This week, I want to talk about Jessica Simpson. No, I’m not a fan of her music. I am a fan, however, of a Tweet she wrote this week, which I came across courtesy of Jezebel.com. She wrote:
Been getting lots of questions about this alleged breast reduction—not to worry, I LOVE MY BOOBIES!! They aren’t going anywhere!
What I’ve gleaned from a youth spent reading teen magazines and watching a lot of E!, is that there has been enormous focus on her boobs for her entire career, from all the way back when she was just barely a teenager herself. As I recall from some TV show or another (“Behind the Music”? “E! True Hollywood Story”?), the Simpson family story is that Jessica started out singing Christian music, but her larger-than-your-average-starlet sized boobs made her “too sexy” for that genre despite her attempts to keep the girls hidden in swathes of big clothing.
These days, the celebrity rumor mill seems to constantly make a big fuss about her sometimes-fluctuating weight. So I found it really refreshing to see her say that she loves her boobs. There is nothing wrong with breast reductions, of course, but a celebrity with large boobs is quite a rarity. The few celebrities out there with curvier figures get treated like crap in the media and by fashion designers no matter how famous they may be (see Christina Hendricks, who has publicly complained that high-end designers simply refuse to dress her). So a celebrity who publicly says she loves her body, especially one who regularly receives public criticism, is a major win in my book.
Maybe Christina and Jessica should get together some time and discuss clothing. Because Jessica Simpson’s clothing brand produces the cutest stuff! Here is my point number two in this post: “Jessica Simpson” is another choice to add to your repertoire of off-the-rack brands that accommodate boobs. Plus, the clothes are very well priced, and you can frequently find them:
- discounted in stores such as Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx,
- in all kinds of online stores, including Amazon.com, Overstock.com, and
- through online flash sale sites like Ideeli.com (which actually had a Jessica Simpson sale just this week).
I own three dresses of very different styles, and find that the fit is surprisingly consistent and the quality is excellent. A size six comfortably covers my 28FF’s, and the waist/torso area is only a touch looser than I usually prefer.
I even found the holy grail of busty clothing—a shirtdress that actually fits! Shirtdresses always seem to suffer from the same problem: not enough room in the bust, way too much room in the waist. But this one fits my chest perfectly and has a bow belt that discreetly hides the little bit of excess space in the waist simply by tying it tighter. The fabric is also quite stiff and the buttons are close together, which aids in keeping it from gaping over your chest.
So, moral of the story: Jessica Simpson is actually kind of awesome!
That dress looks great! Sadly, it is sold out of my size, but I will keep her line in mind in the future.
The comment about designers refusing to design for Christina Hendricks made me think of last night’s Project Runway – I love this show, but last night I decided that I don’t have any interest in Olivier, who said something to the effect of “I don’t like girls to have boobs. They just get in the way. I prefer to design for girls who have nothing.” Well isn’t that sweet? Sorry Olivier – MOST girls have something up top, and some of us have DDs or bigger. But don’t worry – we’ll be more than happy to NOT wear your clothes.
Wow, Rebecca. I was just reading a recap of last night’s episode. Unbelievable that even Tim Gunn didn’t know what “DD” meant. What do you think is the % of women who “have nothing”? Yikes. I’m going to watch the actual show when I get the chance, but I’m afraid it’s going to make me angry.
I couldn’t believe that the woman’s breasts became such an issue! They were very average sized. I also love Project Runway, Becky. I have been on the fence about Oliver, but that episode has me hoping he’ll be the very next one to go. I was hoping he would be in the bottom three last week, so that the judges would have the opportunity to grill him on his inability to work with his client.
I’m not surprised that the men on Project Runway didn’t understand bra sizing, since most of the women I know are confused themselves… On a side rant, I popped into a Victoria’s Secret this morning to look through their underwear sale. I saw a petite young woman being measured over her clothing in the middle of the store. She was promptly told that she was a 38C. I think my jaw dropped to the floor. I had to force myself to leave the store so that I didn’t make a scene…
I’m sure Tim Gunn knows what a DD is. He was obviously frustrated with Olivier when he told him that it was just a bra size and he had no personal experience with it.
I’m not a fan of Jessica Simpson’s music, but I admire the ways she’s handled herself and seized opportunities to talk about these issues in an approachable way. Her show “The Price of Beauty” was far better than I expected, and I just loved how she turned the focus on her body to why we focus so much on women’s bodies, all while still being…Jessica Simpson. (I have a wrap of hers and have been surprised by its quality too.)
I LOVE Jessica Simpson.
I used to be slightly embarrassed about it, but I agree with your points. She makes fantastically cut clothes and great quality shoes.
And, I really doubt she’ll go all weight-lossy again like she did back when her second album came out. KUDOS!
xoxo
Jessica
I had a breast reduction when I 16 in part due to pressure from my mum who has never really been comfortable with my bust. I’m fairly petite everywhere else and was even tinier at 16 so… Anyway, it’s why I can admire someone like Jessica Simpson who refuses to apologize for her body.
I only recently found this blog (via The Beheld or Already Pretty – I can’t remember!) but as someone who often struggles with clothing and body image issues (especially related to a big bust), I appreciate a site like this. So thanks!