Choosing Swimsuits to Fit Your Bust Size and Type

Women's breasts come in diverse forms and proportions. Beyond cup size, various physical features including placement, shape, width, and length affect your bust's appearance. Identifying your unique bust type will help you choose the most appropriate plus-size swimwear styles for the best fits and looks.

Factors contributing to your chest style may involve: 

Genetics: 

Because genes influence hormones levels, they affect breast characteristics including tissue, density, size, skin, and appearance. 

Age: 

Fibrous structures supporting young breast tissue may weaken over time. Eventually, breast tissue needs added support against gravity. Declining tissue strength makes them sag and droop. 

Weight: 

Depending on tissue density, all breast sizes can enlarge and decrease along with overall body proportions as weight changes. 

Breastfeeding: 

Bosoms that swell during pregnancy and nursing may deflate after weaning. Possible culprits are fluctuating hormones and skin stretched over engorged mammaries that doesn't contract fully to prior firmness. 

East/West Divide: 

Breasts that point outward and gravitate away from your chest's center establish an east/west gap. This Becca Etc. tankini with stretch foam cups will smooth over your shape while tying the angled halter straps around your neck will draw in your bust. 

Side Set: 

Fuller busts than the above east/west style that spread outward from your spinal column produce a wide side-set separation. Choose plunging necklines like this Cole of California low-cut cross-strap tankini to hoist up and push in your bust. 

Conical: 

Despite a typical breast base at the chest wall, this type is more cone-shaped than round. The conical category may not fill out cup side portions, so they appear too big. This occurs most often in smaller A-C cup sizes. A bandeau bra swimsuit like this one from La Blanca will compress pointed breast tissue for a more natural curve. Push-up styles that lift underneath and press breasts inward from the outer sides will provide fuller looks and cleavage. Avoid unstructured swim tops without shaping. 

Bell Shape: 

Thinner upper breasts round out to fuller curved bottoms in bell shapes. They also have more length than width. This Anne Cole twist-front tankini with cups offers supportive lift while cradling. Skip balconette styles that might allow too much excess to spill out and over your top.

Slender: 

This style resembles the previous bells while being the smaller version. Slimmer above than below, slender busts also have less width than length. Relatively small cups are typical. Slip push-up pads into this halter with plunging neckline from Night and Day to boost your size with lift. 

Reduced Projection: 

Although a standard cup size accommodates your breast base's circumference, you don't have enough volume to fill it fully. That reduced projection can cause swim tops to pucker or wrinkle. Choose the correct cup for your under-bust crease. Instead of rigid materials, select flexible fabric like this stretchy halter bandeaukini from Anne Cole to mold smoothly around your curves. Or try bra inserts to spread your breast tissue into empty spaces.

Asymmetric: 

Nearly all women's breasts vary somewhat in form or shape. But when one is noticeably bigger and the other much smaller, you have asymmetric breasts. Health-related causes include injuries or illnesses during breast development and menopausal hormonal changes that cause uneven expansion. A mismatched set will benefit from a patterned tankini with tiered ruffles, like this one from Kenneth Cole Reaction, to disguise the difference. Or insert a silhouette enhancer to boost just the underdeveloped side for a matching appearance. 

Most Versatile Forms:

Round:

Equally full breast tissue from top to bottom and side to side are round. Luckily for you, designers create the most styles for this coveted form. Since nature or breast implants blessed you with this ideal shape, most swimsuits will fit you perfectly. Cups, structuring, support, and padding aren't necessary. So you can go for a variety of thin, unlined swimwear styles that offer light coverage. 

Teardrops: 

These rounded mounds are slightly fuller underneath than higher up your chest. Another classic category, teardrops give you ample freedom to select from many popular styles. Full-coverage maillots and supportive swimsuits with wide, comfortable straps will flatter these bottom-heavy breasts. To find other fabulous fashions for your shape, visit Swimsuits Direct. Check out the Plus Size tab. Shop by swimwear styles from maillots to two pieces and tankinis to halters. Or search by brands, sizes, or prices. You'll also find accessories including cover-ups, beach bags, sunglasses, and sandals to complete your becoming look.