Types of Bras as of 2012-11-18 12:04:12

So people have told you you should stick to a certain cut. Or you are reading about cuts everywhere and want to figure out what they mean and how they differ. Or you’re starting to become truly obsessed with bras. :D

So let’s find out.

By cup cut

Plunge

This is probably the best known cut of bras and the one you will find most often in bra stores. It’s also very easily identifiable - it’s the one with the very low center gore.

Examples:

Push-Up

A push-up bra is a bra that is designed to make your breasts look bigger: It achieves this by sewn-in pads, usually made out of gel. It can be in any cut.
Be careful! These pads may, when worn over an extended period of time, deform your breast tissue. A lot of women who always or mostly wore push-up bras report similar or better effects on their breast shape by well-fitted bras.

Examples:

The Freya Deco Halfcup

Halfcup and balconette

There is some confusion between the halfcup and balconette cut. We can say that both have their straps far from the center of the cup and close to the armpits. Both usually have pretty low-running cups.

Examples:

Fullcup

The fullcup is often believed to be the only alternative for women who have not yet found the big size spectrum that is available in all cuts! It has relatively centered straps and the cups go very far up. It provides a lot of coverage and support.

Examples:

Sports bra

Sports bras are designed to inhibit strong motion to prevent pain and other effects, like juggling around.
There are two main principles of sports bras: Compression and encapsulation. Compression bras work by pushing your breast tissue as close as possible to your torso. Encapsulation bras separate your breasts into preformed cups and support them from beneath.

Examples:

The Shock Absorber Max Sports bra, working by compression
The Freya Active Underwire Sports bra, working by encapsulation