Shopping for lingerie can either be really fun, or a little
nerve wracking. And to be honest, I've never been that into lingerie before,
until I went on my honeymoon this past July. Now to back up for one second, for
those of you who don’t know, my name is Lauren Bash. I was diagnosed with
breast cancer at age 27 and only 4 months before my wedding. I went on to have
a double mastectomy, a very traumatic experience, as I approached the “most
romantic” time of my life: my wedding and my honeymoon! I wanted to look
great for my new husband. So I shopped all over for the perfect piece that
wasn't too sexy but wasn't innocent either. I started at Victoria's
Secret and didn’t find many options. Most pieces were for women that had a much
smaller bust, and everything seemed to have underwire, which my breast surgeon
clearly said multiple times was a “No-No.”
I quickly realized that Victoria's Secret was not for me, so
I explored Bloomingdales. I felt like I struck gold! There were so many
options and everything lived up to my definition of classy lingerie. I
wound up really enjoying my experience. Though I had expanders, there was one
(very small) silver lining to all of this: I didn’t need to wear a bra anymore,
so everything fit perfectly! I made sure nothing I bought had underwire or a
built-in bra and just went with what I
felt the sexiest in. I walked out of the store with two pieces: one
romper (which was my husband’s favorite), and one beautiful, tasteful piece
with lace on top and a string that I could make as tight or as lose as I
wanted. And given that I wasn’t completely comfortably with my scars, I
found these pieces that weren’t sheer, but still made me feel sexy. After
months of feeling down about my body post mastectomy, I felt that both lingerie
outfits really enhanced my self-esteem and made me feel beautiful again.
It's amazing what a little lingerie can do for your spirits
(and your husband’s)!
If you have any tips of your own on how you are
"Fighting Pretty," please email us at fightingpretty@gmail.com so we can share with
other women out there just like you!
Content provided by the beautiful and courageous, Lauren Bash*.
*Lauren Bash is now 6 months pregnant
and is due in July.
