Update: 3-29-21, I actually decided to throw on this bra yesterday as it was hanging in my bathroom after being handwashed for the 2nd time. I was honestly planning on putting it in the listings b/c I didn't think it was wearable. However, I'm not sure if handwashing it again softened up the cups or what. For whatever reason, this time when I was wearing it, I didn't feel like I was in danger of coming out of the cup on the left side. I wore this bra to just walk to the store and get some tea. Some observations: this bra gives some definite "cakes on a ... plate"/Marie Antoinette cleavage. It makes my breasts look like two bowling balls. You can definitely see the roots and the roundness. This isn't a look that I usually go for.

When I was walking to the store, I definitely felt like my breasts were bouncing around as I was walking. Maybe if a person had less soft tissue, they would bounce around less. So, this type of bra is more a bra that will put your breasts on display, but not necessarily contain them/minimize bouncing movement: I don't think I could ever go dancing in this bra - I would be bouncing around everywhere!

Lastly, later that night when I was meal prepping, I took off the straps and wore this bra more like a corset (strapless). It basically stays in place b/c of the longline shape.

Thanks for reading my novella!


TLDR: This was my first attempt at purchasing ABTF after learning my correct bra size. I purchased this bra online, because it was cheap and based on it's appearance, but I didn't factor in cup shape, and what would work for my FOB breasts.

This is a discontinued bra I bought off of YourBraStore.com for $15 shortly after I learned of my "true size": I bought it because I thought it was cute. And, I mean, for $15, I was willing to take the risk to see if it would work out. Wow, did I have a lot to learn re: cup shape, ha ha.

The good: initially I kind of thought that this bra was wearable (or I convinced myself it was) because it was so cute. Construction wise, the things I love about this bra are the band and the straps. The band, guys, wow -what a winner! The fabric is stretchy and smooth, and I find the band comfy yet supportive. Because the fit was so odd with the cups, I did the whole "upside and backwards" thing with the band to confirm that it was indeed the correct size for me; when I measured the band, I did get it to stretch to 30", so it is TTS.

I've rarely had straps that are so perfect for my frame: I'm used to wearing poorly-sized V.S. bras (34DD), and the straps were *always* coming off my shoulders. These straps are in the perfect place for my frame, so thank you "Curvy Kate," whoever you are...

Now on to the bad: unfortunately, I believe the cup shape is wrong for me. I believe the cups would work better for a FOT person, and when I looked through the pictures, I think this looks better on FOT women. I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but my larger breast (left) is almost coming out of the top, as far as, and my nipple is dangerously close to the top of the cup - not a good feeling! Also, on my right breast, there is some mild gaping at the top of the cup, so I don't believe it is an issue of cup size, more of cup shape.

This is the type of bra that *wants to be seen* as it makes an uneven pattern under t-shirts, however, I couldn't wear this when I'm almost coming out of it. Also, I wouldn't really consider this bra padded, per se...it's more like thickly lined.

There was one more left in 30G on YourBraStore.com, which I think is a useful resource for us Canadians (or whoever), but it's better if you know *how you fit* in each of the brands, before you order online. In my case, I don't think going up a cup size or two would solve the issue of the overflow, I just need more projection close to the underwire since I'm FOB.
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Updated on Mar 29, 2021 Flag this

Man but I wanted to love the fit of this bra as much as the look of it. Ultimately, though, I couldn't ignore the cons:

- I absolutely could not get the underwires to nestle and stay in the crease of my boobs. Instead they liked to do their own thing and float and run down my chest and generally party. I expect this is at least in part because the firm elastic band you usually find at the bottom of the bra is at the bottom of the longline, with nothing really tacking it to you at the underwire but the weaker powermesh.

-The side boning bulged strongly out ... towards the bottom and I couldn't get it to lay flat. This exaggerated my current bumps and created new ones, and wasn't a particularly comfy feeling, although it didn't hurt.

-The whole mess felt very unstable and jiggly. The gore couldn't be convinced to tack, in this or the too large size up I tried. You wouldn't want to be running for a bus in it, and while I don't mind jiggle too much, I think it'd be noticeable in daily activities too.

-There's a mesh outer layer on the cups which poofed out and looked kind of odd, at least in these cup sizes. It seemed to lay flat under clothes, though.

-The longline bit in front didn't want to actually stay down when I moved. Note, I am fat, so there's plenty of tummy influencing this. The elastic at the bottom hugged well, so it didn't want to flip up like Evenden's longlines, but it rode up instead. It also felt weird when trying to tug it down to adjust, like there wasn't an even length of fabric all along it, so you had to put more pressure in some places. Also, it was pretty impossible to accomplish this tugging down without also moving the wires down.

It was really nice having a band that deep in back, but I had to ask the boyfriend for help with it. I did also quite like the shape with clothes on.

Oh Carmen, you're beautiful, but it just wasn't meant to be.

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Updated on Mar 12, 2014 Flag this

I would consider this a pretty good fit on me.

My usual size is 30K, but I think a 32J is probably actually the best size for me in this at the moment. My underbust is my narrowest point, as I have a rounded tummy and a V-shape ribcage, so about an inch above and below my underbust will measure closer to 32 inches. The band does ride up very slightly at the centre of the back, but it doesn't actually move, and any tighter would be too much for my tummy and result in the band flipping up all the time, so I'm happy with the 32. The ... gore doesn't sit flat at the top (not sure if this is due to an issue with construction, or just gore height on my close-set boobs), but I don't get overspill or gapping, and I get fairly decent cleavage. The straps are fairly thin, though I don't seem to get any issues due to strap placement. The sides are a little high, but again, not too bad. Saying that, I don't find this bra particularly supportive. It feels wonderfully supportive if I push the gore flat, but with the gore lifting slightly, I do get a lot of bounce moving around. Definitely more of a looker rather than an everyday bra.

It being a longline skews the measurements slightly, so: measurement from top of the gore to level with the bottom of the underwires: 13cm; measurement from top of wing to level with the bottom of the underwires: 13.8cm. So overall I would say the cups are average width, shallow depth, but open on top with a fair amount of vertical volume (i.e. a good cut for cakes-on-a-plate cleavage). Disappointed that the band only extends about 3.5cm under the wires in this size - I'm guessing this is the usual issue of them using about the same length band for all sizes, resulting in larger cups taking up most of the longline space. Still, it's longer than most bras and still looks cute. The colour is a lovely bright pink, and I love the pink mesh overlaid onto a light base for the cups. The floral embroidery is definitely a nice change from the usual way floral is done, too.

All in all I love the look of this bra (I wasn't expecting to find a decent fit in a longline er...ever?), and it's definitely a fun piece that I'll likely incorporate as outerwear this summer, but if you're looking for a supportive, everyday bra, this might not be the one for you.
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The Curvy Kate Carmen is a bra that I absolutely fell for as soon as the first p

http://brasandbodyimage.com/2015/07/03/loving-longlines-curvy-kates-carmen/

Updated on Jul 04, 2015 Flag this

brasandbodyimage

1043 reputation

88 bras

This is a beautiful bra.
The wires are the new narrow curvy Kate wires, so they fit me fine but if you are used to the older wide wires it may not.
Band is a little stretchy. fits comfortably but the bottom edge scooches up just a little (I get squishier below my UB), 6 hook back is very tricky to get done up on your own.
Gore is a little high for me, and just barely doesn't tack.
Bottom of cups is a little shallow for my projected breasts. It's wearable, but not ideal (similar to the ritzy I tried).
I'll be sending this back, since I prefer the temptress I ordered along with it, but my best friend voted that I keep this instead.

Black/boysenberry colorway

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Updated on Apr 21, 2015 Flag this

This bra is really pretty, but the cup shape is very odd. The cups are very shallow on the outside and squash my boobs, but very deep on the inside. It makes a strange, narrow pointy shape, and it worse when the straps are tightened. I could not even get the bra to lay in a normal-ish shape to measure it.

Even without the cup issues, the wires are slightly too narrow.

I also tried a 28E, see my other review.

I've seen this bra look great on some other women. I think it was designed in a larger size and not scaled down well. It is a shame.

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Updated on Sep 09, 2014 Flag this

Pretty much the same issues as my 36J - Curvy Kate » Carmen Padded Balcony Bra (SG2201) review, except too big in the cup. I'd say the cup runs fairly true to size.

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Updated on Mar 12, 2014 Flag this

I've never had a longline bra so when I found this one on sale for $15CAD I thought I'd give it a try. It is so pretty, just so pretty. The colour is quite a vibrant pink, and I really love the embroidery on the cups. Obviously this isn't a bra for wearing under a thinner shirt or blouse, but I wore it under a camisole/singlet and a thin sweater and it actually didn't really show at all.

Fit notes:
When I first received this bra I was a bit nervous because it looks HUGE, but the cups actually fit me very well despite ... being a bit too tall.
I find the longline really supportive and helps my posture quite a lot. It really holds me in place with no bouncing that I noticed. The cups are a three-piece construction with three even pieces divided vertically, which for me tends to fit me the best out of any cup construction. It gives you a very front-and-centre projected look, a little bit more rounded than a bullet-shape, which I love about it!
I found the cups a bit tall, and the immediate edge of them sticks out a bit, if it was like 0.5cm shorter it would fit me perfectly. I have fairly narrow shoulders and the straps are a little wide on me, but they don't fall down through the day. Overall this bra was super comfortable for wearing through my work day, and the fit is 9/10 for my shape.
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Updated on Jan 01, 2021 Flag this

So this bra sort of fits. It fits my larger side pretty well but there is a bit of gaping on my smaller side. I think it would work better for someone fuller on top. My FOB breasts fill the cups well but kind of stop at the top of the cups. The bra is absolutely gorgeous and feels good on. The textured floral lace overlay is visible through thin shirts, though. The straps are comfy and easily adjustable. As other users mentioned, it fits a little big in the cups and band- more like a 28FF or 30F. It offers an impressive amount of projection combined with narrow cups, so kind of like a Polish bra in that regard.

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Updated on Aug 28, 2017 Flag this

it's so shame that discontinued. It's a lovely elegant longline bra.

Updated on Jan 26, 2017 Flag this

it's so shame that discontinued. It's a lovely elegant longline bra.

Updated on Jan 26, 2017 Flag this