The Bra Fitter Diaries: What Your Bra CAN Do

Last week, we talked unicorns and the limits of a bra. I want to flip it this week and talk about all the wonderful things a bra CAN do to get you the shape you want. Because you can’t have a unicorn, but I bet I can get you a kick-ass pony!

Round

This is a pretty popular request. A t-shirt bra with molded cups is often the easiest way to get a round shape, but certain seamed bras can do it too. A lot of folks have a fear of the pointy-boob look, and might be put off by anything other than a t-shirt bra for that reason. You can absolutely wear only t-shirt bras, if that’s what you want! But maybe give a seamed bra a try, too. When you’re used to seeing your boobs in a smooth bra, seeing seams can really throw you off. Before you write off a seamed bra as too pointy, try it with a shirt – you might be surprised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage/Pointy

This one does what it says on the tin: it’s the opposite of the round shape. Think 1940s. Sam, Broad’s owner and founder, is a big fan. We’re not carrying this shape at the moment because it’s not as popular, but to achieve it you generally want a seamed full-cup bra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural

That’s probably not the best name, given the vast spectrum of natural breast shapes. Often when someone requests a “natural” look, they’re really thinking of something between the round and pointy shapes – kind of a teardrop silhouette. Once again, seams are your friend! Seams direct and shape breast tissue in a way that molded cups just can’t.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minimized

We get a lot of requests for bras that minimize breast size. There are two options:

A) In this shape, the cup is shallower. It compresses breast tissue to give a minimized look from the side. The trade-off here is that the rest of your boobs have to go somewhere, so you’ll have a slightly wider shape from the front. There’s also less lift. Seamless bras are a good choice if this is your preferred look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B) The seams on this kind of bra direct breast tissue up and in, to minimize from the side. From the front, your breasts will look smaller. Just like option A, there is a trade-off: you’ll have a bustier profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of these are general recommendations that work most of the time. Key words are “general” and “most.” The same bra can look very different on different bodies. Breast density and shape impact a bra’s look. For example, softer boobs are more likely to conform to the bra shape, while firmer tissue resists and rebels. Also worth knowing: your bra’s look changes after a few wears and washes, so the shape you see in a fitting will relax over time.