Tips for well-endowed petites?

[pinkmomagain]

DD1 (15 y0) is a 5"1 double d gal. It's hard for her to find figure flattering clothes. Some tops look too revealing, yet if she wears something to blousy, it makes her top half look bigger than she is. Any suggestions from you ladies who may have a similar issue? Not sure what direction point her in and she is getting frustrated with her wardrobe.

Adding to note that she is about 100lbs....just to give a better sense of figure.

[Katigre]

Get this book - The Science of Sexy - b/c it covers each body type and what styles are flattering (and horribly unflattering). It breaks it down into three categories - height, weight, and body shape. A person who is pear shaped (small top half, larger bottom half) and is 5'10 and 240 lbs has different clothing needs than someone who is pear shaped and 5'1 and 110 lbs, yk? That's why this book is helpful :).

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Sexy-Unique-Figure-System/dp/1592402607

[pinkmomagain]

Get this book - The Science of Sexy - b/c it covers each body type and what styles are flattering (and horribly unflattering). It breaks it down into three categories - height, weight, and body shape. A person who is pear shaped (small top half, larger bottom half) and is 5'10 and 240 lbs has different clothing needs than someone who is pear shaped and 5'1 and 110 lbs, yk? That's why this book is helpful :).

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Sexy-Unique-Figure-System/dp/1592402607

Very cool. I'm going to look into this!

[lovin2shop]

I have the same problem, and don't have too many great suggestions unfortunately. I have found that tops which are looser on top, such as a dolman sleeve, but are banded around the lower waist area tends to work well. I need something that comes in a bit or I just look big all over. Also, for tops with a lot of volume, a low slung belt tends to help bring them in. I have tummy issues, so I tend avoid belting at the waist, but since your DD is thin, she may have a lot more options for belts.

ETA: I avoid crew necks at all costs! V Necks, Scoops, and Squared Necklines work best, and if they seem too low, I add a cami. The cami helps, but I spend a good amount of my day hiking them up to cover the boobage.

[echoesofspring]

I'm 5'2" and DD (well, right now nursing DDD!) so I can sympathize. Is she shopping in the petites section at all? Often times the petites section can seem so grandmother-ish, but time and time again I have better luck there. Juniors is likely too narrow a cut and regular women's probably overwhelms her figure.

Macy's has some cute petite clothes (as well as some really dowdy stuff), but Gap and their various associated companies also carry petite sizes, mostly online. Talbots/ coldwater creek/jjill (probably not her style, I remember being about her age and my mom dragging me to talbots and hating it.), Ann Taylor, not sure about AT Loft. Kohls and JCPenny's also have petite departments as does nordstrom. Depending on where you live, the petite departments can be really great or suck from store to store of the same company, so you may have to shop around a bit to find which ones fit her style best.

This season I've had good luck with cowl neck sweaters/tshirts (with cami for when I lean over). I got some great vneck tshirts at JcPenny for something like $11 and they aren't too revealing. For me I need some definition at the waist, either the top is structured or form fitting or I can belt it. Otherwise I quickly look like I'm wearing a muumuu or pregnant. HTH

[pinkmomagain]

Hmmm. These are good suggestions! She hasn't played around with belts yet and that might be a great way for her to define her waist.

She of course likes to shop in more junior type places...loves NordstromBP. I guess we'd have to really dig through a petite dept and see if there is trendy stuff that she'd like there. I have gotten her somethings from the petite dept before (like a dress coat), so we should take a closer look!

Thank you all.

[wellyes]

I agree with the pp - never crew necks or turtlenecks. Me & my DDs live in v-necks and scoop necks - not to show off, trust me, it's just a much more flattering shape.

[lovin2shop]

Nordstrom's BP, and the Caslon brand in particular, have had some good top options lately. I bought several light weight sweaters for winter that were cowl neck and / or dolman sleeves.

Also, another suggestion is to look for things with a more vertical line. The trick for a petite though, is to have the line not be too long. So, a shirt with a small tie that hangs down in front usually works, but a long or larger scarf can be overwhelming. Same for a long cardigan, the straight lines of open cardigan can work well, but if it hangs too long it cuts me off in a weird place.

I pretty much only wear Petite sized dresses because I'm very shortwaisted, and regular dresses hang way to low in the midsection for me. I'm a little iffy on Petite tops though, I find that many are cut too small in the bust.

[lovin2shop]

Here are some Nordstrom options that I like:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/hinge-silk-chiffon-trim-tie-neck-blouse/3229879?origin=category&resultback=1800

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/nic-zoe-pointelle-pattern-sweater-petite/3255778?origin=category&resultback=7800

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bobeau-sleeveless-tie-front-print-blouse/3265161?origin=category&resultback=8900

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/cielo-cowl-neck-stripe-top/3276984?origin=category&resultback=3200

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/lucky-brand-cassy-top/3257823?origin=category&resultback=5500

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/caslon-shirred-v-neck-tee-petite/3171132?origin=category&resultback=6100

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/free-people-clockwork-crochet-bell-sleeve-sweater/3242678?origin=category&resultback=7200 (with a tank)

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/soft-joie-baxter-tie-front-jersey-top/3243676?origin=category&resultback=300

These may be too dressy and pricey for a teen, but these are silhouettes to look for in general. Also, I didn't find a good example, but I do like boatnecks sometimes if they are not tight.

[pinkmomagain]

Amy, thanks so much for taking the time to post all those links! Very helpful!