What to wear and where to shop with big bust

[stripeydress7]

I'm fed up of looking huge in all my clothes, or things fitting to tightly across the chest. I've a size 10 with 32GG cup size. Any suggestions on how to dress so I don't look huge or matronly? I feel like the vast majority of clothes at high street stores look terrible on me.

Fitted vest and jacket or shirt (opened)
V necks, dark tops, long necklaces, long hair draped over them.

Have you tried the clothes from bravissimo?

Minimiser bras, no padded bras, t shirt rather than plunge cuts, no push up types.

V necks, always.

I'm a 28FF/30G - but have got a narrow back and narrow shoulders.

I'm a size 12-14 but can wear most things - i find you have to be careful what you wear but honestly things with stretch or a slight bit of stretch - t shirts etc - they look good. I find I have to be careful in some shirts and other items as they can stretch across the bust area.

I'm a 32FF and wearing fitted pieces is key with a large chest, otherwise you'll look huge and tented it it doesn't fit right.

Stay away from chunky knits, opt for thinner more fitted jumpers.

Wear V necks (but not too wide a V) and collard shirts worn opened up a little to form a V. Scoop necks, sweat heart necks and square necks also look very nice.

Tuck in tops if you can, as your waist is most likely small, so that will bring the fabric in and draw attention away from your busy.

Stay away from boat necks, very high necks (I do break this rule though!), puffy sleeves, batwing sleeves, ruffles, and basically anything that draws attention to your bust. No logos / slogans across the chest.

Jewellery can help as well. Earrings to draw the eye up, shorter necklaces with open necked tops like collared shirts and v necks, while longer necklaces with higher necked tops will help break up the bust and create a V.

As someone has already said, Bravissimo is a good place to try. You can get clothes that are your size around the waist e.g. size 10, but larger over the bust. I find them really flattering. Not the cheapest but we'll made (e.g. dresses are lined).

Agree with slim fit jumpers, but boat necks work well for me - I have narrow shoulders and a boat neck seems to balance my boobs out.
Definitely earrings to draw the eye up.

Another vote for Bravissimo.

@WineGetsMeThroughIt

I'm a 32FF and wearing fitted pieces is key with a large chest, otherwise you'll look huge and tented it it doesn't fit right.

Stay away from chunky knits, opt for thinner more fitted jumpers.

Wear V necks (but not too wide a V) and collard shirts worn opened up a little to form a V. Scoop necks, sweat heart necks and square necks also look very nice.

Tuck in tops if you can, as your waist is most likely small, so that will bring the fabric in and draw attention away from your busy.

Stay away from boat necks, very high necks (I do break this rule though!), puffy sleeves, batwing sleeves, ruffles, and basically anything that draws attention to your bust. No logos / slogans across the chest.

Jewellery can help as well. Earrings to draw the eye up, shorter necklaces with open necked tops like collared shirts and v necks, while longer necklaces with higher necked tops will help break up the bust and create a V.

Agreed with chunky knits but I've found I can wear a baggy warm jumper.

I never seem to wear v necks or any v of that sort but sometimes do for going out wear.

Small waist and I've got a long body - never tuck in tops - always untucked.

Agreed with very high necks, puffy sleeves, batwings and ruffles. Depends on slogan - I can take a fine slogan or the odd one here and there.

Earrings always - but I love earrings anyway. Agreed with longer necklaces.

There's a black fine knit Massimo Dutti top which is very flattering on me with a slight v neck - not too defined and a Zara basic sweatshirt with sort of puffed shoulders - like American football but its black and long sleeved - no neck - very flattering.

Yes I think it also depends on height and body shape. I'm a petite hourglass with a small waist. I can somehow pull off high necks (also necks with small ruffles) similar in style to Holly Willoughby but not everyone can.

As for where to shop, I find I can make most high street shops work for me. My saving grace is sewing on tiny poppers into the bust of my button up tops and dresses so that they buttons don't pull.

And agree that Bravissimo is great. I buy all my bras there, and have some clothing. But I wouldn't say it's the most stylish a lot of the time

Bravissimo is great, especially in the sale.

Ok - had a revelation today - i ordered this - i'm 5 ft 5 and a 12-12 - omg it's great - gives off just the right vibe and fits very well - especially on bust area.

www.asos.com/reclaimed-vintage/reclaimed-vintage-inspired-boiler-jumpsuit-in-yellow/prd/20318698?colourwayid=60043291&SearchQuery=&cid=7618

I also bought this in a sale at a boutique where I live - XS again but only because the S was too baggy - the v neck is great and it fits across my larger bust but the print is perfect and the way the sleeves hang draws the eye down, in my opinion, I also really suit yellow.

www.peopletree.co.uk/sale/tops/valerie-plumeria-top

I tried on a kimono cardigan jacket from ASOS - rubbish - the kimono sleeves and shape do nothing for me and one of those dresses which hang straight down and are meant for skinny boobless women - how was I to know?!

@GrannyBags

Bravissimo is great, especially in the sale.

for me - Bravissimo might be ok - but their prints etc are not really me - nightwear yes but other stuff I find quite plain.

Bravissimo can be a bit hit and miss with styles but it's good to build a collection of certain things when they come around over the years. For example, I now own not one but two fitted shift dresses for work, that actually fit everywhere.

I keep meaning to have my work shirts taken in, but in the interim they get tucked in. Mostly I end up buying dresses that I like from wherever and matching a cami top underneath so I don't get propositioned, although the extra layer gets warm.

I'm a 30g and wear anything I like.I don't look matronly I'm a 10/12

Thanks for the replies everyone. Loads of great places to start. I'm going to replace my breton tops with more fitted styles with a scoop neck.

I was thinking these might work:
www.boden.co.uk/en-gb/essential-short-sleeve-tee-ivory-navy/sty-j0169-ivo?cat=C1_S2_G18

Bravissimo fabrics are horrible.

Also 32GG. Agree that V and scoop necks are good. V neck cardigans rather than jumpers. Interesting skirts rather than too much detail on top. Oddly, 3/4 length sleeves seem to improve things.

Shirts are a good idea but finding ones which don't gape is a nightmare. I have taken to making my own. Alternatively, a camisole underneath allow for more buttons to be left open

I wear slightly flowy tops (not baggy or oversized but not totally fitted) so they skim my body and normally an open cardigan which creates two vertical lines down the torso. I don’t mind if I can’t do them up. I can’t do shirts, everything pulls. Thinner jumpers/ layering works better than one chunky jumper in winter. Also agree three quarter sleeves are flattering.

Agree v neck or something lower is more flattering but they do feel less modern somehow and seem to make my sagging neck worse :) Something hitting at the collarbone works well on me. It’s trial and error though as everyone’s proportions are different

(30FF)

Agree with PP that Bravissimo use awful fabrics. They also seem to be unaware of the invention of sleeves. No good for the large of nork who are not blessed with Michelle Obama arms.

Have recently discovered Thought and got some lovely well cut jersey dresses that have enough room up top without swamping everywhere else.

@partystress

Agree with PP that Bravissimo use awful fabrics. They also seem to be unaware of the invention of sleeves. No good for the large of nork who are not blessed with Michelle Obama arms.

Have recently discovered Thought and got some lovely well cut jersey dresses that have enough room up top without swamping everywhere else.

Agreed re Bravissimo and awful fabrics...

I've got a friend who's a size 16 with large bust but she tends to do Joules, Monsoon, Oasis Curve etc.

Jersey dresses e.g. Fenn Wright and Manson can look really nice, the wrap ones.

Aethelthryth - you can move buttons quite easily on something which you find if it stretches a bit - not hard.