A Style Lesson I’ve Learned (And Lost) Looking Big

Back in the 80s, everything was BIG. Hair, shoulders, sweatshirts. Fashion was even louder. (CBK wouldn’t have liked it!) I had just entered high school in 1984, and I was athletic and skinny. I was obsessed with clothes, and I felt like I knew how to dress—until I didn’t. Between my freshman and sophomore years, my chest went from a double A to a double D. Dressing up suddenly went from being a show to a strategy, and I didn’t like it one bit.

My solution—and what happened in terms of the fashion world at the time—was to go BIG, aka to hide. Oversized blazers, messy buttons, anything that flatters rather than accommodates. It worked well if the goal was to swallow and look at 15 pounds. Nice job! I disappeared under a sea of fabric, which, given my discomfort with being the new thing the boys were seeing, was okay. For a while.

Larissa Mills in the 1980s.

(Image credit: Larissa Mills)

When I was 19, I had a mastectomy. And in my mind, this would be The Great Unlock. The clothes would fall differently. Everything would be easy. chicer. I would be able to wear what the models were wearing and look exactly like them! (Hah hah hah) To a small extent, it was true. There are other silhouettes – flowing skirts, bias dresses, and mini sweaters looked like that different from like that benefit.

But here’s what I didn’t expect: I lost something else. Because a full chest, when well-dressed, brings its own kind of magic. I’ve tried on a lot of dresses now, and they just look fun and messy. There are only certain fabrics and fabrics that are designed to celebrate the gap, not to sleep. Thank God!

Larissa Mills is wearing a summer look with different styles — (Image credit: Larissa Mills)

The important thing when you wear a big chest is not to hide it but to organize it. Embrace the shape like well-cut blazers that define the waist instead of swallowing it. V-necks, whether T-shirts or sweaters, are more popular than crew necks every day of the week. Keep it simple with pants and more skirts (and shirt sleeves!). Straight skirts, slimming pants, and nice, lightweight fabrics will keep the outfit from looking like it’s struggling to stand out.

Also, use your tools! Remove belts to cinch in your waist or at least draw attention to another part of your body.

Larissa Mills models the top-stripe design above — Mills modeling statement a sand dollar necklace.

And finally, monochrome is one of your best allies. If you want to be a flowing, oversized outfit, a loose blazer and pants in the same color with a V-neck tee underneath is a good choice.

For the small-chested group, shapeless dresses such as slip dresses are good, or high-necked and backless ones are also great (since a bra may not be an absolute necessity). You can rely on favorites, such as small threads and thin silk and cotton, and play with thick threads or volume up without it weighing down the entire frame. You can also try an androgynous look by sewing with straight lines. But if you feel unfeminine about it, add a heel, messy hair, and some pretty lipstick.

Larissa Mills is wearing a red waistcoat on a boat — Pictured: a very high-necked dress.

The funny thing now, when I look back, as I was a big and small-breasted girl, is that style is not about getting ready to be easy to wear. It’s about understanding what you have—and then deciding how you want to express it. Keep scrolling to shop the selected dresses I’ve pulled for both large and small busts.