This is a relatively light-weight sports bra that does the job for light exercise and looks ok under a shirt. It does, however, take some getting used to. It also looks and feels quite odd when worn on its own, as it has an inner sling that does not encompass the entire breast.
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Updated on Sep 07, 2013 Flag this
This bra is a little too small all over for me, but it works well when worn with homemade extenders. The fabric is firm and wicks sweat well, and the bra restricts motion pretty well for at least moderate exercise (elliptical). I don't care much for the colors, but the construction is attractive enough.
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Updated on Mar 16, 2013 Flag this
This is an absolutely stunning bra. The fabric is much darker than the online photos; a sort of deep, muted teal. The trim is described as gold but is only a shade or two lighter than my (Anglo) skin. The band is pretty snug on me, but Curvy Kates have a habit of stretching quickly. Unfortunately, this bra has very wide wires, even for a wearer like me who has a lot of underarm tissue. It also has rather shallow, small-feeling cups. In the JJ, the wires are within tolerance and do not poke, though they rest about a half inch or so beyond the breast tissue. I would need at least a K to avoid overspill when properly scooped, however, possibly a KK. Once again, Curvy Kate seems best-suited for the very wide but quite shallow, without much top fullness.
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Updated on Nov 25, 2013 Flag this
When I first got it this bra fit comfortably and had a beautiful line, with some overflow on the right (larger) side. It has now become less comfortable after several months of weight loss. The band is very stretchy and the cups seem to run a little large for EM. Embroidery is lovely in person.
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Updated on Mar 03, 2013 Flag this
This bra is really beautiful, and I'm disappointed that I seem to be sizing out of Curvy Kate 's Showgirl line entirely. The pictures show this model as light pink and white, but it's actually hot pink and cream, with the pink muted a bit by cream netting. The band is very stretchy and pleasantly wide, which is why I'm so sad not to fit it. My usual Curvy Kate complaints apply: the center gore is so wide that the bra slides up and down on my chest, leaving an itchy red mark even when the band is very tight. The cups are broad and too shallow. I can get away with wearing this one if I choose a low cut top and display a lot of cleavage, so the Tease Me [showgirl Collection] is very forgiving of a bad fit, but that doesn't make it the right size.
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Updated on Mar 17, 2013 Flag this
Summary: A pretty bra in good quality materials with lots of depth at the wire. It fits large and stretchy in both band and cup: I would recommend sizing down 1-2 band sizes and possibly one cup letter size (1-2 cup volumes.)
Appearance/Materials:
I received this bra immediately after reviewing the 38GG - Cleo » Valentina Plunge Bra (10486) . On the surface, they're pretty similar: sheer, bright pink bras in dainty fabrics. Offbeat is made of stretch lace in the cups and part of the band, with a heavy swimwear-type spandex for the back. The lower half of the cups is lined with nonstretch mesh, leaving the top ... a little stretchy for FOT shapes. The band itself is very stretchy: this is nominally a 34, but I could stretch it to 38 if I was willing to pull a little harder.
This bra has coated metal hardware and wide, soft straps in a contrasting bright red. There's a tiny red ribbon between the cups, tacked down with a silver stud - it's not quite a bow. The wire is very firm, in a wide U-shape with a slightly flattened bottom. It does not splay under the arm, though it can be deformed slightly outward.
Freya seems to be using the same wire for multiple sizes, and in the 34HH, that means there's an inch of unfilled channel under the arm. This works terribly for me, since I have a lot of tissue there, but could be helpful if you usually experience wire-poking. Compared to my usual Cleos, this bra uses much higher-quality materials, though I worry about them stretching out too quickly.
Shape/Construction:
I've been looking for a bra with a wide wire and enough immediate depth to stop the cups from slowly riding down and pinching - the Offbeat does this very well. It has a very "forward" shape that prevents the width of my breasts from getting in the way of my arm. Unfortunately, this isn't quite the right shape for me, so I have some fluff escaping under the arm and along the top of the cup. I may try a 34J, if the cup height doesn't increase too much.
The general shape is a standard balconette, with the side-support power bar cleverly built into the design. The materials are plush, rather soft, and much less flimsy-feeling than some cheaper brands. The band is rather tall, and the bottom tends to roll up in the back. This might not happen if you are thinner or less squishy.
Fit:
Me - wide roots with "faux-omega" indentation that makes them look narrow/projected. I need a deep cup, with a lot of that depth right at the wire. Normally, I wear Cleo or Panache, but achey, bruisey feelings sent me looking for something with a different wire. The Offbeat is *almost* right. Unfortunately, the cup doesn't quite have enough volume, and there is a lot of weight on my shoulders, so the search continues.
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Pink colorway
Updated on Feb 09, 2023 Flag this
This bra is a little tight for me, but it seems as though it'll stretch out to comfortable relatively quickly. The wires are on the wide side and it doesn't have as much projection as I prefer, but it avoids the wide look of a lot of Panache bras. The shape is very round and the detailing is nice - there's a cute little button on the center bow! The shape is still on the wide side, compared to my Ewa Michalak models, so it cuts a little in the underarms. Possibly not great for those with narrower shoulders. I've seen people say that Cleo is ... flimsier than Panache, but apart from the 2-hook fastener, I don't see any quality problems.
(edit after small weight loss) This bra is now a little loose in the band but not overly stretched out, and produces quadding on the larger breast. It is still my very favorite, but the loose band and the fact that it stops at J are making me sad; with this band I'd need a JJ to fit it properly.
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Updated on Nov 25, 2013 Flag this
I would normally wear a 32JJ in this brand, but this size was unavailable and I am still losing weight. The 30K is definitely too small for my ribcage, especially since the band is quite firm. It is difficult to fasten with an extender, but almost immediately after scooping I have to ease it closed another hook or two.
The wires on this bra are incredibly wide. They easily stretch an inch behind even the breast tissue under my arm. The cups themselves are fairly shallow, so the center gore only touches my sternum when I am standing up very straight. That said, the bra is actually quite comfortable to wear and gives a better shape on me than most of the regular bras I've tried from Panache.
I have not yet worn this to work out, but a simple bounce test suggests that the bra should do its job. The construction is very sturdy and functional, so it's not the prettiest, but it seems like it'll keep things where they need to be.
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Updated on May 04, 2013 Flag this
This is an older EM bra that I got through the listings because I prefer the PL style to the S-bras. I finally see why so many people have told me that Ewa Michalak runs tight in the band: compared to this bra, my newer PLs and single S bra have much stretchier bands. The Turkus is also about 1/2 cup size bigger than my Ewa Michalak Pl Stalówka (328) in the same nominal size.
This bra is a little bit flimsier than some of the newer models, but the construction is sound. The outside is a pretty aqua-green satin material and all the lace is soft, not itchy. The straps are comfortably wide and the bra itself holds everything up very nicely. The visible serging on the cups took a little getting used to, but it doesn't look bad from a distance. I'll probably be wearing it with an extender and some pads from the Stalowka for the first few weeks.
Updated on Sep 12, 2013 Flag this
I originally bought this bra because it is on the same pattern as the Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) . The Minnie also fits me very well, but is made of a less forgiving fabric, so it's best for wearing on my smaller days.
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Updated on Jun 04, 2016 Flag this
