Tldr: size down one or two cups, straps are very wide set.

My boobs: very short narrow root, full on top, center full

Fit: This bra seems to fit one to two cup sizes deeper than indicated. My best fitting bra right now is 40JJ - Elomi » Jodi Plunge Bra (4190) which fits basically like a full coverage bra on me. This bra is just as deep or deeper, shorter, and more open. In my opinion it's more like a plunge balcony as the angle from the gore to the straps is not very extreme and the general look is sort ... of flat across the top like a balcony bra. The shape is a lovely rounded shape but with plenty of projection. The wires are fairly narrow for this size. The gore height is short to average for this size. The band is tts and fastens comfortably but firmly on the loosest hooks.

The main fit issue is the wide placement of straps at front and back, a pretty typical problem for this brand in the larger back sizes. On my 40J - Curvy Kate » Cabaret Plunge Bra (CK5111) I had to alter the back straps which made the bra much more comfortable. I like the fit and shape of this bra much better because the cups are more open, so I might consider doing the same surgery on this one. Otherwise they won't stay on my shoulders no matter how I angle them.

Feel: Besides the strap placement, it feels great. The mesh is soft but strong. Elastics are nicer than usual. The illusion elastic edge on the cup is not scratchy and is tensioned correctly. The wires are softer than Panache but firmer than Comexim. The straps are different than typical CK: a smooth, soft, less stretchy material.

Look: I love the minimalist stuff coming out of lingerie manufacturers now. The mesh is not doubled on this bra so it is transparent everywhere. The only decorations are a black metal O at the gore and ribbon strap attachmeny to a similar O on each strap. The stitching is not the best on the gore thing but I would just take it off anyway so shrug. The shape is lovely. There is an illusion elastic edge to the cup which is also very nice. This bra was just released in "latte" which is a light medium skin tone so I might go for it as I've been looking for one for quite a while. At $55 it's on the low end for British manufacturers, probably worth it to me to get one and alter it. I'm thinking about it for the summertime.
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Black colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 11, 2017 Flag this

I am close set, FOB with tall shallow roots. I needed good simple black bra so this looked perfect. The cups look like they fit well, very little wrinkling. I think they are too shallow for me because after a while the gore digs in and sometimes the cups shift down ward. The straps are slightly too short. The band sightly too tight for me. The material feels like nylon stockings. The metal circles connecting the straps and cups also dig in. Looks smooth and gives good shape under a shirt.

Updated on Sep 03, 2018 Flag this

The Lifestyle is sheerer than I expected in person. The gore tacks, but this is a fairly low plunge. It looks okay right after I put it on, but my breasts tend to fall toward the center of the bra over the course of a work day, leading to quadboob. The mesh used for the cups is also on the flimsy side, resulting in noticeable jiggling while walking. I actually found the Curvy Kate Unwind bralette to be more "work appropriate" than this.

Slate/Blush colorway

Updated on Jan 07, 2021 Flag this

So it’s finally here! I have been waiting for this bra for quite some time. It’s been on my radar for a while and I saw it on Bravissimo’s sale page and the 30FF was in and out and I finally bit the bullet and grabbed it while it was in stock before it disappeared again. It took 3 weeks and a day to finally get it. I was beginning to worry because I didn’t have any tracking.

The sad news is that it doesn’t work for me! Wah! I was really hoping that it would be a good everyday lightweight black workhorse bra. The sheer cups would ... be breathable, and it didn’t have any frigging bows. It was a clean and simple look. I still really adore the aesthetics of this bra even though it doesn’t work for me well.

In this size, I get the industrial 3 hooks closure, which I actually don’t mind as I feel like it is more anchored. It’s not super sexy, but it’s not really that bad. I think it’s actually what helps me with the band comfort in this. In true Curvy Kate fashion, or at least my experience, it’s a bit of a snug band. Maybe not as snug as some others I’ve had, but it’s possible that I have acclimated to snugger bands since my last CK spree. I do feel like I can get away with just a single row of extender hooks, however, I lack a 3 hook extender. And I feel like the wider band is making the tighter fit a bit more tolerable.

The wires in this bra are really baffling. They are QUITE WIDE! I’m narrow to average, and with my soft tissue, I can fit fairly narrow wires. I’ve got one review coming up with 4.5” wires that I can do (barely) and this is 5.5” iirc. I’m usually most comfortable in 5-5.25”. This one does actually follow my tissue, but I bet if I wore it all day, I would find the marks about 1 finger width further than the end of my tissue. In addition, most plunge bras have the wires higher on the outside and lower on the inside...sorts like a bowl tipping over some. Or like a crescent moon. Now, I initially thought that maybe it’s because the band is a bit snug and therefore I might have some wire distortion. But in looking at the fit on other people, I don’t think this is the case. Letting up on the band (holding it on but looser and not connected) does not change anything.

I’m simultaneously spilling and gapping in the cups. On one hand, it appears to be too small as I’m spilling, yet near the apex and the strap connectors, I’ve got empty space. Now with the straps, it’s a pretty normal affair with my soft tissue and shape that I gap there. It’s no longer a problem or concern with fitting. It is what it is. HOWEVER...this bra is very sheer, and the gaps are much more noticeable. Is this a deal breaker? Not really. But the cups just fit really oddly. I do kind of think that it is somewhat fob friendly. But maybe it’s just my boobs that don’t fit in the cups right.

Now the immediate depth is pretty good on this one, but I think it’s not quite deep enough at the gore, and the cups are a bit too wide set for me. I’m not really getting any cleavage, and I’m typically close set supported (splayed unsupported) so I feel like it’s maybe fitting my unsupported shape and therefore giving me a little bit of an unsupported look/feel.

As it’s a plunge, I do appreciate the lower gore, and really appreciate the circular gore detail. It’s honestly so refreshing from bows. I do feel like it could be a bit narrower.

As I mentioned, I really love the aesthetics of this bra. I’m sad that I don’t have a good fit in it and I don’t think it will change if I get a different size.

I’m going to list it for a bit before I send it back.
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Updated on Aug 05, 2019 Flag this

This bra is obviously too small. I ordered this in a 32J because there are no bigger sizes available. I wanted to try it, because I love the color. Reviews stated that the cups run big. My usual size in CK would be 32JJ. On the other side all of their bras (besides the Victory) are so wrong for my shape that it is difficult to guess if I got the correct size. I have very center heavy and tall boobs. This bra does not much to contain my boobs inside the cups. The band seems to be tts / even a bit small for a 32 band.

I would recommend this bra for short roots and not very center heavy boobs. Also I found the materials a bit wear, I'm not sure it would hold up for daily wear (at my size). I also disliked the ring detail where the cup meets the straps at the front. While it looks cute, I think it could dig in and be uncomfortable.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 01, 2019 Flag this

Me: Average projection. Fuller on bottom. Slightly wider left breast (I suspect this breast is also 1-2 ml taller than my other breast). Usually wear 28DD or 30D.

One of my recommended bras. I bought 30D (my measured size) and 30DD (the recommended bra from Bratabase) because they were on sale (both under $10 each!). 30D gave me slight quad boob but wasn't really noticeable under shirts. Also, the bra lining didn't show under shirts.
30DD removed most of the quad boob but the lining of the bra on the right cup can be seem through shirts. I see wrinkles in the pictures, so there'e a bit of empty ... space on my right breast cup. My right breast is slightly more narrow, which is why the right cup reveals the lining under shirts. I might end up selling the 30DD.

For both bras, the headlights show a bit in thin shirts when it's cold. They're not too itchy and they don't dig in my sides. If my breasts were exactly the same shape, the 30D bra would be a 10 out of 10 for me. I guess I like both bras for different reasons.
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Lilac colorway

Updated on Jun 27, 2020 Flag this

I'm petite (5'2") with a pretty short torso and somewhat short roots. My breasts are close-set and projected with a fairly even fullness. My most common problem with most balconette bras is that the underwire comes up too high in the centre and stabs me in the chest, and also often sit on top of my breast tissue since the wires are too far apart. However, many plunges are padded and far too shallow, so I often have to choose between getting stabbed or overflowing in the centre.

This bra is an unpadded, sheer plunge, and is pretty much the perfect plunge for me. The band is stretchy enough to be comfortable but still supportive. The cups have the perfect amount of projection for me and give me really nice cleavage without cutting into the breasts and the gore sits very comfortably against my chest. No more chest stabbing or wires on boobs!

Updated on Mar 12, 2019 Flag this

Here's yet another bra from CK that is supposed to be 40 inches band but only is 34.5 inches long or stretched 36 inches. The cup is also not wide enough for me. I don't fill the cups at the top either. I wanted to like it but it's not comfortable even with an extender.

Latte/Black Lace colorway

Updated on Jan 23, 2022 Flag this

The Animal print version fits a lot better than the solid colours. I’ve found the solid colours recently are cutting into my breast tissue slightly along the neckline and by the end of the day I’m really spilling out, despite the cup capacity being correct, and a cup size up being far too wide. Not sure if this new print version has been made with a different mesh or in a different factory, but the fit is much better on me. Minus some marks on this colourway though for the black and brown finishings - they’re inside the bra so not a huge issue aesthetically but it is something that bugs me ever so slightly 😅

Animal (Leopard Print) colorway

Updated on Oct 25, 2021 Flag this

This is a very delicate bra. I enjoy the designs of the Curvy Kate line, but I feel some of the designs are not suited to larger heavier breasts. The gore on this bra is far too short for my breasts and the wings are also too short. Strangely enough the straps are too far apart for my shoulders. I would have loved this bra because the color is adorable, but unfortunately it just doesn’t work.

Updated on Jul 06, 2021 Flag this