Dressing a big bust. Christina Hendricks Edition.

Christina Hendricks has a fantastic body which is very difficult to dress. Today's fashion is not made for a woman with ample assets and it can be an exasperating experience trying to find shirts that with buttons that don't pucker. Often you feel forced to pour yourself into an ill-fitting blouse after searching the store for hours and finding nothing at all suitable. I have the same problems myself. With a big bust you have two choices. Frumpy or booby. In a rare situation you find an outfit that strikes the right balance of sexy/classy you keep that outfit for life.

Unflattering Outfits. Things to Consider

I find when you have a big bust, in order to look your best you really need to find the correct silhouette.

Outfits that tend to look frumpy on me.

1) all over prints that hide your figure

When we look at these two images the first dress has swallowed up Christina's figure. The dress pattern is in a muted palette and has an allover pattern without structure. In the second image we have a fantastic outfit with high-waisted pants in a playful bold print that defines Christina's waist. She pairs this with a classy blouse with a silk tie feature that falls below the waist which elongates her silouette. I love this outfit.

2) Round-neck tops

I can't do a round neck top. I have soft rounded shoulders which comes part and parcel with having a large bust. Round tops make me look huge in the top instead of balanced. I try to instead wear V-neck tops which balance out all the mass I have in the upper part of my body. In the first image we can see that this dress really makes Christina look big in the shoulders and a bit on the frumpy side. The washed out colours leave little definition to her waist. In the second image Christina is wearing a kick-ass outfit. The black blouse creates a nice V-shape. The black colour minimized the size of her bust slightly which balances with her hips. The bold metalic skirt adds some funky visual interest. Don't shy away from metalic textures when dressing in black, white or grey tones.

3) Square or boxy jackets.

This is a mistake that I've made many times. I look best in an unfussy trench belted at the waist to give me a defined shape.

4) Ill-fitting bodice or necklines that pinch or push the bust unnaturally

Both of these dresses are similar in colour and are both figure flattering. The dress on the left, however seems stiffer. Christina looks like she's corseted and taped into that dress and her bust looks a bit uneven. This dress looks stilted and uncomfortable in my humble opinion. I've been forced to wear strapless dresses as a bridesmaid and let me tell you...those corsets hurt like hell. The dress on the right however, screams sex appeal. The dress has nice thick shoulder straps that balance out the her bust and hip ratio, there is a nice v-shape which adds a slimming effect and shows off her best assets. The fabric of the dress is lighter and is full of movement (you can actually walk in this one) It is fitted perfectly.

5) Ill-fitting bodice or neckline that looks saggy....and sad.

Christina does this over-boob look often and I'm not a fan of it. This look tells me one thing...this dress is too small. You need a lot of corset and tape to defy gravity like this. Just because you can pour yourself into something doesn't make it fit. The black dress is stunning and fits perfectly. She looks confident and fantastic in it.