How come the seams for an empire cut shirt always cut across your breasts?

[MissMillie]

if I pull it down to under my breasts, I expose my breasts....

:wtf:

[AlCzervik]

1. i wear a cami underneath, same problem but i love empire waist blouses.

[plcdude]

2. pictures

I mean duh!

[skygazer]

3. Okay, here's a stupid question

What is an empire cut shirt?

[MissMillie]

4. here's an example

the "waist" on the shirt is cut high, to (supposedly) just under the breasts.

On my shirt (which doesn't have a tie), the seam goes practially across my nipples.

[skygazer]

5. Simple - your breasts are too big

:P

[MissMillie]

10. well, that's probably true

If I had a smaller chest, I could probably wear a smaller size, but alas...

I'm convinced that even with all the breast augmentations that are being done these days, designers and clothes manufacturers really don't know how to dress a big-breasted woman.

[zanne]

12. Oh boo hoo.....

:cry: :cry: I went shopping for bathing suits with one of my "endowed" friends, who got really frustrated and said "The tops are too small and the bottoms are too big". I told the saleswoman to hold her down so I could beat her.

[MissMillie]

15. I guess the grass is always greener

I don't know what it's like to be small. Even after losing 100 lbs, I barely shrunk a bra size. I'm not "hung up" on my body, but I'm very hard to dress. What fits across the breasts is too big in the arms and shoulders. Seems most shirts are too short these days (and I'm a short woman... I just don't want to bare my middle).

I'm very preturbed that even the most generic stores (Sears, Penney's... etc) carry only clothes designed for 15 year old, 5'10", 120 lbs girls. Seems to me this is about 10% of the population, but makes up for 90% of the clothes you find in the store.

Tell your friend that some stores actually sell "separates" in their swimsuit departments. She can buy one size top and a different size bottom.

[MorningGlow]

29. Whoops delete dupe n/t

[MorningGlow]

30. Good lord, I think I know your friend

About 10 years ago I worked with this size 2 chick--no brain and no censor near her flapping gums. She said the same thing once, at work, in front of three women (including me) who were in varying degrees of "not petite". (I was the smallest, at a size 10 at the time.) "I can't get anything to fit me...my top is too big and my bottom is too small..." I answered, "Honey, you were lucky this time. If you ever say that again in front of any other women, you'll probably be killed." Response: "Whu--?"

Airhead.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. It sounds like you have a very small dress ...

that you think is a shirt.

But I can't be sure without pictures.

:rofl: :hi:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

17. If the seams are cutting across your breasts...

instead of underneath them, two things can be at work here: either your breasts are too big for the top, regardless of how the shirt fits otherwise, or it is an empire shirt that you are supposed to wear a decorative lingerie top under (the deep V will show the lace that covers your breasts).

The original empire dresses were scandalous -- it was all about showing as much tit as possible and still go out in public! :D The seams cut hard under the breast and you had as little cup material as possible, just enough to cover your nipples.

[wildhorses]

6. i think THAT is the idea---

to expose ones breasts :shrug:

maybe you need the next size up?

[MissMillie]

8. then the shirt will be too big

everything fits ... it's just that the seam is in a weird place

[GirlinContempt]

9. Since women are so different

in waist to breast, breast to neck ratios, it's hard to get a good height for the seam.
How tall are you?
are you particularly long waisted?
is the shirt made by a company/designer who designs for juniors a lot?

All of these and more may lead you to your answer :)

[MissMillie]

11. 5'1"

I'm not long anywhere. lol

I bought the shirt in the Woman's department :shrug:

[GirlinContempt]

13. 5'1" is your problem right there

(not that there is anything wrong with being 5'1")
Those seams will not fit right on you though, most shirts like that are designed for women built totally differently than a shorter woman. I'm not sure why, but short = weird high fits on the empires. I see it at work, I still don't understand it, but it seems nearly universal.

[tigereye]

28. I used to sew and it often seems like the folks who design some clothes

sold in stores (usually lower end ones, but not always) have little or no clue about women's bodies, how they are shaped, or how to actually cut, hem, allow for room across the back in jackets, what have you. Some clothes rip right away ( they aren't well stitched) and it often seems like little or no care went into them.

It's awful.


And those of us who are older but don't want to dress like our grandmothers did in the 50s are often forced to the sections for younger women, simply because we hate the blandness of many clothes designed in our sizes or for women over 40. This problen has also led me to go to more expensive women's stores, simply because they actually allow us some sense of style and accept our body types.

[Shakespeare]

14. Because they're tailored for flat-chested women.

On them, the seam hits under the breasts. On those of us with boobs, not so much.

[AlCzervik]

16. i guess thats why i like them so much, they fit.

i have a really hard time finding blouses, my chest is small but my shoulders are wide. I finally figured out that vnecks are the way to go for my body type.

[skygazer]

18. Bingo - that's why I like them

They make me look like I have boobs. At least the shape of them indicates where the boobs would be if they existed.

[Beer Snob-50]

19. and the problem is?????

really, i see no problem!!

:evilgrin:

[grasswire]

20. shouldn't you be wearing a petite?

You're pretty short, by average American standards. So perhaps a petite cut would work better for you. Yes?

[MissMillie]

24. the problem w/ "petite" is that it never means just "shorter"

it always means "smaller" too... which becomes an issue when the next sizes up go into "Plus" sizes (which hardly every come "petite")

[Oeditpus Rex]

21. Because women's fashion designers

can't be bothered with accommodating average women. They apparently want you to conform to them — which helps perpetuate the American sickness that a body that doesn't fall within certain parameters is "unacceptable" and must be changed.

[Connonym]

22. This is why you are my friend

:loveya:

In all seriousness, it's true that when you have a large chest it's nearly impossible to find tops that fit correctly. I used to get a lingerie catalog from England that sold blouses by size AND cup size so they were roomier in the chest but not tent like on the rest of the body. Damned if I can remember the name of the company though. I think that's a wonderful idea.

[Oeditpus Rex]

23. I thought I was your friend

because of my devilish wit. :shrug:



I just threw out a catalog I should've saved. It was from some company in Minnesota or thereabouts that deals in "Real Guy" stuff, most of which didn't appeal to me because I'm not a "Real Guy." But they had one item I could really benefit from — T-shirts longer than normal so tall dudes wouldn't get Repairman's Crack.

The company is somethingorother Trading Post, I think. Or Trading Company.

[Deja Q]

25. Isn't this thread worthless without pictures?

:rofl:

[NewWaveChick1981]

26. I have the same problem.

:hi: I mean, I'm reasonably endowed, but the seams in those shirts do the same to me. Therefore, I only have a couple of shirts like that. I don't like layering garments, so I'm not likely to wear a cami or other under-layers. I've found two or three tops that are OK if I pull the seams down to a reasonable level.

[NewJeffCT]

27. Obviously, it was designed by a very crafty man

who was hoping for a lot of exposed breasts...