The Bra Fitter Diaries: Match Your Bra to Your Body Shape

Back in our Demystifying Your Bra Size post, I mentioned that it’s important to consider your shape as well as your size when fitting a bra. What I meant is that because everyone’s breasts are shaped a little differently, your fitter needs to find a bra that matches your body shape. Here are some of the factors we consider:

Breast Shape

Are your breasts shallow or projected? This refers to where you “carry” your breast tissue. Is it more spread out across your chest, or is it all up front? Because we at Broad are very crafty, we’ve illustrated this using colourful clay. (You’re welcome.)

The amount of green clay (a.k.a. breast volume) is exactly the same in each photo. The only difference is that the breasts on the left are shallow and the breasts on the right are projected.

If your boobs are more projected, you’ll want a bra with a deeper cup so that your breasts aren’t compressed. If they’re more shallow, you’ll want a shallower cup – otherwise, you’ll have too much room in the cup, leading to wrinkling. Not cute under a t-shirt, and not comfortable to wear!

Breast Position

Are your boobs close-set, or wide-set? Basically, how much space is there between your breasts?

This matters when it comes to wires; specifically, the spacing between the centre wires needs to play nice with the spacing of your breasts. If your breasts are close-set, a bra with narrow wires would probably be most comfortable. A bra with wider wires could result in discomfort and insufficient support, since the centre wires won’t be able to sit flat.

In the photo on the left, Sam is wearing a bra with wide centre wires. See how it buckles and won’t lie flat? In the photo on the right, she’s wearing the Bibi, by Ewa Michalak. It has narrow centre wires that are much better suited to her close-set boobs.

Shoulders/Upper Torso

How much space is there between your breasts and shoulders? Are your shoulders sloped? Small?

If you have small or sloped shoulders, you may want to avoid bras with wide-set straps. They’ll just slip off your shoulders all day and drive you nuts. Instead, look for a bra with in-set straps. It’s also a good idea to look for bras that have fully adjustable straps, so that you can tighten them to fit your body.

In the photo above, you can see how the strap placement on Goddess’ Yvette (top) and Playful Promises’ Portia (bottom) differ. Yvette’s straps are centred and not likely to slip off, while Portia’s may be a bit wide for smaller shoulders.

If you’re petite, or have a short upper torso, you should also pay attention to the side wires. You’ll want low side wires, since higher ones will dig into your skin.

Breast Density

Is your breast tissue more, or less dense? Softer, or firmer? Some people find that their breast tissue becomes softer as they get older, or after breastfeeding. Mostly, though, the density of your boobs is based on genetics. If you have very soft tissue, you might find that your boobs can spill out of plunge or low-coverage bras.

The moral of the story: Breasts are diverse, just like the humans they’re attached to. There’s no one bra that works for every body. So honour your boobs’ uniqueness and give them a bra that fits!