How to Dress your bust
As a Personal stylist based in London, I talk about boob size every day. I refer to them as ‘The girls’ It always surprises me the relationship that my clients have with their bust. Some love, sadly nearly all struggle and most would jump at the chance to change them.
The one thing that us women have in common about our busts is that we struggle to dress them.
Whether my personal styling clients want help to enhance, hide, cover, show off or celebrate ‘The girls’ I always talk about two things when chatting about how to dress your bust - the best necklines (read a blog from my archive on necklines here) and types of sleeve length… Plus much more with my 121 style foundation sessions.
There are some very simple steps that we all know we should regularly do but always find an excuse not to do and trust me… it will make ALL the difference and this is whether you have a small, medium or large bust.
This is your reminder to do it this weekend or even when reading my London stylist blog.
Simple easy steps to help style your bust whatever your cup size.
1- Tighten your bra straps - this gives us a lift and creates more space between our waist and bust line = more attention drawn to your waist and did I mention a bust lift?!
2- Get your boobs measured regularly - an ill-fitting bra is not only uncomfortable but also stops the perfect fit underneath your clothing. I recommend Selfridges or Harvey Nichols. They have a great range of brands for most budgets.
3- Make sure you have a range of different bras - t-shirt, plunge, strapless, skin coloured, multi-position, and sports bra obvs.
These are my top-rated bras. I either own them or style them with clients and receive great feedback
How to dress your large bust
It's no secret that dressing a larger bust is hardest. It is most important for you to have regular fittings to avoid back and neck pain too. Lots of my personal styling clients who have a bigger bust feel totally overwhelmed, fed up and over their boobs before we have a session together.
The reason it's harder to dress large ‘gals’ is generally speaking they are a different proportion to your body frame. Clothes are made to fit a normal/average bust size and there things like buttoned blouses become your nemesis and you feel disappointed when they don't fit and it's not your or your boobs fault but just the wrong shape for you and the girls. But we always blame ourselves instead of getting to the bottom of understanding how to dress our bust.
Here are my top tips on how to style a large bust:
Choose supportive underwear. A good bra will help to lift and support your breasts, giving you a more flattering silhouette. Look for bras with wide straps and a band that fits snugly around your ribs.
Wear tops that fit well. Avoid tops that are too tight or too baggy, as both can make your bust look larger than it is. Instead, opt for tops that are fitted but not too constricting.
Look for tops with V-necklines, scoop necklines, or sweetheart necklines, as these necklines can help to elongate your neck and make your bust look smaller.
Balance your proportions. If you have a large bust, you may want to create the illusion of a more balanced figure by wearing tops that draw attention to your waistline. You can do this by wearing complimentary colours eg Navy top and an orange skirt. Find out more about how to wear colour here.
Wear darker and plainer tops and brighter more printed bottoms.
Avoid tops with too much embellishment. Tops with ruffles, gathers, or other embellishments can make your bust look larger than it is. Instead, opt for simpler tops with clean lines.
Accessorize wisely. Avoid wearing necklaces that fall at the bustline, as these can draw attention to your bust. Instead, opt for necklaces that finish above your bustline.
The best clothing for a larger bust this season
Best necklines
Vneck
Bust darts on tops and blouses
Soft tailoring eg waistcoat
Scoop
Square
Boat neck
Sweetheart
Deep lapelled jackets and coats
Necklines to avoid
Crewnecks
Drop shoulder seams
Turtle necks unless - layered under v-neck knitwear
Bandeau
The best clothing for a larger bust
How to dress a small bust
My clients with a smaller bust describe it as a blessing and a curse. There's obvs no right or wrong with bust size - we are #blessed with the bust we are born with.
With a small bust, you have a lot more options to choose from which sounds great but from experience as a London Personal Stylist, it can actually leave you overwhelmed and never really understanding why clothing works. Therefore if it doesn't suit you for whatever reason, it's a big knock in confidence and leads to a lack of self-understanding. This is not what we want!
Here are my top tips on how to style a small bust:
Create the illusion of fullness. Wear tops with ruffles, gathers, collars or pleats at the bustline.
Wear tops with horizontal stripes or patterns, as these can make your bust look larger. If you want it to.
Choose tops/blouses/dresses/jumpsuits/jackets that have pockets on the bust to give an illusion of extra bust
Wear padded or push up bras. Padded bras can add volume to your bust and give you a more curvy silhouette and create the appearance of a larger bust.
Avoid tops that are too baggy or too tight. Baggy tops will hide your figure, while tight tops can make your bust look smaller.
Choose tops that fit well. Well-fitting tops will accentuate your bust and make your bust look larger.
Avoid plunge, deep v and sweetheart necklines as they will elongate your frame and highlight the lack of ‘The girls’ and make them appear smaller.
The best necklines for a smaller bust
Anything goes BUT
Boat neck
Crew neck
Soft v and scoop neck
Halterneck
Roll neck
Turtle neck
Bandeau
Square
Collars
Puff sleeves
Pussy bow blouses
Textured tops - pictured above!
The best Neckline to avoid for a smaller bust
Plunge
Deep V
Sweetheart
The best outfits for a smaller bust
How to dress a medium-sized bust
Well ladies, ‘The girls’ have served you well here - you get the best tips from larger bust as well as a smaller bust. Lucky you! However, my role as a London Stylist means that I can help you with understanding the best styling for a medium bust rather than just picking up clothing randomly and hoping for the best. I can help you shop with purpose and understanding what clothing suits your medium bust will eradicate any awful meltdowns in changing rooms and blaming your body rather than the item not working for your bust.
As a general rule, I would follow very similar steps to a fuller bust. The reason for this is higher necklines, particularly if you are conscious of your shoulders, can make us look broader. Now don't get me wrong, this is an awesome look IF you want to look broader but from my experience as a Personal Stylist, most of my clients want to feel a more slender shape up top and let the booty and waist do the talking.
Here are my top tips on how to style a medium bust:
Choose supportive lingerie. Get measured regularly and always get your bras fitted and checked in store before you buy them.
A good bra will help to lift and support ‘The girls’, giving you a more flattering silhouette and you'll feel sexier.
Wear tops that fit you! Avoid tops that are too tight or too baggy, as both can make your bust look larger than it is. Also, make sure shoulder seams are in the right place to avoid a dropped shoulder.
Look for tops with V-necklines, scoop necklines, or sweetheart necklines, as these necklines can help to elongate your neck, shoulders and make your bust look super natural.
Balance your proportions. If you have a medium bust, you may want to create the illusion of a more balanced figure by wearing a monochromatic palette as it will add height and length and distract from boobs. This works for fuller busts too. eg Blue dress, navy jacket and cobalt belt. Find out more about how to wear colour here in my part 2 colour blog.
Avoid tops with too much embellishment if you want to keep your bust medium sized. Tops with ruffles, gathers, or other embellishments can make your bust look larger than it is. Opt for small volume instead of larger ones.
Accessorize wisely. Avoid wearing necklaces that fall at the bustline, as these can draw attention to your bust. Instead, opt for necklaces that finish above your bust line - the same as a fuller bust.
The best clothing for a medium bust this season
Best necklines
Vneck
Scoop
Square
Boat neck
Sweetheart
Halterneck
Necklines to avoid
Crewnecks
Drop shoulder seams
Turtle necks unless - layered under v neck knitwear
Bandeau
Roll necks
The best outfits for a medium bust
My simple and easy steps to style your bust no matter what size.
Remember, these are just guidelines, if you fall in love with something that goes against anything I have written, bloomin’ wear it because it makes you feel fabulous.
If you are still struggling with dressing ‘The girls’ book a complimentary call here to chat about how I can help you feel confident with dressing your bust.
Stylish wishes and thank you for reading,
Sian,