What to Wear to Your Chemotherapy Appointments
There are two things that matter when it comes to what to wear to chemo: comfort, and vein access. That’s it. If you want to care about style because it makes YOU feel good, then do it. Otherwise, you don’t need to worry about what your chemo outfit looks like.
I wore a version of the same outfit on repeat to all my weekly chemotherapy appointments: a shirt with a scoop- or V-neck (for easy access to my port, through which I received my chemo infusions), and loose-fitting, comfortable jeans. Having a couple of outfits planned out and just repeating them every week took the effort out of getting ready to go to my appointments — I was either going to wear one of two jeans options, and one of a handful of shirts.
Here are some ideas for putting together your own chemo outfit(s).
TOPS
Photo via Everlane
1) Supima® Micro-Rib Scoop-Neck Tee, $40, Everlane.com: One of my chemo tops on repeat was a scoop-neck top with three-quarter length sleeves, similar to this style. This particular shirt is the exact tee I wear to every doctor appointment post-treatment — the elbow-length sleeves are perfect for intravenous blood draws! It’s also a great option to wear to chemotherapy appointments because the scoop neck makes port access easy. So whether you get chemo via an IV in your arm or through your port, this shirt provides easy access. I’d recommend wearing a darker color or black; there are too many fluids and ointments present in a healthcare setting for me to feel comfortable wearing a white or light-colored shirt in that environment!
Accessible Apparel
Photo via Care+Wear
2) Women’s Chest Port Access Shirt, $45, Care+Wear: When I was in treatment, I didn’t even know that accessible clothing specifically designed for people receiving chemotherapy existed. Care+Wear gifted me this top last year, and I wish I knew about it while I was undergoing chemo! Zippers on either side of the neckline enable a flap to be unzipped for easy port access. According to the description on Care+Wear’s website, this shirt can be used with several medical devices: a central line, tunneled venous catheter, and implanted ports (BardPort, Mediport, PowerPort, Port-A-Cath). It comes in a range of different colors, and there’s also a hoodie version.
A Warm Layer
Photo via GAP
3) Vintage Soft Zip Hoodie, $35 – $60, GAP.com: You might feel cold during chemo (that’s what the warmed blankets at infusion centers are for!), so it’s always helpful to have a warm layer on hand. In general, a zip-up sweatshirt is better than a pullover one, as it’s easier to get on and off if you’re recovering from any surgeries — and even if you’re not! For basics like sweats, I tend to go with clothes from GAP — they’re comfortable and well-made and last a long time. Plus, they’re usually very affordable: This particular hoodie has a listed regular price of $60, but GAP always seems to be running sales so you can usually snag items at a discount. For example, at the time of this writing, this sweatshirt is on sale for just $35.
BOTTOMS
Again, comfort is key here. I’d recommend wearing joggers, leggings, or very comfortable jeans.
Photo via GAP
4) High-Rise Boyfriend Jogger, $29 – $50, GAP.com: GAP comes through again for comfortable basics. This is a solid option for an affordable jogger.
Photo via Vuori
5) Performance Jogger, $94, Vuori.com: If you can afford to splurge on a slightly more expensive alternative, this is a good one. Vuori is a higher-end athleisure brand and these joggers are lightweight and super comfy.
Photo via Quince
6) Ultra-Soft High-Rise Legging, $40, Quince.com: If you don’t know about Quince you need to — it is my go-to brand for high-quality, low-cost staples. These leggings are so cozy and durable; after over a year of wear and tear, they still look and feel like new. Note that they come in two inseam lengths — 25” and 28”— and you have to manually select the one you want.
7) Any pair of comfortable jeans: Jean-shopping is a personal journey, and everyone has different preferences when it comes to denim. As I mentioned, I wore jeans to chemo, but they were on the baggier side. I would just recommend not wearing a pair that digs into you in any way, is at all uncomfortable, or makes it difficult to breathe. And I’d opt for a relaxed, looser-fitting denim over jeggings; whenever I wear stretch jeans I am constantly hiking them up!
SHOES
Footwear is totally up to you! The only caveat I have is that, personally, I would not wear open-toe shoes or anything where my feet were exposed in a healthcare environment — purely as a precaution for safety reasons. And my chemo outfit guiding philosophy still applies: Comfort trumps everything when it comes to shoes, too.
LUCKY SOCKS ✨
This is arguably the most important component of your chemo outfit 😊 During treatment, I designated certain pairs as my “lucky socks” and wore them every week to chemo, as well as to doctor appointments and scans. Truth be told — I still do! Going through a scary experience like a cancer diagnosis and treatment, where so much was out of my control, I found comfort in small rituals like this.
Photo via Amazon
8) Corlap Women's Crew Socks Ankle-High Cotton Athletic Running Socks (5-Pack), $14, Amazon.com: Cute, thinner everyday socks sealed with a heart ❤️
Photo via Amazon
9) Notes to Self “I Am Strong” Athletic Socks, $16, Amazon.com: This style is available in several different colors, so you can select the awareness color of the cancer you’ve been diagnosed with if you’d like. You can also choose from a range of different affirmations in the brand’s Amazon shop.
Photo via Amazon
10) Gone for a Run Inspirational Athletic Running Socks Lucky Socks, $13, Amazon.com: Literal Lucky Socks! In addition to this obviously lucky pair, you can also get these running socks in a large selection of other encouraging mantras. I have the dark blue “Be Strong,” the green “Never, Never Give Up,” and the teal “You Are Awesome” pairs 🍀
For more of my favorite tips to make going to chemo easier and more comfortable, read the other blog posts in my Chemo Tips series here:
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