Fabric on this bra feels a little better on the skin compared to the Panache Tango Balconett, but it is still unlined and lacks shaping and support.

Nude colorway

Updated on Dec 30, 2017 Flag this

I bought this off the Curvy Kate website as it was on sale, and I really wish it worked! Despite buying it a size up in the band, it’s still way too tight. Since it’s a tankini I had a difficult time measuring the stretched band length, but I would say it fits more like a 40H.

It’s a lovely swim top. The mesh is light and comfortable, the cups fit true to size, and I actually love the bright pink.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 29, 2017 Flag this

I love the pattern and the cut, it's just like I expected. The fabric is soft and the straps are very elastic. I definitely notice that it's a plunge shape as the gore is short and the cup shape pushes the breasts toward the center. I really like the overall visual design on this bra and the matching briefs, the halterneck is cute and helps bring the breasts into focus.
The underwires are sturdy enough but the side boning is quite flexible. This bikini top does not have a sturdy and supportive feel to it, which is a stark contrast to my regular Panache bras. However the band ... is very comfortable and not super tight considering its size. The clasping mechanism to close the bra are sturdy though, and they only open when you deliberately choose to open them (as in they don't open when you're bending your back or jumping into water). The halterneck straps are cute and a nice design choice, but as previously mentioned they don't give much support: my breasts are somewhat heavy and so my shoulders bear the weight of them when I'm wearing this bikini top. As so I tend to only fasten the straps when I'm walking or swimming, when I'm sitting or laying down i tie them loosely.
The bow in the middle of the gore is another cute touch, but unfortunately one of the stitches has loosened so it's a bit floppy.
I don't fill out the bottom properly and I spill from the center so it's not a good fit, but I'm not ready to give this away because I feel so heckin cute in the bikini set! High waist briefs are the best!
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Updated on Dec 16, 2017 Flag this

This would be the correct size for me on this model of Curvy Kate (I know, I tried the others), but unfortunately gives a weird pointy shape to the breasts. Even unworn I can see that the seams are making a pointy shape, and when worn, besides the overall pointy shape, there's a bit of wrinkling on the nipples. Adding to that, I can't fill the bottom, maybe due to the underwire shape, or lack of immidiate projection.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 19, 2017 Flag this

I had really high hopes for this bra. It's smooth (unlike all the embroidered CK bras that show through thin tops) and its a nice neutral mauve. And look at cup width and depth, it seems to be a fantastic fit.. until you look at the main seam (the diagonal one from strap across apex to gore). I get this weird fabric wrinkle that is *super* obvious under a shirt. I am not sure what is causing it. A bad sewing job (fabric too tight/too loose on one side)? Apex in the wrong location for me (you can see half or more of my nipples through the lace portion)? Shape missmatch (I have short, sort of FOB, firm-ish, projected boobs)? The top of the bra lays nicely on my boobs apart from that odd, elongated bubble of fabric along that seam. Come to think of it, its pretty much the exact same problem I had with the Cleo Zia. Oh well. Hopefully it works better for someone else's boobs.

Blush colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 16, 2017 Flag this

I learned through trial and error that CK halters are a shape mismatch for me. I'm FoB with not enough upper fullness to round it out. Which means I had serious cone boob going. It was too shallow on bottom, pulling everything skyward. Not pretty. But the bikini was well made. It has a sturdy plastic clip that's easy to hook in back. The plastic rings at the shoulder look fun but they can get in the way of swimming. There's elastic in the straps so the straps stay tied and fit comfortably around the neck.

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Updated on Nov 14, 2017 Flag this

This was a huge shape mismatch for me. I've very FoB with nothing on top. This gave me a severe cone shape. I figured out that CK halter tops are NOT the right shape for me. Other than that, it's a nice tankini, well made with nice detailing, like the decorative rings at the shoulders that attach the straps. However, these rings can get in the way while swimming. There's elastic in the straps, making them stay tied. The sides are adjustable with short ties. It's a nice suit, just wrong for me.

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Updated on Nov 13, 2017 Flag this

I got this through a bra swap. It's a lovely bra, but both bands and cups are too small for me. I'd love to try this in 30F!

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 23, 2017 Flag this

Cups are open enough on top for my roots and shallow enough at the apex for me, and that is rare for me in unlined bras. So this may be shallow for an unlined bra. Also the wires seem narrow when laid flat but the wires are flexibleish so when the band is around the torso it extends the width of the cup. I love the soft velvet bits on the pattern of the cup fabric. This bra has me stumped, I don't know what else to say about it. The lace is itchy!! on me. Hopefully it gets softer after washing and wearing more. Finally I have a light mesh summer bra... right when Summer ends.

Pink colorway

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Updated on Oct 13, 2017 Flag this

This bra is so comfortable! The gore is a revalation compared to Panache - it doesn't dig in at all! The cups are covered with very soft material and I like the 3 hook fastening, it feels really secure but not tight. It provides very good uplift, which is great for me because I have low set boobs. I had to go up a cup - I'm normally 30FF - so definitely order a larger cup size in this style. EDIT: the wires are slightly too wide for my shape (I'm not particularly narrow). The gore is still lovely and comfortable though https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />

Aqua colorway

Updated on Oct 07, 2017 Flag this

I own two of these bras, a 28F and a 30E. Neither one fits properly, and they fit very differently. They obviously are slightly different cuts of the bra. The lace trim along the top of the cup is attached differently, creating a much lower coverage cup on the 30E bra than on the 28F, so my nipples always end up poking up out of the cup. The gore digs in on both of them, and is much higher and more painful on the 28F. Overall, this is a pretty bra, but in both sizes and slightly different cuts I have, it's unwearable.

Updated on Oct 06, 2017 Flag this

I think this bra was marked as 30E, instead of 30F. The measurements are too big for 30e.
The cups are too tall, too wide and too deep for me.

Updated on Aug 28, 2017 Flag this

Prettyncharmeuse

4200 reputation

338 bras

I was excited to try Curvy Kate and this bra did not disappoint. It fits really well and is quite comfortable. I have it in Berry, and it is a pretty wine/cranberry colour with lovely lace details. It feels supportive and looks flattering. Straps adjust easily. It fits very true to size, both in the cups and band. I get just a hint of quad boob on one side- not enough to bug me. This one is a keeper.

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Updated on Aug 28, 2017 Flag this

My type : Full on bottom, narrow root, projected(especially bottom), 30FF/32F

I need a bigger size.

Updated on Aug 22, 2017 Flag this

I've read so many great reviews of this bra that I had really high hopes for it. Unfortunately, I ended up being really disappointed. I was excited to finally have a strapless bra and this did actually stay up surprisingly well. That's pretty much the only good thing I can say about it though. I'm usually between a 28GG and a 28H depending on the shape and brand, but the cups on this bra were so shallow that I had to go up to a 28HH and I was still spilling out over the top. The construction of this bra was just strange to me, it didn't seem ... like the makers had any idea of how to make a bra with a large cup size and a small band size. When I first saw it, I thought the cups looked huge and there was no way it would fit. The cups were just really wide though and stretched all the way to my back. There wasn't enough support on the bottom of the cups, so they just kind of folded inward and dug into my ribs. It was pretty painful, so I didn't wear it for more than a few minutes. There's no way I could go all day in this thing. To top it off, the vertical stitching on the cup was really noticeable under a shirt.
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Updated on Aug 02, 2017 Flag this

The wires are too narrow and cut in on the sides. I find the fabric very itchy and I have to add a camisole under most of my shirts because you can see the lines of the bra without it. It also digs in at the sternum as the day goes on, but i think that's because I need slightly larger/wider cups. The band is comfortable.

White colorway

Updated on Jul 26, 2017 Flag this

My shape: self-supporting teardrop, even-to-slightly FOB with lots of immediate depth underneath but moderate overall projection, very tall and shallow roots on top that give me FOT/shallow fitting problems, off-the-chart side boob with wide wrap-around roots, close-set, center-height, forward-facing, and very firm tissue that doesn't like to be pushed out of place by wires or pads.

I got this bra as a gift from Love4Pollinators, who is super generous and to whom I'm really grateful because honestly, I've never had a fitted swimsuit before. Just thinking about the idea of not having to worry about the dreaded triangle bikini anymore, well, it's a revelation, to say the ... least!

I think the 28 in this swimsuit may run a bit smaller than the 28 in many of the bras; that is, they're about the same, but I was given to understand from other people's posts over the years that swimwear shouldn't be quite as tight as lingerie. Maybe that is incorrect on my part. It's more structured than I was expecting, which also contributes to my opinion, I'm sure, but either way, it's about as tight as my CK 28 Flaunt, which fits me pretty well and I like. It closes with a twist hook, which I'll add a photo of, but there is only one, so it would have to be taken in as it stretched (if it lasts that long. Chlorine is harsh on swimsuits!).

The straps are another thing I might caution about. I've never had a bra that didn't have enough strap length for me, but I think I've found the first one. Fully extended, they're just *barely* too short. I can feel the tension across the cup seam, and it's not bad, but it could be for other ladies. Keep that in mind!

The wires are a good shape for me, and WIDE ENOUGH, although I think they're a bit short. Sometimes when I move I can feel where they poke at the gore because they don't take up the entire channel. Otherwise they are really firm, and I like them! I feel very supported. Unfortunately they do ride down out of my IMF, though.

Because they don't reach the top of the wire channel, though, the gore floats away from my chest at the top. I think this is actually caused by 2 things, though, one of them being how close my tissue comes in the center (I know it doesn't look like it in the photos, but I can definitely feel it), but the other is because the top cup edge is being pulled taut across my upper root. If the wires came all the way up, I would just have a more obvious faux-quadboob, I think.

Tri-part cups always give me problems, and sadly this one is no exception. The top horizontal panel always closes too quickly, and I have yet to find one where the depth in the bottom of the cup is sufficient. In this case, like most CKs, the immediate depth is not much depth at all, really. I can feel the foam padding buckling as my boobs try to find more space, and in the end it ends up sitting almost 2.5cm too low. It gives me a slightly pointy but retro profile, which I could be very happy with, but there's also some room at the apex, which when seated in its proper position is about 2cm too tall for me.

I guess my next attempt will have to be a Freya, because something modeled vaguely like their half-cup has a much better chance of working for me. Le sigh.
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Updated on Jul 13, 2017 Flag this

The width and shallowness and shape of this bra's cups are about perfect. The band is too stretchy and a bit too long but I'm 26 underbust so that's normal. Despite the good cup shape this bra doesn't feel supportive enough for me because the cups are too short for my comparatively tall roots. The cup height is 4.5 inches at the centre, but a large area of fullness above the cup remains, enough for me to feel too unsupported. It's good to know I prefer a cup height of 5 inches or more. You can see my breast measurements and info on my profile page.

Black colorway

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Updated on Jun 30, 2017 Flag this

My second HG bra! If only the nude color was cheaper... Like the Portia, it has elastic sewn into the top of the cups to keep it from overflowing and gaping. The embroidery seems cheap and shiny and is already starting to fuzz up. But it fits! Close set and full on top with projection. Gives a natural rounded shape.

Melon/Apple colorway

Updated on Jun 21, 2017 Flag this

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

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jun 09, 2017 Flag this