Guide to Playtex Bra Styles, Sizing and Fit

Below is a mostly-comprehensive list of Playtex bras, including their style names and style numbers, with notations on whether each is suitable for shallow or projected breasts and wide or narrow roots. The list prioritizes bras currently available, but many discontinued and vintage styles are included for reference, as Playtex has a rich history of innovative designs like the 1965 Cross Your Heart and 1970 18 Hour lines that remain popular.

Notes on Fit and Breast Shape

Shallow vs. Projected: Shallow breasts have less forward projection and a wider base, needing wider, less deep cups to avoid gaping or empty space at the top. Projected breasts extend farther out, requiring deeper cups with immediate projection at the wire. Playtex bras are predominantly wireless, molded, or full-coverage with shallow cup shapes, making them ideal for shallow profiles that benefit from smoothing and light lift, but often too shallow for projected shapes, leading to quad-boob, compression, or overflow. Vintage styles like Cross Your Heart offer more pointed projection for moderate shapes.

Wide vs. Narrow Roots: Wide roots span a broader chest area, needing wider wires (or wireless bands) for comfort and to prevent digging into breast tissue; narrow roots are more compact, needing narrower wires to ensure the gore tacks fully. Playtex bands and wires are generally average to wide, suiting wide roots well but often too broad on narrow roots, causing gaping or poor centering, so try sister sizing down in band or opting for vintage pointed styles for closer fits.

How to Use This List

Identify Your Shape: Use Playtex’s Bra Fit Finder on their website or A Bra That Fits resources to confirm if you’re shallow or projected and your root width.

Match Bra Style: For shallow breasts, prioritize molded, wireless, or full-coverage bras (e.g., 18 Hour Ultimate Lift, Secrets Floral). For projected breasts, choose vintage seamed or lightly lined styles if available (limited; consider sister sizing up for depth).

Check Root Width: Ensure wire width aligns with your root—Playtex’s average-to-wide wires favor wide roots, but vintage Cross Your Heart works for average to narrow.

Additional Notes

Shape-Specific Collections: Playtex’s 18 Hour line (e.g., 4745, 4693) excels for shallow breasts with wide roots, offering wireless TruSUPPORT for smoothing and shoulder relief without wires. Secrets styles (e.g., 4442, 4415 discontinued) provide underwire versatility for moderate projection. Vintage Cross Your Heart (2005, 35) offers pointed separation for narrower, projected roots, ideal for retro enthusiasts. 

Some wearers critique Playtex wireless bras (e.g., 4395, 4803) for being too shallow on projected FOT breasts, causing overflow. Full-coverage like 18 Hour Sensational is recommended for wide roots and pendulous shallow shapes but can gap on narrow or highly projected profiles due to average depth. Bands run snug (small), cups generous (big) in US sizing. 

Wire Width: Playtex bras (when wired) typically have average to wide wires, suiting wide roots but challenging very narrow ones (e.g., vintage Cross Your Heart for closer fits). eBay and Reddit measurements advise trials, as scaling varies in larger sizes (up to 54H) 

Discontinued Styles: Icons like 4395, 4442, and 4415 remain popular for their comfort; vintage bullet bras sought for retro appeal. 

Fit Variability: Cup depth and band width vary by size (e.g., smaller cups shallower). For projected shapes, sister size up in cup (e.g., 34D vs. 36C) if too shallow; for shallow, down a cup to avoid gapping. Playtex uses traditional +4/+5 sizing—often underestimating cups. Always scoop and swoop.

List of Playtex Bras