Busty Move
As one of the most flat-chested people you know (and proud of it! (sometimes)), it never occured to me how tricky it is for the bustier among us to dress for appropriately for work without feeling like we're dressing for a trip to a Muslim country.
But, after having this very discussion with my voluptuous co-worker a few days ago, I decided to get some advice. For you. Because again. Flat-chested over here. I could wear a shirt cut down to my belly button and no one would blink an eye.
Moving on.
For the rest of you, here are 10 tips for keeping your girls covered and your sense of style in tact.
1. Know your bra size. If you are getting the multiple boob effect, or if your bra straps are digging deeper into your shoulders as the day goes on, something is wrong. The quickest solution is a quick bra fitting, which you can get at any high-end department store or lingerie shop.
2. Wear bras that are appropriate for work. Seamless bras with maximum coverage are the best. Bras with a lot of lace or other details might be sexy, but they can also show through shirts and sweaters, bringing more attention to your ladies instead of less. Bras without the right support will leave you, ahem, bouncing all day long.
3. When all else fails, minimize. If you are wearing the right size and style of bra and still feel too busty, you might consider a minimizer. Keep in mind though, from what I hear, that might not be the most comfortable option if you are going to be putting in a lot of long hours.
4. Know your neckline. Thanks to Ashley Harris' recent post, we all know how to choose the best neckline for our face. Now, make sure you are choosing the best neckline for your breasts. A button-down shirt, open at the collar, gives the illusion if a V-neck with a little more coverage. A boat neck is also a flattering choice and a cowl neck is great on its own, or dressed up with a suit jacket.
5. Draw the eye upwards. You busty ladies are probably no strangers to the "My face is up here, stupid" syndrome, and work is no exception. The more you can do to keep people's eyeline high, the better. If you're wearing a lower cut V-neck, for example, consider putting a simple camisole underneath. Steer clear of anything lacy or detailed that will pull the eye down. You can also use accessories to your advantage-- a brooch on your shoulder, for example, or a strand of pearls that ends just below your clavicle. Avoid long pendants or necklaces that end right where you don't want people to be looking.
6. No buttons, no problems. Shirts without buttons have less of a tendency to gape open, so try T-shirt style blouses or sweaters. If you feel like your top fits a little too snugly for office comfort, try a silky camisole underneath to help it lay more smoothly. (A cotton cami will only stick to the sweater and make it worse.)
7. Buy for your bust. A button down shirt that gapes at the bust is never going to look right, no matter what you do. Buy a few sizes larger, for a good fit in the bust, and then have the rest of the shirt tailored to fit your other narrower curves.
8. Know your proportions. For an hourglass figure, a pencil skirt is probably best, while an A-line skirt is just the ticket for someone larger on top with a narrow waist and bottom half. Dressing in a monochromatic theme can also help minimize what needs to be minimized and maximize the best. Try a few different styles and see what looks and feels best.
9. Suit Up, Button Up. Suits with two or three buttons mean a higher closure, which means your bust is more covered. Avoid suits with a single button in the middle. A double-breasted suit shouldn't even cross your mind. (Remember, we are going for less breast, not double breast.)
10. Follow the leader. Look around your office or office building for a similarly built woman and see what she wears. It will either give you some good ideas, or show you how not to do it.
That should probably keep you out of trouble, when it comes to your office dress code, at least.
Any other ideas from our busty sisters out there?
Labels: How To
13 Comments:
I'm a busty gal, which makes it difficult to buy dresses that fit me on the top without hanging on the bottom! Thanks for the tips!
I do have to say that I have gone to Victoria's Secret, and everytime I get a bra fitting, I am in a different size....without gaining or losing weight. I am not quite sure if they measure right. They measure over my clothes. My sisters have the same issue. Any suggestions of where else I could get a fitting?
I've always had the same problems. Just to warn people, I was measured before, but the store only carried my size online. The salesperson told me that if I bought a larger band size it would work just as well. I was impatient and bought it. I wore it a few times trying to convince myself that it fit, but I was wrong and she was wrong. I would have been much better off buying the correct size!
Thanks for all the tips! I think they're great.
This is good advice, though I disagree that a boatneck is flattering for busty women. I find that deep V-necks look best and that high necklines tend to make me look bulky. I'm hourglass-shaped so my large breasts come with broad shoulders and a boatneck is one of the worst necklines I can wear.
Victoria's Secret is not equipped to measure busty women correctly and they don't stock bras in many sizes. Busty women should look for an independent lingerie store if possible. Nordstroms is also good, because the fitters are experienced and they carry a wide range of sizes. Online, Figleaves and Bravissimo offer good instructions on self-measuring and both carry pretty bras in larger sizes. Most large-breasted women are wearing a band size that is too large and a cup size that is too small. I wore a 38D for years, back when I shopped at Victoria's Secret, but properly measured I was a lot closer to a 32G.
Victoria's Secret has NEVER worked for me. Like someone else said, they are simply not equipped to handle larger busts.
I recommend looking for a specialty lingerie store, although I found that when I went there, they told me I was some crazy size, that of course only they carried, and I didn't really feel like it was that flattering on me. I hated those bras, and they were incredibly expensive.
However - I used that as a starting point to know about what my size point should be. I'll often shop discount stores like Ross or TJ Maxx to look for Wacoal or Lilyette minimizer bras - for a much cheaper cost. I'll grab a bunch of sizes in my range and try them all. Trust what feels right - you can tell if the bra fits. :-)
Oh - and ps, I love minimizers. I've never had a problem with discomfort - I don't know if it's a matter of getting the perfect fit or what. I swear by Lilyette Minimizers - I feel like my girls are well supported without being thrust out there for everyone to see. :-)
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thank you for recognizing that having big boobs is quite a curse!!!
some people would say that its the best thing in the whole world---and i would retort---"ya, its the best thing in the world if you want to constantly look like a slut, or that your trying to be sexy".
if your smaller on top, you can buy a water bra--or push up or something. but if your in the D range, you just have to grin and bare it when those buttons come flying off, or your shirt is gaping open.
its really hard to be modest, when you have a large chest.
2 suggestions: if you want to draw attention away from your bust--wear half sleeve dresses and shirts.( they are just a little above the elbow) they create a line that makes a square instead of focusing on your round chest.
and if your buttons gape open, you can buy little plastic buttons at the fabric store and put them in between ( sew them in very carefully) each button.
they keep the spaces closed in the right places and you dont even know they are there.
There are some serious "fashion farts" that could be committed regarding this topic! I'll have to include that on another post. Great info!
http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2009/03/5-fashion-farts.html
Mariel
www.oneshetwoshe.com
I will second everything Jill Bagley said. Just read her comment again for mine :)
I also have been told at Victoria's Secret that they just don't make anything near my size (32G as well). I shop at specialty stores and Dillards, find the one I like a couple sizes off (let's face it, my size is never there), and then buy it online. I've tried going up in band size, too, but it is just a BAD IDEA. Cardigan Empire has a lot of great ideas on this, too. Try this link for fantastic tips: http://www.cardiganempire.com/2009/02/ample-blossoms.html
Also I do not think a boatneck works for chestier women at all. It seems like there's this huge mass at the top and seems much less proportionate.
And seriously, Jill, good call on the half sleeves.
I've also found it hard to get a good fitting at stores that advertise "expert fitting" unless that store happens to stock my size (38G). I've been put in everything from a 38DD (ha ha) to a 42DDD. Finally I gave up and had my grandmother fit me. Every year or so I also have a fitting at a Lane Bryant store (they stock the larger cup sizes, but their smallest band size is a 38). Life is much more comfortable (and well supported) when you're wearing the correct size. I love pencil skirts (and I'm not a slender girl) and knit tops with a modest v-neck. Jill's advice about half or 3/4 sleeves is perfect. I also find that wearing chunky, short necklaces and larger earrings helps draw attention back to my face. It's rare to find a pattern that's flattering to me so I wear a lot of solid jewel tones and bright colors. Button front blouses just don't work for me. Although my shoulders are broad it's impossible to find a shirt that doesn't gape at the chest unless it's so big the neck and shoulders are huge. Dresses are also a challenge since the hem tends to be very uneven once my chest has filled up the front of the dress. Skirts and sweaters have been a much better fit for me. All of my tops have a bit of stretch and I try to look for interesting necklines like scoops (but not too low), square, or v-neck. Crewnecks make me look as if my entire front is boob- it's just not a good look!
Thanks for recognizing the challenges of dressing a busty figure! I've gotten so good tips from reading the other comments.
Ok, this post is older now so I don't know if anyone will see this, but I have to ask my busty sistuhs out there... has ANYONE found a good swim suit? I know you all have this problem, too- has anyone found a solution? I found figleaves online but all of their reviews have said how "off" their sizing chart is, and Athleta says they make swim suits for the chesty but I kind of think they're lying based on their pictures. Any ideas would be much appreciated!
P.S. Erika, Janet's right about how off a measured fitting can be. Every time I'm measured, it's some crazy small cup size (DD- I'm a G). I finally had to let my dignity go out the window at a bra boutique and have the sales lady look at how ridiculous they were on me, and she kept changing the size until it was right. I did this twice and wound up as a 32G, and I was being put in 34 DD or 36D, which is realy far off. Sometimes you have to look at what's going wrong with the bra (or have someone else look at it) to tell. There's a good tutorial about this at cardigan empire.
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