This blog post is for anyone with an extremely flat chest who struggles to find or choose feminine styles that look good on them. Obligatory caveats - this blog post is just a starting point; the recommendations below should be taken as suggestions, not rules; and whether something "looks good" on someone is a subjective matter.
Styles to avoid:
- Semi-fitted or tight plain crew-neck t-shirts, and other boxy tops and dresses. If you put a flat piece of fabric over a flat surface, it looks flat, and the effect is more extreme with a high neckline and square cut (sorry for the appearance of Captain Obvious).
- Tops and dresses that are flowy in the bust area and have elastic or gathers at the underbust or the waist. If the fabric above the gathering is not held up by your bust, then it will sag down to where the gathering is. Sagginess in these areas typically isn't a desired look.
One exception to the second bullet point, where gathering works well, is a button-down shirt or cardigan tied under the bust. When you tie it you control the amount of bust fullness, and the stiffer fabric of some button-downs can add volume above the tie without looking saggy:
Styles to look for:
- Try v-necks, and shirts with slit and keyhole necklines. These visually split the bust area down the middle, which might otherwise be done by cleavage:
- Try styles with gathering
above the bust. These add volume, and also can have a looser fit, so the shape of your bust isn't too clear.
- Try styles that emphasize
other aspects of body shaping. The shape of the tank top below makes the waist and shoulder areas look narrower, and the bust area look wider (from a front or back view). A corset could be a more extreme example of this.
- Finally, wearing an open button-down shirt, cardigan, or jacket over any top is a safe bet. The layering obscures bust shaping, and the open second layer can't show drag lines or shadows due to being pulled across the bust (this is also an ideal style choice if you have a large bust that you want to hide).
As always, what you wear is up to you! You can take these suggestions with a pinch of salt, and mix in equal measures of your own personal style.