Last week I shared the big-bust friendly dress alternative of combining a top and skirt in the same fabric, but the Liz Claiborne top that I featured had a high Look-At-My-Large-Chest quotient because of the cap sleeves. The easiest way to divert attention from our large breasts is to add a knit jacket or cardigan. This makes fall a great season for full bust dressing!
I’m especially interested in what’s out there because my current cardigans are feeling pretty worn out. I took these photos to show you the dangers of a frumpy-looking cardigan to an overall look, but I learned something by studying these images.
FIT MATTERS MOST. I have always been obsessed with finding V-neck cardigans because I believe the rule that V-necks are best for big busts–but not when everything else is too big, it turns out. The cardigan in the center of this collage proves my point. It doesn’t have a V-neck, but it’s a size medium and simply works proportionally with the rest of my figure. The other sweaters are size large. They looked fine when I was larger, but now they’re more suitable for Hide Me dressing.
The cardigan on the left of the collage used to be my go-to layer when I wanted to look elegant, and I’ve always kept my eye out for a replacement. This year I found one in the Charter Club Trimmed Cardigan. The knit is an excellent weight–it’s heavy enough not to float from my bust like the two cardigans on the right side of the collage (above). The faux-leather trim down the front probably helps as well, and it also sharpens and modernizes the look. Plus, don’t you love the real pockets? The trim on them looks even better when the pockets are zipped (I have them unzipped in both pics).
This is a classic cardigan with an edge that can look polished in the office and dressed up for the evening. You can’t go wrong with black (I’m loving it with one of my shirts), but Macy’s has it in other nice colors, too. Finally, here’s great news for busty women: this cardigan runs large. I’m actually wearing a size small even though the website’s TrueFit recommended a large. It also comes in petite, which I haven’t had a chance to try. (Note: the Macy’s links are affiliate links that can result in a commission to me if you make a purchase, but my opinion is my own. The JCP links below are not affiliate links.)
Continuing my pleather jacket phase, here’s another structured alternative to a basic cardigan: this Liz Claiborne pleather jacket from JCP. How I wish I could report that it runs large, but I’m wearing a size large in the pics below, and there’s some slight boob smashing going on when it’s zipped all the way up. A shorter length would be ideal on me, but the Petite Large was too snug, and I couldn’t find the Petite XL on the racks, although it’s great to know it’s available online.
Take my look with a grain of salt here–it’s a new skirt that I’m still figuring out. I’d love to hear your own ideas for office-appropriate styling of this pleather jacket. I’d also love for you to share links of structured cardigan options and alternatives that you would recommend to large-busted Hourglassy readers.
