"Rules" for cross-body bags?

Tracy

Hi, everyone. I've been busy for the last few weeks and haven't been checking in here, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the new look! Hope you all are well.

Now my dilemma, if I can call it that. I really like the idea of cross-body bags, especially when I travel. However, I'm rather busty, and I just never feel like the bags look good on me because of where the straps lie. (Whether I put the strap between my breasts, or wear the bag a bit lower or higher so the strap is above or below my bust, it always seems unflattering.) I do have a very small bag with thin round straps that seems to be okay, but it doesn't hold much.

Are there any other busty ladies out there who have found a solution, e.g. "straps should be round" or "straps should be flat" or "straps should be wider than __"... anything like that? Or brand suggestions for bags that have worked for you?

I haven't quite given up on this idea yet, but I fear I'm about to.

14 years ago

Shopping

10 replies

Latest reply was from Fruitful

Joy

Veteran

I can't help but will be watching this thread for answers. I'm small busted but recently traveled with a cross-body bag. There were so many times that I liked having the bag on me. However, my flat strap had a tendancy to get twisted and I wondered if that is unique to this bag or a common problem.

14 years ago

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Tracy, if you find a solution to this issue I will fly out to wherever you are just to give you a hug. I'm in the exact same boat, i.e. despeartely wanting to wear cross-body bags with confidence in spite of my gargantuan chest. I suspect narrower straps are more flattering for ladies in our situation, but I'm n o authority and will in fact be adding this thread to my favourites post-haste in case someone out there knows what to do!

14 years ago

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Good Question!

I'm quite small busted, and even I have felt a bit conscious of my new cross-body bag strap landing between the girls! Fortunately I have been using it when I've had kids in tow, and it soon becomes the least of my concerns LOL

I hope someone can help though.

14 years ago

Louise

Veteran

I have several crossbody bags all with flat straps of varying width and have never had problems but I am fairly small busted 34C. Does anyone care to post piccies of their crossbody bag problems? I'm wondering if it looks as bad as you think? or if the strap brings the focus to the bust making you uncomfortable?

Hope that didn't sound patronising! it wasn't meant to x

14 years ago

BlondeAmbition

Active Member

I wear cross body bags all the time and not only am I big busted (DDD) but also hippy so these bags are hard to pull off but I've learned a couple of tricks.

First off the straps must be at least 1 to 2 inches thick and lay flat. Not only is this more comfortable for carrying a heavy bag but it also doesn't cut through your skin in an unflattering way and lays better on your chest.

Second, the bag portion should not be rounded and bulky, it should lay relatively flat against you. I like for it to be placed somewhere between my belly button and right hip, more towards the hip. I find that if it is placed any further to my side then it bounces around everywhere while I walk. You'll have to experiment and find your placement.

Third, the clothes you wear will impact the strap. If you're just wearing a very thin t-shirt then a wider strap will be more comfortable. A thin strap in this case will dig in between your breasts and may even accentuate your undergarments. But let's say you're wearing a t-shirt, a cardigan, and then a jean jacket on top then you can get away with a skinnier strap because the more clothing you have on the less the strap will accentuate your bust.

Once you find your comfort zone you'll see that the cross body bag will be your go to bag for walking around the city doing errands.

14 years ago

Tracy

Active Member

BlondAmbition: Thank you for these details! That helps somewhat. I'm sure you're right about experimenting, I'm just having the hardest time figuring out which variables to try first.

Does your strap do the "cross your heart" or do you wear it differently? Also, when you indicate a flatter rather than rounder bag, do the ones you like have a gusset on the bottom, or are they just seamed there (so they'd essentially be flat when empty)?

Last, and this is a question for everyone - Are you bothered by the bouncing of the bag? I suspect part of my problem is that I simply hate that feeling; others have assured me it doesn't look bad or in any way unusual. I have the same feeling on the rare occasions when I have to hang something on a lanyard around my neck - I just hate the bounce. Wondering how others feel about that and whether I can and should just get over it.

Thanks everyone!

14 years ago

BlondeAmbition

Active Member

Yes it crosses my heart, right between the girls. It's uncomfortable to wear it any other way. I definitely have bags with a gusset on the bottom, but I make sure it's never wider then 6inches or so depending on the bag. Ideally (for me) cross body bags should be deeper vertically and not distend too much outwardly. Don't worry about the bounce, you can adjust the length of the strap to hit in a spot where it doesn't bounce so much and also where you hang it is important. Looking out the window now I just saw a girl walk by with a cross body bag who had the bag position behind her right on her derriere. It swung and hit but it didn't look strange at all. Also remember that the lower the bag sits the more it will hit your leg so bring it up closer to your hip.

14 years ago

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Tracy, it took me awhile to get used to the bag-bouncing thing too, but honestly the hands-free nature of this bag more than makes up for it in my view. It's gotten to the point where I don't even really notice it.
BA, your tips were very helpful, thank you.

14 years ago

Sarah A

Veteran

love hitting these old threads to solve current problems! Thanks YLF!

12 years ago

Fruitful

Veteran

Interesting old thread! I have the opposite problem (well besides that they do sit between my boobs which although small it's still weird) - being a pronounced pear I Do NOT WANT a bag bouncing around on my hip/butt/thigh drawing everyone's attention to it.

But there's a lot of cool cross-body bags *sigh*. Ah, the cruel choice between fashion and figure flattery...

12 years ago

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