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Your breast size can help determine the perfect type of bra to give you the best support, but did you know that breast shape also plays a factor? From round to conical to side-set, your girls can come in lots of different—but all totally normal—varieties.
Teardrop breasts, characterized by rounded breasts that are slightly fuller at the bottom than they are at the top, are one of the most common breast shapes.
Although it’s not talked about as often as bra size, breast shape is an important factor when understanding your breasts. In this short guide, we’ll explain why your breast shape matters and how knowing it can help your boobs look and feel their best.
Why Does Breast Shape Matter?
Even though two people might have the same cup and band size, the shape of their breasts may alter how their boobs look and feel in certain types of bras.
For instance, let’s say one breast-owner has teardrop breasts and the other has wide-set boobs.
If you’re someone with teardrop breasts, your best bet is a bra with more of a balconette style with a supportive underwire. Underwire bras will flatter your breasts as the underwire will give your cleavage a very attractive boost. The way the fabric is cut will also better accommodate the fact that your boobs are fuller on the bottom and stop it from digging into your breast tissue.
On the other hand, someone with wider set boobs will usually find T-shirt bras more flattering. They’ll prevent gaping and keep wide-set boobs looking full, but may cause teardrop breasts to uncomfortably spill out on each side of the cup.
To that end, a good-fitting bra is incredibly important when considering day-to-day comfort. When you wear a bra with the proper fit, it can gift you with bountiful benefits like:
- Better posture
- Less back pain
- Less time shopping (a proper, well-made bra will have a longer shelf life!)
The Perfect Fit’s Added Boost? Confidence
A good-fitting bra can do wonders for your body—and your self-esteem. It’s normal to worry about what your breasts look like, and sometimes it can be hard not to get insecure when you walk past the bra section in a department store. Those lingerie models and mannequins aren’t helping anyone!
But, it’s important to know that your boobs are just like everyone else’s—completely unique, and totally normal, no matter their shape, size, or direction. That’s why it’s important to equip your breast with mood-boosting, cleavage-lifting undergarments that make you glow from the inside out.
What Factors Into Breast Shape?
There are plenty of factors that contribute to your breasts looking the fabulous way they do, including:
- Age – As those with breasts age, you’ll notice that the shape of their breasts will naturally change since skin becomes more elastic over time. So, while your 16-year-old self may have had perky breasts that rarely needed the support of a bra, your older you may need to indulge in a lingerie shopping spree to give your breasts the love and support they deserve.
- Body fat – Since your breasts are mostly made of fat that surrounds the glandular and connective tissue in your breast, increases or decreases in your body fat levels can cause noticeable changes to your breast shape. This explains why your boobs seem to shrink and grow as you lose weight. It’s not magic—it’s science.
- Activity level – If you lift weights and bulk up your pecs, it won’t make your breasts bigger, but the added muscle can change how your breasts hang, affecting their shape. Usually, strengthening your pecs will make your girls seem perkier and help increase their firmness.
- Hormones – Your body goes through lots of hormonal changes over the course of your life. When it comes to your boobs, estrogen is the most important hormone. So, fluctuations in the hormone during pregnancy and menopause can completely change what your breasts look like. And of course, we’re no strangers to the ups and downs of period boobs—an increase in estrogen levels during your period can lead to swollen, and sometimes, painful, breasts.
So, what we’re saying is it’s normal to see occasional changes in your breast shape during the course of your life—or even just within the month. Sometimes your girls just look a little different, and that’s okay!
Conditions That Can Alter Your Breast Shape
While most changes in breast shape and size are completely natural and normal, there are a few cases in which you should give your boobs a little extra love. Generally, there are two conditions that can cause a noticeable change to your teardrop breast shape. They include:
- Adenosis – Adenosis occurs when the glands in your breast that are responsible for producing milk get enlarged, which can lead to visual changes in your boobs. However, even though they may look different, this condition isn’t too much cause for concern—Adenosis normally goes away on its own.
- Mastitis – This condition is mostly seen among breastfeeding women, but it’s not exclusive to them. Mastitis happens when your breast becomes inflamed and swollen, often because of an infection. It needs a doctor's visit to resolve since it’s treated with antibiotics. The doctor will also want to make sure you don’t have an abscess since that’s also a possible complication.
These changes can alter the shape of your breasts from their tried-and-true teardrop shape. If you notice anything concerning, make an appointment at the doctor to get it checked out.
Help Your Breasts Look Their Best With a Lulalu Bra
Whether you’re rocking the elegant teardrop frame or showing off your asymmetric chest, the right bra can do wonders for your shape. But, the perfect fit can be a challenge to find, especially if you’re flaunting A, AA, or AAA cup breasts.
From over-padding and gaping cups to a lack of variety in style, some bra stores don’t show a lot of love to women with more petite frames. That’s where Lulalu comes in—your fairy godmother of intimates, helping you find your perfect fit.
Take our custom-fit quiz to browse our collection of chic lingerie made specifically for your A-cup frame. We’ve designed each of our petitely framed bras to flatter your body.
With Lulalu, it’s time to say farewell to your ugly stepsisters of bras. We’ll introduce you to a new world of tailor-made comfort and style.
Sources:
Johns Hopkins Medicine. Normal Breast Development and Changes. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/normal-breast-development-and-changes
American Cancer Society. Mastitis. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/non-cancerous-breast-conditions/mastitis.html
