Looking for the perfect gothic evening dress that flatters a smaller bust can seem like a daunting task. With so many different styles and silhouettes out there, it can be hard to know where to start. But the good news is that there are plenty of options to choose from - all you need to do is find the one that works for you. From corsets and boleros to off-the-shoulder necklines, we’ll show you some of the best ways to find a gothic evening dress that will flatter your smaller bust. With these tips, you’ll be ready to turn heads at your next event.
As a small-busted woman, I’m sometimes disappointed that I can’t get the cleavage that other girls can. However, there are actually a lot of advantages to having smaller breasts. We can take advantage of dresses that have cutouts and styles that don’t have a lot of support.
There are many gothic dresses that fall into this category, and when you have a small bust, you can get away with going braless and showing off these styles!
Deep V-Cuts
Since smaller busts need less support, you can get away with a deep V-cut dress. These necklines often cut all the way past the sternum and are very flattering for smaller busts. A full-length dress with lace detail in a black, ruby red, or deep purple will look goth and be great for a fancy evening event. You can go completely braless with this, or you can wear pasties and use fashion tape if you’re worried about slippage. That way, if you have to bend over, you won’t worry about anyone seeing anything!
V-cuts can look very gothic. Find one with corset-style lace-up detail if you want to show off a little less. You could also find one with a lace inset. These dresses can be long-sleeved or sleeveless - it’s up to you. You could wear a long sleeved v-cut dress with bell sleeves that add a gothic touch, or opt for shorter sleeves for a more casual occasion.
Backless Gothic Dresses
Since you can get away with not wearing a bra, go for a backless dress! There’s a lot of variety with backless dresses; some backless dresses incorporate straps that cross or lace up in the back, while others are completely open from shoulders to the lower back (which are perfect if you want to show off your back tattoos!)
Other dresses, like ones with sleeves, are just open in the middle of the back. With a backless dress, the neckline is often a little bit higher, but go for whatever you are comfortable with. Choose a neckline that you can go braless with.
These are all great options for a backless dress, but when youre looking specifically for a gothic backless dress, pay attention to color, fabric, and detail. For example, an allover black lace dress would look very goth - as would something made from velvet.
Gothic Cutout Dresses
Cutout dresses are great for women with smaller busts. There are a lot of different styles, too, so choose one that you like!
One cutout style is a semi-see-through lace dress (which is great because lace is a staple in gothic style). These types of dresses cover all of the essentials but let skin peek out throughout the dress, especially in the torso and the back.
Another style is a standard midsection cutout. These dresses have a cutout in the sides to accentuate the waist. Some of these dresses also have cutouts in the center of the chest, which is a really cute look. When looking for a gothic dress with a cutout, see if you can find one with cutouts that have gothic shapes - for example, a dress with a pentagram cut out in the back. Also look for a dress with lace or velvet insets. So instead of having a complete cutout, you would see lace, velvet, or another type of fabric, giving the overall look more texture and detail.
High Neckline
High necklines are very flattering on small busts, and can make smaller busts look bigger!
For a cosy, wintery alternative style you could wear a turtleneck dress. You could also just go for a gothic dress with a higher neckline - for example, a neckline that comes up to the collarbones. This style of dress looks great when styled with a gothic harness for some extra detail!
Some high neckline dresses use all of the same fabric for the neckline, but others use a lighter fabric - for example, lace. A dress with a lace in the neckline is very common and easy to find, and is also very gothic. Some dresses play around with necklines and have, for example, a sweetheart neckline and then a collar or choker attached to the dress. This is a great style as it combines cutouts and a unique neckline.
Strapless Gothic Gowns
When in doubt, go strapless!
Strapless dresses are great for showing off the shoulders and collarbones (sometimes referred to as the decolette). Strapless dresses are also great if you have a statement necklace or choker that you want to show off. With a strapless dress, you can go braless, especially if the dress already provides some shape and support. If you don’t want to go braless, you can use a strapless bra or a sticky bra.
A great style of strapless dress is a corset style dress. These look very gothic and you can style them in so many ways. Oftentimes, the bottom of the dress is ruffly and full, but you can find corset dresses that are simpler, too. The main feature of these dresses is the corset style bustier that laces up in the front, back or both. These dresses are great if you'd like to accentuate your waist, giving the appearance of an hourglass figure.
There are so many different styled gothic dresses that flatter a small bust. Whether you like simple dresses or elaborate, intricate ones, there’s something for you.
What style is your favorite? Comment below!