Saturday, July 2, 2011

Outfit: Why scarves rule

There are basically two strategies for dressing big breasts:
1) Buy stretchy t-shirts and try to dress them up as best you can, and
2) Buy clothes that are designed with your curves in mind.

I alternate between the two strategies, personally. Not everybody can afford to buy special clothes, so it's useful to have some ideas for dressing up stretchy t-shirts.

My favorite two accessories for curvy ladies are belts and scarves. Usually, I use belts to define my waist, but the gathers in this shirt helped to do that on their own, so I chose this belt which lies lower down on my hips. If you're petite or slimmer hipped you will probably prefer this location for belts.

I was always totally against skinny jeans until I found these. I still wear boot cut or flared jeans most of the time but it's fun to experiment with a different style once in a while. And yeah, between the jeans and the belt this outfit probably emphasizes my hips more than I would usually go for. But I liked it anyway. And it's good to break the rules every once in a while.
Can I just say that scarves are awesome. Really really freaking awesome. They are seriously not given enough love by curvy ladies. I think many women with big breasts are afraid that a flowing, colorful scarf will draw too much attention to their chests. But I don't think that's true.

The way I tied this particular scarf, it creates a deep 'V' shape, breaking up the shape of my breasts without having to show the cleavage of a plunging neckline. This would also be a great strategy in the winter, when you want to wear a higher neckline for warmth's sake.
Scarves also are great for covering up cleavage if you have a shirt that's a little bit lower cut that you would like. They have an elegant, carefree, bohemian feel that I just love. If, like me, you crave soft, flowing fabrics, but need structure to flatter your shape, they are a good way to add that soft flowy feel in.

Oh, and they're cheap! You can find pretty scarves for a few dollars at all sorts of thrift, consignment, and vintage shops. So it's easy and inexpensive to create a collection. Within a few months of realizing how awesome they are, I had a whole basket full.


Shirt: Thrifted (Plato's Closet)
Scarf and belt: thrifted
jeans: Banana Republic
Bag: found at JC Penney
Shoes: Spring Step



11 comments:

  1. You look so amazing.

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  2. I agree with Angela, you look stunning here - not just well-dressed, but so confident.

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  3. I really like your outfit and your confidence! The use of a scarf to get a v-neck effect but with less exposure than a true v-neck is very creative. I am one of those big-busted women who avoids scarfs but this post definitely gives me inspiration to play with scarfs more and see if I can make them work for me.
    However, I'm not so sure that the yellow shirt is a great color for you. Yellow can be a difficult color for many people to wear and on you it seems to make your skin seem yellow, at least in the pictures. This could also just be an effect of the lighting in the pictures.

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  4. Thrifted scarves, what a great tip! Thank you so much :)

    We seem to have very similar skin tone & hair color. I think the shade of yellow is great, but even if it wasn't just right, the scarf has the _perfect_ shade of green to compensate.

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  5. I had always thought scarves would make me look even more top heavy, but this inspires me to try them! The creating the illusion of a v-neck is so smart.
    Also, I know yellow doesn't work at all for me because of my skin tone, but I think it looks great on you.

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  6. I am a huge scarf addict too Brittany! Love this post x

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  7. I've been doing the scarf thing for years, it's such an easy cheap fix for so many outfits

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  8. Honey, you are so gorgeous! Im quite certain you and I are the EXACT same size, bust height waist and all! Ill have to keep checking out your blog as a result and find awesome clothes for me!

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  9. Great post. Really brings to the forefront that curvy girls should really utilize color blocking as well. Being both curvy and petite, I can't really pull off a... hardcore? print, it overwhelms my figure. I have a great collection of solid or subtle print shirts and blouses, some great-fitting jeans, and a good selection of tank tops. I get my stylishness in the accessories. A cute purse, a nice sandal, or some great jewelry will distract from the fact that I look like a Land's End catalog (and they do make well-made clothes). Besides, more than one statement piece gets overwhelming to any figure. I'm 16 years old, 5'4", measurements 41"/29"/42", bra size 36DD, pants size 6-8ish.

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  10. I personally like wearing belts over my tee to add curves. I love your post!!

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  11. Hey, so I struggle a lot with my jeans. I prefer high waisted jeans, though I only have one, but all of the jeans I have give me a camel toe. I absolutely hate it! I'm always trying to hide away to pick a wedgie that my *jeans* gave me. oh! Also, my high waisted jean(s) don't go all the way to my waist, giving my a little bulge below my waist, making me feel bigger than I really am. It's so frustrating! Do you know of any brands that sell high waisted pants, that go to your waist, and don't give you wedgies? I would really appreciate hearing about jeans for curvy girls.
    My bust is 36", underbust 28", waist 27", and hips are 37". I also have thick-ish thighs.

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