Dear Tomboy,

I love men's style clothing, but I have one problem: my chest. As a larger chested female I find it impossible to find clothing that I can wear that doesn't either draw attention to my chest or look like a tent draped on my body.

Send help,

Bountiful Boobies

Dear Bountiful,

First thing's first, you are not alone! There are thousands of women who share in this same problem. If curvy hips and thighs weren't enough, you also got stuck with a chest that limits your freedom to dress in whatever you please. There are a few suggestions I have to help overcome the obstacle and get you headed towards a comfortable and confident dressing style.





Balance Fitted & Loose

Too many fitted items draw attention to your chest area, and too loose gives you that "tent" look. A balance between the two creates a flattering fit that doesn't draw attention to the wrong areas. My suggestion for something fitted would be a women's plain t-shirt or tank top. Make sure the neck line doesn't cut too low, or the attention will be directed towards that area specifically. I love pairing a simple black (the most slimming color) v-neck under a men's flannel. Feel free to add a jacket or cardigan for another loose layer.





Beware of Buttons!

Button placement is everything when searching for the right shirt or jacket to fit your chest area. This is the tricky part because many men's dress shirts and jackets have button placement right in the middle of your ladies. This causes the dreaded button gap and draws attention back to the chest. My suggestion is to start off with a base layer of a camisole or tank top and then find a women's button down shirt that is made for bustier women or a men's shirt that you can leave partially unbuttoned. To give this look a more tomboy feel, try adding a men's cardigan with multiple buttons. Avoid getting one button tops as they often button right below the bust and fit awkwardly. Again try to balance loose and fitted items for the best results.





Accessorize With Masculinity

When clothing is impossible to find, accessories will always be there for you. I suggest taking a gender neutral outfit, such as loose jeans, khakis, or a crew neck and adding a load of men's accessories to your outfit. Men's scarfs would be great at covering the bust. Add watches, hats, ties, oxfords, glasses, or anything else you can find. This isn't always the most ideal option, but it can bring that masculine flare to an outfit without drowning out the rest of your features.





Customize

10 Tomboy Clothing Companies You Didn't Know Existed for a list of companies that specialize in this kind of custom wear. When all else fails, there are a handful of companies that custom make men's clothing for womanly bodies. Their items typically cost a pretty penny, but are a great investment. See my previous post on thefor a list of companies that specialize in this kind of custom wear.





May the clothes be ever in your favor!





-Tomboy





Check out how the always lovely @catherineEorr (editor/38DDD) "Balances a Fitted and Loose" style with confidence!













What other suggestions do you have to add? Comment below or tweet me @askatomboy















