Can shift dresses ever work for people with a big bust?

crwilson

I adore shift dresses, and people (yes, you Una) keep posting lovely examples. The problem - I have a really large chest, particularly in proportion to the rest of my body. I know that larger chests are supposed to wear v-necks and scoops, and I know from dressing my own body that this really is more flattering to my figure. Is there any way, though, of making shift dresses work for a larger chest? If so, how?

Here are a few examples of dresses, just for reference:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/31.....xBKoA7XO3g

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/.....=792234012

(Dress Una posted earlier).

15 years ago

Dressing

11 replies

Latest reply was from catgirl

Tricia

Veteran

I don't know the answer, but as a fellow disproportionately large-busted person, I'm very interested. I keep seeing the cutest vintage 60s-style shifts and thinking they won't work on me.

15 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Hahaha - I accept all blame! Although I have yet to find a sheath dress that works for me. By shift dress, do you mean "sheath" or just a more general silhouette? I think the ON dress would work because it looks forgiving, unless it runs tiny.

I can't remember if people know I had a breast reduction five years ago - not enough to take me down to small-chested, which I would have loved, but a drastic change nonetheless. It was quite an adjustments shopping for a much smaller (although still full) bust. One thing I found out - people didn't notice my pre-surgery chest nearly as much as I did, because the rest of me is small. Instead, they thought I'd just lost weight after the surgery. I have also gotten a good feel for what will work even if it seems like it shouldn't - that ON dress, for example. The problem is FINDING those items when you are looking!

What all that rambling meant to say is that I think you can probably wear more options than you think. I would try anything that appeals to you, and I have a feeling at least some of it will work.

So sayeth the serial returner...

15 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

I'm also curious as to what we're defining as "full-busted", as Angie says. Going from my previous size to a C cup, it is sometimes hard to hear that I'm still "large", but that seems to be the concensus!

15 years ago

LeahJanes

Active Member

I'm pretty busty (D cup - not huge but on the larger end) and shifts are my favourite style of dress. I am pretty sure the right cut can work on anyone.

You need to look for 1. An open neckline of some sort. I avoid anything that sits up around my neck. Bateaus are an exception if they are really wide, but I have to try those on. That Old Navy one Una linked is an example of what I look for in a shift neckline.
2. It needs to be darted generously at the bust, or have a fabric that really hugs on the top, like a heavy ponte knit.
3. It needs to have an A line that flares from just under the bust, so that you don't suffer under the illusion that your bust size is also the size of the rest of you.
4. It has to be above the knee to avoid looking like a tent of fabric.
5. Some people will disagree but I feel like some short or 3/4 sleeves help balance me out. YMMV.

When I get home I can post some examples as I have quite a few shift dresses in my wardrobe, they're like jeans for me - a real workhorse. I'm also ordering that Old Navy dress, it's great!

15 years ago

Reneeb

Veteran

I am looking for a shift dress also. The sheath dress I have found are too form fitting for my shape. (Thick in the middle) I hope someone will post some examples. I have to have step by step guides lines.

15 years ago

crwilson

Veteran

Leah-Those are great guidelines. I'm a bit (well, a lot) bigger than you (32H when I was pregnant, but now I think I'm down to a 30F), but I think the same principles would still apply. I think the key point might be finding something that flares out right below the bust. I would love to see pictures when you get home - visual examples really help me see how things work (imagine that). Thank you!

Una - I didn't realize that you'd had a reduction. I would LOVE to get one, but I have to wait until I'm done breastfeeding to see where I end up. Maybe it will be at a place that is tolerable to me, but somehow I doubt it. I do probably notice it more than other people do, though. We all tend to be more self-conscious of our own bodies, I suppose.

15 years ago

Tricia

Veteran

These are some of the kind I was thinking of:

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15 years ago

crwilson

Veteran

Tricia - I am in love with every single one of those dresses, even with their short/sleeveless-ness. Where are those from?

15 years ago

Tricia

Veteran

The first and last are from Sally Jane Vintage (www.etsy.com/shop/SallyJaneVintage), and the middle one was just pulled from a random Google Image search.

I've had my eye on that Hearts on Fire dress (the last one) for weeks - it's the only one with a V-neckline; the others I'm not sure I can wear.

15 years ago

Steph

Veteran

I'm pretty busty (I'm a 32DD, and that's after a breast reduction as well--I had mine done 14 years ago, when I was 19), and I do wear high necklines. I know I recently posted photos of me in several dresses, and almost everyone loved one that had a high neckline. Angie ended up nixing it because of my chest size, although she previously liked another high neckline on me. I think it kind of all depends on the dress--I'm able to pull off some higher necklines better than others, and I'm never sure why. It's kind of a "I know it when I see it" situation.

I think that one way to break up a high neckline, however, is with necklaces. A dramatic statement necklace, a triple strand of pearls, or a bold y-shaped necklace can all really help. The key, I think, is breaking up what would otherwise seem like a large expanse of fabric between the neck and ribcage.

(And I have made this offer before, but if my reduction is news to anyone, and anyone has interest/wants to discuss it, I'm happy to respond to a PM. I know it's a big decision, so I'm always happy to help.)

15 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

I'm happy to discuss the reduction decision as well. Here, or privately... Mine was after having a child, and I am glad I waited because it was worth it to be able to nurse him.

15 years ago

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