No Hiding Allowed: How to Dress a Curvy Bust

It all starts with a good fit. Larger tops do not succeed in hiding anything. Instead, they just make the woman appear as if she has something to hide. Super-snug tops are too revealing and they play everything up way too much. A good fit shows the outline of the woman’s figure without overemphasizing it. 

Women with large breasts often have trouble finding tops that fit. That’s where a good seamstress comes in. Always buy tops that fit over your breasts and then have your seamstress take in the rest of the top to fit you. This will allow for terrific figure definition. 

Shoulder seams must fall on the shoulders or slightly inside the shoulder area. If you happen to have broad shoulders, just go with a good shoulder seam. If you happen to have narrow and/or sloping shoulders, a small shoulder pad might help. Try it on and see if you like it. If you have a top that’s otherwise good, but it has shoulder pads that are too big, either take them out completely or have your tailor reduce them. 

I’m sure some of my readers are thinking, ‘That sounds great but I can’t afford a tailor.’ However, a good tailor will not charge a fortune and if tailoring leaves you with clothes that fit you and make you look and feel terrific, then that’s priceless. 

If you prefer to play down your breasts, go with structured tops like jackets and button-down shirts. When these fit you properly, you’ll still have a curvy bust but your breasts won’t be the first thing people notice about you. If you go with neutral colors for your tops, you’ll play down your breasts even more without hiding them. Best of all, if you wear a fitted jacket or button-down shirt in a neutral color and you wear it open with a shell in a fun and flattering color, you can play up your face without hiding anything.

There are fashion gurus who say that turtleneck tops are an absolute no-no for large breasts. I

say that it depends more on the neck than on the breasts. If (and ONLY if) you have a long, slim, firm neck plus a firm, strong jawline, then a fitted turtleneck can work to visually elongate the torso and make the chest more proportionate. This works even better when the turtleneck is worn as a shell under a jacket, button-down shirt, or other V-neck overtop – the V-neck flatters the chest while the turtleneck elongates. However, if you don’t look your best in turtlenecks anyway, they won’t help you here.   

If you want to play up your curvy bust a little bit, then softer, unstructured tops will work. But again, you need a good fit that outlines your breasts without overemphasizing them. 

The best skirts to complement a curvy top half are A-line or straight. However,if the skirt is too narrow, it will make everything above appear larger by comparison. A straight skirt will keep a slim silhouette going throughout the frame, while an A-line skirt will give a soft and feminine look to balance out the top. With a straight skirt, most tops will look fine. With an A-line skirt, the top needs to be fitted and slightly shorter so that your entire figure doesn’t get lost.  

A good idea for every body type is the monochromatic look – one color head-to-toe. This gives a long line that makes every woman appear longer, leaner, and put-together. But it’s OK to cheat a little and wear different colors of the same value (lightness or darkness). A black jacket with a charcoal skirt works great and so does a charcoal shirt with a navy skirt. A beige jacket looks great with a white skirt and a light gray top looks great with a beige skirt. For women who want to play down a larger bust, wearing a darker color on top with a slightly lighter color on bottom will work. The key word is “slightly”- we don’t want to lose the monochromatic line. For example, a black top will work great with a skirt in navy, dark chocolate brown, or charcoal gray.