Bountiful Beauty

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
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 the 10 Tomboy Clothing Companies You Didn't Know Existed for 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! 

Four Fall Fashions

The leaves are changing and the temperature is dropping. It can only mean one thing, fall is here! It is my favorite season of the year for activities and fashion. There are so many cute style options for this time of year and I am here to point out my favorites. 

4. The Friday Night Party Goer 
When I think of an outfit to wear hitting the bars or a friend's house party, I think preppy. Not your typical frat bro preppy, but a clean slick look. My personal favorite is wearing a pair of dark washed jeans and a nice button down shirt. I often find that men's dress shirts fit my chest weird and make the shirt bunch up in an unflattering way. There is a queer clothing site called Androgyny that makes the perfect casual dress shirts. They are described as a revolutionary brand designing clothing for androgynous women and trans* identified individuals, who have fit and style preferences that are rarely met by mainstream brands.

Brilliant Lavender Oxford Button-down 

The key to their signature shirt is that it has (1) a “boob” button to minimize gaping, (2) no darts, (3) a full cut to accommodate, but not accentuate, curves.

Limited Edition: Anchors Away

3. The Night-In With Friends
On those nights you just want to curl up and binge watch an entire series on Netflix, you want to be comfortable. Comfortability doesn't have to mean throwing all fashion knowledge out the window. I love shopping at PacSun for more casual fashions. My new favorite trend is a type of sweat pant called a jogger. Joggers typically have a large elastic band around the ankle and sag a bit in the waist area.  What is a pair of comfy sweats without a crew neck?! The crew-neck or as I like to call it, the noodie (no hood hoodie) has made a comeback, and I couldn't be more thrilled. I love the older vintage looking sports team ones, but any will do. Make sure you add your favorite beanie to complete this night-in look!

Been Trill Joggers: $59.95

Riot Society: $44.95

2. The Saturday Morning Coffee Run 
In the past couple of decades, there has been a style movement called "grunge" that has faded in and out. I am not referring to wearing an old trash bag or the nastiest worn jeans you own. I am talking about the style that came out of the change in rock music movement. The grunge style often consists of many unconnected layers of typically cheap clothing such as thrifted items. It's kind of like throwing on your old favorite pair of jeans and tee shirt, but then adding a vest, flannel and old boots. Grunge lets you be unique, without forcing you to buy an entire new outfit. I typically wear an old pair of black jeans with an vintage shirt. I, then tie a flannel around my waist and throw on a bulky pair of boots. This article gives you step by step instructions on how to dress grunge.

Both of these photos are from Outfit Trends

1. The Fall Into Flannel
When I think fall, I think flannel. Flannel can be worn to class, work, parties, tailgates, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, lunch with friends, and everywhere else. They can be worn buttoned up, around the waist, unbuttoned, and under a sweater. Wow! There are just so many choices when it comes to flannels. I would mention a specific retailer that sells them, but honestly you can purchase them just about anywhere. One will never be enough, so stock up on as many as you can!

Photo by Albania

What is your favorite fall style? Comment below and share this post!