According to Herroom.com, if your breasts are 1-2 finger-widths apart, the world of bras is your oyster. If your breasts are touching, like mine, there are a limited number of styles that are going to work for you. Arguably, an even tougher type of chest to fit is one with wide set breasts. Wide set breasts are defined as breasts where you can easily fit 3 or more fingers between your breast roots.
Having wide set breasts presents a number of fit challenges that are going to limit the styles of bras that you’ll be able to wear. The biggest problem with wide set breasts is that they’re going to tend toward the outer edge of your cup.
Since most cups are designed for center fullness and breasts that are closer together, you’re going to have issues like gapping in the center part of the cup and spillage on the outer part of your cups. Swooping and scooping is essential for ensuring that your breasts are correctly contained between the underwires.
Design features you need
Side support
If your tissue naturally gravitates toward the sides of your bra, you’re going to need a bra that can keep things corralled. Look for bras with cups advertised as having inner slings for side support. Also keep an eye out for bras that have wide bands along the sides of the bra, as this will help to keep your breasts reeled in.
Wide Gore
If you can, look for bras with a wide gore (wide separation between cups). Some brands are known for having wider than average gores, such as Cleo. If you can make them work for you, front-opening bras, or bras with a corded gore are styles that can also suit wide set breasts.
The Cleavage Question
One of the biggest gripes for women with wide set breasts is that most bras are not going to give them the kind of cleavage they want. Whether it’s that Christina Hendricks cleavage you’re after, or just some work-appropriate décolletage, a real effort has to be made.
One style that is going to help you out to that end are plunge-style bras. Because of their very short gore, there’s little separating one breast from another. A low gore with decent side support means there’s a good chance your breasts will be pushed together enough to create a bit of cleavage.
One level up from this is of course, the push-up bra. These are tougher to find in D+ cups, because the world assumes we’ve already gotten more than our fair share, but they exist.
If you’re in pursuit of really dramatic cleavage, there’s more you can do. J-hooks and racerback clips, push-up pads/cookies, and wearing a bra a size or two too small are all options that will help push your boobs closer together. Check out my article on push-up bras for some worthwhile options, as well as a more detailed look at options that will help create more cleavage.
Another option that might work for when you want some everyday casual cleavage is the wireless bra. Many people have a love/hate relationship with wireless bras because they often create uniboob. As a wide set woman, if you find a style that you like, you can use this to your advantage, as the uniboob effect is likely to not be as pronounced for you.
Here are a few bra options that suit wide set breasts:
Cleo Koko Plunge
As a group, Cleo by Panache bras have a lot of styles with elements that should make them a successful pick for wide set breasts. You’ll see a lot of short gores, both corded and not in their line, as well as J-hooks. They’re also known for their gores being a little wider than average.
The Koko Plunge cups come up a bit high on the sides, however they do not have reinforced sides. This bra is a good example of a corded gore, which should typically work well with wide set breasts.
A discontinued fan favorite, with a shorter cup is the Cleo Neve. Like the Koko Plunge, this is going to suit those with even or full on top breasts, that don’t require immediate projection near the bottom of the cup.
Another discontinued winner is the Cleo Mimi. It’s got about 1/2 -2/3 coverage and a 3-part cup for more support, however there isn’t a whole lot of side coverage going on.
Freya Deco Spotlight
Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I recommend the Freya Deco line. The truth is, sometimes a bra is good for a lot of different reasons, and the Deco Spotlight
is no exception! You’ll find a lot of options within the Freya Deco family of bras that are going to work for wide set breasts, as the Deco line is based on a plunge cup.
In addition to the wide gore and J-hooks that you’ll also find in the Cleo Koko line, the Freya Deco line also has awesome side support going for it, meaning your breasts will be push front and center.
I also wanted to mention the Freya Women’s Deco Molded Soft Cup Bra as another Freya pick. Freya generally isn’t top of mind for me when I think of wire-free bras, however I think the shape of this bra lends itself well to the creation of cleavage, due to the virtual lack of separation between cups and the side support.
Side Support – Elomi Cate
Elomi Cate is a full cup option that makes the list primarily because of its legendary side support, with wings that come up high along the sides of the bra. The side support will point your breasts as much as it can toward the front and center.
The gore is slightly wide, making this a possible option for someone with wide set breasts. Because it is a full cup, the gore comes up quite high (as do many Elomi bras) which means you aren’t going to get cleavage out of this bra.
If you want a little less height on the sides but are still looking for sturdy side support, the Elomi Morgan
can also work.
A discontinued Elomi that I think is worth a look is the Elomi Asia. It’s not going to work for everyone. There is quite a wide gore on this bra. Combined with Elomi’s generally large underwire, this can be a problem, and my guess as to why they no longer make this bra anymore.
Rosa Faia Scarlett Spacer by Anita
Ever the lover of simple but beautiful bras, I fell for the Scarlett Spacer. It’s a smooth-cup bra that would work well under t-shirts, as it’s got a tiny bit of volume to ensure modesty.
The gore comes up slightly higher than a plunge, however the cups are widely-spaced. This makes it a great everyday option for widely-spaced breasts.
Something Ornate – Curvy Kate Tease Padded Balconette
If you’re looking for something a little very frilly, the Curvy Kate Tease should be on your list of bras to try. Balconettes are a solid choice for wide set breasts when you want a balance between coverage/support and cleavage. This bra has a slightly wider center panel, which, combined with side support provided by powermesh wings make it a versatile bra that is sexy but still provides control.
Fantasie Alex Underwire Bra with Side Support
Th Alex bra
is a classic full cup design by Fantasie. It’s got side support and wide set cups that make it a winner for wide set breasts. What makes this bra worth adding to the list are its wider underwires, which make it an attractive option for women with wide-roots.
Lacy Plunge – Lepel Fiore
If you’re looking for a plunge with a sewn cup, Lepel’s Fiore plunge bra
is worth looking at. I fault it for having a small band, but it wins for having cups that comes up somewhat high on the sides, and a wide gore.
Aspirational Pick – Ulla Women’s Alice Full Figure Bra
The Alice Full Figure bra is just gorgeous. Often times, if a cup isn’t well-designed, you’ll get a nice little duck-bill shape in the cup. Not so with Ulla Alice. This bra somehow manages to provide a beautiful, rounded shape, thanks to the help of power lace and Lycra. The bra is well-supported on the sides and has a wider than average gore. This isn’t going to give you cleavage, but it’s probably going to make you feel like a million bucks regardless.