Posted on 6th March, 2010 | | Under : Uncategorized

So, as the author of The Bra Book, naturally, I’m sensitive to the challenges faced by larger busted women. So when I came across Carissa Rose, a designer who caters to these women, I had to have her as a guest blogger. Enjoy!

A big thanks to Jene for inviting us to guest post today. My name is Carissa Brown and I’m a designer entrepreneur. Our clothing line targets the niche full bust market (misses sized body 4-16 with D+ bra cups) with crisply tailored styles.

Being well-endowed presents its own set of wardrobe challenges. Having a full bust is a blessing, but admittedly it is tricky to make those D+ cups look their best in shirts, especially when one’s waist is smaller. The perfect clothes for larger busted women have three main components:

Ample room to fit the ample bosom.

• If you see pulling across the center bust (the center bust is where one’s nipples are in a bra) the top needs more room to accommodate your prominent bust. We want people to remember you for your pretty smile, not for a bustline is so large it needs a bigger shirt.
• Similarly, if buttons gape and show tension, then they are either poorly placed for your proportion, meaning if that button was just 1/2″ lower, it wouldn’t gape, or you need more room in the chest.

Women of large breast need details that give vertical direction.

• This is most commonly found in the neckline. One can choose a deep V, a moderate Y or sweetheart neckline, but choose a neckline that is not straight across, nor up to your neck. A neckline with the right balance of skin exposed (positive) and fabric covering (negative) does wonders for creating the visual illusion of length. Christina Hendricks does it wonderfully with this look.
• Princess seams and vertical darts also give direction to cause the on-looker’s eye to travel up and down, thereby thinking you go up and down (as opposed to you being out and round in shape). Bonus is finding a waist seam with vertical direction in it, like an inverted V or even a bell shaped inset waist. They are fantastic body shapers.

Finally keep it cut close to the body to gracefully skim your silhouette.

• We advise our clients to have the shoulder seam come in to their natural shoulder line (yes, a padded shoulder makes the waist appear smaller). And on sleeveless tops like shells and camisoles we cut-away the straps just enough to expose the shoulder bone. This post offers advice on how to tailor your current tops to fit the full bust better.
• And of course we want to keep a nipped in waist, lest the bustline and waistline line look combined into a heck of a lot bigger. mass Having a defined waist, be it high, mid or low, helps show the body at its best.

Keep these tips in mind when you’re shopping for tops and dresses for your D+ bustline. In addition to our line, Carissa Rose, the following brands also fit the full bust well: Bravissimo, AJRumina and Rebecca and Drew.

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