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Swimwear Choices for the Full-Busted Woman
Has there ever been a more proverbial "double-edged sword" than being a full-busted woman? Small busted women crave larger sizes and spend billions of dollars a year in efforts to enhance and enlarge. Large busted women turn around and spend billions of dollars a year in reductions. The bust line has forever stood as the single most focal point of womens' fashion and every designer uses it as the starting point. Forget the phrase, "from the head down". When it comes to womens' fashion, it is "from the bust out".
For purposes of this article, we are going to dismiss those gravity-defying enhancements that present their own fitting problem and focus on the natural, full-busted women and choosing the appropriate swimwear. Unlike clothes fitting where bras and outer clothing work in tandem to accentuate or de-emphasize the bust line, swimwear is the only layer that will be viewed by the public and becomes the classic "what you see is what you get".
Choosing the proper swimsuit style, color and fabric is more critical to the full-busted woman, but is almost equally as important to the small-busted woman. One of the most difficult combinations to deal with is a firm, trim body, somewhat on the short side, that is accompanied by a very full bust, like a D-cup. The body is a classic candidate for a two-piece suit but runs the risk of an exaggerated top-heavy look, if fit into the incorrect style. In this case, the key design concern is to draw eye attention away from the bust and towards the hip/tummy area. A higher V-cut bottom works well, especially with side ties where the bowed, tied strings attract attention. Bead adornments and splashes of color and pattern also can be used to focus attention on the hip area and away from the bust line.
The key to the top fitting is to be sure the pieces can be purchased as separates and the top comes in a D-cup size, or even DD-cup. Without the D-cup size, the fit is too tight, especially around the sides of the breast and attention is drawn to the spillage and bad fit. Strings or beads at the bust line should be avoided but are great for the tie straps, especially on a behind the neck tie. Turquoise beads work great on the tie straps as they draw attention up and give a more elongated, sleeker look. The matching cover-up is important too and should be worn low on the hip to again, draw attention downward. A smaller busted woman simply needs to reverse this strategy and draw attention to the bust and away from the hips/tummy area, especially if that area is disproportionately larger than the bust. The bottom should be kept simple with a medium cut and little color or adornment. Beads and strings right at the bust line, accompanied by bust pads and good uplift support enhance this area and keep attention focused at eye-level.
The more prevalent combination is the full-figured and full-busted woman. In this case, the key design consideration is to strike a balance between the two areas without over-emphasizing either. The safer design is to focus attention upward, create an overall elongated look and avoid adornments and color splashes in the more problematic areas. One-piece suits are the best choice but style need not be sacrificed in the name of fit. The classic dark colors such as black and dark blue become the mainstay but chocolate brown works as well. A bit of color on the straps themselves moves the eye upward and any other colors need to be subtle, like floral patterns instead of bold striping. Angled vertical stripping works well, especially when the stripe starts downward right under the bust, and then angles sharply away from the mid section.
Fabric content also becomes more important and suits with a higher percentage of lycra (spandex) offer firming control in problem areas, especially the tummy. The leg cut should be slightly higher which elongates the leg and projects a slimmer look. The suit should have good under-wire support that not only lifts, but lifts and separates, so as not to give a squished bust line. The fabric should not be so restrictive but allows for a slight bounce, as that is natural for a full bust.
The major obstacle in fitting this body type is not so much design, color and fabric, but the overly critical eye the woman brings to the store. It's sad but most women fail to realize that the average American adult woman is around 160 pounds, about 5'6" and a size 14. Especially for the middle aged woman, this figure type is very attractive and absolutely normal, but too many women get caught up in that unrealistic Hollywood and model portrayal of underweight, 5"10" bodies. Be proud of the body type you were blessed with and use fashion and design guidelines to project the overall body image, instead of focus on one area. Remember, a swimsuit is a statement of display and the public always appreciates a great show.
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