Do you know the different breast shape types? Do you know what are the recommended bras for each breast type? After reading this guide, you will know what type of breasts you have and which bras are recommended for you.

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Before you read this guide, you should already know how to measure your true breast size. After measuring your breast size, the next step is looking for the perfect bra. And this means you should know the shape of your breasts!

Knowing your breast shape is important for various reasons. For example, did you know that you may have the same breast size as another person but require a different bra because of the shape?

Most women think that breasts can either be small or big. However, categorizing breasts in terms of size is the biggest mistake you should avoid when choosing a bra.

Breasts, whether small or large, come in different shapes. To determine your true breast shape, you need some experience. You will understand the shape of your breast better as well as what works after wearing various bras.

When shopping for a bra, you will come across terms such as “root width”, “shallow breasts”, among others. Do not be scared of these terms!

Breast Shape Guide

In this guide, you will learn the four main things that are related to breast shape. Our goals is to help you know your breast shape to be in a better position to find the right bra.

Let’s get started.

#1.  Projection: Are Your Breasts Shallow?

The depth of the breasts is also referred to as “projection”. As the name suggests, projected breasts “project” to the front.

Shallow breasts are the opposite of projected breasts. Shallow breasts do not project a lot and their tissue is nearer to the body.

Generally, women with shallow breasts find it more challenging to find well-fitting bras. Moreover, since shallow breasts have less projection, they look a little bit flatter.

A shallow breast and a projected breast may have the same volume. What will make them different is the distribution of the tissue volume. With a shallow breast, the tissue will be more on the top part than a projected breast would have. Apart from this, a shallow breast has a more even tissue distribution.

Because of the way shallow breasts are, fitting a bra on the can be a problem. When you wear a bra, the cup will feel small on the top and too big on the bottom. This is because the breast tissue will be spilling out on top while leaving an empty space on the bottom.

While finding bras for shallow breasts is a challenge, there are many bra options that are perfect for this breast shape.

#2.  Fullness: Are You Top Full or Bottom Full?

You may also have top full, bottom full, or even breasts. Determining the fullness of your breast is important since fullness affects your bra fit.

Both projected and shallow breasts can have fullness issues.

If you have top full breasts, most bras will dig into your breast and cause spillage on top. If you have bottom full breasts, some bras won’t fill your cup all the way up.

You can determine whether you have top full or bottom full melons by checking the placement of the nipples. When not wearing a bra, bend at a 90-degree angle and check the nipples. If the nipples sit on the back half, you have top full breasts. If they sit in the front half, you have bottom full breasts.

#3.  Root Width: Do Underwires Align with Your Breasts?

To find a fitting bra, you should understand your breast root. Knowing whether your breast has a narrow or wide root makes it easy to determine whether a particular underwire bra will be suitable.

The root refers to the base of the breast. This is the part where the breast is attached to the torso (see the picture below).

A bra underwire is designed to align to the natural root of the breast. However, since all breasts do not follow the same curvature, not all underwire bras will be suitable for all breasts.

To find a fitting underwire bra, check that the underwires are in line with the natural root of the breasts.

In the picture above, the breasts on the left have a wider root and, therefore, need a wider underwire. If you wear a bra with a narrow underwire, the breast is likely to be poked into and leave you uncomfortable.

On the other hand, the breasts on the right have a narrow root. Therefore, the best bra for them would be a narrow underwire. If you wear an underwire that is too wide, it will be uncomfortable, especially if it extends past the breast tissue.

Both the wide and narrow root breasts above could be of the same volume. The root width refers to the shape of the underwire only. Therefore, sometimes a bra may be fitting bra but the underwire may not be correct because of the bra brand does not accommodate your breast root width.

If your breasts have wide roots, their tissues will be near the armpits and just next to the sides of the torso. One easy way of knowing whether you have wide root breasts is checking whether the melons tend to fall out of your bra around the armpits. If this is the case, the best bra to buy would be one with overly extended underwires.

On the flip side, breasts with narrow roots don’t fill all the cup space at the sides of your torso. Therefore, you may find that the bra underwires are too long. For your case, the best bras to wear would be those that have a shorter underwire.

Are Your Breasts Shallow or Narrow?

To find out whether you have shallow or narrow root breasts, try on different bras and check where the underwire ends on the outer sides of the bra. If the underwire bra fits you properly, your breast should be cupped where it naturally sits.

If the breast tissue extends further than where the underwire ends, this means you have wide breast roots. If the underwire extends past your breast tissue, this means you have a narrow root breast.

#4.  Separation: Wide-Set Breasts Vs. Touching Breasts

The spacing or separation between the breasts also determines how fit a bra would be. If you can fit three fingers between the melons, you have wide-set breasts. If the melons are very close and touching, this means you have touching or close-set melons.

Separation between the breasts can prove to be a challenge when you want to buy a bra. If you have touching or wide-set melons, check where the underwire is placed to ensure it aligns with the breasts properly. Keep in mind that for the breast gore to fit properly, it should lay flat on your body.

To wrap it all, here are some tips that will allow you to select the right bra for your breast shape:

1. Wide-set breast. If you have wide-set breasts, get demi-cup bras that have a wider than average gore. These bras are recommended for women with separated breasts. Since the bra cups are also separated, they will match the breasts.
2. Touching breasts. If you have touching breasts, get bras with smaller gores that are not separated between the cups. A good example of these bras are the plunge types. A plunge bra is a great option if you have touching breast and what to augment your cleavage.

Breast Shape Types Pictorial Guide

Below is an overview of the common types of breast shapes.

Asymmetric

Asymmetric shape refers to one boob being larger than the other. If you have asymmetric melons, the best bra for you would be one with removable paddings.

Side Set

Side set breasts point in opposite directions and may have a large gap in between them. Women with side set breasts tend to busty. For them, the best bra would be a plunge bra, which will help to pull the breasts in and up.

Tear Drop

Tear drop breasts are rounded but a little less full at the top. If you have this breast shape, you can wear almost any type of bra.

Athletic

Athletic breasts are a little wider and more muscular but with less tissue. The best bra for athletic breasts is a push-up bra. This bra brings out curves on your bust.

Bell Shape

Bell shaped breasts are fuller at the bottom but slimmer at the top. Women with bell-shaped breasts have a fuller bust. Therefore, they need a bra that offers plenty of lift and support.

Relaxed Breasts

With relaxed shape, the breast tissue is more relaxed and your nipples point downwards. The best bra for this breast shape is a push up bra because it provides shape and support.

Round Shape

Breasts that are round at the top and bottom are referred to as round shape breasts. The best bra to wear in this case would be an underliner bra.

East West Shape

With these breasts, the nipples point outwards in opposite directions. Moreover, there may be a noticeable gap in between your cleavage.

The best bra for east west shaped breasts is a T-shirt bra. This bra tends to pull the breasts in. This will provide a smooth silhouette on your breasts and give you a fuller shape.

Slender Breasts

These breasts are usually smaller on top and tend to be longer on the sides. With this breast shape, the nipples may also point downwards. You can give your breasts the right amount of lift by wearing a plunge bra with padding.

Now that you know the different breast shapes, watch the video below for recommendations of the best bras for every shape:

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