What are Breast Forms?
Breast forms are prosthetic breasts that some women, transfeminine folks, and femme-of-centre folks choose to wear underneath their day-to-day clothing. There are many different kinds of forms that range in quality, shape, and material. Some styles are contoured to create a smooth transition from body to form, and can be worn directly against the skin, or tucked inside a bra. There are two forms in a set and, depending on the style, they are available in symmetrical and asymmetrical designs.
What is a Breast Form Bra?
A breast form bra is a bra with built-in flaps or panels specially designed to hold breast forms in place. Some folks choose to wear their forms with a regular bra, which can work well. While regular bras can be a good option for use with breast forms, some people appreciate the added feeling of support they get when wearing their breast forms inside of a specially designed breast form bra. The compartment in each cup helps keep each of the forms in place while you go about your day.
How to Choose Breast Forms and a Breast Form Bra
Freestyle Breast Forms: These translucent silicone breast forms are symmetrically shaped, meaning that the two forms are interchangeable. In addition, each has a slightly concave shape, adding to their versatility. They sit beautifully against flatter breast tissue, and can also curve to conform to more rounded tissue. These breast forms can be attached directly to the skin with the help of an adhesive, or, they can then be easily worn with a variety of bra styles. For folks who prefer to use a breast form bra, these forms can be slipped inside the front panels of our breast form bra.
Transform Supersoft Classic Breast Forms: These breast forms are asymmetrical, meaning that there is a right form and a left form. Just like their symmetrical counterparts, the Transform breast forms are made of silicone. They can be attached directly to the skin using an adhesive, or worn with a variety of different types of bras. For folks who would rather slip them into a breast form bra, it’s easy to do so, as these are designed to be worn with the Transform See Through Breast Form Bras we carry! Available in both chocolate and vanilla colours.
Transform See Through Breast Form Bra: The Transform See Through bra is the only breast form bra we carry, and is compatible with both styles of breast forms that we stock. The bra is designed with sheer flap-style enclosures that hold the forms securely in place. Available in black or white!
Breast Form Double Sided Tape: This product is great for offering support and a bra-free option, however, using this tape does void the warranty on our breast forms. In order to attach breast forms, this tape is applied to the back of each form, and then each form is held against the skin to help it adhere. The double-sided tape we carry has a bond that strengthens with heat, meaning that as the tape warms up to body temperature, it begins to adhere more strongly to the skin.
Choosing a Breast Form or Bra Size:
Choosing a size of breast forms is a process that looks a little bit different for each person, but we’ve got a couple of guidelines to help out with this. First, you’ll want to establish your bra band size. Using a tape measure, measure the circumference of your torso, just underneath the armpits. If you end up with an odd number (in inches), go down to the closest even number. This is your band size.
Next, you’ll want to have a look at cup sizes. When determining an ideal cup size, a lot of people like to take into consideration their general body size and stature. While size and stature aren’t always an indicator of breast size, someone with a larger frame might opt for a larger cup size - and thus, larger breast forms - than someone who is on the more petite side. However, don't ignore your intuition - choose what appeals to you! After all, one of the perks of choosing products like breast forms is that you can choose whatever size you want!
If you find that you’re still having a hard time deciding between two cup sizes, perhaps opt for the smaller one. This would give you the opportunity to adjust and get comfortable with how everything fits. Then, if you decide to go bigger, you’ll have more information on how you want your breast forms to look and feel, and a good idea of what to expect!
In order to find the right size of breast forms according to your band size and your chosen cup size, check out the chart on the breast form product page you're considering! Simply find your band size on the horizontal axis, and locate your desired cup size on the vertical axis. Now, draw an imaginary line from each spot towards the middle of the chart. The number written in the box where the two intersect is the breast form size that you will need in order to achieve the cup size you desire.
How to Use Breast Forms and Breast Form Bras
Breast forms can be worn in a few different ways. They can be tucked inside of a regular bra, slipped into the panels of a breast form bra (make sure you've got the right sides organized, if they're asymmetrical!), or they can be attached directly to the skin with an adhesive tape. Regardless of the method you choose, it’s a good idea to get used to your new breast forms while you’re in a private, safer space, before venturing out into public. Consider the length of time you plan on wearing your breast forms over the course of a day, and try it out in private! Stand, sit, bend down, jump around, lie on the couch, and see how everything moves and feels! We suggest removing the forms before sleep - this allows your skin to breathe, and helps prevent potential damage to your silicone forms during sleep.
Care and Cleaning:
The breast forms we carry are made of silicone. Silicone is durable, non-porous, and very easy to clean. Simply wash regularly with mild soap and water, and allow to air dry. Be sure to keep sharp objects away from your silicone breast forms in order to prevent tearing or puncturing them. The breast form bra we carry is made of polyester, so, in order to keep your bra in tip-top shape, we recommend hand-washing it, or, machine-washing on the gentle cycle. Since heat can damage the material, you’ll want to hang your bra to dry.
Have Questions?
Have questions? Need help? Write us at info@gendergear.ca and we’d be happy to chat!