I have a confession to make. On Thursday I broke my No Boat Neck for Busty Women Rule because I fell in love with this top’s terracotta color and the top was on sale. In the left photo, the top almost looks sort-of-kind-of okay, even though it highlights my bust with (1) too much fabric above my chest and (2) a neckline that parallels my boobs. Of course, if that’s your goal, then a boat neck is perfect for you, as I discussed on this blog long ago.  On the right, I discovered another drawback of this top: when I raise my arms and move around, everything collects above my bust!


I’ve been reconsidering boat necks since reading Butterfly Collection’s endorsement of them in her fun Tips for a Perfect Busty Summer Wardrobe a couple of Fridays ago, but after my latest purchase, I still need to be convinced. (And no one came to the boat neck’s rescue when I asked if this rule always applies back in 2010 . . . perhaps there’s a frumpy element to knits and boat necks on short-waisted women like me?)

Part of my justification for going ahead with this purchase was that I thought I could compensate for the neckline with a necklace or jacket, which is some of the advice given by Angie of You Look Fab for dealing with a high neckline. (Surprisingly, she includes boat necks as an example of a neckline that works for a larger bust–perhaps she means a more scooped-out version.) Below are my attempts to use necklaces and jackets to distract from my boobs.

I’m not in love with any of these results, but I’m not worried about finding ways for this top to work with my wardrobe long term. With all that fabric above my large breasts, it’s only a matter of days before some oily tidbit creates an indelible stain there. If you look closely, you can already see a toothpaste mark between my breasts. Now I understand why I was so tempted by color–the tees that last longest in my closet are black!

P.S. I’m wearing a Fantasie 4520 under this top, and there’s an unfortunate story behind it. I needed a non-patterned nude tee shirt bra last Wednesday and allowed myself to be persuaded to buy this in a 36G again because it was only $50, and I didn’t feel like arguing with the fitter. I didn’t have the heart to ask for Shawntell when this fitter approached me at Town Shop because I had worked with and liked this fitter years ago.  However, when she let out an audible gasp and tried to stop me from doing the Scoop and Swoop that I learned at Eveden’s bra fitting school because I was “filling the cup too much”, I knew I needed to be stronger next time. Really, what hope does your average woman off the street have?