When it comes to bra personal preferences, almost nothing is universal. For every person who favors non-padded, smooth, and skin-tone neutral styles, there’s someone else who wants bright colors, all the frills, and 5 inches of push-up padding. One of the very few things that most folks agree on, though, is: “No uniboob, please.” Uniboob is what happens when your bra doesn’t provide any separation at all while compressing and flattening the bustline, creating the appearance of a single uninterrupted bulge on your chest. Overwhelmingly, bra wearers report finding this appearance unflattering.

Wireless bras are pretty much exclusively the source of uniboob woes, since even an ill-fitting underwire bra should provide some separation between your breasts. Wire-free bras do not, and cannot, give you the same level of separation because there’s nothing to physically force the center in towards your sternum. Now, that isn’t to say that ALL wireless bras automatically create a single boob blob effect. There are many design and construction tricks that wireless bras can use to create partial separation, such as pre-formed molded cups, vertical strips of firmer material that rest between the stretchier bra cups, or an X-shaped central construction that pulls in between the breasts. Compression is also part of the uniboob formula; not all wireless bras actively flatten out the chest, which allows you to keep a profile more aligned with your natural body shape.

If you’re not a fan of uniboob, no sweat. Different bra styles can create very different profiles under clothing. We can help you find a look that you’re more comfortable with.

Bonus fun fact: in the Edwardian era, the dreaded uni-boob look (or “monobosom”) was the height of fashion.