Managing big boobs - lessons from Julie Bishop

When I saw this photo of Julie Bishop (Minister for Foreign Affairs) in New York on a United Nations junket, I got very excited because its a perfect example of what not to do if you have a big bust.

Oops. Big oops.

The high neckline just reinforces one big monoboob. There is nothing to break up the monoboob. No decolletage, no necklace, no brooch, no texture. Nothing.  

The monoboob walks into the room before Julie does. Distracting. Especially when you want to be taken seriously at the United Nations. Or anywhere. 

It doesnt help that its sleeveless - that provides even less to focus on, making the boobs the number one attraction. 

Here she is again at one of the polies' mid winter balls.

One big droopy monoboob.
Monoboob due to the high neckline.

Droopy because of the pattern/embroidery on the bodice. I doubt very much that she isnt wearing the right bra.

Eeewww.

But look at this one...

The scoop neckline helps to break up the monoboob. We notice the skin & the boobs start to take a back seat.

What about the next one? 

On one hand, I think she has lost some weight here, however it could be the fact that this is a matt dress compared to the scoop neck blingy silver number above. Shine reflects light & makes things look bigger. Matt absorbs light & makes things look smaller. I know which I prefer to wear. 

Weightloss or not, the big bust rule still applies. 

Big bust? Break it up.

So she breaks it up with a sheer layer with sequins/crystals. Nice.  

On a more subtle level, this also works well as it has some distinct straight lines - the broad collar line & the straight line of the lining above the bust. In contrast, the scoop neck blingy silver dress has a very obvious curved collar shape. Curves create curves. If you are already curvy be careful of adding curves with your clothes.

So let's go to Julie's work clothes. 

This next one isnt too bad....

The white cami has a somewhat high neckline. But she is breaking it up reasonably well with her Armani jacket & a brooch. The jacket works well here as the tweed provides texture & depth and the medium sized lapels balance out the chest area. 

Let's look at a variation of this....

Notice how simply by lowering the cami's neckline her boobs loose impact? Flick up & down between these two photos - the basic outfit is the same, but the impact of lowering the cami is massive. In the latter, you tend to then notice Julie as a whole rather than Julie's boobs.

Dont forget that there is still no sign of cleavage, its all very tasteful & the monoboob has been dissolved nicely. 

WIW: Colour & layers - its all happening today

I surprised myself with this outfit. Partly because there is so much colour (& neon God forbid!), partly because I didnt plan it and partly because its layer city (when I rarely layer). I just started off with the jacket, then the neon & the rest fell into place.


The jacket

This is a navy cashmere biker jacket from Giorgio Armani. 
I bought it a few years go as part of a pre-sell at the Sydney boutique and then went to the US the following week. Jacket in tow.

It was on the floor as new stock over there too & wearing a new (not bought on sale or on ebay) item of theirs always gets you the best service - on both coasts. It shouldnt be what triggers good service, but unfortunately it can be. But I am not complaining. 

Some of you are wondering why I travel and go to the same boutiques overseas. Crazy I know, but I adore certain brands & I would always visit the stores overseas for those brands. 

She has a two sided zip & the Giorgio logo on the zip thingeys. Not a stitch out of place. Too perfect. 

The top

I dont do neon. I did it in the 80s and I dont do it in 2013. 
However the drape & cut of this Zara tank said: buy me, buy me. For $70, I did.  

neon lime makes me look like death. Luckily the neckline of this tank was low, so there wasnt alot of interaction with my complexion. 

The front is double lined & the hem is curved. Its 100% poly but has lovely lines and I especially loved the way the neckline folds over toward the front.

I also liked how the hem of the tank peeks out from under the sweater. I rejected another red sweater because it was too short & didnt help with the peek out of the tank as well as this TSE sweater did.

The cami

The cami is from Target. They have them in every colour. I think it was $9. 

My main reason for wearing this wasnt modesty. It was so the fine fabric of the neon top wasnt rubbing against the jeans - I didnt want to risk any of those small holes forming on the tank, around the belly. 

The sweater

This is a TSE from the Woodbury Common outlet store in New York. Its 100% Italian made cashmere. I paid around $150 for it. A serious bargain.

Until I got home & realised it was 3/4 sleeves. I HATE 3/4 sleeves. Especially in winter. 

The jeans

Cobalt Not Your Daughters Jeans which look amazing with the lime neon. 

The jewellery

You've seen this bangle previously.
The necklace (photo above) us a men's base metal from RG Collections in St Ives. It was on sale for $25 & I was drawn to the chunkiness of it.

The shoes

Bought in 2002, these are a navy nappa leather ballet flat from Italian brand Loriblu which I paid a mint for, from Tino Lanzi in Sydney's CBD.

These babies are winners not just because the leather is butter soft, but because the vamp is low and they look elegant & not clumpy. 

Back to layering....

In case you're wondering why I dont later....I am sure you have heard that layering is terrific because you can peel layers off as you heat up and add them as you cool down. This is correct. But I like as few layers as possible - its just me. I like short sleeves & a jacket & anything in between tends to annoy me. 

See you tomorrow.

WIW: Neutrals with a rose pink pop of colour

Very excited today. I get to wear another skirt. 
But also because I didnt have alot of time to think through an outfit, I was committed to wearing separates (not a suit - too formal) so I did what any normal girl would do.

Grab a few neutrals & throw them together. Add a pop of colour and you're ready. It really is quite a simple formula. 

The jacket

A main line Armani from ebay.
This jacket is gorgeous in real life - its super structured but with subtle curved lines so its not super aggressive.
Its a grey/khaki which isnt my best colour, but I mix it with blacks & taupes & neutrals in general and it blends in beautifully.

The top

This is white label Armani - the label he doesnt show at fashion week, but is available through the department stores and tends to have a corporate focus. Its a bit cheaper than the main line & a few years ago, they decided to drop the prices even more. The fabric quality also dropped. 

I got this at David Jones before this happened & before discovering ebay, so I paid a bomb. In any case, its Dry Clean Only & I manage to hand wash it - so that's a win. 

The skirt

This knee length pencil skirt is amazing.
Its a Donna Karan Collection - a runway baby.
It fits like a dream.
It's black with white stitching yet it works with everything from white to browns to colours to pastels. 

Instead of side seams, it has angled seams that start at the front & end at the back - makes for a very figure flattering cut. 

The back split overlaps of course - I always look for this, rather than the two sides coming edge to edge. Why? So it doesnt rip as you walk.

Its made of a thick scuba type material but its doesnt say wet-suit. It says expensive "slurping in" fabric.

The scarf

The men's style cashmere rose pink from yesterday. A perfect lift to black/khaki/taupe.

The jewellery

A whole lot of bracelets, silver rings & a 3 ring necklace from Zambesi. You've see all this previously. That's code for it was too dark to take any more photos. 

The shoes

I actually forgot to put the shoes in the main photo because I rush to take the photos late in the day when the light is starting to go down & I am a bit scatty in my rushing around. But they are the same Ballin as yesterday - a bargain from Italy, courtesy of Myer. In black & chocolate.

See you tomorrow.

WIW: Not all shades of chocolate are created equal.

I decided to spruce up today. A skirt & a heel. Still a long way off from the corporate look of matched suits, bit one step closer.

The jacket

A black/brown Giorgio Armani bought second hand many years ago from Double Bay.

That was pre ebay and before I had realised it was actually Double Pay. 

The top

A Saint Grace brown tee. Not stuffy. Casual but smartened up due to the jacket. Sometimes that's all you need.

The skirt

A European Culture cotton tee skirt in the same shade of bitter chocolate as the jacket & tee.

A fluke really. Good fluke. 

The skirt has ribbing on the lower half giving it a super pencilled shape.

The front side seams extend lower than the back. 

It was half price at $150 from Clientelle in St Ives.  

I thoroughly recommend this brand to anyone that likes cool edgy shapes. 

It was 2 side pockets which frankly give it bulk & I would prefer to have sewn down, soon. 

The necklaces

A magnifying glass which I wear on black rubber (or a silver chain depending on the mood) - $25 from Note to self in Epping, Sydney. 

A 3 ring silver chain from Zambesi in Paddington. $90 at their warehouse sale. 

The bracelets

A threesome in blacks & silver

The rings

A twosome in black & silver.

The shoes

I wore these Donna Karans out the door & in the car. As I drove down the road, I came back home to change them. These were honey toned brown (warm) while the whole outfit was a bitter chocolate or mushroom toned brown (cool). These shoes werent working with the clothes and I am glad I realised in time. 

Here are the real shoes.
Bitter chocolate with a black round toe cap. 
Stiletto heel.
Ballin from Myer at a season end sale for around $130 from $520.

The stockings

Not photographed, but were Voodoo Control Tops in Jabou.
A smokey/brown shade.

See you tomorrow, when i do a skirt again. 

WIW: Orange pops a gangster Armani

Today I looked at the jackets racks and picked one I hadnt worn for a while.

The Jacket

A main line Giorgio Armani which I purchased from ebay for around $100. Its a wool with an unusual chalk/pin stripe pattern. A bit gangster and that's why what I wear with it is important - so that I dont look like a gangster.

Love the way the cuff buttons are done - so precise with the stitching & the placement. 

The top

This photo refuses to rotate....but the Bonds white tee is very standard. 

STYLE TIP: Have a few white tees in your wardrobe as they do stain & grey over time. Make sure the shade of white you have is your BEST white. Mine is white-white. But yours may be off-white or cream or pearl. 

The jeans

I wore my wide legged cheapie Philosophy jeans. The only things that was necessary today was that the jeans were rolled up to show off the shoes. No other consideration applied. 

The scarf

With a heavy jacket like this, I needed a scarf with depth & a touch of colour. This saturated Etro fit the bill perfectly. Its 100% wool in a thick weave but the scarf itself is lightweight. 

I picked it up at Sydney airport, duty free when I was leaving the country about 5 years ago. It wasnt cheap, but its a lifetime purchase. 

The bling

From left to right:

A dark wire mesh ring which can be moulded to any shape. from Beautiful Things By at Beecroft for $60. Hard to wear this without playing with the bauble. 

A three snake ring in antique gold tones from Mania Mania from The Corner Shop in Paddington. About $70.

Various bracelets including a bold grey Jolly Venezia from Silva Guanta in Mosman. 

A long antique gold tone & coral Isabel Marant necklace from The Corner Shop in The Strand Arcade, Sydney.

The short star necklace is from the Witchery Kids range. It was $10 and works well as a layering piece.

The shoes

Tory Burch patent orange ballet flats. From the Luisa sale at one of the Sydney Hilton sales. Less than $200. Really cute, but I dont wear them often as I still havent got round to putting soles on the bottom. 

A bright pair of shoes in orange pops with this outfit, even though the other accessories & scarf work the red theme. 

STYLE TIP: If two colours are close together on the colour wheel you can often use them interchangeably as accents in an outfit.

See you tomorrow.

What I Wore: A mash up of dramatic & boho

The shirt

Country Road, 100% cotton, from about 20 years ago.

The necklace

A cats eye polished stone from Giorgio Armani.
Very dramatic - nothing boho about this.
One of the few brown things that goes anywhere near my face but the interplay with black & the shapes make it work.
Weighs a tonne & cost the same. 
About 12 years old.

The layering necklaces

Both from a Kaboodle stand in a Westfield somewhere for around $30 each...the ball one has a watch on one side & is a see through, to show the watch mechanism on the other. It spins around on its axis. We love each other alot. 

The scarf

A distant cousin of the shirt, a current season Country Road scarf in a wool mix $69.
Also one of the few off white/cream things I wear near my face.

It is still available, although it was part of the first AW 2013 drop where they showcased B&W window pane checks a la Dries Van Noten. 

The pants

Hammock & Vine, around $90, reduced. 
Very good Aussie brand for large thighs & not so large hips.
From the larger David Jones stores.

The bag

Dont fall over - I havent changed my bag for the next 6 months. Just for the day. I remembered this baby & thought she may like to spend a day with new (& old) friends. This was largely made possoble b/c a few days ago, I cleaned out my day bag, so everything was organised & transferable.

A Jamin Puech from a Belinda warehouse sale about 6 years ago. I paid $400 but RRP on this brand's bags starts at $800. Scanlan & Theodore also carry the range.

If you like their Facebook page, they have lovely photo updates - very French and quite bohemian.

Look at all the detail - different pattern & shape patches, stitches, the turquoise beads, the velvet ribbons...& its all on the side...

the base is a nappa leather, very soft....

front detail....& notice the pom pom closure on the cotton string....

The shoes

Clements Riberio from Myer, < $150 a few years ago. 
The ankle length pants showcase the metal ankle straps very well.