Small bust, big heart

I’ve just read a fantastic set of lenses on Squidoo, written by prolific blogger, author of the Itty Bitty Bra Guide and self-proclaimed “flat-chested fashion fiend” Amanda Sage.

I strongly recommend a thumb through of What to Wear to Enhance a Small Bust — a lens that sets a positive note from the start: “Everyone tells me that I am lucky to be blessed with such small breasts,” says Sage.

Let's celebrate! With the a little know-how, AA-cup bodies are perfection

With oodles of fashion and lingerie tips, Sage tells you what to wear and what to avoid like it’s got the pox. After reading, you can’t help but share her celebratory viewpoint. It’s easy to see how having an AA-cup size can be considered a ‘blessing’, rather than a reason to resort to cosmetic surgery.

Not only can you go bra-less if you choose, but given the right approach to dressing, you can enhance your assets, play down your flaws — and enjoy what nature has given you.

Sage, a proud 32AA cup, shares hard-earned experience… we all know that dressing to maximise small curves is an art after all. You can’t just lift ideas from a fashion magazine and dress head-to-toe in the latest trends that tickle your fancy.

It’s harsh but true that some of them give you the allure of an ironing board. Others make you attractively waif-like. We have to learn the rules and play by them.

Reading Sage’s advice is like learning from the Master (or Mistress). Her finely-honed manifesto includes ideas on: Fashion styles that visually amplify the bustline, padded bras that boost your bust size, and necklines and dresses that flatter small-breasted body shapes.

Sage never utters a negative word about being small-busted. She’s of the cup half-full mentality and I couldn’t agree more. What’s your take on your small-busted body shape? I’d love to hear…

Tags: 32AA, 34AA, AA-cup, bra-less, cosmetic surgery, padded bra, small bust, small-busted

My ethos is to love the way you are. I am proudly an AA-cup and I can certainly think of better ways to spend £5k than packing my pectorals with silicone! That said, I’m all for finding wholesome ways to make the most of what nature has provided. So, I was interested when a fitness guru friend of mine said that a simple daily exercise plan could create a firmer, more defined bust-line.  With thanks to Wendy Powell of No More Excuses (Pregnancy & Post Natal Personal Training), I give you these great tips for pumping pecs:

If you want firmer, perkier breasts, surgery is not the only option. While it’s true that exercise can’t boost breasts (which are fat and tissue, not muscle), it CAN strengthen the muscles behind the bust and improve posture to give your chest a stronger contour. By toning the pectoral muscles, you can create a firmer base for your bust and a more defined silhouette.

No-one said push ups were easy, but your pecs will thank you for the effort

Of all the exercises that work this area, the basic push up is the most effective, improving the tone and shape of the chest, shoulders and triceps. If you can’t do a full push up from your toes, start on all fours, or with your knees slightly further back. Keep your shoulders over your hands and lower your face to just in front of your fingertips. Breathe in on the way down, then exhale, pulling the bellybutton through to spine (without hunching shoulders) and push up. Repeat 10 x daily.

In addition to push ups, exercises for the upper back and core can help posture. To strengthen this area, you need ‘pulling’ exercises, such as rowing, or using the pull-up bar or machine in the gym. Another option is the ‘Dumb Waiter’: From sitting on a swiss ball or standing, hold your hands out, as if holding a tray. Keeping elbows tucked in and shoulders relaxed, move lower arms out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for a second and then come back to centre. Repeat 10 x daily.

To balance a small bust or narrow upper body against wider hips and lower body, choose exercises to tone and strengthen the shoulders. Sit on a swiss ball or, if standing, keep knees soft, back neutral and core strong (belly button to spine). Hold a small dumb-bell in each hand (or a can of beans) and lift arms straight up to the sides; then bend elbows and lift straight up above the head. Bring the weights slowly back down. Repeat 10 x daily.

The Plank can't be beaten for strengthening the core & lower back

Finally, no postural programme would be complete without the classic ‘Plank’, which works the core and lower back.  Lie on your front with your elbows bent to your sides. Tuck your toes under & push up onto your forearms, holding you body in a straight line. Keep belly button pulled to spine and don’t forget to breathe! Your goal is to hold the position for 1 minute each day.

PS: Do remember to consult your GP before embarking on any exercise programme.

Tags: AA-cup, bust-boosting, small bust