great bra. just too much gaping for my great type and doesn’t fit me well

lifestyle lace plunge blue with red detail/lace colorway

Updated on May 26, 2021 Flag this

the fabric at the top of this bra is not elastic like i thought and just isn’t right for my shape. overall a great bra though

curvy kate dottie balcony bra in latte colorway

Updated on May 26, 2021 Flag this

The one thing I liked about this bra was the low center gore. The underwire accommodated perfectly for lots of center fullness and wasn't painful. However, I felt like there was a lot lacking with the design of this bra. I found the fabric of the cup to be extremely scratchy and uncomfortable. Also on the fabric of the cup are these velvet polka dots which I think might have contributed to the scratchiness. Along the top of the cup is this thick, stiff lace with ribbon woven through it. Online it looked cute, in person it just looks like they tried to add too many details on ... the bra and the result is this really frumpy appearance despite an almost perfect fit. I listed the quality as wearable for a few reasons, none of which yield the bra unusable but further added to my desire to return. First, the bow on the gore fell off as I was taking the bra out of the bag it was mailed in. The ribbon threaded through the top of the cup was also poorly done so there were these big loops of ribbon sticking straight up out of the bra (made for a very weird look under a shirt). I know some people really swear by their Curvy Kate bras so I'm more inclined to think I just ended up with a defect product and less likely overall poor quality from the brand. Still, this bra was a big no for me and as Curvy Kate doesn't make my real size (28E) I doubt I will try another one of their bras.
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Black colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 26, 2020 Flag this

I love the look and feel of this bra. When purchased in my normal size, the cup is WAY too shallow. I also noticed that the elastic feels much more flexible/stretchy than that of the Marcie, which is my usual bra. Fingers crossed I can find some good colorways in a size that fits better.

White colorway

Updated on Oct 04, 2020 Flag this

This bra is so cute! The materials are pretty comfortable and the design is just adorable. The lace and mesh are pretty stretchy. The elastic on the top of the cup is forgiving but slightly itchy.
I should have definitely ordered this in at least one size up. The gore doesn’t sit flat, I have slight quadding on my larger side, and my nipples are close to the edge of the cup.

Updated on Jul 19, 2020 Flag this

I had been curious about the Curvy Kate Princess Plunge for a long time, but I wasn't able to find one for a good price and that was returnable in the past, and there wasn't enough information available on Bratabase for me to blindly order it at full price. However, I was able to get this heavily discounted, and now I wish I had tried it sooner! The Princess Plunge is almost identical in cut to the Lifestyle Plunge, which I already own in 30DD and found to be a super comfortable, lightweight summer bra. While in the Princess Balcony I had to size down ... a cup to 30D, ordering my normal size in the Plunge cut was just fine.

The bands on Princess styles are quite narrow, so they don't feel super firm, but I didn't have any issues with this band. This bra is very comfortable on me, and the cups give a natural shape. I like the appearance of the cups better with foam pads, and I will appreciate the versatility of having a lightweight mesh plunge in my summer wardrobe. My only complaint with the fit of this bra is that like the Lifestyle, the wires are extremely shallow and short. I find that when I scoop fully into the cups, the wires aren't tall enough at the sides to hold all the tissue in place, which is why I prefer to wear this one with foam pads. The textured lace trim at the upper cup and the flocked polka dots can give a lumpy appearance, so it's important to fill out this bra as much as possible to keep the appearance smooth.

The materials, styling, and construction are otherwise identical to the Princess Balcony version. The cups are made from very soft mesh with flocked polka dots. The lining of the cup is lightweight soft tricot that feels similar to mesh but is a bit more supportive. The upper cup shape is rather projected and closed off--it is basically identical to the Lifestyle's upper cups EXCEPT that the floral lace trim is added to the top of the cup, making the upper cup twice as wide on the Princess as on the Lifestyle.

The only concern I have about this bra is that the upper cup trim is quite ornate and thick, and it may be visible under clothing. The upper cup lace is a daisy chain lace design with a ribbon insert, which also doesn't always lay perfectly flat. The same lace extends to the front of the strap, while the rest of the strap is plain satin scalloped elastic. Simple skinny ribbon bows decorate the gore and strap attachments. I really didn't like the appearance of the bra in the Flamingo Pink, but I think it looks quite nice in both basic Black and White. Despite its shortfalls, it makes a lovely lightweight summer bra.
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Black colorway

Updated on Jun 04, 2020 Flag this

I've tried the Curvy Kate Princess Balcony Bra now four times, in sizes 28DD and 30D when I was a 28DD size, and now in 30D and 30DD at a 28E/30DD size. I couldn't figure out before why this bra never fit me in the past, but now I realize that the cups run one size deep, while the band can run a little snug. In the 30D size, it fits me very similarly to a 28E or 30DD Cleo Marcie, giving a nice and lifted rounded shape, but with shorter wings and shorter wires at the outer cup. The 30DD is far too big ... for me. Thus, if Marcie works for you, I would recommend this bra but going one size down, and potentially sizing up in band if you are between two band sizes.

Like Marcie, the cups are made from very soft mesh with polka dots, although the dots on the CK bra are flocked instead of embroidered. The lining of the cup is lightweight soft tricot that feels similar to mesh but is a bit more supportive. The upper cup shape is slightly more projected and closed off than Marcie, and the floral lace upper edge is rather thick and much less forgiving than Marcie's embroidered mesh upper cups. Due to the more projected, slightly shelf-like shape of the upper cup, the CK Princess requires a little more upper fullness than Marcie. When worn unlined, this is most apparent on me as the difference between the two fits, as Marcie sits on me perfectly.

The band on this style measures pretty TTS, but since it is so narrow, the powermesh wings don't feel quite as firm as I'd like. The elastic at the cradle is also a bit thinner and less sturdy than on Marcie. The wires, though short on the sides, are quite firm. I found originally that in the 28DD, the wires dug painfully into my ribcage, but it's possible that the band on that bra ran exceptionally small, as the band on the 30D and 30DD measured about 1"/2.5 cm different. Since the wires don't have much flexibility, I'd recommend going with the larger band size if you are between sizes.

The only concern I have about this bra is that the upper cup trim is quite ornate and thick, and it may be visible under clothing. The upper cup lace is a daisy chain lace design with a ribbon insert, which also doesn't always lay perfectly flat. The same lace extends to the front of the strap, while the rest of the strap is plain satin scalloped elastic. Simple skinny ribbon bows decorate the gore and strap attachments. I really didn't like the appearance of the bra in the Flamingo Pink, but I think it looks quite nice in both basic Black and White. Despite its shortfalls, it makes a lovely lightweight summer bra, and I found this looks nice alone or with foam lining pads.
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Black colorway

Updated on May 30, 2020 Flag this

The Curvy Kate Top Spot was a random style I came across on Amazon, and the positive reviews encouraged me to give it a try. I also thought that the sporty look was rather unique and different from the rest of my collection. I ordered my normal Curvy Kate size of 30DD since their 28 bands are super tight, and found that while the band worked well, the cups were far too deep and tall for me.

The band is firm and snug, and could easily be mistaken for a 28 in another brand. It is very comfortable on me, I felt that the wide shadow ... elastic at the bottom of the band added to this supportive feel, as the wings are not particularly wide and are made from standard firm powermesh. The cradle is made from stretch matte interlock with a crossover keyhole design at the center gore which adds some interest. The rest of the trims are simple, with a plain, fully adjustable elastic strap, and leotard back. There are no bows or other trims on this style. Both the band and cradle were well made and comfortable on me. I only wish that the cups had worked out as well!

Unfortunately, the cups run very tall and very deep on me. It's really hard for me to tell what size to try in Curvy Kate, as Lifestyle ran incredibly shallow, Florence runs somewhere between shallow and TTS, Ellace is TTS but FOT, Princess Plunge is TTS, and Princess Balcony is very deep. This is very comparable to Princess Balcony, which is far too deep for me in my normal 30DD. I can tell from the cup shape that the upper cup is rather shelf-like and set rather horizontally onto the bottom cup, which indicates this is for FOT styles. The bottom cup is double layer mesh with polka dot embroidery, similar to Cleo Marcie. The upper cup is single layer polka dot mesh with the same shadow elastic used on the bottom band. It has a nice amount of give and is not terribly tight, so I think it will be fairly flexible for tall roots, but the main issue is making sure you fit the shape of the upper cup .

The other recurring problem with Curvy Kate bras is that the wire is much shorter than I like at the outer cup. While it's not entirely short enough for tissue to escape out the sides, it just doesn't feel that secure to me. I don't like bras where the wire length is shorter than the cup depth, but unfortunately many CK bras are designed with these proportions.

Top Spot is a cute style for those who like lightweight mesh bras like Marcie, but need more projection and taller cups, and don't mind shorter wires at the sides. It's a nice bra but unfortunately didn't suit me.
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Black colorway

Updated on May 30, 2020 Flag this

This is my second Curvy Kate Ellace, as I had tried it back in my 30D days and it didn't fit. I thought that since I've gotten more upper fullness that this style might fit me now in a size up, so I grabbed the 30DD when I saw the price drop on Amazon. Unfortunately, while it fits my larger side pretty well, it still has the same problem on my smaller side.

I feel that the cup shape in this style is shallow in the bottom of the cup, and the fullest point of the cup is set a little higher than normal. This would ... indicate that it's more of a FOT style than FOB. However, I am leaning functionally FOT these days, so it did fit my larger side pretty well, though I could've used more room at the bottom of the cup since I'm pretty even. On my smaller side, it's obvious that there's not enough upper fullness, so the stretch lace portion of the upper cup ends up too empty for me. Ideally, the bottom mesh cup would be lowered and the upper stretch cup would be lengthened, bringing the fullest point of the bra down a bit, which would improve the fit on me.

I think that the stretch lace portion is going to be tricky for anyone who doesn't fit this bra perfectly. Though it fits my larger side pretty well, I do notice that the lace shifts a bit when moving and doesn't stay totally flat. The smaller side looks like a disaster, so unfortunately this is a bra where my asymmetry renders this bra unwearable.

I've also noticed that Curvy Kate bras in my size range measure identically in depth and wire length, but recently I've been more comfortable in bras with longer wires along the outer portion of the cup. I have breast tissue that wraps around and goes under the armpit, so I really need some extra help with the wires to contain this tissue. The Curvy Kate bras I've tried have all been short and shallow in the wires. I didn't mark this as a fit issue because I don't feel that the wires are causing tissue to escape, but it isn't the ideal shape and length for me.

Lastly, I want to comment on the band as this style has an EXTREMELY contoured band. I took the bottom band measurement at 60 cm / 23.5" and interpolated the upper band measurement to be around 69 cm / 27". That means the bottom of the band fits like a true 28-30 but the upper portion of the band is like a large 32. The contoured band is supposed to suit V shaped ribcages better, but this is too contoured for me. If I wear this at the normal position where I wear my bras, the upper portion of the band gaps under the arms. It is better if I wear it lower on my torso where my ribcage is more tapered, but this messes up the fit of the cups.

Please see my review of the 30D for comments and details on styling. It is a very pretty bra, but I don't think that Curvy Kate styles work for me anymore in my current size and shape.
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Latte colorway

Updated on Mar 15, 2020 Flag this

About me: close set, center full, tall, sloping roots, full on bottom (though combined functionally even in some respects), narrow and projected.

This bra accommodates my center fullness and narrow, projected roots well. Vertically speaking, it doesn't cut into my upper tissue at all. The band is snug and supportive. The gore tacks completely and cups are close enough that wires don't cut in in the center at all . This is one of my best fitting bras right now. I have minimal shoulder and neck pain when wearing it, which is such a relief.

It does have a pointy shape on me, but that's what happens when you lack upper fullness to fill out the cups evenly. The embroidery makes it visible under clingy knits, as well, but these are minor issues for me when compared with how well it fits.

Updated on Feb 14, 2020 Flag this

About me: narrow, projected, full on bottom with tall, sloping roots. Also close set and center full.

The wires, band and straps all fit well - wires aren't too wide, band is snug but doesn't cut in, and the straps aren't so far apart that they cut in at the front of my arm/shoulder/chest. The top of the cup, however, cuts in. I'm not sure if it's just too small or if it also closes off too abruptly for my upper tissue. I plan to try the 30F soon and find out.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 02, 2020 Flag this

The Curvy Kate Lifestyle is a bra I've had my eye on for a long time, but due to its high price, it took a while before I went ahead and ordered it. I originally started with my standard size of 30D, but I quickly found that this is far too small.

This style has a very short and shallow underwire, and I really prefer a long underwire to contain all my wide tissue, so I knew I definitely had to size up. The 30D could not contain all of my tissue on the sides, and the upper cup cut into my shallow roots badly. It ... was a major case of orange-in-a-glass. Thus, I'd recommend sizing up at least one size and potentially more. In size 30DD, I found this to be a very nice fit. Actually, in my opinion, this bra is almost identical to the Claudette Dessous, but in a much softer fabric and with a more minimalist aesthetic.

The Lifestyle Plunge has a 3 piece cut and sew cup, but these cups are made from single layer mesh, which I find to be rather unusual since most cups this thin are double lined. Other reviewers have said this isn't substantial enough for larger cup sizes, so that may be something to bear in mind. In my size, I don't think this will be an issue, and I find the cups to be exceptionally lightweight and comfortable. It would be amazing for sweaty summer days or travel to warm areas where you'd like your bra to dry quickly after washing. The mesh used for the cups is fairly rigid and decently soft, and I have no issues with the seams being scratchy as they are nicely finished.

The upper cup has a bit of decorative elastic, but actually the hem has very little stretch. Since I found this to to cut into my tissue in the smaller size, I'd imagine that it might not work for taller roots or FOT. Other than that, the only notable callout on the fit is that it gives a less lifted shape than bras with double layer mesh, like the Cleo Marcie. This is a much more natural and relaxed shape in comparison.

I found the band to be nice and TTS. It is a standard stretch mesh band with full elastic on the top and bottom, although I would've preferred wider elastic for the bottom. It does feel nice and firm so I don't see any issues with it stretching out. The straps are also wide elastic and fully adjustable.

The only thing I dislike about this bra is the hardware, which is all made of dyed-to-match plastic. It would've been more elevated with gold or rose gold hardware, in my opinion. I also don't like the motif of two interlocked circles, which is used as the center charm and the shoulder strap hardware. I know others like this detail and find it to be a modern and minimalist design, so maybe it's just personal taste. I would've preferred no decorative hardware and something more traditional, like the bows on Dessous.

Overall, I think if you like lightweight mesh bras and like the Dessous, you may have good luck with this one. Unlike the Dessous, all 4 bras I ordered measured relatively similarly and had no quality variations between the colors, making this a better choice IMO. Just watch out for sizing and size up at least a cup!
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Lilac colorway

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 Flag this

The Curvy Kate Lifestyle is a bra I've had my eye on for a long time, but due to its high price, it took a while before I went ahead and ordered it. I originally started with my standard size of 30D, but I quickly found that this is far too small.

This style has a very short and shallow underwire, and I really prefer a long underwire to contain all my wide tissue, so I knew I definitely had to size up. The 30D could not contain all of my tissue on the sides, and the upper cup cut into my shallow roots badly. It ... was a major case of orange-in-a-glass. Thus, I'd recommend sizing up at least one size and potentially more. In size 30DD, I found this to be a very nice fit. Actually, in my opinion, this bra is almost identical to the Claudette Dessous, but in a much softer fabric and with a more minimalist aesthetic.

The Lifestyle Plunge has a 3 piece cut and sew cup, but these cups are made from single layer mesh, which I find to be rather unusual since most cups this thin are double lined. Other reviewers have said this isn't substantial enough for larger cup sizes, so that may be something to bear in mind. In my size, I don't think this will be an issue, and I find the cups to be exceptionally lightweight and comfortable. It would be amazing for sweaty summer days or travel to warm areas where you'd like your bra to dry quickly after washing. The mesh used for the cups is fairly rigid and decently soft, and I have no issues with the seams being scratchy as they are nicely finished.

The upper cup has a bit of decorative elastic, but actually the hem has very little stretch. Since I found this to to cut into my tissue in the smaller size, I'd imagine that it might not work for taller roots or FOT. Other than that, the only notable callout on the fit is that it gives a less lifted shape than bras with double layer mesh, like the Cleo Marcie. This is a much more natural and relaxed shape in comparison.

I found the band to be nice and TTS. It is a standard stretch mesh band with full elastic on the top and bottom, although I would've preferred wider elastic for the bottom. It does feel nice and firm so I don't see any issues with it stretching out. The straps are also wide elastic and fully adjustable.

The only thing I dislike about this bra is the hardware, which is all made of dyed-to-match plastic. It would've been more elevated with gold or rose gold hardware, in my opinion. I also don't like the motif of two interlocked circles, which is used as the center charm and the shoulder strap hardware. I know others like this detail and find it to be a modern and minimalist design, so maybe it's just personal taste. I would've preferred no decorative hardware and something more traditional, like the bows on Dessous.

Overall, I think if you like lightweight mesh bras and like the Dessous, you may have good luck with this one. Unlike the Dessous, all 4 bras I ordered measured relatively similarly and had no quality variations between the colors, making this a better choice IMO. Just watch out for sizing and size up at least a cup!
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Latte colorway

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 Flag this

I love my Curvy Kate Florence bras in 30D, and recently since I've noticed an increase in fullness (most likely due to tissue migration), so I decided to try the next size up in 30DD. Unfortunately, while I now wear 30DD in many styles of bras, it didn't prove to be the best size in this style.

Like Marcie/Lucy, Florence is a 3 piece cup made from soft, double layer mesh, making it comfortable, lightweight, and supportive. The upper cup is embroidered mesh with no elastic edge, which is awesome as it can stretch to sit flat against very shallow roots, or flex to accommodate more upper ... volume. The underwires are very similar to Marcie, being wide and shallow, but I feel that the shape is slightly more curved than Marcie. I tend to have issues with brand new Marcies until I make some underwire adjustments, and Marcie also tends to cross spontaneously at the gore. Florence doesn't do that, and I think it's because the ends of the underwires are a bit more perpendicular than Marcie's, which are more open and splayed. The cups are a little on the shallow side, but they can accommodate more fullness on top as none of the tops are super closed off. I think the proportions of this bra are great for both shallow and wide shapes as well as more projected shapes.

The styling is very similar to Lucy, so close that I thought this was a Lucy dupe at first. However, Lucy has small flowers embroidered directly on the cup, and Florence has a solid cup. Both styles have very similar floral embroidery on the upper cup, but Florence has a small floral button at the center gore while Lucy is trimmed with a simple bow. Florence also has two little bows tacked at the straps. Both styles have the same scalloped wide straps, similar wings, and the same leotard back construction. The main structural difference is that Florence has a full band, with elastic running through the cradle and under the cups, while Lucy has no elastic under the cups. This is a very important construction detail, as I couldn't figure out why Lucy didn't feel secure on me and I kept shifting around in the cups. I really need a full band to keep all my tissue in place.

Now, the difference in size between 30D and 30DD are super minimal. If someone hadn't told me they were different sizes, I would've just assumed they were bras that had slightly different specs in manufacturing. The band is +0.4", and the cup depth and wire length are both +0.6"; cup width was +0.1" and cup height was the same. Really a super small difference, and the main difference I've noticed in fit is that since the band is a bit loose on me, it doesn't hold the cup as snugly. Therefore when I move, I see some gapping in the upper cup whereas I don't get that in the 30D. Therefore, I'm sticking with the slightly smaller 30D since the fit is snug and secure.

Since this fit difference is so minor, I'd say that you might want to try three different cup sizes in this style if you aren't sure of your fit!
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Black colorway

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 Flag this

This bra is beautiful and so comfortable! I’m very projected, even to FoB with tall roots but they behave as short ones because they are very shallow where they start.
I have about a cup size difference between my breasts so in this size I have a few fit problems. I also have narrow roots and although this bra is on the narrower side, it should be narrower for me. The underwires needed to be longer, there is fabric on the sides of the cup without wire. The gore doesn’t lay flat on my larger side. I quadboob a bit on top of the cup in the transition between fabric and lace. The 30E should work better for my big one but it would be to big on my smaller side and would wrinkle on top of the cup where the lace is.

I keep wearing it because it’s comfortable and pretty, but not my perfect fit.

Latte colorway

Updated on Aug 26, 2019 Flag this

Great quality bra, but wrong shape for me. Makes my boobs super pointy. Other than that fits true to size.

Updated on Apr 28, 2018 Flag this

People say this bra fits narrow and projected. I would say this is true! The cups run deep for a 30DD - 9" deep! I am more of a 30E and find this bra on the cusp of being too narrow - something I haven't experienced! The low wings and sides of the cups are also a bit problematic. A 30E may be better, but the cups would probably be too deep for me!

The band fits true to size to slightly tight.

The materials are softer than my Cleo bras, but also slightly sheer. I really like the stretch lace, but I also fear it is fragile. A seam has a few loose threads. I like the soft materials but also think they might wrinkle a bit more.

Compared to Bardot, I would say it is less closed on top and has deeper cups.

Black colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 18, 2016 Flag this

I'm in the process of trying to figure out my bra size after gaining some weight, but when I found the Curvy Kate Tease Me bra in my old size on clearance, I couldn't resist. It's just so cute! I figured it would be worth trying out and I told myself, maybe it'll fit! I was wrong. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />

The wires are too narrow for me and it sits on top of my breast tissue at my side. It also digs in very painfully at my side and sternum. The cups are also a bit small and my nipples are playing peek-a-boo over the tops.

Updated on Aug 31, 2016 Flag this

Big fan of this bra! I was worried about trying out Curvy Kate for fear of the upside down 7 shape, but this bra gives one of my best shapes, very round and uplifted. I find it compares to Cleo's Lily, except a tad less narrow, which works out better for me. There is a really tiny bubble of excess fabric in the lace, but nothing that affects the shape, no in-cup quadboobing. I'd definitely recommend this bra to any of my fellow even shaped folks out there, or anyone that had good luck with the Lily!

Updated on Mar 04, 2016 Flag this

This is a review for the Curvy Kate Dotty strapless, a brastop exclusive, which has the same model number as the Curvy Kate Luxe. I assume it is the same thing as the Luxe, just with a slightly different aesthetic – specifically, dotted rather than plain fabric on the cups, and plain rather than striped fabric on the gore and band.

I wanted to try this bra because I have always heard the Luxe described as a projected strapless, something I need which is frustratingly hard to find. The verdict: it does indeed live up to the “projected strapless” label. Unfortunately, it also lives up to Curvy Kate’s reputation ... of being excessively full on top, and it has zero immediate projection. When I tried it on, the bra did have enough space at the apex (which however was nowhere near the apex of my breasts), but it slid down immediately after putting it on due to the shape mismatch. If you imagine the outline of a heart cut in half from top to bottom, the half-heart shape is almost what the shape of this bra looks like in profile. In other words, it comes up in a sharp vertical from the underwire, and then curves down to meet the top of the breast. There might be someone out there who needs this specific unusual shape, but I suspect people whom this bra fits are few and far between.

I ordered it in 30DD because it was about half the price of my actual size of 28E, hoping the band would run small due to it’s being a strapless, but it turned out to be a true 30 and much too large. If anything the band was a bit on the stretchy side, not ideal for a strapless. Since the fit was unsalvageable, I didn’t bother reordering in the correct size.
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black colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 05, 2016 Flag this