Bra Solutions When Breasts Don’t Match

By Marcy Montgomery Jones
Cupid Intimates

Perfection.  Most of us strive for it; few of us ever attain it.  It’s especially true when it comes to our bodies.  All of us have bodies that aren’t symmetrical.  Our arms or legs may not measure out to exactly the same lengths, or one of our eyes or ears may be situated a bit above or below the other.  But most importantly for these pages, our breasts are almost never identical twins.  Did you know that the average woman has one breast that’s nearly a half size larger than the other?  It’s the issue that perhaps most often causes fit problems when we try on bras, camisoles, and bodybriefers.  And, of course, women who’ve had to undergo mastectomies or lumpectomies often find their new busts to be uneven and difficult to fit.  The fit challenges associated with having breasts of two different sizes can cause frustration and insecurity when shopping for, and wearing, intimates.  So what’s a girl to do?

A great proactive strategy is to make your way to a lingerie boutique, or the intimates section of your favorite department store, and speak with a fit specialist about your concerns.  Chances are she’ll measure you and put you in a bra to diagnose the sizing difference that exists between your breasts.  Remember, a great advantage to working with a fit specialist is that she’ll know exactly what’s available in her store to address your imbalance.  The right bra may be only part of the solution; accessories, known by various terms like padding, inserts, cookies, or even “chicken cutlets,” can add volume and shape to a bra cup supporting a breast slightly smaller than its twin.

If you’re more of a “do-it-yourselfer,” or you usually shop at a store without a fit specialist on staff, here are some tips you can use to “even out” your chest:

• Choose a bra that fits your larger breast.  The smaller one can always be accommodated by accessories.

• Look for a bra that has removable inserts in its cups.  Remove the padding from the cup supporting your fuller breast, and leave it in the other one.  If that still doesn’t provide enough volume, tuck the second pad into the pocket of the cup supporting the smaller breast.  If you find that one pad does the trick to even things out, save the extra pad for the next time you need to make adjustments to any garment with cups.  Buying a bra with removable padding eliminates the need to buy any additional inserts in the future, and will make it easier for you to make adjustments to other bras later.

• If the garment you want to buy doesn’t have removable padding, purchase separate inserts that can be placed into its cups.  If the inserts are made principally of fabric, it’ll be worth your time to get some needle and thread and go to work.  By stitching in your insert, you’ll create a customized bra that won’t need any further adjustments, and will eliminate any need to second-guess whether or not your padding is doing the cha-cha.

• Don’t forget to tighten up the strap on the side of your bra holding the smaller breast.  That breast needs support too.

• If this problem is one that proves difficult for you solve, surgery is always an option.  Until then, you might brush up on your home-ec skills and create a garment that’s perfect for you.

Don’t be shy about this issue.  The more open you are about it, the more successful you’ll likely be in finding the support and solutions to address your concerns.  Remember, no woman should have to settle for a poorly-fitting bra.  If you’ve been dealing with two differently-sized breasts, or have found a solution that works well for you, please let us know in the comment section below.

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