Breast Shape Guide
When it comes to bra fitting, bra size is only half the equation. Breasts come in all shapes and sizes, and knowing the best bra style for your breast shape is key to finding your perfect fit.
In this guide we'll go over some of the most common breast shapes and their best and worst styles.
Why Breast Shape Matters
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Most Common Breast Shapes
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Asymmetric
One breast is larger than the other. Asymmetric breasts will always have another primary breast shape.
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Athletic
Wide shaped breasts with dense, muscular tissue. These breasts typically have a low profile with less forward projection.
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Bell
Breasts that are slimmer up top and fuller at the bottom. This breast shape is very common among larger cup sizes.
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Close Set
Breasts with little or no space between them.
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Conical
Breasts with a rounded base, less volume up top, and a cone-like appearance. Nipples typically point outward or down. This shape is more common among small cup sizes.
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East-West
Nipples point outward in opposite directions.
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Relaxed
Breasts that are longer than they are wide, with thin or loose tissue and nipples pointing downward. This breast shape is oftentimes a result of aging or weight loss.
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Round
Breasts that are equally full the the top and bottom. Most models have this shape.
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Teardrop
Round breasts similar to the bell shape but with less fullness up top.
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Wide Set
Breasts with a large space between them and nipples that pint forwards rather than out.
Everyone's body is unique, so you may find that you are a combination of these shapes, or something entirely different.
Asymmetric Shaped Breasts
Almost everyone has at least a little asymmetry, but if your breasts have a difference of a cup size or greater, you have an asymmetric breast shape. The asymmetric breasts will have another primary breast shape in addition to the asymmetry.
Common Problems for Asymmetric Breasts:
If you have asymmetric breasts, you've likely run into issues with cup gapping, wrinkling or spillage on one side.
Best Bra For Asymmetrical Breasts:
Molded Cup Bras
Molded cup bras are fitted to the larger breast, and because of their rigid structure, they will be able to hide the difference in size.
Stretch Cup Bras
Stretch cup bras are great for asymmetrical breasts because of their ability to stretch to the size of the larger breast while still fitting the smaller side.
Padded Bras
Bras with removable padding are a perfect way to hide asymmetry because you can remove the padding in the larger side while keeping it in the smaller side to even out the appearance. To get this effect with any bra, you can buy bra inserts and add them only on the smaller side.
Styles to Avoid:
If you have asymmetrical breasts, it's best to avoid bras that have rigid, unpadded/non-molded cups. These bras typically don't have enough structure to add inserts, and without any stretch they will either cut into the breast tissue if fitted to the smaller side, or have excess wrinkling when fitted to the larger side.
Athletic Shaped Breasts
Despite the name, the athletic breast shape is largely genetic and not exclusive to athletes. Having an athletic breast shape means you have a high density of muscle in your breasts leading to a wider, less projected shape. This breast shape is more common among smaller cup sizes.
Common Problems for Athletic Breasts:
Because athletic breasts tend to be more shallow, cup gapping is a common issue. You may also find that bras sometimes dig into your sides if the underwires are too narrow.
Best Bra For Athletic Breasts:
Shallow Cup Bras
Athletic bras have less forward volume than other breast shapes, so bras that have shallow cups (such as minimizers) are perfect for avoiding extra wrinkling.
Wire-Free Bras
Because athletic breasts tend to be on the smaller side and have more muscle, they typically don't need as much support. Wire-free bras often have more relaxed fabrics that can mold to the breast shape without causing wrinkling or gapping, and the lack of underwire means you don't have to worry about any uncomfortable poking.
Styles to Avoid:
If you have athletic breasts, we recommend avoiding full coverage and molded cup bras as these are the styles most likely to cause gapping.
Bell Shaped Breasts
Bell Shape breasts look exactly like their name suggests. Bell shaped breasts are slim up top with more fullness towards the bottom, resembling the shape of a bell. This shape is extremely common among women with large cup sizes.
Common Problems for Bell Shaped Breasts:
Those with bell shaped shaped breasts may have difficulty finding bras that are supportive enough without any spillage or gapping.
Best Bra For Bell Shaped Breasts:
Most bra shapes will work well
Full Coverage Bras
Full coverage bras offer maximum support and coverage. This is the best style to distribute the breast tissue evenly while avoiding any spillage.
Balconette Bras
Balconette bras provide lift from the bottom, giving a natural lift with a balanced shape and no gapping.
Styles to Avoid:
Generally speaking, any style can work well with bell shaped breasts, however bras with a very deep plunge may make you feel like your spilling out, and full coverage bras with molded cups might have some extra gapping up top.
Close Set Breasts
Close-set breasts, as their name suggest, sit close together with little or no space separating them.
Common Problems for Close Set Breasts:
If you have close set breasts, you may struggle with bras not giving enough separation, leading to a "uni-boob" appearance. With close set breasts, it can be hard to get the gore of the bra to lay flat, and you may struggle with underwires being too wide.
Best Bra For Close Set Breasts:
Plunge Bras
If you have close set breasts, plunge bras will be your best friend. Because they have a much shorter center front than other styles, the gore of these bras will be able to sit flat against your sternum as it should, rather than on top of your breast tissue.
Wire-Free Bras
Wire-free bras with structured cups can avoid the issue of ill-fitting underwires while still providing separation.
Styles to Avoid:
The main thing to avoid if you have close set breasts, is any bra that has a wide gore, such as a spacer bra. Additionally, be careful of unstructured wire-free bras which may exacerbate the uni-boob issue.
Conical Shaped Breasts
Cone shaped breasts have a rounded bottom with shallow tissue up top that slopes down toward the nipple. This shape typically has a wider space between the two breasts, and from the side they resemble a cone. This breast shape is more commonly found among women with smaller cup sizes.
Common Problems for Conical Shaped Breasts:
The most common issue with conical shaped breasts is gapping and wrinkling near the middle top of the bra. Typically the underwires will fit perfectly and the bottom will be nicely filled out while the rest of the cup looks too big.
Best Bra For Cone Shaped Breasts:
Balconette & Demi Cup Bras
Low cut balconette and demi cup bras are perfect for conical shaped breasts because they can match the rounded fullness of the breasts' bottom tissue while avoiding the wrinkling and gapping that usually comes with full cup bras.
Push Up Bras
If you desire a more rounded shape, look for a push up bra rather than a traditional T-shirt bra. Push up bras, especially those that push from the sides as well as from below, will be able to rearrange the breast tissue to give a more full shape to the bust.
Plunge Bras
Plunge bras, particularly those with side-support, work similarly to push-up bras but without the extra padding. They have less fabric towards the center so they're less likely to wrinkle, and their shape helps push the tissue towards the center to even out the bust shape.
Styles to Avoid:
Because the Conical breast shape has less volume up top, it's best to steer clear of full coverage bras, which will usually have wrinkling up top. Molded cup bras should also be avoided as they tend to have too rounded of a shape.
East-West & Wide Set Breasts
The Wide Set and East-West breast shapes are very similar to each other. These breasts have more volume on the sides than in the center and they are often wider than they are long. The key difference is that the nipples on wide set breasts face forward while East-West nipples face out to the sides. The recommendations for these shapes are the same which is why we have grouped them together.
Common Problems for East-West & Wide Set Breasts:
If you have East-West or wide set breasts, you may have more difficulty achieving cleavage. Because your tissue is concentrated at the sides of your breasts, the cups of your bras may gap in the center while spilling out on the sides. You may also feel that your bustline is "too wide" (we don't agree, but this is a common complaint we hear).
Best Bra For East-West & Wide Set Breasts:
Side-Support Bras
Side support bras have an extra panel on the side that helps push the breasts in towards the center of the chest, giving a more forward-projected shape.
T-Shirt Bras
The rigid, molded cups found among T-shirt bras can help center your breasts while giving you the shape and lift that your looking for. As a bonus, T-shirt bras are super versatile and can work under any outfit.
Styles to Avoid:
If you're worried about your breasts looking wide, you should definitely avoid minimizer bras. Minimizer bras work by pushing the breast tissue away from the center and out towards the armpits. On an East-West and wide set shapes, minimizer bras will only further exaggerate width.
Relaxed Shape Breasts
Relaxed shape breasts have less elasticity in the skin and ligaments which causes the breasts to droop and point downwards. Relaxed breasts are longer than they are wide, and the tissue tends to move around more than other breasts shapes. This breast shape is often caused by aging or significant weight loss, however other factors can also cause relaxed breasts.
Common Problems for Relaxed Shaped Breasts:
If you have relaxed shaped breasts, you may have difficulty filling out some bras while spilling out of bras with less coverage.
Best Bra For Relaxed Shape Breasts:
T-Shirt Bras
Lightly padded t-shirt bras are great for those with relaxed breasts as they can help shape the breasts into a lifted, round shape. The molded cups keep their shape, so even if your breast tissue moves, the shape of your bust will stay the same.
Full Coverage Bras
Full coverage bras help contain the breast tissue while providing a nice, lifted look.
Styles to Avoid:
Bras that don't have much structure should be avoided as you may find that they have trouble keeping your tissue in place and contained. Molded cup bras with very rigid cups should be avoided as well because they are likely to create gapping if the breast tissue doesn't fill it out completely.
Round Shaped Breasts
Round shaped breasts have equal fullness throughout the entire breast, giving them a round appearance. Most women with breast implants have this shape. This shape is also very common among models and what you will mostly see when shopping for bras online.
Common Problems for Round Shaped Breasts:
Women with round shaped breasts, particularly if they have a large cup size, may feel like their breasts are too big or "out there." They're less likely to have trouble with bras fitting them—instead they're more likely to run into clothing issues such as necklines being too low and shirt buttons gapping (if this sounds like you, try fashion tape).
Best Bra For Round Breasts:
If you have round shaped breasts you're one of the lucky ones that can wear pretty much any bra style. The best bra for round breasts comes down to personal preference but here are some particularly good styles.
Full Coverage Bras
If you have round shaped breasts and want to feel secure, full coverage bras are the way to go. Your breasts will be able to completely fill out the cups with no danger of spilling out.
Balconette Bras
If you want to "maximize your assets" a balconette bra will help you do just that. Balconette bras give a nice lift to create subtle cleavage and a natural shape.
Minimizer Bras
If you want to reduce the appearance of your bust, try a minimizer bra. Minimizer bras are great at keeping you contained and getting rid of those pesky popping buttons.
Styles to Avoid:
Most bras are made with this shape in mind, so there are no styles you need to specifically avoid.
Teardrop Shaped Breasts
Teardrop shaped breasts are like Bell Shape's little sister. These breasts are full at the bottom and gently taper towards the top. They have less top fullness than the bell shape, and most of the breast tissue sits below the nipple.
Common Problems for Teardrop Breasts:
Because teardrop shaped breasts have most of their fullness at the bottom, cup gaping is a common issue for women with this breast shape.
Best Bra For Teardrop Breasts:
Balconette Bras
Balconette bras are lower cut which prevents cup gapping.
Plunge Bras
Like balconette bras, plunge bras have less fabric to create gaping, making them ideal for teardrop shaped breasts.
Styles to Avoid:
Because teardrop breasts have less top volume, they may not be able to fill out full coverage bras.

