Firm breasts have a defined shape and need a bra that is as close to their shape as possible to get good fit (the most common problem is finding a cup size that fits but the style cuts into your boobs making it look like you're spilling out). Soft breasts are very fluid and tend to pour into a cup. They can flow sideways, vertically down, over your center gore and they can struggle to fill the top part of a bra. Soft breast tissue also jiggles a lot more and can slide around inside your cup if the fit isn't spot on. You can also find that soft breast tissue wrinkles as there isn't as much fatty tissue in the upper layers of skin.
There are lots of reasons why breast are, or become, soft. Genetics is a big player here, breastfeeding, weight gain or loss and simply getting older are some of the major factors. Soft breasts have less firm fat and collagen in them than firmer breasts. If you think about breast fat and collagen as internal scaffolding then it makes sense that dense, firm breasts can retain a lot of lift and shape even without a bra. Soft breasts, on the other hand, need more support because they can't lift themselves up. Here are some bra fit tips for soft breasts:
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| The medium height gore and cup shape of Eva have been a huge success for heavy, soft breasts in bands 34+ |
Fit Tip #1
Look for bras with a medium to tall gore that will keep your breasts separate from one another.
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| Dessous has been a popular choice for our clients with soft breasts as the seams are soft and the sides are tall |
Fit Tip #2
Bras with tall sides (the piece of fabric coming down from the strap) are good for side heavy soft breasts. However, avoid bras with an inside side sling because they can cause a ridge in your breast tissue. If you love the bra you can always cut out the inner sling which is bisecting your boob.
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| A structure lower cup and stretchy upper cup like Envy by Panache can work really well |
Fit Tip #3
Stretchy fabrics can be your friend (especially in an upper cup where you might struggle to fill) but you also want a bra with some structure to minimize the bounce. 3 or 4 part cups with a firm lower cup and stretchy upper cup can work really well.
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| A molded cup like Wacoal's Basic Beauty can be useful for breasts that dent easily |
Some women find that any seams create ridges in their breasts and so need molded cups. Be aware that you might get some hollow space at the top of the cups (especially near the strap) but this isn't terrible for fit.
While there is very little you can do to change your breast tissue density (outside of surgery), remember that breast tissue skin is like any other part of your skin, it benefits from good moisturizing and sun protection. So get the girls lathered up with some SPF and lotion!
As with all things boob, no one solution fits all so if you have questions about soft breast tissue fit then ask them in the comments below and we'll answer as best we can xx
Thank you for writing this Claire! I'm sure I'm not the only lingerie blogger with soft tissue breasts, but sometimes it feels like it ;) Finding a good fit can be hard sometimes, and all of your bra suggestions are GREAT, especially because most of them are styles I've tried and they do indeed work with my breast tissue!
ReplyDeleteI have soft breasts and a blog! :) But yeah, i know how you feel. There are a lot of firmer breasted bloggers I follow, and when they hate a bra it usually means that bra will be perfect for me!
DeleteClaire, thanks for highlighting the Dessous! I've been wanting one (such fun colors!) but I was worried that it wouldn't work because of my soft breasts. Maybe I'll give it a go.
Thank you for the feedback ladies! The options are really hard for women with very small back and/or in the HH+ range. It's certainly important that we highlight density as a major factor in bra fit. xx
DeleteFillinganiche: Dessous turned out to be GREAT on my soft breasts. I was seriously surprised, since that cut is usually not a friend to me. (Most of the Fantasie and Freya lines are useless to me for that reason.) The band is looser than I expected, and the flexibility of the wires means I need a tight fit to keep the outer ends of the wires from creeping in on me, so I'm going to alter the back, but it is well worth it! Do try one.
DeleteI love these posts that you do, so informational! I don't have soft breasts, so I'm hoping you do some similar tips for those of us with firm breasts, because the only thing I know for sure is that mine refuse to be molded by molded cups. ;-)
ReplyDeleteKeep your eyes peeled for an upcoming Fit for Firm Breasts post :) xx
DeleteLove you, Butterfly! I had figured this stuff out already through trial and error, but I love the way you cover it...as normal bra issues that certain normal women have, instead of how to cover up the "horrifying secret" of not having "properly" dense breast tissue.
ReplyDeleteIt's completely normal and we should talk more often about how breast tissue density affects your bra fit. Soft breasts can happen for women of all ages xx
DeleteThat's a very good post :)
ReplyDeleteI'm an owner of a pair of soft-tissues, quite saggy boobs, which I've learned to live with. I've also learned what bras are good for me and what - are not ;)
Right now I'm utterly in love with Ewa Michalak's soft S-style bras - those are the ONLY soft-cup bras which don't give me the "crosseyed-rocket" boobs ;)
That's a great tip about soft cup bras, thank you for that! xx
DeleteI thought I was the only one. Its genetics because even in high school I still had them soft. I hated them forever but I couldn't change them so I live with them. Thanks I will keep in mind when I go bra shopping.
ReplyDeleteYou're totally right it's genetics. We very rarely see different kinds of breasts so it would have been hard for you at school not to compare your breasts to the millions of breast images we see.
DeleteThere is NOTHING wrong with your breasts. NOTHING. Your uniqueness is the most beautiful thing about you and you're entitled to lingerie that makes you feel wonderful inside and out so I hope these tips help you get into something that celebrates you and your breasts xx
Great tips and great review, as always. I have soft breasts, and I've learned through trial and error what you've listed above.
ReplyDeleteI just want to offer a small correction. Breastfeeding does not make ones breasts soft. It is pregnancy and the shift in hormones before, during and after a pregnancy that contribute to softening breast tissue. The 'pulling' action of nursing makes no difference to the texture of breasts. If this were the case, breast texture would not be affected in those mothers who never breastfeed, and we know that this is not the case. The fluctuations in size that are common in breastfeeding can lead to a change in shape after weaning, but only if you are genetically predisposed.
This may seem like a small difference, but in the interest of breast health, mothers health, and infant health (we all know that breastfeeding is just as beneficial to a mothers long term health as it is to her child's) it is important to have accurate information, especially on a topic which in the past has been used to discourage women from breastfeeding.
Women should feed their babies in the way that is best for their own family, but future breast texture shouldn't factor into the decision.
Excellent clarification Tina xx
DeleteGreat post, I myself have very large soft breasts and find it very difficult to find a bra that does cut into my breasts tissue. Anyways, I was wondering if you are ever going to order in more moulded bras in the future. I have one breast that is significantly bigger than the other and prefer to wear moulded cups because they hide the difference. I measure according to your calculator as being a 34 hh but the only bras that are available are soft cups.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great question. As the owner of Butterfly my own preferences (and I'll admit, prejudices) come into play when ordering bras for our store. Molded cups can be downright bad for boobs if the fit isn't right and the larger the bust the less support a molded cup will give. The seams of a cup are what give lift, support and shape. Finding good molded cup styles over a G cup is hard. I do like Fitfully Yours so we'll be going back to look at them again because I know we have to add some molded cups. In addition to the calculator I highly recommend getting a size consultation as well because it can take into account more information specific to you than the calculator can. You've spurred me on to find a molded G+ solution! xx
DeleteIt all makes sense now... I prefer stretchy fabric bras, in part because finding a molded cup in my size is beyond impossible most of the time. But they have always seemed too small because the seams dig in and my boobs take on whatever shapes the bra happens to be. I always thought it was just the bras I tried, but this makes sense. I always go for non-stretch now to avoid that problem, even if I need to conspicuously readjust myself every so often.
ReplyDelete(still me, just an afterthought)
DeleteI had never really considered this before. Just finding a bra that fits is hard enough. But knowing that I have this to consider as well is most illuminating, and I must thank you. I thought I'd read the entirety of bra-related internets, it is refreshing to learn something new and helpful!
I'm so glad the post help you look at your bra options with more knowledge. It can seem daunting to have so many things to consider; size, style and fabric all impact fit. But once you narrow down the combinations that work for you then bra shopping is much easier. Our Bra Audit is a good way to find out what works for you too http://blog.butterflycollection.ca/2014/01/how-to-do-bra-audit.html xx
DeleteThanks for this! I have very soft breasts and always find that the bra shaped my boob. On a side note, I also read how height affects fit and appreciate you pointing out some bras with wires that won't dig into my armpit!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like lots of factors to take into account but once you pinpoint what your breasts need then you know what to look for in a bra. I'm glad the posts are helpful xx
DeleteI just read your this blog, Thanks Claire.
ReplyDeleteYou have explained what I have been dealing with for some time since I have lost a lot of weight.