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" Elisa Benson knows all about the difficulties of dressing a large chest. &amp;quot;When you&amp;#039;re this side of a D-cup, it can be a challenge to find clothes that fit your chest without putting it on display more than it already is,&amp;quot; says Elisa, Cosmopolitan.com&amp;#039;s senior community manager. &amp;quot;I particularly struggle with finding outfits that feel professional because staple items like button-downs and blazers are usually made for, well, mannequins with small busts.&amp;quot; She even authored a whole post on this site about how she can&amp;#039;t find blazers, cross-body bags, bathing suits, bras \u2014 basically, most clothing \u2014 that suit her frame without extreme difficulty. Here, the style team at Cosmopolitan.com proves everything she thought about dressing her larger-than-average chest is, well, wrong. Here are eight common myths about dressing large busts ... busted. 1. The rule: Chose shift dresses over fitted ones, which can make you look top-heavy. The reality: Dresses with A-line or fit-and-flare skirts, like the one Elisa wears below, balance out a larger chest. Look for dresses in sturdy fabrics that are fitted through the chest. Stretchy fabrics are especially flattering because they fit a greater range of body shapes.  Dress, REBECCA TAYLOR AT BLOOMINGDALE&amp;#039;S, $450; Black Sandal Heels, CLUB MONACO, $269; Gold Watch, MICHAEL KORS, $250 Elisa says: &amp;quot;I felt really great in this dress \u2014 sophisticated, but also hot! The problem I usually have with dresses is that the chest area isn&amp;#039;t roomy enough, so every dress becomes a baby-doll dress, and the seam that&amp;#039;s supposed to hit at the waist instead sits right under your boobs. Side note: These heels are everything!&amp;quot; 2. The rule: Dresses are a better option than separates.  The reality: Sometimes, having a larger chest means you are different sizes on top and bottom, which can make finding dresses that fit especially difficult. Instead, create the illusion of a dress with separates by matching solid-color tops and bottoms.   Black V Neck, THREE DOT AT BLOOMINGDALE&amp;#039;S, $46; Black Leather Skirt, CLUB MONACO, $150; Black and Gold Bag, GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI, $1,495; Black Bow Heels, SHOE CULT BY NASTY GAL, $78 In Elisa&amp;#039;s own words: &amp;quot;Fitted dresses can skew &amp;#039;Vegas bachelorette party&amp;#039; very fast when you have a big bust. I thought a monochromatic look would be boring, but I ended up loving how the leather skirt and the cool sparkly bag stand out without looking like I&amp;#039;m trying too hard.&amp;quot; 3. The rule: Motorcycle jackets just aren&amp;#039;t going to work for you. The reality: Motorcycle jackets are great for larger chests, especially when it comes to suiting.The overlapping fabric on the front of the jacket means it actually lies over your chest when worn open instead of just falling to either side, making you (and your chest) appear smaller. And don&amp;#039;t worry too much about whether you can actually zip the jacket up \u2014 to do that you would probably need to size up and then the jacket wouldn&amp;#039;t fit your back, shoulders, and arms as nicely, and it wouldn&amp;#039;t look as nice when you did wear it open, which is how you will wear it 99 percent of the time anyway. Also, the cropped length of most moto jackets helps make your top half look smaller and more proportional, especially when you&amp;#039;re petite like Elisa, who is 5&amp;#039;4&amp;quot; out of her heels.   Striped Skirt, CLUB MONACO, $140; Striped Moto Jacket, CLUB MONACO, $239, Black T-Shirt, BABATON AT ARITZIA, $40; Black Booties, POUR LA VICTOIRE; Black Cross-body Bag, POUR LA VICTOIRE, $195; Sunglasses, FOREVER 21 In Elisa&amp;#039;s own words: &amp;quot;Big boobs make most &amp;#039;professional&amp;#039; clothing look like a disaster \u2014 I&amp;#039;ve literally had a button-down shirt pop in the middle of a meeting, and blazers splay open over your boobs and make you look like a sloppy overweight beast. So pretty much the only thing I wear to work is boring shift dresses. But this outfit is a miracle! Charles promised me that a jacket could work in a structured, heavy fabric that would maintain its shape without my boobs getting in the way. I&amp;#039;d never really tried a suit set before, but the look is professional, so you don&amp;#039;t even miss the boring button-down.&amp;quot;  4. The rule: You can&amp;#039;t wear boxy tops OR horizontal stripes, much less both at once. The reality: Find a top that is just boxy enough that it hangs straight down from your chest without billowing out. A slight crop will also help keep your whole look more in proportion and prevent your untucked top from looking like a tent.   Navy and White Striped Top, BCBGMAXAZRIA, $158; Green Skirt, WILFRED AT ARITZIA, $110; Black Sandal Heels, CLUB MONACO, $269; Crocodile Chain Bag, ZARA, $179; Tortoise Sunglasses, BURBERRY, $230; Gold Watch, MICHAEL KORS, $250 In Elisa&amp;#039;s own words: &amp;quot;Pretty much every fashion magazine in existence will tell curvy girls to avoid horizontal stripes \u2014 this just proves that most fashion advice is B.S. With this cool slouchy skirt, I actually think this look is effortlessly cool and boob-friendly.&amp;quot;  5. The rule: Avoid boyfriend jeans, which add volume and make you look bigger.  The reality: Looser jeans balance out a larger chest. You might not think that boyfriend jeans would be flattering, but that loose, slightly baggy silhouette is. Wear them low on your hips and front-tuck a slouchy T-shirt in a thick, substantial fabric like a densely woven cotton or terry cloth, which will drape over your chest nicely without being too clingy.   Gray Sweatshirt Top, SPLENDID AT BLOOMINGDALE&amp;#039;S, $98; Distressed Boyfriend Jeans, D-ID JEANS AT BLOOMINGDALE&amp;#039;S, $178; Strappy Sandal Heels, STUART WEITZMAN, $385; White Crossbody Bag, BCBGMAXAZRIA; $298; Gold Watch, MICHAEL KORS, $250 In Elisa&amp;#039;s own words: &amp;quot;I love sweatshirt tops because there aren&amp;#039;t any fit issues, but I would have tried to pair this with skinny jeans in an effort to look slimmer. Turns out that distressed boyfriend jeans have a slouchy-all-over look that&amp;#039;s much cooler, and with heels and a monochromatic color palette, it&amp;#039;s still flattering.&amp;quot; 6. The rule: Blazers will gape open awkwardly in the front or lie awkwardly against your body. The reality: While lapels on blazers and vests often don&amp;#039;t lie properly when you have a larger chest, lapel-free styles do. They won&amp;#039;t gape awkwardly and tend to be more closed across the chest. Again, don&amp;#039;t worry about buttoning up. When you have a larger chest, front closures in general are not your friends, but that&amp;#039;s fine! You&amp;#039;ll look more stylish with it open anyway and still completely work-appropriate.   White Bandage Skirt, BCBGMAXAZRIA, $138; White Top, CLUB MONACO, $130; White Vest, CLUB MONACO, $198; Silver Bangle, REBECCA MINKOFF, $78; Silver Ring, REBECCA MINKOFF, $48; Studded Heels, REBECCA MINKOFF, $218; Black Crossbody Bag, POUR LA VICTOIRE, $195 In Elisa&amp;#039;s own words: &amp;quot;I die for this vest! The back of it is sheer chiffon, so it felt like it glided over my body without adding extra bulk \u2014 the key to layering if you&amp;#039;re busty.&amp;quot;  7. The rule: Slouchy crew neck T-shirts will always look too sexy. The reality: Try wearing one with a short skirt in a lighter color and high heels to help draw attention to your legs, instead of your chest. And avoid that whole &amp;quot;tent&amp;quot; thing that can happen with longer tops by loosely tucking the front of your shirt into your skirt.    Guns N&amp;#039; Roses T-Shirt, WILFRED FREE AT ARITZIA $50; Skirt, WILFRED FREE AT ARITIZIA, $50; Pumps, SCHUTZ, $200; Bag, POUR LA VICTOIRE, $195; Tortoise Sunglasses, BURBERRY, $230 In Elisa&amp;#039;s own words: &amp;quot;Anyone with big boobs knows that T-shirts are hard \u2014 the slightest V-neck can give you cleavage overload, and anything baggy looks like you&amp;#039;re wearing a tent. Charles told me that the solution is all about what you pair it with \u2014 a loose, crew-neck T-shirt still looks cool as hell when it&amp;#039;s tucked into a teeny, tiny skirt. Not going to lie, I felt like a man killer in this outfit.&amp;quot; 8. The rule: Jumpsuits are never going to fit properly and will make you look top-heavy.  The reality: Rompers (and jumpsuits) are one of the most flattering and easy-to-wear silhouettes for women with large chests \u2014 they are a little blousy on top without looking sloppy, and the slight looseness on the bottom is great for balancing out the larger top. Color-blocking on top with a cropped jacket in a contrasting color, worn open, also helps make a larger chest appear smaller, the same way dark panels on the sides of a dress can make your waist appear narrower.   Gray Romper, WILFRED FREE AT ARITZIA, $65; Green Jacket, WILFRED FREE AT ARITZIA, $99; Black Sandal Heels, CLUB MONACO, $269; Crocodile Chain Bag, ZARA, $179; Sunglasses, WILDFOX, $169 In Elisa&amp;#039;s own words: &amp;quot;I really, really love this outfit. Rompers are a busty girl&amp;#039;s best friend because they skim over your chest without any fit issues, but they&amp;#039;re more interesting and on-trend than ANOTHER boring shift dress. For some reason I always thought long jackets were more flattering on me, but Charles sold me on a more cropped fit.&amp;quot; Special thanks to Panache for their invaluable bra-fitting services and the beautiful, supportive bras, which were the starting point for all these outfits, and were virtually invisible under every piece of clothing. RELATED ARTICLES: 4 Life-Changing Tips for Mixing Prints How to Make High Heels More Comfortable 15 Ways to Wear Your Work Clothes on the Weekend 21 Problems Only Women With Big Boobs Understand 6 Tips for Finding a Better Bra   Follow Charles on Twitter. Do you have fashion or style questions? Submit them here or tweet your questions to our Style Editor @charlesemanning.  Photo Credit: Kathleen Kamphausen  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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