Wearing Button-Down Shirts for Women

Any woman can wear a button-down shirt and look great if they know what style of shirt to look for. There are four basic areas that a woman's body falls under when it comes to wearing button-down shirts. Knowing which shape your body falls under will help you to know what type of shirt you want to wear. Following some simple guidelines will have you looking fabulous.

• Broad Shoulders. If you are a woman with broad shoulders you want to look for a seam on the sleeve that will line up with the outer edge of the shoulder, not on top of the shoulder. Wear a shirt that tapers in towards the waist; this will help you to avoid looking like a box. If the shirt comes with a tie, which can help to soften the look by bringing the eye to the body's center. Avoid any shirts that have a puff or cap type sleeve. These types of shirts will only emphasize your broad shoulders. Wearing a flared skirt with the shirt tucked in creates a great look for the broad-shoulder woman.
• Large Busted. Normally women who are large busted stay away from button-down shirts. There is no need, if they wear the right style. A large busted woman wants to have a shirt that is fitted without making the buttons pull tight (which makes for gaping holes). This can be avoided by wearing shirts that have darts at the center of the busts. A shirt that looks really good is one where the buttons actually start at the bust line with no buttons on the collar. Large-busted women look best wearing the shirt un-tucked with pants that have a flat front, making the torso appear more elongated.
• Straight Figured. The straight figured woman should wear a shirt that has some details on the shirt. Things like breast pockets, ruffles, pleats, even a shirt with a tie around the neck help to add volume to a straight figure. A shirt that is made out of silk or cotton just so it skims over the body will add grace compared to a shirt avoiding the look of a stiff figure. With a small-figured or straight-figured woman you want to avoid wearing anything that is too plain or oversized. Doing so will make your waist disappear and will look like you have no bust. You will want to wear your shirt tucked into either a slim skirt or pants.
• Tummies. If you have a tummy problem you will want to be careful to keep the look away from the stomach area. Choose a loose, relaxed, button-down shirt that entirely covers the midsection, with the shirt going past the hip. The shirt should have decorations that are above the waist, things like a pretty neckline, puff sleeves, and breast pockets will divert the look away from the midsection. If you have a large midsection you will want to avoid shirts that are snug fitting; they draw attention to your midsection. Try wearing your shirts un-tucked with narrow skirts or pants.

By wearing the right type of button-down shirt for your body shape you will be looking fabulous.