Q. I have just bought myself the most incredible dress for a charity ball that I’ve been invited to. I love the dress but there’s just one thing I’m not sure about – the neckline. It’s a plunging style that reveals more than a hint of cleavage and I’m worried that there’s too much on show. Have you any advice as to how I should wear it?
A. Where the fashion conscious celebrities lead, everyone follows. But do we really want to go there this time? Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston have both enthusiastically displayed the latest catwalk look - dresses slashed almost to the navel.
The revealing 1970s style has been seen on other models, actresses and stars. Rosie Huntingtom Whitley, for instance, rarely attends a premiere without showing off some part of her anatomy - and the daring halter neck that she wore to the premier of the latest Transformers movie caused a sensation.
If you are not built like a supermodel, you do have to be careful. Women with gravity-defying, Wonderbra-enhanced cleavages are now the norm, so opting for the softer look means that although your assets may be on display, gravity may appear to have won the day.
In fact, you can try combating the effect with a clever strapless, backless bra which keeps an otherwise unsupported bust in the right place. La Senza has one, which is attached with sticky pads, for pounds 10 or there is an underwired model for around 20 euro.
The most important plunging neckline commandment is that if your bosom is on display, everything else must be covered up. Flashing the flesh works only if you do just that -- flash it, don't put the whole lot on show.
And should you be brave enough to consider an extreme cleavage, it's important not to make the look too fussy with over-enthusiastic embellishment and accessories. The plunge itself should provide all the excitement you need.
Some dos and don'ts
If you have to wear a bra no matter what outfit you are wearing, avoid these cleavage revealing dresses.
Make sure your dress or top fits well. If you are straining to fill the front of it, it is bound to swing open and reveal more than strictly necessary.
A plunge front looks good with trousers and long skirts but would look trashy with a short skirt.
Be careful when wearing a halter neck. Broad shoulders and a large bust could make you look more like a heavy-weight wrestler.
