Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Starter breast forms

Inexpensive non-adherent forms can be found on Amazon, but buying from specialist dealers who are tuned into the crossdressing and trans scene will usually be a better bet. Be prepared for what you get to be a compromise, because forms in this price bracket tend to be made from solid silicone, though a few are not. The good news is that as a first adventure, while a pair may not prove ideal, they won't leave you too much out of pocket.

Many forms of this type are labelled by cup size, which is meaningless, because as you will know from the second article in this series, a form sold as a 'D' will only fit a D cup for one particular band size. It would be much more helpful if cheaper forms were sold as, say, 'fits a 36C bra', because then we could use the 'if you go up a band size then you must go down a cup size and vice versa' rule to work out if the form is compatible with our band size, but most sellers haven't got there yet.

A few Amazon sellers do provide conversion tables which can be used to work out back and cup sizes their products will work with and I'm looking at one which says a 500g 'D cup' form fits a 40D (90D) or a 42C (95C). There are possibly the only two sizes this form would fit well, because looking at the width, which is 158mm, it would probably be too wide for the wire of a 36 band - don't forget that the wire radius on a bra is fixed and dependent on the back size.

The take home is that buying inexpensive forms of this type from non-specialist dealers (like Amazon) can prove frustrating and may not work out so cheap, because, unless the seller is very helpful, the size you end up with is likely to be a gamble. As in, you could end up two or more cup sizes out, which is a lot.

Without a good returns policy, you could end up spending more cash finding a bra that fits the forms than you on spend on the forms themselves – which leaves aside how you are going to keep the forms inside the bra, be it with pockets or surgical adhesive.

One range of relatively cheap forms that caught my eye is the Bouncees range from the Breast Form Store. These are symmetrical, sold in pairs, appear to be made from soft silicone and come in a wide range of sizes, neatly keyed to a band and cup size chart. If you can live with the lurid – and large – nipples then these might be the best starter form out there, because (in my experience) the Breast Form Store is reliable and while the staff haven't been particularly hot on draw with my email queries, they do get back and provide good advice. Plus, they export.

The Amolux Nature foam forms are another possibility if you are considering a starter form, but while they are attractively priced, availability seems to be problematic at the time of writing.

Be prepared for your early steps to be an experiment rather than a solution, but if you aren't sure, it has the potential to help make your mind up one way or another. If you experience a 'this could be better, but I feel a way I never felt before' moment, whatever you spent was worth it.

Sophisticated forms

The forms I know best are made by Amoena and Amolux. These are expensive, but soft and extremely well-made – the two ranges being so similar it is easy to imagine they might be made by the same supplier. Forms like this emphasise balance and feel – because they are designed for use by women who have had a mastectomy – and are built with a core of near liquid silicone within a soft shell. They are similar in feel and weight to a real breast because they are made to balance a real breast.

Both companies offer symmetric and asymmetric forms – the latter being designed to fit on the left or right, but not both. In other words, the forms are handed.

Amoena

Looking at Amoena's ranges first, the asymmetric 3E forms works well in bras with lower cut necklines because the apex of the forms is displaced toward the outer edge of the cup, but Amoena's symmetric ranges are more flexible.

Amoena's symmetrical range models are called the 1S, 2S and 3S, each having a slightly deeper profile than the last. While the 1S range falls at the shallow profile end of the scale, I find it works well with most full cup bras and is extremely comfortable when worn for long periods. The 2S is mid profile, but isn't always great match with band sizes because it is quite wide in relation to its projection, while the 3S has the fullest profile and fits well into many bra styles, but can be quite heavy in sizes much larger than a 7.

Amoena's self-adherent ranges are branded as 'contact' breast forms and you should avoid the contact light versions if feel is important to you. Their non-adherent forms are branded 'natura' and are about 25% cheaper.

Amolux

The Amolux equivalent of the 3E is the Diamond range (if you buy either, be aware that the forms fit best into cups with the apex of the form toward the outside) while the Amolux Ruby range is similar to the Amoena 1S.

The self-adherent versions of Amoena and Amolux forms stick because they have silicone bobbles on the back, but while they are sometimes described as being fine for going braless, that has not proven so for me. However, once in place inside a full cup bra, they will stay put reliably, even through exercise and dancing. They are easy to handle and clean – and treated with care will last years even when worn every day.

Divine

I have no experience of the Divine collection self-adhesive forms, so cannot comment on either their softness or staying power. Other Divine products are of such good quality, though, that these may work as well as the Amoena and Amolux ranges. Divine products are targeted at the crossdressing and trans community, so tend to be more about providing good shape than best feel, which is what many buyers want.

The Divine Hera looks to have a particularly well-thought out shape as far as appearance goes. I should repeat that I have no idea how squishy these forms are, but be warned that what some makers describe as 'soft' is shockingly firm compared to the feel of a real breast.

Other brands

Among other suppliers, Gold Seal make separate forms, as do Transform, RedRose and Trulife. Trulife are a mastectomy product supplier, while most of the remainder are targeted at the trans and crossdressing community. I have no experience of their products, but this does not mean they aren't good, so if anyone has experience of brands I do not know, please reply. The more we pool our knowledge, the easier it will make it for others.

Nipples – built in or attached?

The downside of the Amoena ranges is that they don't come with built-in nipples/areolas, unless you count a gesture of a bobble at the apex of the form. Why is this so? They are made for women who have had mastectomies and since most women aren't keen on their nipples showing through clothes, not having one on a form is just fine. Also, since nipples vary tremendously in both colour and size, it makes the product more flexible.

One gotcha with separate forms is that getting the height of the nipples – whether part of the form or not – to align is an art in itself, with minor rotations of each form playing three kinds of havoc with the most careful placement. Believe me nothing is more noticeable than two nipples at slightly different levels under a tight top. Eye catching doesn't begin to describe it.

If you want, you can buy attachable nipples in various sizes and colours from Amoena and Divine amongst other makers. This represents one more bit of expense, but the Amoena and Amolux ranges are such nice forms you won't regret your purchase. Nipples and forms are for another post.

Divine forms have many more customisation options than the other makers, including built-in nipples in five different colours and no less than five diameters, which are part of the form. As an option, Divine forms can be customised with different densities of freckles, veins and skin texture and no other maker offers that.

Availability and size charts

Amoena forms are available from the Amoena shop, worldwide. Amoena make breast forms for women who have had mastectomies, but their online shop will sell to anyone. Amolux and Divine are sold by specialist dealers.

All three makes are backed up by comprehensive band size/cup size charts – my personal view is this is a basic requirement for buying a form. Amoena's chart is the most accurate in my experience.

Other ranges of forms sold by specialist dealers include Gold Seal and Transform, but I have no experience of them. If any readers do, please comment.

Pros and cons of the top-end forms

Soft, self-attaching forms have many advantages, but they also have limitations. For one thing, they aren't suitable for wearing overnight on more the occasional basis, because while they are easily tough enough to stand average daily wear and tear, repeated shearing caused by lying on them risks rupturing the skin. The good news is that they are fine for the occasional romp, just remember to take them off before you go to sleep.

Another issue I should flag up is that neither the Amoena nor the Amolux ranges are good for canyon-like cleavages, but while the Divine Hera might be, my suggestion is that if cleavage is your goal, you should consider a breast plate. Finally, soft, self-adherent forms aren't totally reliable with demi-cups, plunge bras or balconettes, because of the way the apex tends to pull away from the skin with bras which don't support the entire form.

A useful piece of knowledge is that soft silicone forms expand about 10% when they are up to body temperature, so the correct size form for a bra will slightly underfill the cup when the form is cold.

One final point – while the top end ranges usually provide several shades of white skin, they are less good at catering for other skin colours. Both Amoena and Divine market a couple of non-white shades of forms.

Any questions, just ask!

Interesting, Tanya.

I have not tried any of these products. I am unsure if I would now that I have some real breasts.  However this is interesting reading. 

Chrissy