Breast Shapes

Breasts come in many different shapes and sizes, some more common than others. Knowing your breast shape can help you find a comfortable, supportive bra. You can also use different styles of bra to adjust how your breasts appear to suit your preferences.

The Archetype

The ideal breasts according to the fashion industry are full and round. This is the shape that fashion designers create bras for, and the shape plastic surgeons aim for when someone is having a breast augmentation. While it’s important to love your body no matter what shape you are, this is what we’re assuming most people are attempting to achieve. You may also see this shape referred to as the archetype breast shape.  Fantasie’s Moulded T-Shirt bra is perfect for archetypical breast shapes.

Uneven Breast Shapes

The most common deviation from this is when a woman has uneven breasts — one visibly larger than the other. This is generally much more noticeable to the individual than it is to others, there can be a visible difference, such as a cup or more. The best thing to do here is to buy the cup size of your larger breast. Adding padding to the cup of your smaller breast can help both breasts look the same.

Bras with an elastic neck edge are great for uneven breasts, as the elasticity allows stretching. Check out Elomi’s Morgan collection, Panache Envy’s Balconnet, Parfait’s Marion Full Cup Bra, or Anita’s Rosa Faia Fleur Side Support bra.

Conical Breast Shapes

Some breasts are more conical than round, with women unable to fill out the top of their bras. Push-up bras tend to do well with women who have conical breast shapes, as the breast tissue is gently pushed up, giving breasts a more full appearance. Bras aimed at reduction can also help, especially if you prefer smaller breast shapes.

Some bras that make a great fit for conical breast shapes:

Thin or Reduced Breast Shapes

Thin breasts and breasts with reduced projection have opposite issues — thin breasts are thin and breasts with reduced projection don’t extend very far off the chest. You can add volume with some padding in both cases. Women with either style of breast may find bras with soft cups more comfortable — but they may not offer the most pleasing shape. Plunge or push-up bras can add volume to your breasts however, like Parfait’s Casey plunge molded bra, Lynn push-up bra, and Emma padded plunge bra.