An absorbent article having a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body, an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner, and an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover. An absorbent structure of the absorbent body has a length, a thickness, a width, a longitudinal axis and a non-uniform lateral compression stiffness across its width. The non-uniform lateral compression stiffness is such that the absorbent structure assumes a pre-determined, or non-random buckled configuration under lateral compression thereof. In one embodiment, the buckled configuration is generally symmetric about a plane normal to the absorbent structure and in which the longitudinal axis of the absorbent structure lies.