Boobs are funny old things, aren't they? Both functional and seen as attractive, they're incredibly varied between women. But we've come to learn that it's not just as simple as either having big boobs or small ones.

Lingerie company Third Love have made it their business to study the art of boobs, and have identified that there are seven different types among women. And it's actually quite fascinating, because we've never thought about our boob shape in such detail before.

Buying a bra isn't all to do with size; it turns out we should be thinking about which shape bras do the best things for our bosom buddies too. So work out which shape most sounds like yours, and you'll be enlightened to find out your ideal type of bra:

1. Round

If your breasts appear to be equally full at both the top and bottom, then you've got round boobs. People with these assets don't tend to need particularly structured, padded bras, as you don't need the bra to help shape the breasts — nature's done that for you.

2. East West

Do your nipples point outwards? If so, you're probably an east west kinda girl. Or even if your actual nipples don't point in opposite directions of the compass, if your general boob area seems to gravitate away from the centre of your chest, then you can put yourself in this category too. Third love recommends a T-shirt bra for anyone with East West boobs, thanks to the fact that it smoothes over the shape and helps to draw them in.

3. Side Set

If your breasts have a wide space between them, then your work here is done because you've got side set boobs. These tend to be a little fuller in shape than those who come under the east west category, and best suit plunge bras, which hoist your boobs up and draw them in. Perfect.

4. Tear Drop

Tear drop boobs are exactly what they sound like. If they're rounded but slightly less full at the top, then you can identify with having tear drops. Which, luckily for you, are the most easygoing type of breast shape, suiting most bras.

5. Slender

Slender breasts tend to be slimmer at the top, fuller at the bottom, and longer than they are wide. Have you got that? Because it's a lot of dimensions to judge. Extra evidence for having slender boobs is if they're relatively small in cup size. For this type of chest, Third Love advises wearing a plunge bra with padding to help with size as well as helping give you some lift.

6. Asymmetric

It might sound odd, but most women have asymmetry in their boobs in some shape or form. But if one of your breasts is notably larger than the other, then this is your stop: you've got asymmetric knockers. Usually, the discrepancy in size isn't too drastic that you have to start getting special bras fitted, so trying one with removable padding should do the trick nicely.

7. Bell Shape

Bell shape boobs sound characteristically similar to slender boobs, but bell shapes tend to be larger than slenders. So when bra shopping, think support, and try to stay away from those troublesome balconettes which will probably have you spilling out from all angles.

So there you go, which one are you?

And remember, when you go bra shopping in future, safe in all that useful knowledge, you're looking for three key things: no gaping or overflow in the cups, no slippage or digging in the straps, and make sure you can slip two fingers underneath the back of the bra band.

Happy bra shopping.

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From Cosmo UK.

Catriona Harvey-Jenner Digital Features Editor Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs.

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