http://www.curvywordy.com/2012/01/curvy-kate-portia-in-black.html
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Updated on Jan 29, 2012 Flag this
Bras » Curvy Kate » Portia Balcony Bra (CK4001)
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The Curvy Kate Portia Balcony is a very, very cute bra, with a cute contrasting ribbon woven through the upper lace panel. The three part cup provides moderate lift. The sling-shaped outer panel is much larger than the inner triangle that comes off of the gore, though, to it tends to push side-breast inward more than center-breast outward and give a slightly pointy shape. On my very soft boobs this resulted in a flattening of the outsides and a falling to the center. This is the same exact cup shape as the Freya Gem Balcony Bra (1361) .
Sensitive types may not love the picot edging on ... the straps, or the exposed seams and ribbons woven through to the inside on this unlined bra, though the fabric and materials themselves are soft. There are just a lot of textures. The thick elastic straps are sewn on to the apex of the cups rather than looped through a ring, so there is a sharper-than-you-would expect edge of cut elastic with pokey corners. This could be problematic for those with strap-boob bulges.
Short ladies will appreciate the low gore and wing height, and the minimal .6" underband, which is cut out under the gore to give room for tummies.
The wires are very rounded, with the outer edge just 1/2" higher and slightly straighter than the gore. They are 1/4" taller at the gore and wider at the outer tip than the sister size 28FF - Curvy Kate » Portia Balcony Bra (CK4001) . They also happen to be almost exactly the same wire shape and size as the 28FF - Freya » Gem Balcony Bra (1361) except they are 1/2" shorter at the gore and the Portia 30F band is 1" longer. The distance between the outer tips of the wires is 12.25" but they easily stretch wider, which could cause distortion and the consequent wire poking for ribcages larger than 27", unless you have wide roots and need the cup to go around the edge of your rib cage.
I am a comfortable 29" (27" tight) and the gore and wires did not contort enough to dig. The straps, though, were too wide for my petite 10" wide frame width and because they are not on rings in front, the top of the cups wrinkled when shortened and positioned on my shoulders.
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Black/Pink colorway
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Updated on May 27, 2015 Flag this
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I have a full review of this bra on my blog http://curvywordy.blogspot.com/2012/01/curvy-kate-portia-in-black.html
Essentially this is a great bra but I haven't yet tried it in a size that fits me. It's beautifully made, gives a great rounded shape and is supportive and comfortable.
http://www.curvywordy.com/2012/01/curvy-kate-portia-in-black.html
This bra is not owned any more
Updated on Apr 08, 2012 Flag this
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Very short-waisted, center full, close set, somewhat narrow, immediately projected, shallow apex projection,...
Of the four recent Curvy Kate purchases (32G Princess, 32F Atomic, 32FF Atomic, and 30GG Portia), Portia fits my breast characteristics most comfortably. Comparing measurements, the comfort is likely attributable to Portia's .25" wider wire and a slightly narrower lower gore.
Still, CK's gore width remains too wide despite my "sizing up." And, I instinctively choose wireless bras over wired bras because wires HURT my unpadded ribs.
Overall, the short wing height works well for my very short-waisted body. But, the materials in CK Ellace are so much softer and easier to wear. Additionally, I prefer the support of Ellace's band.
Aqua colorway
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Updated on Jun 25, 2018 Flag this
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That is lovely, and looks like not a bad fit if it wasn't for the gore. Sorry it doesn't work for you.
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I really liked the saturated aqua. It fit well enough I should have just kept it, but I thought I could purchase one from a Bratabase user. Someone purchased it before I could ;-)
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Such a gorgeous color! Sorry the gore didn't work for you. :-(
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I fix the gore problem by sewing it. It adds extra depth for my insane central fullness - not sure it would be a good solution for you, if the cup fits well otherwise...
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BlackieBird It is so strange for me. When I have narrowed the gore, the cup becomes too narrow. My breasts are not, apparently, as narrow as many of our users' breasts.
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Whoot! I think I've found it!
I'm glad I tried some of the suggested bras from other users cupandahalf and triumphof, because this is one great fitting bra for me.
The underwire are shorter, so no digging into armpits. I almost fill in the cups, with just a tiny bit of looseness at the top, as the contrasting ribbon isn't being pulled tight and the lace is a smidgen loose, but I can fix that easy. The look is very rounded, more suited to everyday wear.
I waited to publish this till I had worn it one full day. So the only issue I have ... is the band is suuupper stretchy. So as a consequence, I just got this, and I'm having to wear it on the tightest hooks. I guess the next CK bra I buy is going to have to be a 34. I'm not sure if I should feel accomplished from some small weight loss, that I'm going to have to buy a band size I don't ever recall wearing in my life, or just that I'm really getting a "vanity" size here. Most likely the latter, but even the Freya I got at the same time, isn't too long from being too big soon. At this point I've concluded that there is absolutely NO consistency between manufacturers, which is frustrating when buying online. Thankfully, there is this website to help!
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Updated on Oct 09, 2016 Flag this
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Looks great! I'm so glad my reviews helped!
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Purchased in 2014 along with another color and some Flirtelles from Brastop. Way too much bounce with these Ck's and to a lesser extent with the Flirtelles and were subsequently dispatched before measurements could be taken.
white/pink colorway
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Updated on Feb 23, 2022 Flag this
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I'm pleasantly surprised with this bra. It's very pretty, to begin with. Allows for projection, the wires were actually the narrowest I've seen with CK so far! Wires are fairly short though. I love the thicker, sturdy straps. I would recommend sizing down, this feels more like a 28DD. Doesn't feel flimsy, nothing itchy so far. Almost works for my conical breasts, there's the tiniest gap below the border so, it's still suited for full on top or taller roots like all the CK bras I've tried. I'm a 26E/F and the band wasn't too loose on me. All in all, I quite like it.
Pink mesh, peach ribbon colorway
Updated on Jun 17, 2021 Flag this
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I like Curvy Kate Portia because it's adorable - light, frilly, frothy - and it's lightweight, which is great for summer. The mesh is fine and comfortable. The only problem is it doesn't suuuuper match my shape. I'm too center-full; on smaller sizes, I quad out, and on this size, which is much too wide in the cups, I kind of warp in toward the center. I also get some in-cup quadding along the seam. It's a bit too plungy and shallow, I guess. But it's not a terrible fit, and it's comfortable; it has quite short wings for the cup size, so it doesn't dig into my armpits the way some bras at the 30G/GG size range do (cough Cleos cough) do.
Lime/Rose colorway
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Updated on Jun 09, 2017 Flag this
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This looks so much more comfortable than the 32F! You needed more space :-) Glad you tried another size and can still enjoy the shorter wings :-)
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Yes, this one is way better! Still not the best shape but the size was definitely a big part of the issue.
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Gorgeous and comfortable bra with narrow enough wires and shallow enough cups. Amazing fit. I would say the fit most closely resembles that of the Curvy Kate Princess, but it is also sized the same as the Gia and the Dreamcatcher. The Gia and the Dreamcatcher have somewhat more projected cups than the Portia, however. The Portia would work well on full-on-top or wide-shouldered women. It also works well on me, since I have quite a bit of pectoral muscle. It gives a nice shape under tops, though the ribbon sometimes shows. I also would say that the wire is low under the arms, which is nice for me-- no poking. The only drawback is, like the Dreamcatcher, the fabric is a bit stiff and scratchy at first.
Updated on Jul 08, 2016 Flag this
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The band is a bit too big, I think I only decided to try the 32DD instead of 30E because it was on sale. However this bra seems to be a bit big in the cups too, not sure if sizing down would help or if this bra just isn't a great fit for me.
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Updated on Nov 11, 2015 Flag this
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wow, i think its a much better proportioned bra in that size than in the J I tried, which was awful.
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Strange question, but has anyone had problems with the wire casing tearing away from the fabric with this bra?? I want to order it, but the reviews on Amazon is saying this bra's wire casing has torn away from the cup, rending the bra unusable. Any comments would be great! Thanks! :D