Answering a Reader Question #177

Anonymous Wrote:

great photos i have to say. but i had a question. i hope you dont take this offensively but i needed to ask just in case it happens to me because i have always been scared that the same issue will affect me. i noticed in picture of you in the blue dress that your breasts look, and again excuse me for saying this, almost flat and kind of flappy. now i know as we get older gravity takes toll on womens breast and it is so unattractive-how do we prevent this "flappy" look. because even though the picture is gorgeous, in reality it was the first thing i noticed

Hey, Anonymous! Don't worry, no offense taken...in fact, I actually laughed out loud when I read your comment. To be honest, this isn't an issue with designers, nor should it be something that you should worry about when it comes to your breasts. I am a 34B, which is considered fairly small-breasted and when it comes to fashion, specifically runway shows, the smaller the bust, the better. The majority of women's breasts have a natural sag or flatness to them, regardless of age or cup size. With the exception of those with implants or breast lifts, not many women's breasts naturally "sit up" or appear "lifted/rounded" on their own without some form of support. Even women with larger breasts will have a flatness to the top part of their breasts, if they're not wearing a bra. Below are some random images of models of varying bust sizes that have a natural flatness or flappiness to them:

If Naomi had been turned more to a profile, her breasts would have appeared very similar in appearance as mine in one of my fashion show pictures

Not sure if this is an actress or model but I chose this photo to illustrate how her breasts also have a flappiness or flatness to the top of them because she is without a bra. Their shape wouldn't have changed even if she wasn't wearing a fitted blazer.

Marissa Miller also lacked a natural lift before getting work done on her breasts.

One of the most famously small breasted models of our time, Kate Moss, lacking the same oomph and fullness to her breasts.

If you look at any high fashion show, you'll notice that even the smallest chested models have a "flappy" look to them, which is unavoidable when you're wearing clothing (such as the dress I was wearing in the post you mentioned) that does not have any built-in support.

So just short of getting breast implants or a breast lift (which I don't recommend), there is no real solution to this issue when it comes to wearing clothing without a bra in a show. We embrace these things and don't give it any thought. Like I said, such characteristics of female breasts are commonplace, even in modeling and won't deter your career in any way, unless the client/designer specifically requests models of a certain cup size because they're looking for that gravity defying, pushed up appearance.

Hope that helps!