around the stump (oh, sorry: "residual limb") instead a big flap of loose cloth. Few who alter clothes have much experience in this; explain thoroughly what they are to do. I avoid wearing bright colors, but I never have been the in-your-face type. I just want to blend in as much as possible.

It's funny how quickly the surgery details fade.  All the tell tale signs remain, a catheter (kinda hard to ignore that one!), 5 incision scars, after care instructions.  I'm able to find some comic relief in all of this.  Catheter-cloaking fashion becomes my newest hobby.  If I were more entrepreneurial I'd write a book about it, it's quite the art form.  I pair a midnight blue body suit with patterned palazzo pants...mission accomplished, my secret is safe, no ones the wiser.
The scars create an interesting torso-constellation.  They are covered with medical crazy glue, which makes them look rather black and scary.  Once I figure out how to peel it off, I see how unimposing they really are.  I go out and buy a new bathing suit, a cute 2-piece retro number.

Stage IV metastatic rectal cancer survivor. For those with painful, swollen feet and peripheral neuropathy, Simple sneakers were great, especially in winter, which is the hardest. By at least a half size larger. And, I live with a colostomy and would love for ideas on how to do better with clothes and all sorts of things. There is some good info online but often is fairly generic.

I guess male cancer patients don't wear clothes?

Thank you for sharing these experiences! everybody's time to feel uncomfortable in their bodies comes sooner or later and when it's mine I will think of mr b and mr k, the two halves of belly!

I am flummoxed that you managed an entire article about the physical impact of cancer treatment and never specifically mention the disease of lymphedema (LE). Per Stanford University, an estimated 10 million Americans have this incurable, debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by the pooling of lymph fluid when the lymphatic system is damaged. Over seven million of these LE cases are cancer survivors who have had lymph nodes removed and/or radiation. Up to 30% of breast cancer survivors and between 10%-15% of gynecological cancer and melanoma patients will get lymphedema. Look no further that Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates, National Spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN). Ms. Bates has lymphedema in both arms following her double mastectomy. And then there is Fashion Designer Diane Gilman, also a LE&RN Ambassador, who also has breast-cancer related lymphedema. We need a cure and awareness leading to this cure. The New York Times would do well to feature an article on this disease that impacts more Americans than AIDS, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy and ALS—combined. And yet, for all the physical and psychological trauma lymphedema brings to those who have it, including those born with the disease, media remains relatively silent on the subject.

Recovering from lymphoma, and with fingers which might as well have been carrots on the ends of my arms, I couldn't manage buttons or shoelaces. Even zippers gave me trouble. I did find shoes with Velcro straps, though most are much too clunky and sneaker-like for my taste. But where are shirts and sweaters and pretty blouses with simple snaps or creative closures that are easy to use. Where is a bit of elegance for us who could use it when we're fighting our miseries?

Reboundwear is incredible! I used their pants after hip surgery and couldn’t believe how much they helped me and how great they looked. The products are so well made and durable that I am still wearing the pants and socks.

Not one cancer survivor such as myself, who has to live with an ostomy? I could write a dissertation on how I've had to adjust!

I admire all who learn to live their lives following life threatening illnesses. I also admire those who work to help them. Kudos to all!