Bridesmaid dress...input please

[aprilcait]

We are in the preliminary planning stage for our wedding. However, I''ve run into a bit of a challenge. My maid of honor has a rather large chest and I, not being as very generously endowed as she, am somewhat unfamiliar with cuts of dresses that would/would not work for her figure. I really like tea length, A-line cut dresses for bridesmaids (especially with spaghetti straps or strapless). However, I realize that this may cause a problem because I want to make sure that she feels comfortable and supported in the dress. Does anyone have any suggestions for dresses, cuts, or styles that I should consider? I would really appreciate your input. Thanks!

 

[poptart]

My engaged friend who is large chested is looking at sweetheart necklines... if that''s any help.

*M*

 

[Katiemarie]

i have the same problem with my moh!!

I have read that a halter cut is really good for this, as well as i think like a v neckline.

my friend would kill me if i tried to put her in strapless/spaghetti straps!! But your friend might have a different opinion. your best bet is to ask her what she is comfortable with.

the dress i am thinking of using is this http://www.dessy.com/index.cfm?go=dresses&style=2027&startColor=1 its got a modest neckline and back for my more conservative girls

 

[cara]

Date: 11/9/2006 12:21:09 PM
Author:aprilcait
We are in the preliminary planning stage for our wedding. However, I''ve run into a bit of a challenge. My maid of honor has a rather large chest and I, not being as very generously endowed as she, am somewhat unfamiliar with cuts of dresses that would/would not work for her figure. I really like tea length, A-line cut dresses for bridesmaids (especially with spaghetti straps or strapless). However, I realize that this may cause a problem because I want to make sure that she feels comfortable and supported in the dress. Does anyone have any suggestions for dresses, cuts, or styles that I should consider? I would really appreciate your input. Thanks!

Now each large chested woman may have different requirements, but generally wearing a wide-strapped bra will help provide appropriate support, which rules out strapless and spaghetti straps. (Now some well-endowed brides can pull off the strapless, but I''m betting it involves significant undergarment assistance which might be too much to expect of a bridesmaid.) Plus there is also the issue of looking covered by an appropriate amount of fabric. You don''t want a high neckline - that will make the chest look even bigger - but also not a super-low neckline. Something in the middle, like V-neck, or wide-strapped sweet-heart should work. The A-line is also a good idea, to balance out the larger top. You might pick out two very similar dresses, one strapless A-line, one V-neck A-line, same length skirt and let the maids pick. Or if your MOH is the only one with busting-out concerns, just let her have a slightly different cut dress to go with her role.

 

[aprilcait]

Thanks for your suggestions! If anyone has any dress ideas (links, pictures, etc.), that would be great.

 

[aprilcait]

I forgot to mention, one of things I''m definitely trying to keep in mind when looking for the bridesmaid dress is that our wedding ceremony is taking place in a church. So, I''m trying to keep cleavage to a tasteful level. It''s a bit easier for me to lessen the amount of cleavage I expose, but it''s pretty hard to find a dress option for my moh that doesn''t expose too much without giving a uni-boob or way too conservative look.

 

[cara]

Something like this maybe. (hmm, might be too low in the V. Opps.)

 

[cara]

Ok, this David's dress might be a little higher in the V. You're probably going to need her to go try stuff on, as there is a big difference between Jessica Simpson "well endowed" and Queen Latifah "well endowed".

 

[dani13]

A "V" neckline is a great choice for every type of shape and every chest size. It flatters almost everyone''s figure, and provides enough support in the chest area- especially for women who are exceptionally well-endowed. I will most likely pick something similar for my bm''s.

 

[diamondfan]

What about one color by the same designer that comes in a couple of top styles? Meaning, one is strapless, one is V necked. one has thin straps...making the dress uniform enough but yet it still suits each girl...

 

[gailrmv]

If you talk to her about her preferences, she;ll probably be able to tell you the best! Is she more Jessica Simpson esque or Queen Latifa esque? Is she otherwise a curvy girl or more thin w/ large chest? Personally I like strapless dresses and V necks the best. I just wear my trusty strapless from Victoria Secret!

 

[sparkly_stars]

i''m a large chested petite lady, and for me, a strapless would be best.
as long as its snug around the chest, i would feel the most comfortable.
anything v-neck ish will just leave cleavage. i dont even need to make an effort and theres cleavage (rather annoying).
so for me, comfort wise, I''d much much prefer a strapless that cuts straight,
but then, i guess it depends on the rest of their shape too.
some may NOT be comfortable with something tight-ish near the chest which will lead to "tighter" around the rest..

i dunno, but thats my opinion, and thats definitely what i would want.

i also like tea lenght dresses . they are cute!
they flatter me, as long as its kind of a-line-ish because i have an hour glass shape (kind of)!
get her to try some on, it gets easier that way. i just know my body, and what looks more "tastefull".
if i have anything AT ALL open, it looks like i''m trying to "put them out there" ALL THE TIME!

okay. there, enough of my rambling! GOOD LUCK!

 

[Blenheim]

I have a small chest, and all of my BMs are fairly well-endowed. I just asked them what they''d be the most comfortable in, and all of them prefer either strapless or a v-neck that''s not too low (so that a good bra could be worn with it). I think that two of them are leaning towards strapless, one towards v-neck. Since all of them want matching dresses, we''re just going to go dress shopping together at some point and figure out what looks best on them.

But I second or third the suggestion to ask her. She''s probably experimented with different cuts and fits for however many years already, and has hopefully have learned what does and does not work with her body type.

 

[qtiekiki]

Depending on how high the v-neck is, a v-neck show might show more cleavage than a strapless. Maybe you can also look for dresses with heavier fabric and more structured dresses instead of flowy dresses.

 

[aprilcait]

Gailrmv, my moh blows Jessica Simpson and Queen Latifah out of the water; she''s a size H and curvy. The main problem for her is that she cannot buy bras at most stores (I''m sure that many of you out there can identify with her situation). Strapless bras are pretty much not an option for her.

If anyone knows of stores (online or in the DC/metro area) that make good strapless bras for such bra sizes, please let me know. My moh would be ecstatic if she could get a good strapless bra.

Thank you for your suggestions! Great ideas, girls! Keep them coming, if you can. The more options/ideas I have, the better. You girls are great!!!

 

[eks6426]

I'm bigger than Jessica Simpson but not Queen Latifah...fairly short...5'4" and my bust measurements match my hip measurements so fairly hour glass shaped. I've done a lot of bridesmaid dresses over the years. The V neck is good if you can find one that isn't too low. Sweetheart neckline is also good. The halter style tends to make me look bustier than I am but covers well although the bra issue is a pain. I can never find strapless bras that stay up so strapless wouldn't be my top pick.

But most important of all is to make sure that there is good tailoring in the bodice of the dress. Busty girls need princess seams and darts. You really want to find a dress that fits the bust and the waist--Finding some way to focus on the waist area helps draw the eye to something other than the chest. Empire waist dresses tend to make me look pregnant.

The skirt definitely needs to flare out a bit so an A line is great. A bit shorter...closer to just below the knee tends to be more flattering on me since I'm short. Tea length just makes me look shorter and wider.

The red dress that was posted might work depending on the cleavage issues. I would probably have to sew up the v area a few stitches. The orange dress would be my worst nightmare. All the focus is on the bust area in this dress...the tie just below the bust says, "look at me." and then with the waist being so high I'd just look like I was all boobs......

Good luck in your search!

 

[diamondfan]

I had a friend who was quite endowed and she had to go custom...she wa something like a 40 EE...maybe there are lingerie places that know about custom bras

 

[robbie3982]

Date: 11/10/2006 8:36:43 AM
Author: aprilcait
Gailrmv, my moh blows Jessica Simpson and Queen Latifah out of the water; she''s a size H and curvy. The main problem for her is that she cannot buy bras at most stores (I''m sure that many of you out there can identify with her situation). Strapless bras are pretty much not an option for her.

If anyone knows of stores (online or in the DC/metro area) that make good strapless bras for such bra sizes, please let me know. My moh would be ecstatic if she could get a good strapless bra.

Thank you for your suggestions! Great ideas, girls! Keep them coming, if you can. The more options/ideas I have, the better. You girls are great!!!

Has she tried a bustierre/coreset (no idea how to spell this) style bra? They start down by your hips and do not move at all. I love them. They''re fairly constricting, but I never feel like they''re falling down. I''m not nearly as curvy as your friend (I''m only a D), but with the boning in these bras, they should be able to keep your MOH nice and perky

 

[aprilcait]

Robbie, Ill have to ask her. I think she''s mentioned trying them before, but I don''t remember whether she liked them, whether she was just OK with them, or whether they weren''t sturdy enough to support her. That''s a good idea, though!

 

[ksprincess]

I just want to throw something else into the mix here. Be careful about dresses that have any sort of seam/banding/strip right underneath the bust. These never ever fit on me because the amount of fabric they give for my boob to go in is waaaaay to small. So then the band/seam cuts right across my boob and looks really ackward.

And its sad bc I love those two dresses above, but I know they wouldn''t work.

Just wanted to throw that in there.

 

[Dreamcatcher]

Date: 11/10/2006 9:59:20 AM
Author: ksprincess
I just want to throw something else into the mix here. Be careful about dresses that have any sort of seam/banding/strip right underneath the bust. These never ever fit on me because the amount of fabric they give for my boob to go in is waaaaay to small. So then the band/seam cuts right across my boob and looks really ackward.

And its sad bc I love those two dresses above, but I know they wouldn''t work.

Just wanted to throw that in there.

good point. i didn''t even think about that when i was looking at my bm dresses. hmmm. something i need to keep in mind thansk!!

 

[aprilcait]

Ksprincess, my moh mourns her inability to wear a lot of cute shirts and dresses because of the seam you mentioned.

 

[NovemberBride]

Re: your question about strapless bras in the DC area, I just wanted to let you know that there is an amazing store called Trousseau in Vienna, VA (suburb of DC). They have a huge selection of bras and strapless bras in all sizes, they do custom orders and they will even tailor bras to fit. I am very petite with a large chest and had an impossible time finding one that would work and not fall down until I went there. They also have an amazing selection of bridal lingerie and accessories.

 

[aprilcait]

Novermberbride, thank you! That is right near where me, my FI, and my moh live. Great suggestion!!! My moh is going to be so excited. She always has to go into DC to get bras but can never find a strapless there.