BREAST SHAPE GUIDE

The ability to identify and describe your breasts is helpful when you buy bras. Especially if you can’t shop in person at your local bra store.

Describing your breasts will have two considerations : breast shape and breast type.

Use the Breast Shape Guide, determine the shape of your breasts. Breast shapes are different than breast type. In Breast Types we saw categories. Breast Shape deals more with criteria you apply to describe your breasts.

Breast shape depends on your body type and tissue density. Many things effect your breast shape; children, weight, medical events. Your breast shape may change, so check-in with them when you notice something or bras begin fitting different.

If you do a virtual bra fitting or buy bras online, this information helps you sort through the options.

On the journey to find a bra that fits, spending a few minutes learning to define your breasts pays off.

PROJECTED VS SHALLOW

Your root (where your breast tissue attaches to your chest) and the breast volume around it determine this criteria.

Projected shapes have more tissue around the root. Generally, projected shapes may have larger cup sizes.

Shallow shapes have tissue spread out over a large area. Shallow shapes tend to do better with bralettes and wireless options.

Projected Breast

Shallow Breast

FULLNESS

Breasts can be full on the bottom or full on top, or even spread evenly between the two. This is pretty easy to determine! If you have more tissue above the nipple you are full on top, with the reverse for full on bottom.

Full on Top

Full on Bottom

SELF SUPPORTING OR PENDULOUS

This tends to correspond to the projected or shallow shapes, but not always! This is also something that can change with age.

Self-supporting breasts do well in wireless bras and other less supportive styles.

People with pendulous breasts often choose more structured styles with lift and support.

Self Supporting Breasts

Pendulous Breast

ROOT WIDTH VS ROOT HEIGHT

This plays into something we almost never think about: The design of underwires. Different brands use different underwires or sometimes even design their own specialty ones. This can play a big part in how a bra fits you.

Narrow roots tend to do well with narrower underwires.

Wider roots with wider underwires.

Be aware that if you are petite and wear a larger cup size that underwire height can also comes into play.

CONCLUSION

The goal with our site is to have more of you shop from small bra stores. These bits of knowledge will help you engage with independent lingerie stores in Canada.

This guide is by no means definitive. It is intended for the reader who is learning more about their breasts and taking control of their bra comfort through knowledge.

We suggest once you have absorbed this information and are ready to elevate your breast knowledge, refer to the Reddit Group, A Bra That Fits.

You’ll find more in depth knowledge there and a very helpful community working together to navigate the bra life.