Help with work tops - small with big boobs

[Anonymous]

I am small (5’2”), size 2 and wear at 34DD. In addition to being small, the distance between my shoulders and chest is fairly short.

I hate high neck tops because I sadly also have a hereditary turkey neck (hope to have this addressed eventually). I also don’t like tops without some fit or shape, because my boobs make the top drape away from my stomach and gives the appearance of a belly. But since this is for work, I also want to obviously avoid anything tight or revealing. I am perimenopausal and prone to hot flashes, so layering is also key.

Can anyone recommend some good work tops for this body type? I am in the office after mostly being remote for years.

[Anonymous]

They are sort of boring but I am also small/short but with some curves and I wear blouses cut like this and tuck them into my pants.

https://www.quince.com/women/women-s-washable-stretch-silk-dolman-sleeve-blouse

[Anonymous]

PP here. You may prefer popovers like this to those that button all the way down since the ones that button down all the way I find have problems with "gaping" at the chest.

[Anonymous]

Button down dress shirts can be easily tailored. Just buy them to fit the largest part of your body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Button down dress shirts can be easily tailored. Just buy them to fit the largest part of your body.

This can be tricky, though, if you are truly very small/petite with a large chest. There is only so much they can do, and that body type often needs adjustments in every part of the shirt--shoulders, sleeves, waist, neck, etc.

[Anonymous]

This may be more of a bra problem than a shirt problem.

If you are a size 2 it seems very unlikely you wear a 34 band size, especially at 5'2". Have you checked your measurements in the A Bra That Fits Calculator?

Start with finding a bra that fits well. You will likely find you are in a too big band and too small cup. A minimizing bra in the correct size might help you look great in an off the rack button down (for example).

https://www.abrathatfits.org/calculator.php

https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/index/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Button down dress shirts can be easily tailored. Just buy them to fit the largest part of your body.

This can be tricky, though, if you are truly very small/petite with a large chest. There is only so much they can do, and that body type often needs adjustments in every part of the shirt--shoulders, sleeves, waist, neck, etc.

OP here, this is my issue. The tailoring was costly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may be more of a bra problem than a shirt problem.

If you are a size 2 it seems very unlikely you wear a 34 band size, especially at 5'2". Have you checked your measurements in the A Bra That Fits Calculator?

Start with finding a bra that fits well. You will likely find you are in a too big band and too small cup. A minimizing bra in the correct size might help you look great in an off the rack button down (for example).

https://www.abrathatfits.org/calculator.php

https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/index/

I have been measured to a 32, but that band always causes back pain.

But this is definitely a shirt issue. I feel like almost every top needs to be pinched up at the shoulders so I don’t have cleavage or in at the waist so it doesn’t just hang away from my waist. As a result, everything requires tailoring. I spend enough tailoring pants and skirts to the right length so I am hoping to get away with some ready to wear work tops. It may be a lost cause though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are sort of boring but I am also small/short but with some curves and I wear blouses cut like this and tuck them into my pants.

https://www.quince.com/women/women-s-washable-stretch-silk-dolman-sleeve-blouse

Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

Op you are quite a bit smaller than me but I am 34ddd and when I was working in an office I largely gave up on “work tops.” It was dresses or sweaters for me. Keep an eye out for the magic top that will look right. By chance I found a silk top with vertical pleats once that looks really good but I don’t see anything similar right now.

[Anonymous]

Same and I pretty much only wear dresses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may be more of a bra problem than a shirt problem.

If you are a size 2 it seems very unlikely you wear a 34 band size, especially at 5'2". Have you checked your measurements in the A Bra That Fits Calculator?

Start with finding a bra that fits well. You will likely find you are in a too big band and too small cup. A minimizing bra in the correct size might help you look great in an off the rack button down (for example).

https://www.abrathatfits.org/calculator.php

https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/index/

I have been measured to a 32, but that band always causes back pain.

But this is definitely a shirt issue. I feel like almost every top needs to be pinched up at the shoulders so I don’t have cleavage or in at the waist so it doesn’t just hang away from my waist. As a result, everything requires tailoring. I spend enough tailoring pants and skirts to the right length so I am hoping to get away with some ready to wear work tops. It may be a lost cause though.

If you measure a 32 you will be more comfortable in a 32 band and a cup that fits correctly. You may need to try a lot of bras to find one that is right for you. The linked subreddit is a great resource to learn about the many different factors of bra fitting. It's more than just wearing the correct size.

Treat yourself to a fitting somewhere like Trousseau and invest in a couple of bras that fit correctly.

I'm a 30F (5'6" and size 6) so I get where you're coming from with not wanting a shirt that hangs straight down from the boobs. TBH, I wear a lot of wrap dresses.

[Anonymous]

E-Shakti

You need a square neck top. Not deep cut. Longer fitted sleeves.

[Anonymous]

I have the same build with small shoulders and an extremely short torso. The problem is that the construction of the top just never hits right. I have the most luck wearing stretch knits with a blazer over top. Shift dresses also work because the waist is not defined and therefore more flexible.

It is definitely a shirt and proportion issue. Every sleeveless dress I own is altered to shorten the straps to pull up and shorten the torso of the dress. Shirts with sleeves just can’t be adjusted in the same way. If you have short arms, you can try shopping petites.

[Anonymous]

No button ups for me either - they never fit right. I am a similar build, and key is shirts that fit, where there isn't to much fabric in the length and width. Never below my stomach