Fashion designer Derek Lam discusses 'the implant issue' with Washington Post today. "He says American women can't seem to get enough of large, attention-grabbing breast implants. And the ever-growing number of man-made C-cups, D's and DDs has created an imbalance. A woman who might be an enhanced size 8 on top, says Lam, often is only a size 4 on the bottom. (This being the world of high-end fashion, there is no need to get into a conversation about a size 14, which is as rare as a polyester blend.) Such top-heavy figures make the construction of something as form-fitting as a strapless dress a perilous endeavor for a designer.

Lam could have reworked his patterns and his sizing to fit this excessively endowed American woman. But if he changed the proportions to fit American customers, the clothes wouldn't fit shoppers in Europe. It seems that while the women there are also enthusiastic consumers of cosmetic surgery, they favor smaller cup sizes."