British professional boxer Michele Aboro is a breast cancer survivor, mother and mentor. © adidas

adidas by Stella McCartney continues to push boundaries in women’s sportswear with the launch of the brand’s first Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra. In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the post-operative bra has been created to empower breast cancer survivors to introduce sport and fitness back into their lives.

The adidas by Stella McCartney Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra is a welcomed addition to the ongoing creative partnership, supporting a cause close to Stella’s heart, following the loss of her mother, Linda McCartney to the disease in 1998. The fusion of function and style, the post-operative bra features Stella’s signature design touches and adidas’ performance craftmanship, to give women the confidence to get back into sport and boost their physical and mental wellbeing.

Ultra-soft fabric

Prioritising comfort and support, the Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra has been constructed with ultra-soft fabric that provides a luxurious feel to the skin, whilst sweat-wicking Climalite technology works to keep skin dry in every condition. In addition, four unique design features have been tailored to the needs of women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer:

• Front Zip Closure – The front fastening closure allows for easy closure when dressing and undressing, tailored to women with restricted movement post-mastectomy.
• Front pockets – The soft inner front pockets with removable pads is unique to the mastectomy bra, ensuring prosthetics are kept firmly secured during various intensity workouts.
• Strategic Seam Placement – Strategic placements of seams around the arms reduces discomfort and irritation to areas of the skin that prone to sensitivity due to surgical scarring.
• Adjustable Straps – Designed to provide a controlled fit and high support, the adjustable straps allow for versatility of wear and comfort, accompanied with a wide under band for optimum fit.

Supporting recovering patients

“With the Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra, I really wanted to encourage women to take care of their health through wellness and self-care. This bra allows us to support recovering patients through the next phase of their journey, and hopefully give them the confidence to get back into training. It has a cool and modern look that will help motivate the wearer, as well as assuring them, they are not odd one out in the gym,” commented Stella McCartney.

In line with adidas’ open source and collaboration approach, the Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra was created in partnership with bra consultant Monica Harrington. Monica has over 30 years of experience in the industry and has worked closely with breast cancer patients for many years, gaining extensive knowledge of their needs post-surgery, that she imparted when working with adidas and Stella McCartney.

“Working with adidas and Stella McCartney on the Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra has been inspiring,” she said. “Over the years I’ve worked closely with women who have had breast cancer and they have confided in me about their struggles to regain confidence and to feel themselves again. Being able to share these insights and create a performance product that enables them to get back into fitness and sport has been highly rewarding.”

Campaign

Alongside the launch of the Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra, the campaign features British professional boxer Michele Aboro, who is a breast cancer survivor, mother and mentor. Michele is an inspiration to all women looking to embed sports back into their lives, and represents the dynamic needs the bra was created for.

“After my surgery I felt lost. As a professional athlete, I was used to relying on my body but after my mastectomy, I started to lose belief in myself and how my body would react. When I was ready to get back into fitness, I couldn’t find a sports bra that didn’t require being pulled over my head or lacked in support. Now I wear the Post-Mastectomy Sports Bra every time I train – it is comfortable and supportive and has helped me build back my confidence to get back into the game,” Michele explained.

www.adidas.com