(Note from roxy: please join me in welcoming Hannah from knitbot to the guest blogging roster!)
Hello Anthro enthusiasts! I am Hannah, a knitwear designer who blogs here. I want to talk to you ladies who find yourself in the same situation as me. That situation is called 36DD. Shopping can be discouraging for us, right? Finding things that flatter our figures rather than make us feel large all over can be a challenge. Here’s what I have learned from years of shopping at Anthro about what looks great and maintains a good shelf life.
1. If it buttons up, try it on.
Antho button up tops very consistently work for me, especially the ones with a little bit of elastic in the back to assist with waist shaping. I wear a size 10 or 12 depending on the brand.
A good example is the Keep It Simple Tunic, currently on sale for $39.95, shown in size 10. A little length is nice for balance , in addition to the aforementioned shaping achieved be elastic and the lower neck line.
Dresses often don’t work for me, since in addition to a large chest my torso is a little longer. I do try them on if it’s button up, and was surprised at how nice the Magnifying Glass Dress ($138) looked. I almost always have to make some alterations to dresses, but the size 12 fit perfectly.
2. Cardigans, people. Awesome, awesome cardigans. For me, this is hands down Anthro’s strength, I could buy them all day long, season after season. A few longer ones caught my eye today: the Proscenium Cardigan ($68) in white, size medium; the Outdoor Cafe Cardigan ($90) in a great yellow, size medium and the Jet Stream Cardigan ($88) in ivory, size medium.
Invest in a few blouses and cardis like these, take good care of them and you can enjoy wearing them many, many times.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I am the same chest size as you and people are always like, you're so lucky to have a large chest but it is such a pain to shop for clothes. I always have to buy a size or two larger in tops to make up for the length being taken away by my 'girls'. And button up shirts/dresses are always a mystery as to whether they'll gap. So I totally understand where you are coming from! http://iamsarajane.blogspot.com/
Thank you for this guest post!! I'm a 34F so I always buy at least a Large in Anthro shirts. It's frustrating but I've actually have a good streak going in Anthro dresses. Bought the Vappu Dress(size L), the Camilla Dress(Size Medium!!!), and the Secret Treasure Dress(Size 12). Dresses that have a v-neck line just emphasize my chest so those are out.
Great style advice, thanks 🙂 all of your outfits looked great!
Great advice! I don't *quite* have the same problem (34 C over here) but my ribcage is huge compared with the rest of me, so I often find myself going up 1-2 sizes to accommodate. I hate it when a dress fits perfectly except that it just won't quite zip over my bust! I've also had success with the Vappu Dress.
I love seeing people post on here who aren't teeny tiny! 34DD here and have similar problems with Anthro clothes. I agree on their button up blouses, particularly the ones Odille does. VERY flattering. Now if only they made knit tops that flatter those of us with larger busts more often…
Alyssa, how did you get a # size in the Secret Treasure dress? I'm so disappointed b/c they only come S, M, L online, but some of the reviews indicated number sizes, so I'm wondering what that's all about. Did you buy it online?
I agree on the Odille blouses, and their All Seasons Shirtdress is the best, I wish I had bought ever color. I heard through the community that dress is $19.95 now…if you can find one. Also love Edme & Esyllte blouses.
JanAlyssa (great name by the way), I'm sorry I was wrong. I have a Large in the Secret Treasure Dress. I bought it in NYC Soho store.
My 38D-DDs and I love this post! I could buy Anthro cardis all day and night as well, especially the gorgeous Field Flower offerings… In addition to your great chesty hints, I always try on the dresses with a smocked back, like the Giverney, Dandelion Wish, and this season's Primula. Love the way they fit so comfortably!
I have a larger chest as well, but I find that the button-up tops at Anthropologie never fit me without gaps and pulling. Unfortunately, I have to restrict myself to their less structured tops. My bra size is a 36G, but if I didn't have a large chest, a size medium top would probably fit me. I find that Anthropologie brands are sized very skimpily in the bust area, which means I have to avoid almost all of their structured blouses and dresses.