Should large busted ladies avoid high necks?

[TableNiner]

For what seems like forever, the advice for big norked ladies has been to avoid high necks, which can create a ‘shelf’ and go for v neck or low scoop neck. Whilst I don’t think this is not true, I’m starting to feel less stylish in that type of top.

I am a 30FF with a long, slightly ageing face and body and I feel like having more skin exposed drags my face down and it also looks less ‘sharp’ and modern. Seems to look better if I actually cover up around my décolletage and break the line up with a blazer or cardigan. Also cosier for this time of year, I wouldn’t go as a high as a roll neck as I feel like I am being strangled but something like this which previously I would have avoided like the plague: www.jaeger.co.uk/compact-knit-t-shirt-47b716

I know there’s the option of a big necklace but not sure statement necklaces are all that fashionable at the moment.

Does anyone else have this dilemma and what are you wearing these days?

That was meant to be 32ff

I'm a size 20 and wear a 36f bra. I used to avoid anything high neck however I wear quite a lot of higher necked clothes, including a few roll neck jumpers.

I think the major difference is I now wear a bra that actually fits (thanks to threads on here) and my boobs look much better in basically any top I wear now.

I think the cut is crucial - any style neck will look wrong on a top that isn't correctly proportioned for you. I am a recent convert to bravissimo clothes - such a revelation to have shirts that fit well and don't gape!

I am bountiful of nork and hate the current trend for high necks. Makes me look like a battleship. I stick with v necks, boat necks, scoop necks or lower round necks. Don’t care if something looks “dated”, if it doesn’t flatter me there’s no point wearing it. The top you’ve linked to really wouldn’t work on me with my 36GG bosoms.

I've got DD's and I usually only wear high necks, I occasionally where a slash neck or whatever they're called these days. But V and scoop necks look bloody awful on me.

That said I do have a V neck blouse but the fabric is very drapey, with a couple of darts in the shoulders and that looks ok.

I'm a 34FF, so a bit of a different shape to you. But I often layer a round necked floaty top over a vest, or go for a floaty blouse, like this

blue floaty shirt

which helps to avoid the shelf look i think

I think with good bra you can wear it and look good

Another well upholstered one here. Plus I’m getting a bit saggy round the jowls now so a roll neck means that you can’t tell where my chins end and my knockers start. It’s not a great look. I find anything scoop or v necked can become a bit revealing so have drifted into boat necks for tops and asymmetric necklines on dresses. Slight whiff of Theresa May in the dresses but it’s the best I can do in the circumstances.

I’m 32g and definitely prefer a crew or round neck. I think v-necks are hard to get right, many sit too low and expose more flesh than is appropriate. I think the secret to a higher neckline is a properly fitted balcony bra, it gives lift and shape without creating too much of a monoboob situation. I don’t wear polo/cowl necks because I can’t stand anything around my neck, and I don’t think they’re that flattering for anyone.

Layers are your friend! Thin higher necked t-shirt or shell under a v-necked blouse or cardigan. Actually if you're wearing a cardigan or jacket or something it'll be fine anyway. I just think the main thing is to have some kind of contrast or line or pattern so that there isn't one vast sweep of a single colour with the only thing to look at being your boobs.

Boat neck and slash necks work well too.
See how a scarf looks with that top as well.

If you put it on and it looks good, you know you can wear it.
I have quite big boobs, and find high necks very unflattering, but I have a massive rib cage too, which really doesn’t help.

Hmm. Depends how you define "big boobs". If you have a small back size (30/32) and an E/EE cup... your boobs aren't that big. But try putting 34Hs in a high neck and you're going to look awful.

With medium size boobs you could get away with a high neck and well chosen accessories.

With proper big boobs it has to be a v neck or a wrap top or something with a very artful pattern to break up the matronly shelf.

Wrap tops make my boobs look massive! There are some occasions where that's the look I'm going for, but I wouldn't wear a wrap top to work.

I sometimes wear a shirt unbuttoned halfway to avoid the buttons pulling over the bust with a camisole top underneath. This seems to break up the lines and works somehow.

God yes wrap does not work for me at all. 'Here's my chest, the rest is coming!'

I'm 28G so a similar size and wouldn't describe myself as being large norked. Not even close. I wear high necks a lot although, like a PP, I don't like polo necks at all. I'm not that keen on vee necks either. At the moment, my daily outfit for work or home is invariably round/crew necked jumpers paired with skinny jeans. It's what I'm wearing now.

At the weekend I wore a high necked dress (backless and no bra) to a Burns Night do. I got several compliments.

I do have a longish neck though and I think that helps a lot, particularly with my hair up.

Some wise person mentioned that length of neck affects the look - length of torso does too. I'm 36hh and short waisted, so high neck tops give me an expanse of boob covering fabric out of proportion to the short short waist below.

I prefer a neckline that cuts me into thirds: skin, boobs, boob-to-waist. However it seems to work to have the top third in a chunky roll neck too. I could only wear a thin roll neck under a pinafore or something which I'd love to do but my tummy is vastly bloated and embarrassing.

Yes it's about way more than just the size of bust. It's more about where the boobs sit on the torso imo (which ofc can be improved with a good bra) and also the size/shape of torso and neck.

I am a modest 30F, with a long back, long neck and short waist. I love turtlenecks and they really suit me.

My sister is a slightly less modest 28FF (so similar overbust but a smaller torso), she also has a long back but is long waisted and doesn't have such a long neck. She looks matronly in turtlenecks.

It varies so much from person to person. As with everything, just try it and, if you like what you see in the mirror, then wear it!

I'm a 30f with narrow shoulders and a reasonably long neck

I tend to stick with scoop necks or a low round neck. which are my go to with a vest top underneath, don't like anything to be revealing
a boat, wrap tops or a cowl occasionally

Never a crew or polar neck, I feel strangled

I Find Bravissimo tops seem to highlight my boobs itms which I don't want

I'm not mad on V necks. There were some around in Summer with fluted sleeves

Worst thing in me is that half mandarin collar with buttons in a v

Its not about the size of the boobs it's the lift and shape of the bra that is the difference between the shelf or shapely curves. I'm 34hh and high/polo necks look great on me.

Maybe I should try and overcome my strangulation phobia and get a black polo neck...

" Since the middle of the 20th century black polo necks have been closely associated with radical academics, philosophers, artists and intellectuals "

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polo_neck

I have big boobs ( same size as the op) and rarely wear v neck or scoop necks. They seem quite dated to me. I also wear a lot of short skirts so v necks etc don’t seem to work well with them.
I wear loads of polo necks, crew neck and boat necks. As well as slightly asymmetrical off the shoulders type tops. I keep the the material fine ( no chunky knits) and fitted/ stretchy so I don’t get the shelf.
I also dont wear statement necklaces as they seem dated but will sometimes wear a drop pendant over a top or a scarf ( tend to wear those more in the summer) as my winter scarves tend to be outdoor only type scarves. Also wears blazers/jackets to break it up.

I have obviously been living in a hole - when did V Necks get dated? I only bought two new ones last year from Jack Wills, so hardly "old lady".

Anyway, I am afraid with 30HH, I cannot, CANNOT, wear anything that covers the boobs up. I need to have as much neck/chest on show as possible, otherwise I look like a square. I do have very perky boobs in bravissimo bra's, so no sagging here, but it's only V, or low scoop, or boat neck for me. Cowl necks are horrible, only ever seen old ladies in them.