The Weight I Didn’t Know I Was Carrying

A personal note on breast reduction, health, and style

Hey, this is your Taylor, and I want to talk to you about how our bodies and the changes we make to them affect our style.

For the past six months, I went back and forth about having a breast reduction. On our family vacation, it became crystal clear: this wasn’t just a want. It was a need for my physical health, my self-confidence, and my mental well-being.

Here’s the weird part: I could gain and lose weight everywhere else, but in that one area, the numbers only went up. My breasts kept getting bigger. When I looked back at photos from the past couple of years, I noticed myself bent or leaning forward, not standing straight. Even the clothes I chose shifted. I changed necklines to minimize my chest, choosing pieces to distract rather than express.

I’ve had a larger chest since seventh or eighth grade. Back then, I was probably a 32C, stayed slim (hovering around 130 pounds), and for most of my life I maintained that. But in my 40s, my weight started to fluctuate, and my breasts just kept growing.

For me, having large breasts wasn’t what I found most flattering. They felt like a hindrance fashion-wise and self-esteem-wise. I had moments in my late 20s and early 30s when I embraced them, but they never felt like my best feature.

I also got used to working around them. I thought, When I lose weight, they’ll go down. Years passed. They didn’t. They grew. If I wore a halter bra, I needed a strap to hold me up, and that strap dug so far into the vertebrae at my neck it hurt. I love running, and in my 30s I had to wear two bras just to make it possible.

At the ripe young age of 59, I was sitting with my family on vacation, mostly in a swimsuit cover-up because I was so self-conscious. When I tried on my warm-weather dresses, even sizing up wasn’t enough, they overflowed. I started to dread summer. Sundresses didn’t feel joyful; they felt exposing.

I made the commitment in August 2025. I met with three doctors, learned a lot, and realized I wasn’t alone. Women in their 50s and even early 60s were getting breast reductions, many saying they wished they’d done it sooner. That was comforting.

My insurance covered the procedure because of my size relative to my frame, and I am so grateful.

The results? I can’t overstate the confidence I feel wearing clothes again. I’m standing taller, literally retraining my posture after years of slouching to hide and from the sheer weight on my neck and shoulders. Posture matters as we age: for our bones, our health, our presence. I’m practicing “shoulders back” and doing it with confidence, not shame.

And style? Oh, the freedom. I went from only wearing V-necks and button-downs to thinking, Wait… I can wear a crewneck?! I hadn’t worn one in years because every photo made me cringe. Now I have more options, more variety, and more joy getting dressed. (And if you’re top-heavy and love a crewneck, please wear it! It’s all about your confidence.)

Here’s my no-judgment note: I did this for health. I never judge anyone for doing something to their body that makes them feel better about themselves, especially when you work with a board-certified surgeon and you’ve done your due diligence. Do what’s safe and right for you, and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about something that brings you peace.

And if you don’t want to change a thing? I admire that, too. Love the body you’re in. Forget what others say you should do; follow what aligns with you.

That’s what I wanted to share today, how our body shapes and the changes we choose can absolutely influence how we dress. For me, this change lifted a weight I didn’t realize I was carrying. It gave me back comfort, better health, and a style that feels like me.

I’ll see you next month. Thanks for spending this time with me.

Yo Taylor