After being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at 38, fashion executive Lauren Yerkes turned her breast cancer experience into purpose by founding POST SWIM, a thoughtfully designed swimsuit for post-mastectomy brand. Built for survivors, previvors, and flatties, POST SWIM redefines what it means to feel confident, supported, and seen after surgery.
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Here’s Lauren’s story:
In 2022, just three days before my 38th birthday, I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, a rare and aggressive form of the disease. I didn’t have a family history. I wasn’t yet 40. I wasn’t even considered high-risk (or so I thought). But there I was, reeling from a diagnosis I never saw coming.
That moment split my life into two chapters: Before breast cancer and after breast cancer.
Life Before: The Fashion Executive
For nearly two decades, I lived and breathed fashion. I worked my way up in the industry, eventually becoming Chief Merchandising Officer at REVOLVE. I led teams, curated collections, and helped shape the digital retail space for the hottest e-commerce site geared towards the millennial and Gen Z consumer. I loved what I did and had spent years helping other women feel confident in their skin.
But I couldn’t have imagined how quickly my skin, my body, my identity, my confidence, would change after my triple negative breast cancer diagnosis.
Triple Negative Breast Cancer Changed Everything
Triple negative breast cancer doesn’t wait. It doesn’t give you much time to think. It is a diagnosis that demands fast, aggressive treatment. So, my life became a blur of scans, bloodwork, port placement, hospital visits, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy. Over seven months, I was in doctors’ offices for 222 days.
I also learned that I carry the BRCA2 genetic mutation, which increases the lifetime risk of breast cancer to over 80 percent. BRCA2 also raises the risk of ovarian cancer to more than 30 percent. That mutation changed my treatment roadmap. It meant that after chemo, I wouldn’t just be facing a double mastectomy—I would also undergo a preventative hysterectomy.
I wasn’t just fighting the disease I had; I was trying to prevent the next.
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The Physical and Emotional Toll
By the time I turned 40, I had completed:
- 14 of 16 rounds of chemotherapy (the last 2 were stopped due to GI ulcers that led to a feeding tube 4 days before my double mastectomy)
- 2 blood transfusions
- 5 of 12 months of immunotherapy
- 30 rounds of hyperbaric treatment due to nipple necrosis
- A double mastectomy with reconstruction
- A preventative hysterectomy
There were days I couldn’t get out of bed. Nights where I couldn’t sleep. My hair was gone. I was flung into early menopause and found myself wrestling with hormonal shifts, hot flashes, and a sense of disconnection from my body.
Even harder was this feeling that I had disappeared from the world I used to thrive in. Fashion, an industry I had spent 20 years loving, suddenly didn’t feel like it had room for someone like me.
My Mistake Was Thinking I Could Just Go Back
After finishing treatment, my husband and I booked a trip to Maui to celebrate and reclaim some part of our “old” lives. I remember standing in front of him, frustrated and defeated. The swimsuits I once loved didn’t fit.
The materials irritated my skin. The silhouettes exposed my scars. The designs didn’t consider the ways my body had changed.
I wasn’t looking to hide my scars. I just wasn’t ready for the world to see them before I was ready to share them.
Wrestling with self-image after treatment? You’re not alone.
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The Moment POST SWIM Was Born
In that moment of frustration, my husband encouraged me to use what I knew—fashion—to create something new. POST SWIM, my swimsuit for post-mastectomy brand, was born that day.
I quickly discovered there were thousands of women like me: survivors, previvors, women healing from mastectomies, C-sections, hysterectomies, melanoma, burn injuries, and more. They all wanted to feel strong, supported, stylish, and sexy again. They were all searching for the same thing I had searched for:
“Where can I find a swimsuit for post-mastectomy?”
There weren’t enough options. No brand that prioritized women’s post-surgical needs in swimwear. POST SWIM became the answer.
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What POST SWIM Stands For
POST SWIM isn’t just a brand—it’s a reflection of my experience. It’s a love letter to every woman who’s ever stood in front of a mirror and not recognized herself.
We create swimsuits for post-mastectomy with scar coverage, gentle compression, prosthesis-friendly pockets, wider bands and necklines, and styles that support both form and comfort. We make flattie-friendly silhouettes for women who have chosen an aesthetic flat closure after mastectomy. We prioritize sun-safe, ultra-soft fabrics and use real breast cancer survivors in our fittings.
Each suit is named after a woman who inspired me. Each daffodil in our branding is a nod to the strength of the cancer community. Every detail says: You’ve got this.
We’re not the only ones doing this work—there are others, like AnaOno, doing amazing things for mastectomy and flat fashion. But POST SWIM is my personal offering—born out of pain and purpose.
Why POST SWIM Matters
There’s a lot of talk about empowerment in fashion. But for survivors of triple-negative breast cancer, empowerment starts with being seen. It’s about inclusion. It’s about letting women know their bodies, exactly as they are, are worthy of celebration and style.
With 20 years in fashion, I knew how to bring this vision to life. POST SWIM is the intersection of personal transformation and professional purpose.
The Road Ahead
During recovery, I saw the need firsthand. So many women with scars, reconstructions, or flat closures had no swimwear options. I created POST SWIM to fill that gap.
So whether you’re a survivor, a previvor, a flattie, a supporter, or simply someone who wants thoughtfully designed swimwear, we see you.
We made this for you.
Here’s to rewriting the story—one suit at a time.
💛 Lauren Yerkes is a fashion industry veteran and the founder of POST SWIM, a mission-driven swimwear brand created for women navigating life after breast cancer and other body-altering surgeries. A survivor herself, Lauren combines two decades of fashion experience with her personal journey to design swimwear that prioritizes scar coverage, flattie-friendly fits, and confidence at every stage of healing. She lives in Orange County, California, with her husband, where she continues to advocate for genetic testing, early screening in women under the age of 40, and redefining what it means to feel good in your skin.
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