Bodice sloper under boob "issues"
I’m fitting a no-bra bodice block/sloper for a fuller bust and I’m almost there, but I’m stuck on one issue and wondering if this is a real fitting problem or just a drafting-rule issue. I've been self learning since November, so it's been a work in progress for sure.
Context
I originally based this on my bra sloper, but I’m now developing a separate braless sloper
Back fit is good and most of the bodice is fitting well now
Please ignore any slight neckline/armhole bagginess in the photos — this muslin has been on and off a lot while testing dart changes, and I’ve been adjusting one side only rather than remaking the whole bodice each time
I already have a side bust dart that seems to fit well
My waist dart was baggy/puckering under the bust apex for many versions, but I improved it a lot by using a curved waist dart
I have quite a strong hollow/slope under my full bust (just below the apex into the waist), and I’m fairly busty
Current issue
The waist dart now fits much better, but the dart point/apex ends basically at my nipple/bust point.
I keep reading that dart points should stop ~1/2"–1"+ before the bust apex, but if I move the dart point lower/away from the bust point, I get a lot of bagginess under the bust and lose fit.
I don’t see obvious pointiness with the dart point this close, but in photos I can see a little folding/collapse near the dart tip.
Questions
Is this one of those cases where fuller bust / unsupported bust fitting breaks the “dart should stop before apex” rule?
Is there such a thing as a hollow underbust / front contour issue (almost like swayback, but in the front under the bust?) that would explain why the dart seems to need to shape so high?
Or is this a sign I should redistribute some shaping elsewhere rather than letting the waist dart end so close to the bust point?
If the dart tip folding is the issue, are there better ways to soften/press/shape that tip without losing fit?
I’ve added photos of the last 5 versions, with the original curved dart on my right side for comparison. In Version 1 I think the dart was pointing too much toward my belly button, so I’ve gradually adjusted it to finish more horizontally. Please ignore the coloured lines from the inside of the sloper, which I was using to guide my sewing along each new dart trial.