This thesis is concerned with design processes in the clothing industry and the breast support garments that are currently available in the context of breast cancer and breast asymmetry. Within this framework, the research study focuses on the underserved breast support needs of people who live with differently sized breasts or one breast, and those who live ‘flat’ (without breasts) after a mastectomy and neither choose breast reconstruction nor wear external breast prostheses (EBPs). These needs may be unmet by the range of post-mastectomy bras that are currently available. These garments are based on everyday bra construction principles that are conceptually flawed in several aspects. Conventional bra pattern-making relies on generalised and limited breast measurements that exclude many natural breast characteristics and conditions, as well as those acquired as a result of breast cancer, treatment and surgery. Bra sizing systems are vague and inconsistent between producers, meaning that most bra-wearers wear ill-fitting garments. The effects of breast cancer treatment and surgery adds to the challenge of finding breast support garments that cater to specific needs. Considering these circumstances, the research asks, first, how do people affected by breast cancer articulate their breast support needs? And, second, how can these needs be translated into clothing design processes? This research study explores novel clothing design strategies through conventional clothing industry design processes, with the aim of narrowing the divide between designers and consumers by adopting an approach of ‘designing with’ and ‘on behalf of’ consumers, who are experts in the wearing experience, rather than ‘for’ them. The thesis draws knowledge from individual breast cancer narratives through four research-specific Case Studies. A contextual review outlines the anatomy and physiology of the breast before and after breast cancer and explores how the available everyday bras support breasts generally and in the context of breast cancer. The research method focuses on providing people affected by breast cancer with modified clothing design tools to articulate and visualise their breast support needs in Participatory Clothing Design Sessions (PCDS). Based on the information collected, the research practice investigates alternative breast support construction principles by prototyping breast support clothing within a Needs-Based Clothing Design process (NBCD) that involves people affected by breast cancer as expert wearers. The design process explores engineered knitting methods to facilitate a modular and customisable pattern-making approach, in combination with a parametric approach to breast support, based on individual body topologies generated via 3D body scans. The outcome of the research practice is a range of modular, mass-customisable and individual breast support designs, developed through three iterative prototyping cycles (embrace1, 2 and 3), that have generated a unique textile surface structure. The thesis contributes to the emerging discourse on diversifying and individualising breast support clothing construction by incorporating information specific to breast cancer – acquired breast conditions and support needs – to the consideration of evolving and fluctuating breast shapes and conditions. The research practice contributes unique consumer-orientated participatory prototyping and clothing design methods (PCDS and NBCD) to existing clothing design practices, adding to the canon of inclusive clothing design. This research study aims to engage with clothing and textiles researchers and designers; with the bra manufacturing and producing industry and service providers seeking to produce and distribute breast support clothing in the context of breast cancer in general, and breast asymmetry in particular, and with people affected by breast cancer.

Funder: London Doctoral Design Centre (LDoc) - AHRC [AH/L503782/1]