Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
God blessed me with a large chest and while this was super embarrassing to me when growing up, but now I’ve figured out that it is just part of who I am. While I was shamed by some adults in my life for my body type, I eventually learned to be proud of my chest and have come up with some tricks to help me embrace it and my entire body shape.
If you struggle with ways to support a large chest, here are some hacks that I’ve learned. I included some ideas for men too!
Feeling Good About What You Were Blessed With
Whether you were blessed with a large chest due to genetics, or you have had a change in breast or chest size due to pregnancy/breast feeding, had a plastic surgeon alter them (either with implants or simply a breast lift), or had a health issue which caused issues with your chest, we all need support on this topic. Not just physical support, but we also need mental support.
If you feel ashamed of your body in any way, the help of a great therapist can help, like it did with me. Think about where or when the possible body shaming began and then put forth your best effort to start to feel good about the body you were born in or that was formed due to some other life challenge.
I spent many years unhappy with my body, trying to hide it, however, as I age and reflect, I am not ashamed anymore and if you feel ashamed of your body, I encourage you to seek assistance (virtual therapy like from providers we’ve used like Dr+ On Demand is very low cost or even free with some insurance plans) in getting back to the feeling you probably had when you were a itty bitty kid; proud and not ashamed.
Sharing is Caring
These large chest hacks are just some I’ve learned on my own. If you have a large chest, this article can help guide you, but if you have some ideas of your own, make sure you comment at the bottom of this article. Some of my online community has given me so many great ideas over the years and I would love for you to share your ideas in this space too!
My Daily Large Chest Bra
I have worn ENELL bras for about 6 years now as my daily bra. It’s a front close, eye and hook bra that doesn’t “smush” my chest and it is great for workouts too. I get them on the ENELL website and on Amazon. I mostly wear a black one, but I have some of their neutral and fun colors too. I have their full coverage and a racerback version too, but they have other styles too. Their sales are great and the bras are quality and actually last!
See an outfit that I wear with my ENELL in my 15 second video below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
If you are looking to minimize your chest with other bras, take a look at this article about best minimizer bras on Cosmopolitan’s website. I have the Third Love Classic T-Shirt bra (also a great brand that has “weird” bra sizes) and it is comfy and I love it. I recommend taking the sizing quiz on the Third Love website, which proved to be very accurate in finding my perfect size.
My Current Favorite Strapless Bra
The best strapless bra I’ve owned is the Wacol Red Carpet Strapless Convertible bra and I get it on Amazon. It comes in several colors, actually stays up when I wear my cute off-shoulder tops, and is comfy. It comes in many sizes including “off-sizes” like mine, which is usually a 32 DDD. I am small in circumference, but my chest needs a larger cup size. I sometimes layer it with this shelf bra black tube top if I need a bit of body smoothing too and can’t wear my strappy go-to bra cami (see below).
Check out my 1-minute video showing my large chest hack on my TikTok now or coming soon here and to my YouTube channel @carolyjbraden!
Bra Tank
I have worn an Express bra cami since I was 20 years old. I had a red one on the night I met my husband and he won’t let me forget how cute he thought I was in it…awwww. I layer them under everything I wear because they make my clothes look better on me (no clinging!) and they have a shelf bra type of lining that gives my chest a bit more support.
Get the Express best loved bra cami on Amazon or get it on sale (I usually snag them for $14 around holidays) when you can on the Express website.
Shapewear (+ Ideas for Men!)
I have several things from Spanx that I ordered from their website (I love their moto leggings and their shaping shorts helped smooth my curves in a not-forgiving satin bridesmaid dress).
Macy’s has a line of 2(X)IST Men’s shapewear tank tops and more that have good reviews. These compression shirts on Amazon marketed for men are a #1 best seller and have great reviews too!
I also love Spanx’s Target bra/bodysuit from the Spanx ASSETS line. It lightly shapes, holds my chest in well and allows dresses and more to fit better and/or not cling.
I was also given some shaping underwear from the budget friendly brand called Joyspun from Walmart and was very surprised at how great the quality was. They were also comfortable and actually gave me some shaping and smoothing. Joyspun also makes affordable bodysuits and bras that have great reviews.
Swimsuit Large Chest Hack
I love buying halter top swim tops from Amazon and wearing them under one-piece swimsuits. I love halter tops because tying it around my neck helps me control the amount of support I get AND I like how it looks on my body type. I like this black halter top (which comes in other colors and styles) from Amazon.
I also love this retro two-piece swimsuit (I have a red/black and white polka dot one and a lavender one) from Amazon and mix and match the halter tops with one-piece swimsuits too. Zip front suits like my neon and green Rash Guard swimsuit and my leopard print suit (both from Amazon) work well with the halter tops under them. It’s like a swimsuit bra that gives you more support when at the lake, beach or pool.
If you loved this article, then we know you’ll love this one too: How to Make Your Clothes Fit Better
Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.