<p>Hi, this is related to the jeans thread, that tailed off in December. I found that very valuable! My DD also has trouble finding pretty blouses. T-shirts are no problem, or anything in a stretchy fabric. On the other hand when we are shopping we frequently see very attractive shirts and blouses that she would like to try on. Invariably they are too tight in the shoulder or under the arm. If they fit the shoulders then they have way too much fabric in the torso. Naturally she would like the cleavage to fill them out, but...
Does anyone have any advice as to brands or stores? Unfortunately, we live in Canada so not all brands, etc. are available but we frequently travel south for tournaments.
I'm trying to avoid pulling out the sewing machine, if possible!
Thanks!</p>
<p>No-- I have often told my daughter that there is a market for women’s clothing that fits athletic women. She has always had to have the waist taken in for dresses that fit her shoulders (a swimmer…)…same for tops…and jeans/pants–to fit her thighs but have no rear end are impossible to find–so I gather from her!
(she also feels uncomfortable with sleeveless tops bc she is self conscious about her ripped arms…)</p>
<p>High School swim banquet was last night, so been there, done that… hee.
She doesn’t like strapless because thinks that straight line across emphasizes her shoulders. She tends to wear halter type type tops for dressy occassions. The straps going up tend to break up the line of the shoulders. There is then also no fabric on her upper back which may or may not fit. </p>
<p>Sales people don’t realize what they are dealing with until they try to put her in a size 4 dress that won’t zip once we get to her arm pits, lol.</p>
<p>I guess she doesn’t wear to many “blouses” probably for that reason.</p>
<p>I have struggled with this as well. As a tiny high schooler that weighed all of 105 lbs, I had to buy large tops to fit my shoulders (also a swimmer), the rest of the shirt would just be hanging on me. At least back then tucking in your shirt was the norm and no one wore the skin tight clothing the kids wear now. I don’t really have any solutions. I have found 2 shirts in the past couple years that were actually a cotton knit with a poplin collar and cuffs so the shirt would stretch enough to cover my shoulders but still looks nice under a sweater. One was from Cabi which is a “home based business” type deal (think Pampered Chef or Tupperware for clothing). and one was last winter at Kohl’s.</p>
<p>Thanks very much, everybody. Fortunately, DD will wear strapless and halter tops, I had just hoped that somewhere out there there was a retail store that catered to the athletic girl. She recently did a social studies project about her wardrobe and we were a little surprised to find that the vast majority of her clothing was for sports. Of course, this reflects the time she spends working out, but it’s also because she is frequently frustrated in her attempt to buy regular clothing. Thanks, SteveMA, for the idea of the cotton knit with collar and cuffs - I’ll be on the lookout!
If we come across a brand or store that suits DD I’ll let you know!</p>
<p>athleta.com yes the clothes are suitable for working out, but check out the tunics and dresses as well. these clothes are made specifically for athletic builds. they might seem a bit “womanly” for a teenager but with the right accessories the pieces can definitely be appropriate. good luck!</p>
<p>Talk about a niche market…</p>
<p>[Design</a> Tailored Blouses with 3D Designer. Create Custom Blouses for ? 19.95!!](<a href=“http://www.itailor.com/designblouses.php]Design”>Custom Blouses | Tailored & Bespoke Blouses | iTailor)</p>
<p>Can’t vouch for the product or service, but something custom like this might be an option?</p>
<p>^ but a growing one!</p>
<p>I was talking about this with DD and her teammates at conference last weekend - they were all dreading the search for something to wear to the year end banquet. </p>
<p>DD generally looks for button up style tops with lycra or spandex woven into the fabric - the little bit of give helps alot and allows her to buy smaller sizes that fit her waist better. Has had success finding these at Express and Limited. She also favors sleeveless tops that have a round yoke and raglan type arm openings. There is fabric on the front and back - no cleavage and no need for a sweater to cover her back for modesty. The cut actually compliments athletic shoulders. Her prom dress has this type of bodice and she looked beautiful and feminine, even with swimmer shoulders.</p>
<p>Thanks, MaryOC, I’ve seen similar sites and wondered!
desserts, I checked out athleta.com and the clothing looks very attractive. DD plans to look after practice today - she’s got a spring dance coming up.
MereMom, thanks for suggesting Express and Limited, we don’t have any stores on the island but I see that there are several locations in Washington. DD has a tournament coming up during Spring Break and we can check them out then. The raglan arm openings sound very attractive</p>
<p>I wondered what serious athletes like Venus and Serena Williams do for fashion. Surely these lovely ladies must be challenged finding feminine, flattering and fun clothes? Well it looks like Serena has her own design company Areres (Serena spelled backwards). It doesn’t look like there’s a wide variety of affordable and practical options, however:</p>
<p>[A</a> N E R E S](<a href=“Welcome aneresdesigns.com - BlueHost.com”>http://www.aneresdesigns.com/)</p>
<p>I would think/hope SOME of these ambitious and well-educated collegiate athletes would come up with a business plan to partner with a trendy designer to cater specifically to the needs and desires of women rowers, swimmers, volleyball players, etc; most all of whom, sport exaggerated shoulders, thighs, etc. We have plus & petite size specialty markets for women, and Big & Tall specialty markets for men? Hmmmmm…</p>
<p>This won’t really help in where to find…but a few years ago What Not to Wear had an Olympic swimmer (Tara Kirk) on the show. My swimmer daughter had similar problems so I tried to make a mental note of what they said. My recollection was to look for top that have a moderate (high-ish) V-neck to cut the expanse of fabric from shoulder to shoulder. Do not get “menswear” inspired fashions…ie polo style shirts are not good even if they have the V-ish neck especially those with banded sleeves. Look for a very feminine “flutter” type sleeve on a blouse.
I think the bigger problem is pants. Almost impossible to find pants that have big enough thighs, yet slim through butt and waist. If I recall, they just said you have find some that fit the biggest part, and then have the waist taken in. Sigh.</p>
<p>DD really liked the clothing on Athleta.com, especially the jeggings! She too has issues with fit around the waist and is forever tugging them up! She has even borrowed a pair of her Dad’s suspenders!
dtchgrl, the “flutter” sleeves sound good, and as you say, they are very feminine. Well, I’ve got some ideas, now! We’ll do some shopping during spring break!</p>
<p>Boys are much easier. I’ve found this thread very enlightening.</p>
<p>Yes, boys are much easier. DS has no problems finding clothes! We have to encourage him to get out of the jeans sometimes and dress up a bit, but there is always clothing out there that fits!</p>
<p>Dust off the old sewing machine. Turn the shirt or blouse inside out and sew a new seam from the arm-inset to the bottom hem, angling the slanted seam a few inches. It only takes a few minutes, (after the hour of re-learning how to fill the bobbin, and reloading it.)</p>
<p>I’ve been trying to avoid doing just that! Oh, well…</p>
<p>Maybe boys are easier because muscles are more natural for their bodies? I mean, most athletic girls I’ve known look feminine too, but if normal women’s clothes can’t fit, there’s a problem. And the problem seems to be training techniques that are making your daughters into something other than women. Because otherwise, they’d be able to fit into women’s clothes. Just saying.</p>
<p>^ What an objectionable post. Just saying.</p>