How to dress to flatter a big bust | members only

The truth is you can be any size or height and have a big bust. Whether you’re a size 6 or 16, an S or XL, 5-foot-1 or 5-foot-9, a generous chest will always be a wardrobe challenge. How do

I know? As a fashion editor, stylist and personal shopper for women over 50, the phrase “I’m too busty to wear that” comes up a lot. It’s not surprising since breasts do continue to change

size and shape with age, often getting bigger and, in turn, saggier. This affects how clothes fit and if they fit. Here are 10 tips to make your big bust a true bosom buddy: (From left)

Queen Latifah, Helen Mirren and Pamela Anderson. AARP (Getty Images, 3) 1. GIVE YOUR BREASTS A LITTLE LIFT. Large breasts take up more torso space than smaller ones and have increased

projection. This is not a problem until you climb out of your home-alone clothes and get dressed for life. That’s when a low-lift bra or bralette lets you down. Women with sizable chests

often say, “My boobs and waist are competing for space,” and it’s true. What you and every other busty woman need is a bra with enough oomph to lift your breasts up and off your rib cage.

This instantly adds the essential inch or two of extra torso, so your breasts and waist gain separation.  However, lifting your bust’s level from lower on your midriff to a point midway

between your shoulder and elbow is the real game changer here. It restores a perky silhouette (front and side views!) and improves the fit of whatever you’re wearing. Look at how some

voluptuous celebs benefit from this lift-and-shape trick. (From left) Fruit of the Loom Women’s Breathable Spacer T-Shirt Bra in Desert Dusk; Bali’s Coolest Smoothing Underwire Minimizer Bra

DF4584 in Evening Blush. AARP (Target, Kohl’s) 2. BUY A COOL-GIRL BRA WITH FULL-COVERAGE BENEFITS. Every woman over 50 with a big bust knows what the phrase “granny bra” means. No offense

to grandmas (I’m one, too!), but hefty full-coverage bras that look more like armor than lingerie make women who need extra support cringe. The good news is that modern bras with additional

support, shaping and a lot more sex appeal make achieving the lifted look in tip #1 easy. Choose a smooth full-coverage style — whether a shape-making T-shirt bra or volume-reducing

minimizer — that tucks in all your breast tissue for a smooth line with no hint of a double boob or spillage at the top or sides. T-shirt bras (wire or wire-free) have ultra-subtle padding

that gives a full chest a natural rounded look, while the minimizer styles are designed to use targeted compression to reduce bust projection up to 1 1/2inches.  Good examples with a wide

range of band and cup sizes are the SOMA BODIFY PERFECT COVERAGE BRA ($68, soma.com), NATORI COMFORT EVOLUTION FULL FIT T-SHIRT BRA IN BLACK ($74, barenecessities.com), FRUIT OF THE LOOM

WOMEN’S BREATHABLE SPACER T-SHIRT BRA IN ROSE SHADOW, DESERT DUSK OR BLACK ($20, target.com) and BALI’S COOLEST SMOOTHING UNDERWIRE MINIMIZER BRA DF4584 ($48, kohls.com). Don’t be afraid of

the minimal padding. It doesn’t add bulk, and its ability to improve bust shape is a plus, especially when your breasts are shallow on top, uneven in size or wide-spaced with all the volume

at the outer edges. (From left) Meryl Streep; Lane Bryant Swing 3/4-Sleeve Pleat-Front Top in Deep Blue; H&M Women V-Neck Blouse in Cream. AARP (Getty Images, Lane Bryant, H&M) 3.

GET INTO POWER-V NECKLINES. Yes, high-neck turtlenecks, crews and mock necks are cozy, but lower Vs are a big bust’s BFF. Here’s why: A high neckline closes up the border between your neck

and bust, so it appears to be a broad, solid unit. Your eye is drawn straight to the most outstanding visual … you guessed it, your breasts. Lower necklines open that border and break up the

distance between the neck and bust.  By strategically exposing more skin, your neck appears longer, and your eye goes to the neckline, not your bust. It’s an optical diversion that works,

and the most effective necklines that achieve this are V-necks, especially wider ones and those that end anywhere from mid-breastbone to an inch above your cleavage.