It is difficult for women to find button-down collared shirts that fit properly because so many seem to be cut for men, and do not accommodate curves. However, there are a few different ways to get your hands on something that is large enough in the bust, but still snug enough in the waist, thus avoiding that unsightly bunching effect when a too large at the waist shirt is tucked in.
Before I get in to this topic, though, I have a message for law students reading this column. I think a lot of students think that when they enter the legal world, they will end up wearing a uniform of a full suit plus button-down collared shirt every single day. This is not true for most women. Even if you wear a suit every day, it looks just as formal and professional to wear all manner of blouses underneath. Silk blouses are especially great because they do not require ironing if you hang them nicely to dry. In general, don’t go nuts buying too many button-down collared shirts before you start working, because you may not get much use out of them in the long run.
Some brands that make curve-accommodating cotton dress shirts include Brooks Brothers (pictured, $89.50 [Ed. Note: No longer available]), Banana Republic, Jacob and Ann Taylor. However, even these will not work well for the very curvy. For them, there are really two choices: custom-made shirts, or tailoring of store-bought shirts. Custom shirts can be had for similar prices to manufactured garments, so they are a great option. They are also a really good idea for women who are on the taller or shorter side, because standard dress shirts are designed for women who are 5’6”. The only downside to custom shirts is they tend to be very traditional; it is difficult to find a tailor who is willing or able to design something trendy.
Another option is to buy a shirt in the correct size for your bust, and have it taken in a little at the waist. Beware the cost of this, though, because when you add that to the cost of the garment, it can exceed custom-made and there is not much point in that.
A third option, which I do not recommend as much, is to fix any gape in the bust, if the shirt is a tad too snug there. It is best to buy a shirt with ample room in the bust, but if you gain a little weight, you might want to do damage control on your shirts if there is a small gape. For this, the best solution is Flash Tape Body/Clothing Tape ($7, Shoppers Drug Mart). This double sided tape holds any type of fabric together all day long and also works skin to fabric so it is also useful for formal evening events.
Maybe, someday in the future, designers will come to realize that women are shaped differently than men. Until that wonderful day, I hope that my advice above helps you in avoiding the dreaded bust gape and waist bunch of many mast produced shirts.
Donna Wilson is a Toronto-based commercial litigator at Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP. Her style and beauty column appears every second Wednesday.