Styling Challenge #1 Bigger-on-the-top
I have always chuckled at the saying, “I am in shape – round is a shape!”
It pretty much sums up the fact that we as women come in all shapes and sizes and each one comes with styling challenges. We are who we are, so let’s just embrace our genetics and work with what we have. Clothing can become our ally when we want to highlight our assets or conceal our less favorable features – that’s called ‘styling’!
There are some common words used to describe our basic body shapes and I pretty much hate them all. For some reason being referenced as a piece of fruit, doesn’t make me feel very pretty. So I promise to not include any ‘produce’ references in this series. Let’s term it like it is: bigger on the top, bigger on the bottom, curvy, not curvy and extra in the middle – simple enough?
Now ladies – bigger on the top means bigger assets – and assets need to be insured! Insure the ‘girls’ with the best fitting bra you can afford. Because this is so crucial, I called in guest contributor Lynne Reynolds, National Fit Specialist at Natori, to share her expertise.
We’ll start with Lynne’s great advice and I’ll wrap up with styling tips for dressing your assets proportionately.
Natori Foundations for Bigger-on-the-top
Did you know that eight out of ten women are wearing the wrong size bra? A properly fitted bra will make you stand taller, feel more comfortable in your clothes, make you look up to ten pounds thinner, and will emphasize your waist. Women strive for wardrobe perfection in their outerwear, but it all starts with the proper undergarments. Proper fitting foundations are a must!
Many women have numerous bras in their lingerie drawer that don’t fit or are too old to do their job. You should be fitted for a bra every six months. Weight gain or loss of even just five pounds may change the fit of your bra. Women who are bigger-on-top must pay special attention to the fit of their bra. If the bra band is too big, your bust will droop, and you’ll lose the proportion of your waistline. If you don’t have enough coverage in the cup and you have breast overflow, you may get that dreaded four-breast look. Your bra band should be parallel to the floor, low and snug on the back. The cup of the bra should contain all your breast tissue and shouldn’t pinch or bind. You want your bust to be lifted and contained! Invest time to have a professional bra fitting. You won’t believe the difference it will make in how you look in your clothes!
Natori has several styles that work well for the full figure woman:
NATORI BODY DOUBLE WITH LACE- 32C – 38DDD
This best seller is made of a luxurious microfiber fabrication with a touch of lace. It creates a seamless look under clothes. So soft, its true devotees know it as, “The Butter Bra.”
NATORI CALAIS- 32B- 38DD, 32-36DDD
This beautiful sweetheart-shaped neckline has seamless lace that covers memory foam cups for a beautiful look and classic comfort.
NATORI COOL- Contour Full Fit 32B-38G
Sophistication and performance in one bra! The combination of Coolmax and fly cool yarn creates a t-shirt bra that breathes and keeps you cool. This is a fantastic spring and summer style!
NATORI REFLEX- Full Fit Memory Contour 32-40B-DDD
This is a favorite amongst the DDD, bigger-on-top crowd, for comfort and support! Memory foam conforms to your body for the utmost in comfort, while giving incredible lift.
NATORI BLISS LACE CAMI BRA- 32B-36DDD
A solution bra for women with generous volume and cleavage! No need to fuss with a pin to keep a wrap dress from revealing too much! The cami outer tank lace gives coverage but allows for sexy femininity.
Natori launches their newest line ‘N’ this month. N will showcase styles that will help you to embrace your curves! With sizes that run from a 32C- 40H. Be sure to mark your calendars to check back in with The Organized Wardrobe for the Natori launch of ‘N’!
Bigger-on-the-top style tips for dressing to flatter your figure whether you are petite, average or tall.
Universal tips
Don’t accentuate your slimmer bottom by wearing narrow/skinny pants, as this will draw attention to the disproportion between your upper and lower body.
Do create balance by adding a bit of volume to your bottom half. Think wider leg trousers or A-line skirts.
Truth be told, the tailor is your friend! Many items will not fit off the rack. You have to ‘fit’ the largest part of your body and then tailor down the rest! Fitting a jacket to cover your ‘assets’ will most likely result in too much fabric around the waistline – just have it taken in! Shop at a store that has a tailor, or check with your local dry cleaner in regard to their services! We are not built like mannequins – just accept that you might need a nip in the waist, some sleeves shortened, a button or two re-aligned, skirts shortened and pants hemmed. Consider those the final touches to great style!
Universally flattering silhouettes include:
• V-neck tops • Fitted jackets • Dresses that nip in at the waist • A-line skirts • Mid-rise, mid-width straight trousers or jeans
Petite
Styling the top half: Choose structure – multi-button, high stance jackets to support the bust, cinch the waist and fall just over the top of the hip. Show some skin at the neckline to lengthen the line.
Styling the bottom half: To balance off the top half, choose A-line skirts that cover the knee or wide-leg structured pants hemmed long and finish both looks with a pointy shoe or boot. Remember, you want to add volume as opposed to bulk on the bottom half.
Average
Styling the top half: Choose fitted, short, narrow lapel, boxy 2-3 button jackets that support the bust-line. Wear darker colors on the top half and lighter colors on the bottom (darker colors camouflage and lighter colors emphasize).
Styling the bottom half: Balance the upper half by accentuating the hip and thigh with straight skirts that just cover the knee, paired with pointy kitten heels. Steer away from the skinny pant, choosing a medium width to balance the proportion. Again a pointy toe shoe (I will never suggest a stubby toed shoe)!
Tall
Styling the top half: First of all – lucky you! Embrace your height by accentuating the hourglass silhouette. Choose 3-button structured jackets to combat the ‘short-waisted’ look.
Styling the bottom half: Suit those up with a straight skirt that will flatter the curve of your hip and thigh. Let the skirt fall just below the knee. Finish off the look with a kitten heeled (pointy toe of course)! If you want to wear a patterned skirt, choose a larger print to add volume and balance the bottom half creating the hourglass effect.
Be sure to link on The Organized Wardrobe Store for our Natori picks.
Contact me to schedule your personal bra fitting with a qualified Natori rep.
Stay tuned for styling challenge #2: Bigger on the Botttom!
“Shape Up” Series
Styling Challenge #1 Bigger-on-the-top
I have always chuckled at the saying, “I am in shape – round is a shape!”
There are some common words used to describe our basic body shapes and I pretty much hate them all. For some reason being referenced as a piece of fruit, doesn’t make me feel very pretty. So I promise to not include any ‘produce’ references in this series. Let’s term it like it is: bigger on the top, bigger on the bottom, curvy, not curvy and extra in the middle – simple enough?
Now ladies – bigger on the top means bigger assets – and assets need to be insured! Insure the ‘girls’ with the best fitting bra you can afford. Because this is so crucial, I called in guest contributor Lynne Reynolds, National Fit Specialist at Natori, to share her expertise.
We’ll start with Lynne’s great advice and I’ll wrap up with styling tips for dressing your assets proportionately.
Natori Foundations for Bigger-on-the-top
Did you know that eight out of ten women are wearing the wrong size bra? A properly fitted bra will make you stand taller, feel more comfortable in your clothes, make you look up to ten pounds thinner, and will emphasize your waist. Women strive for wardrobe perfection in their outerwear, but it all starts with the proper undergarments. Proper fitting foundations are a must!
Many women have numerous bras in their lingerie drawer that don’t fit or are too old to do their job. You should be fitted for a bra every six months. Weight gain or loss of even just five pounds may change the fit of your bra. Women who are bigger-on-top must pay special attention to the fit of their bra. If the bra band is too big, your bust will droop, and you’ll lose the proportion of your waistline. If you don’t have enough coverage in the cup and you have breast overflow, you may get that dreaded four-breast look. Your bra band should be parallel to the floor, low and snug on the back. The cup of the bra should contain all your breast tissue and shouldn’t pinch or bind. You want your bust to be lifted and contained! Invest time to have a professional bra fitting. You won’t believe the difference it will make in how you look in your clothes!
Natori has several styles that work well for the full figure woman:
NATORI BODY DOUBLE WITH LACE- 32C – 38DDD
This best seller is made of a luxurious microfiber fabrication with a touch of lace. It creates a seamless look under clothes. So soft, its true devotees know it as, “The Butter Bra.”
NATORI CALAIS- 32B- 38DD, 32-36DDD
This beautiful sweetheart-shaped neckline has seamless lace that covers memory foam cups for a beautiful look and classic comfort.
NATORI COOL- Contour Full Fit 32B-38G
Sophistication and performance in one bra! The combination of Coolmax and fly cool yarn creates a t-shirt bra that breathes and keeps you cool. This is a fantastic spring and summer style!
NATORI REFLEX- Full Fit Memory Contour 32-40B-DDD
This is a favorite amongst the DDD, bigger-on-top crowd, for comfort and support! Memory foam conforms to your body for the utmost in comfort, while giving incredible lift.
NATORI BLISS LACE CAMI BRA- 32B-36DDD
A solution bra for women with generous volume and cleavage! No need to fuss with a pin to keep a wrap dress from revealing too much! The cami outer tank lace gives coverage but allows for sexy femininity.
Natori launches their newest line ‘N’ this month. N will showcase styles that will help you to embrace your curves! With sizes that run from a 32C- 40H. Be sure to mark your calendars to check back in with The Organized Wardrobe for the Natori launch of ‘N’!
Bigger-on-the-top style tips for dressing to flatter your figure whether you are petite, average or tall.
Universal tips
Don’t accentuate your slimmer bottom by wearing narrow/skinny pants, as this will draw attention to the disproportion between your upper and lower body.
Do create balance by adding a bit of volume to your bottom half. Think wider leg trousers or A-line skirts.
Truth be told, the tailor is your friend! Many items will not fit off the rack. You have to ‘fit’ the largest part of your body and then tailor down the rest! Fitting a jacket to cover your ‘assets’ will most likely result in too much fabric around the waistline – just have it taken in! Shop at a store that has a tailor, or check with your local dry cleaner in regard to their services! We are not built like mannequins – just accept that you might need a nip in the waist, some sleeves shortened, a button or two re-aligned, skirts shortened and pants hemmed. Consider those the final touches to great style!
Universally flattering silhouettes include:
• V-neck tops • Fitted jackets • Dresses that nip in at the waist • A-line skirts • Mid-rise, mid-width straight trousers or jeans
Petite
Styling the top half: Choose structure – multi-button, high stance jackets to support the bust, cinch the waist and fall just over the top of the hip. Show some skin at the neckline to lengthen the line.
Styling the bottom half: To balance off the top half, choose A-line skirts that cover the knee or wide-leg structured pants hemmed long and finish both looks with a pointy shoe or boot. Remember, you want to add volume as opposed to bulk on the bottom half.
Average
Styling the top half: Choose fitted, short, narrow lapel, boxy 2-3 button jackets that support the bust-line. Wear darker colors on the top half and lighter colors on the bottom (darker colors camouflage and lighter colors emphasize).
Styling the bottom half: Balance the upper half by accentuating the hip and thigh with straight skirts that just cover the knee, paired with pointy kitten heels. Steer away from the skinny pant, choosing a medium width to balance the proportion. Again a pointy toe shoe (I will never suggest a stubby toed shoe)!
Tall
Styling the top half: First of all – lucky you! Embrace your height by accentuating the hourglass silhouette. Choose 3-button structured jackets to combat the ‘short-waisted’ look.
Styling the bottom half: Suit those up with a straight skirt that will flatter the curve of your hip and thigh. Let the skirt fall just below the knee. Finish off the look with a kitten heeled (pointy toe of course)! If you want to wear a patterned skirt, choose a larger print to add volume and balance the bottom half creating the hourglass effect.
Be sure to link on The Organized Wardrobe Store for our Natori picks.
Contact me to schedule your personal bra fitting with a qualified Natori rep.
Stay tuned for styling challenge #2: Bigger on the Botttom!