Here in LA, the weather turned Springy and gorgeous last week, which got me itching for flirty new blouses. ย I hit my favorite shops filled with optimism and energy, and I found some fabulous pieces. ย But not before coming to terms with a style that just doesn’t look good on me. ย Behold:
Anthurium blouse ($88 at Anthropologie.com), Lush appliqued charmeuse top ($38 marked to $18.90 at Nordstrom.com), Coterie of Flowers top ($24.99 at ShopRuche.com)
Three adorable empire-waist tops. ย All of which would look awful on me.
You see, when the good Lord was passing out the bosoms, He gave me a heaping helping. ย But then when He got around to distributing height, He got stingy. ย And if there’s one fashion equation you can take to the bank, it is:
Abundance of bosoms + Lack of height + Empire-waist top = DISASTER
I would say this style makes me look pregnant, but that would be an insult to stylish pregnant ladies everywhere. ย No, it’s more like ย “hobbit”. ย I’m sure you understand why I don’t want to look like a hobbit.
So the other night- after trying on about 45 empire tops -I finally accepted that it’s never going to work. ย While a defined natural waist looks best on me, I can also pull off wrap tops, kimonos, drop-waists… I can even rock a tunic! ย But the choppiness of a blouse combined with the proportion of the empire cut makes me look like one giant bosom. ย Okay- two giant bosoms, but you get the point.
And now that I’ve given up on this style, I feel liberated. ย No matter how seductively those empire-waists call to me with their aura of carefree Summer fun, I can walk right by. ย Which leaves me free to concentrate on all the fabulous looks that are right for me– the ones that make me look and feel my best.
So how about you? ย Is there a style that just doesn’t work for you? ย And do you think this can change as your style evolves?
Lucie Amberg is also a contributor to Powder Room Graffiti.