Oh to be symmetrical! Wouldn’t life be so much easier? Glasses would be less wobbly, eye make up easier to apply and as for selfies… well without a ‘best side’ you’d be firing out killer selfies all day! Probably a woman’s most common asymmetric feature, though, are her breasts. From variations in shape to a difference of over a cup size, a massive 88 per cent of women have a noticeable level of asymmetry up top.
The clear fact is that no one is entirely balanced from head to toe, and no one has identical breasts. It’s what makes us individual and we should embrace it. Wonky is wonderful!
The secret is in working your inconsistencies to your best advantage. It’s not just about appearance, it’s about comfort and confidence and choosing the right bra for you. So check out our fitting tips and hacks to make sure that you’re making the right choices!
1. Make Sure you Go Large
Always fit to the larger breast. You can add to your boobs but you can’t take away from them (please don’t try!) A larger breast squeezed into a smaller cup size will result in spillage and an interruption of the curve line in your final outfit. Protecting your silhouette is key here, and it is only achieved by accommodating the larger cup size. To ensure that you have the correct cup size, scoop all of your breast tissue into the cup with your hand. It’s not very dainty but it will stop you from noticing breast spillage at a later time.
2. Identifying the Best Bra Type
To minimise the appearance of asymmetrical breasts, you should make your bra do the work. Generally, a more structured garment is better so look for moulded, seamless or padded bras. These won’t betray the creases that the smaller sized breast can cause in the fabric of a less structured bra. These creases will have a knock-on effect on your outfit so it’s best to avoid any creasing at source. Another bra type to look out for is the soft cup bra. The hugging lycra of this shapewear will fit to your shape with no creasing.
3. The Importance of Padding
Once you have fitted your largest breast perfectly in your chosen bra, the time has come for you to balance the two out. Breast padding of varying sizes, shapes and materials are readily available, so you can easily fill out the smaller cup. Make your padding more reliable by using body tape to secure it in place. Or, you could work backwards and purchase a padded bra with removable padding and simply remove the cushioning from the larger side. Taking the backwards approach only works if your size difference is limited to the size of the padding. However, if this works for you then it’s a very handy technique!
4. Making Tiny Adjustments
Bra straps are adjustable for a reason. Your asymmetrical boobs may not be so just because of size. Their shape and location on your torso can have minute differences that tinkering around with bra straps will equalise very quickly. Identifying the correct length of bra strap is also imperative when it comes to the comfort of your bra and the health of your back. They are key to managing the weight of your breasts so take the time to check these adjustments each time you launder the garment.
5. Thinking Outside the Box
Of course, why should you even go for a bra every day? A corset, bodysuit or corselette will all take control of your silhouette shaping and even out incongruities in your breast size. Because these items of shapewear tend to avoid an underwire, they offer more flexibility. Instead, they will use elastic fabrics or boning to create your shape. You can use padding if required, but without the preoccupation of cup size these garments can be a glamorous but functional alternative, so why not have some fun!
Becky is an author and copywriter who has been writing about women’s issues and underwear for several years. She also writes blogs which cover a range of topics for local businesses.
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