Dressing Down The Girls

For gals with more than enough “on top”, finding cute and flattering clothes can be difficult.

I speak from experience: I’m still big on top, but I used to be even bigger before I had a breast reduction. I’ve had years of experience learning how to downplay the girls. Picking the right cut and style makes all the difference, and will determine whether you look put together or dumpy. Here are the basics that you need to know.

The Short List of DO NOTs:

1) High necklines are almost always a BIG, HUGE NO-NO. (Unless of course you want to go for that uni-boob look.) Wearing a turtle neck or crew neck will make you look like you have one huge boob stretching across your chest. Go see for yourself. Stand in front of a mirror, and pull the neckline of your shirt up high. Then stretch it down low, at least a few inches below your collar bone. HUGE difference! Right here, right now, raise your right hand and make this pledge: “I, ___, promise to never again wear a crew neck t-shirt, unless working out where no one can see me, or held at gunpoint.” Good job.

2) Stay away from big ruffles. Your big girls may be on a small body, but add a few big ruffles across the chest area, and you’ve easily added 20 pounds to your frame.

3) Empire cuts can work well, but NOT if there is ruching between the bust. Avoid anything that frames the breast area, because that’s exactly where the eye will be drawn to.

Here’s a cute shirt that is a great example of what NOT to wear on a big chest

The short list of WHAT TO BUY:

1) The most important one of all – ALWAYS wear a scoop neck, v-neck, or wrap style. This does not mean that you should wear things so low cut that the girls are hanging out! Modesty is always in style.

Wearing a scoop, v-neck, or wrap instantly cuts the size of your chest in half. A nice cowl neck works well, too. The styles you pick should draw the eyes vertically as much as possible.

2) The right accessories can really help downplay a large chest. Small jewelry, especially necklaces, are NOT for you! Wear a little tiny necklace that sits above the neckline of your shirt, and what’s someone going to notice? Not the necklace!

3) Tucked in looks generally won’t work. Remember, you want to draw the eye up and down, and elongate the torso. Cutting your body in half right at the waist will just emphasize the large chest.

4) Learn to make good use of the cami. There are lot of cute clothes out there with slightly lower necklines, but it seems that designers never have big busted girls in mind. Wear a complementary cami – it will enable you to wear more styles, and keep you modest.

5) Don’t wear shirts and dresses that are too loose. You’ll add pounds, and your boobs will actually look bigger! Look for well fitted clothing that fits your frame nicely

Here are some cute styles that work well on large chests. Remember, you’re looking for scoop neck, v-neck, and wrap styles!

This tank from Anny Taylor LOFT works well because it has a good scoop, and a nice small print to distract the eye from the bust. The slightly thicker straps also help balance the bust and shoulders, and the gathered fabric comes down over the breasts just a little bit, making them look even smaller.

This Banana Republic tank looks great with the long necklaces. See how it draws the eye up and down, and distracts from the bust area?

The perfect t-shirt. (found at NY&Co) Wear it to work out. Wear it with jeans, or wear it with a cute skirt. You can’t go wrong with this cut!

Same with this scoop neck tee, also found at NY&Co

This cute shirt from Old Navy is great. A nice scoop neck, and cute vertical lines down the front.

Wrap styles are generally your best bet for dresses. Here is a great dressy LBD from Nordstrom, flattering on almost any shape.

I think this zebra print dress by Ralph Lauren is super cute, has a good neckline, and a great print!

Are you in a rut trying to find flattering clothes? I’d love to answer your questions!