Bra Problem #9: “I have an 11 year old who was breastfed. That said, the goof would only eat out of the left one, and my right stayed the same. So I look heavy on my left. Does any bra accommodate for ooomph? I hate that my damn nipples are totally lopsided.”

      We tell our clients all the time, every last one of us is asymmetrical to some degree. It’s part of the nature of bodies. What’s relevant is how asymmetrical and whether we’re able to give both sides adequate support. If it’s something you’re self-conscious about, we can certainly look for options to help address that also, but seriously… it’s super normal and probably not noticeable to anyone else.

     For starters, we want to fit the bra cups to the larger breast. Constricting breast tissue isn’t comfortable or healthy, plus it’s always possible to add padding to the side with less volume. Possible does NOT mean necessary, but if there’s actual space between breast and bra on the smaller side, especially in the bottom portion of the bra cup, a bit of cushioning can hold everything together more snugly.

Depending on your personal preferences, you could take a couple of possible approaches: focus on minimizing the appearance of asymmetry or choose a bra with a more adaptive construction to fit both sides independent of each other. For the first strategy, a foam-molded “T-shirt” bra is probably the best tool for the job since dense, pre-formed cups tend to mask small amounts of empty space. Many wearers also like this bra category for nipple coverage, which might be something you’d prefer as well based on your query. The bra shown above at right is the Fleur wireless contour bra from Anita/ Rosa Faia, which often works well in this capacity, with just the right balance of firmness and flexibility.

In the second case, look for an unlined lace or fabric-cup bra with lots of elasticity; the material may end up laying just a little more taut on the larger side. The advantage of unlined bras in general is that they mold to your body shape better; this route wouldn’t provide as much coverage or concealment, though. Pictured on the left above is the Beyond Bra from Evelyn & Bobbie, a style that does a fantastic job of forming to the body it’s on and a great solution to even significant asymmetry. It’s also only unlined if you want it to be… It comes with removable pads but works the same without them.

Note: “Bra Problems” was originally a series of Facebooks posts written in response to follower queries during the Covid shutdown of spring 2020. Our inboxes are still open, though! If you have a Bra Problem you’d like us to troubleshoot here, email your issue to support@grailbras.com.