Staying Ahead of the Curve: Curves or Bust! - Part 2 of 4

In continuation of the series for helping achieve that elusive hourglass shape, let’s talk about emphasizing the bustline. The extent to which a person needs to do this varies from no need at all, to… bring on the va va voom…. it all depends on your body shape. If you have a larger, muscular upper body or are more of an exaggerated inverted triangle, you probably don’t need to try to enhance your bust line since it is naturally larger. Featuring it more prominently won’t do much to help your figure.  Instead, focus on balancing the size up top by working to widen your hip line (We will talk all about that in part 4). On the other hand, if you are like me, straight up and down, then this post is for you!

The foundation of a wonderful looking bust is without a doubt a correctly fitting bra. This can be a challenge, especially if you are developing during transition or even wrestling with finding the right breastform size for your frame. The best way to ensure the right fit is to have it professionally done (if you use forms, be sure to have them included when you measure). If that is something you aren’t comfortable with yet, don’t fret… just be conscious of your fit (I have the same anxiety about it). There are bra size calculators online which you can input your measurements into, however their accuracy may not be great. Many bras have built in padding which obviously will enhance the bust line, this trick shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone… it’s so common because it works! With everything held proudly where it belongs, we can further create the illusion of a fuller bust in a couple ways: by adding volume or by highlighting/attracting interest.

While keeping our strategies for softening shoulders in the back of our mind, we can add fullness to the bust with tops that feature ruffles or other detailing over the bust area. Things like ruffles, ruching, or pockets all literally add volume with additional fabric making the area larger, pretty simple. Let’s take a look at a few examples from my closet:

First, and only because I love you all… let’s look at something relatively unflattering for comparison: this t-shirt adds no help to my bustline, so I appear exactly as my body shape.

See... like I said, unflattering, yuck! Now that we’ve got that out of the way…we’ll start more subtly with this green, cowl neck top:

See how even the extra few folds of this style cowl neck fall right on the bustline? Doesn’t have to be much in order to start having some effect. Also, look at how the little gathering detail on the outside of the sleeves falls right in line with the bustline, a bit of extra fabric goes a long way. Notice a difference in how things appear from the t-shirt? Any curvier?

Let’s take a look at another example:

This top features not only the beaded embellishment across the bust which attracts the eye but also the ruching that follows the contour of the neckline, adding a bit of extra fabric. Attracting interest, adding volume… that’s our goal! Also take a look at how the line of the sleeves flows down to just below the bustline in a contour much like that of the hour glass shape itself. The t-shirt sleeves have a similar taper, but end above the bust, truncating that nice flowing line, so be careful of where the bottom of the sleeve hits. Cuts like this make that hourglass line standout, even if it may not be there. 

Yet another way to add volume is by layering. Fall is almost upon us and there is no better season to play with layers of clothing! Try to create volume by adding a silk scarf that rests nicely on the bust. Be wary of putting too much extra volume on your shoulders and neck. Remember, the purpose is to enhance the bust, not the entire upper body.

One quick and easy look that I love to see is simply adding a scarf to a t-shirt or other non-descript top. Take that t-shirt from the first picture, add a cute scarf….

… and viola! Instant added volume and enhanced bust line. See! Easy as can be! :-)

In addition to adding volume, another way to create the effect of a larger bustline is by highlighting and drawing attention to the area. This is generally not too difficult, considering the area usually gets plenty of attention regardless of what you do! One way to accomplish this is through the use of color. Brighter and lighter colors emphasize an area. Try tops or dresses with lighter color blocking or detailing around the bust (or a lighter scarf, like in the previous example).  Another fabulous way to draw the eye to the bust is by using longer, bulkier necklaces that hang over the bust itself… it’ll add some more interest, and perhaps even a little bulk as well. Take a look at that same t-shirt with this yellow beaded necklace:

Perhaps not a huge difference, but it certainly helps promote the idea... if you feel something you try should be working, but isn't... feel free to point at it, that tends to grab attention too ;)

Now that we know a few new ways to flatter our bustlines, I think it’s important to point out that you don’t always (or ever if its your preference) need to enhance the bustline.

Small is quite beautiful, and many times emphasizing another one of your fabulous features negates a need to find that perfect hourglass shape.

To summarize our tips:

1. To enhance the bustline, add volume and/or attract interest to the area.
2. Look for dresses/tops which feature ruching, ruffles or other extra fabric to create volume. Look for embellishments and detailing to create interest.
3. Layering, such as scarves, can be another great way to add volume
4. Try to draw attention with a longer necklace that rests on the bust.

Stayed tuned for Part 3 of 4, coming soon!

Staying Ahead of the Curve: How to Make a Ruler an Hourglass

I’m sure by now you are all familiar with the infamous body types that divide the female form into categories (Hourglass, Apple, Pear, Rectangle/Ruler, and Inverted Triangle). An “hour-glass” shape is the cornerstone of a feminine image and is our ideal look to create. Nothing exudes femininity quite like  a gently sloping, curvaceous figure.  Most trans-women, especially early in transition, fall into the categories of rectangular/ruler or inverted triangle (this already sounds way more linear than curvy!). For those of you unfamiliar with these shapes, this simply means that we have only very subtle curves through our torso, while our shoulders and upper body tend to be proportionally larger than the rest of our body (a quintessentially male shape). Though it may seem like genetic odds are stacked against us, its worth pointing out that around 46% of genetic women have a rectangular body shape, so we are in good company as we learn to better shape our bodies.

In order to create curves we must consider all of our main bodylines (shoulders/bust, waist, and hips) and most importantly how they relate to each other. If you haven’t already, or just want a refresher, please check out my previous post on The Concept of Line which explains these lines. Shown below with their associated bodylines are the 2 common body types for trans-women side by side with the hourglass for comparison:

Let’s take a look at our ultimate goal, the hourglass shape, and how it’s lines relate to each other; typically a proportionally larger bust line contours down into a skinnier waist line which, in turn, curves gracefully outward around a hip line which is of similar width to the bust line. Now consider your own body shape… for myself, I am much more a rectangle than an inverted triangle, I have modestly broad shoulders, a smaller bust, a regular (but happily existent) waistline of similar width to my bust, and a small hip line (also very close in size to my waist and bust). Overall, I’m a cute ruler at best, prior to any styling magic…. So let the magic begin!

What do we need to do to get from where we are, to that goal of the hourglass shape? We have three options to enhance our curves, and should take full advantage of all three together in order to be most effective:

1. Create the appearance of a fuller bust.
2. Define and minimize our waist.
3. Create the appearance of wider hips. 

Given your body shape, you may not need all three, the key is to make them all work together… bust and hips the same width while being proportionally wider than the waist. For example, an inverted triangle should be careful with techniques for enhancing the bust line because they could emphasize an already large region if not done properly.

A quick caveat: One solution to address these would be to wear padding in the appropriate areas, or other shaping garments (corsets, etc). I find that this has limitations; many times it is both impractical and uncomfortable. If you are inclined to use padding, feel free, it is certainly a viable solution and will lead to good results if done properly. That being said, you can still achieve quite a bit with what you wear, and dressing in a flattering manner is important regardless of padding or not. Let’s look at what we can do with our style to accomplish these objectives.

Since each of these three curve enhancing strategies can be accomplished in a multitude of different ways, I’ve decided to dedicate each one to a separate post, so stay tuned as we go through each one!