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. Read more 365 more words
I love the design of that bra, especially the rings. Looks great on you!
I love minimalist bra design too - this is so chic! CK straps are annoyingly wide in smaller sizes too :(
It is encouraging CK is trying a few new features. Not only is this stunning on you, the features are compelling. This would be heavenly in summer. Thanks for your detailed review!
I haven't tried this bra because I felt like the mesh panel would give me in cup quadding like Ellace and Hettie did - basically same as your problem with Ellace before you modified yours. You obviously didn't experience that, do you think it has potential to cause that sort of problem? Thanks.
In the pictures I see some in cup quad but I didn't notice it in person. It's definitely nothing like Ellace or Hettie. More like what I have experienced with Envy before- very slight.
I followed your page because we have nearly the same shape! It's so nice because I haven't been able to find someone who is FOT, very projected with short roots. I'm wide set but idk if you are. I think the difference is idk my height and I have outer fullness.
I'm looking for bras to buy and I was told Curvy Kate makes shallow bras which is why I've been discouraged from buying them. Thanks for all the recommendations!
The minute I saw this colorway I knew this bra had to be mine. I am a huge fan of burgundy, and this matched my favorite kimono, my favorite dress, and a bunch of other favorite items. I also have been wanting another Curvy Kate plunge, the 40J - Curvy Kate » Lifestyle Plunge Bra having been a good match for me. I was planning on wearing this as a bedroom/lounge bra, so the fact that the straps didn't seem sturdy and the midi longline might dig in didn't bother me. So the minute this bra became available on ebay (my usual go-to ...for cheaper bras), I snatched it up. And I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised.
The first thing I noticed when looking at it in person, and confirmed in pictures and measurements, is that the cup is taller towards the straps, meaning the straps aren't falling into my armpit. Effectively, having the cups taller makes the straps less wideset, a major problem I've had with other Curvy Kate plunges. The first thing I noticed when putting on the bra was the excellent support that the wide and not-to-stretchy band gives. The band extends about an inch/2.5 cms down, kept in place by very soft comfortable plastic boning on the sides. I thought this would be terrible and dig in. In fact, it keeps the band from rolling up, a major discomfort for me in other bras. The wide band means that even more breast weight is distributed away from the straps, so it's ok that they are only about a quarter of an inch wide each- their placement and the surface area of the band tension the weight away from my shoulders. I have been suffering shoulder pain lately, and after trying the bra out for about four hours I had no shoulder pain at all.
The rest of the bra fits very well, better than most Curvy Kate plunges I've tried. Pay no attention to the gaping in the pictures- that's just because my arm is raised to take the picture. In reality, the bra gaps very slightly on my small side and is just right on my large side. The band tension is just right for me, and the plunge is fairly plunging on me- about as good as I'm going to get with a non-Comexim bra. The only problem I have is that there is not enough center room- a pretty typical problem for me. Still, the gore feels a lot more stable than on some bras I own- probably due to the band being just right.
The sides could be slightly lower, although they certainly aren't eating my armpits. Every once in a while the wires get me a bit when I bend over. The side boning on the other hand almost never does, and the band doesn't roll up or flip. I may have to re-think my position on boning, and I definitely think I need to think about how bands support me. The wires are a good width on me, and a fairly good shape. I recently have had some changes and learned I can no longer tolerate very narrow wires, they cause part of the shoulder pain, so around 7.5-8 inch wires are best for me now as long as they are not too tall (and these wires cooperate fairly well).
As far as the bra itself goes, it fits closer to a narrow 40JJ than a 40J, meaning that most in larger cup larger band sizes could probably size down one cup and be fine. The band is a true 40, and lovely with just the right amount of stretch, so keep the same band size.
The look of the bra, from the black and burgundy striped bows, to the cross-dyed lace, to the thick ribbon elastic at the band, is gorgeous and soft and smooth. I love the look and feel of the bra. It's nice to wear pretty straps for once. I do feel both pretty and sexy in it, and I think the wide band has some back smoothing capabilities, which I appreciate. The cups create a rounded profile, not too east-west, and the stretch elastic on top keeps everything locked in without cutting in. It looks in my front facing picture like the mesh bulges, but that's an optical illusion.
The mesh is firm and properly tensioned. The sewing is very nice. This is a bra which is fairly expensive, and in my mind, the quality of sewing, comfort, design, and materials match the price point, something I don't always think about Curvy Kate. This, along with 40JJ - Curvy Kate » Curvy Kate Poppy Balcony Bra (CK10011), show me that the brand is trying to improve, and perhaps some of the creative thought and quality materials they put into their Scantilly line is coming over into their regular line and making an impact on their fuller bust fits. Certainly they thought about structure when creating this bra, and I do very much appreciate that. Mostly, I appreciate that I get to wear a bra that reminds me of some of the best, most beautiful bras out there, and at my size that's a luxury. Read more 803 more words
Construction: A typical Curvy Kate plunge bra with a cute halteresque fabric overlay. The band is super firm- probably closer to a 38 than a 40 when I first got it. I had to really yank it to get it to close and then it was a struggle to get the boobs and arms all in the correct configuration.
Once I was in, I just sagged. The bra part fit well, and the gore tacked, but the sides sagged because there was not enough tension from the straps and front material. Adjusting the straps wouldnt work because the ring portion was as high up in ...front as it would go. When I pulled the material up the swimsuit fit perfectly (I took a picture like this). Basically, this is built for someone with lower/longer boobs than me, which isn’t surprising considering how high set I am.
If it had been easier to get into, I would have just modified it myself, but it was such a pain in the butt to get on I decided it wasn’t worth it and sent it back. Read more 83 more words
Wearing this longline really cemented why I (and probably others) can’t wear longlines. At least not longlines with no elastic at the wire.
First, to contextualize, I have a short waist and either an A or straight | | shape. That means that my narrowest point is right under my breasts. In order to anchor the band to my body, I need my bra to grip right there: if it’s gripping lower or higher, it’s not holding the wires to my body.
What happens with these bras is, the band is narrower further ...down and wider at my usual band line. The band therefore doesn’t pull the wires against my body, allowing the weight of my breasts to pull the whole thing out and down. I experienced the same thing with my 44K - Wellfitting » Liftsational Longline Plunge. What’s interesting is, it can make it look like the cups are too shallow at the bottom and that’s why they are falling- but that can’t be the case because the exact same bra cut in a regular band is not shallow at the bottom at all. In reality, it’s the longline band not allowing the wires to be sprung against the body.
Great verbal description! Really helps to understand the issues so much better than photos alone can do.
That is an interesting pattern. Your description of the fit issues also is really helpful. I've never tried a longline, but have always wanted to and I also have an A shaped torso.
I thought it was roses, though I could be mistaken?
What you describe is the exact problem I had with any Comexim (therefore wellfitting) longline. It’s a construction error & I believe the reason Comexims longlines were all widely reviewed to run shallow.
Yeah, it always cracks me up that they describe that you can attach your bra below the breast line where you are smaller, and turn it around, and then move it up to your ribcage - no, cant, my natural waist is at my IMF. tall, thinner women, or women who carry their weight in the rear, actually do have that waistline that comes in. the hourglass. but if you have no waistline . . .
lcl0706 yes, and in fact when I shortened the band of my longline it fixed the “shallowness” issue. So it’s not that Comexim longlines are shallower, just that they will probably only work on women with a V shaped torso, and probably then only if they don’t have much fluff.
The pattern is really sed and it’s really lovely! I wish I could get the bra version of this but it’s sold out in my size.
Pattern is *roses
Love the roses. This looks amazing on you!!
Pretty! This is a great description. This is the problem I have as well, I am a straight line from my rib cage to my hips, so the longlines I try are cute for short term wears, but do funny things including trying to work their way back to my IMF over time, lol.
Fit: the band runs at least one size small. It distorts the cups to hook the bra on the loosest hooks to the point where the cups do very weird things- see the first set of pictures of me busting out of the bra.
So I assessed the fit with a full nonstretch extender. It is still too small. I think it’s deep enough at the wire but generally a size too small. It could also be more centered, but there does appear to be some center room. Probably the plunge helps that. The material is fairly thick and strong.
The bra itself is really well made, soft and comfortable.
Ultimately if I could wear a 38J or JJ this would probably fit.
Did you try wearing two extenders or the one with the elastic bitty on it? If the cups are fine, shame that the bra goes to waste as it looks really good on you!
The straps are too wide for that. It’s ok. I don’t need it.
This one is a perfect demonstration of how high set you are. So, though it is a poor fit, it serves a purpose for that example. (Sorry it doesn't fit though. :'( )
It’s also those short roots. Cakes on a plate? More like muffins in a mug.
This bra is a lot shallower, wider, and taller than the Comexim halfcup I have in one sistersize smaller. It seems like it should fit a much taller rooted 40H wearing person to me. The fabric is soft and the band is firm and the straps are placed in a comfortable position. I love the lace on the top. Otherwise I can’t judge it as it is so small and the shape is so off for me.
What a different cut! Sincerely, thank you for your review and photos--so helpful!!
I’ve been too broke to buy many bras lately. :(. But I wanted to try a few new styles without many reviews in larger sizes and review them. It’s so much fun for me!
Fits much like my 38J - Curvy Kate » Cabaret Plunge Bra (CK5111) but a little wider and taller (I have gained a cup size since buying the 38J so this one fits now and the other doesn't). Unfortunately, the straps are super wide and I had to do some alterations to get them to fit (made the straps like the back of Ewa Michalak Sm Ty Wiesz... (743) ). The alterations are great, I get no strap slippage. I get a very slight quad on my fuller breast due to it being FOT. It's very deep and fairly narrow in this size. If you are FOB I bet most folks could size down a cup. The band is super tight at first, but will loosen up a bit after a few wears. Grab an extender at first.
This current menstrual cycle had me very grumpy, tender, bloated, and not fitting into any of my bras. Really only my new Wellfitting and some bralettes have been comfy enough to wear every day. On a whim I ordered this bra a cup size up from my usual Curvy Kate in 40HH to see if it could solve my quadding of this half of the month. The fit is really, really good. Like to the point where I'm wondering if I should have been wearing 40J in Curvy Kate this whole time, or if my breasts are just that much bigger right now. The ...worst part is, the bra is exactly like my 36JJ - Curvy Kate » Bardot Balcony Bra (SG3101) except the band fits and the cup is deeper. So sizing down in the band to get a more short root friendly bra was a waste.
I realize now I didn't review either the 36JJ I owned not the 38J - Curvy Kate » Bardot Balcony Bra (SG3101) (yes I bought it twice before already, what is wrong with me?). The shape is nice, a little closed on top but open enough for my FOT breasts to fit without quadding. There is lots of center room too. The wires are an inch narrower than my 42H - Sculptresse » Kitty Full Cup (8045), a sister size smaller than this bra, but this bra has a little more depth at the wires. I don't see much wrinkling either, so the immediate projection is fantastic. There's wrinkling on top of my small side but a smooth line on my large side. The gore is a bit tall, but soft tacks. The straps are a smidge wide but soft, silky, and not too stretchy.
This size does support and cradle my breasts more comfortably and securely than other sizes, and even though I'm very sensitive right now I think it would be ok to wear it all day. I think if I were full on bottom the smaller cup size would be fine but my FOT tissue needs a lot of room at top to avoid quadding.
This colorway is gorgeous but I prefer the black and red. When the price drops more on this I might still pick it up. I have a lot of burgundy clothing. Instead I'm buying it for cheaper on eBay in the black and red colorway, which my husband also adores. He likes me best in the smaller size though https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" /> Read more 335 more words
Looks great on you and good support for an unpadded bra! That band sure stretches though...oh my! 43? I'd have to size down. Wish bands were more consistent in their stretch.
Thanks! It feels great! And it's one of the most beautiful bras I've owned which is why I keep buying it in all the sizes.
Regarding the stretch, most 40 bands I own stretch that far. I don't find the extra stretch to be a problem because the band still feels quite firm, and my other Bardot hasn't had the band stretch out. I feel like the bigger the band, the more stretch is going to happen because the 38 I owned stretches to 39 and the 36 only stretches to 35. Of course they are black so that might be affecting fit too! There are too many variables, it's nearly impossible to predict fit.
It's a bra lottery! Pick your numbers and hope you win :)
I love this bra on you! Of course now I want one lol
This colorway is gorgeous on you and the shape--amazing! :-) :-)
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.
I'm angry about the fit of this bra. First of all it has taken a month to get to me. In that time I've lost weight so the band doesn't fit me. It's too loose. The cups are a little loose, gaping a bunch on my little side and a bit on my larger side unless I hoist the straps way up. When I do that the side of the cup is in my armpit. That's partly because the wires are about half an inch wider than my 38J Cabaret. The straps are Curvy Kate's more stupid style (shiny, stretchy, and narrower) and hurt ...because they have to be cinched so much. They are also really really wide set. Finally, when will CK put softer fabric along the edge of the bottom band? The Ellace is a good start.
The rest of the bra is supportive and soft. I would size down in the band to get a fit closer to 40 inches. If this was a 38J, the fit might be ok. I think the tops of the cups are slightly more open than the Cabaret because the embroidery of the Cabaret cuts in more.
I love the look of this bra. I've been waiting for it for 6 months. I love purple, midmod looks, and the Cabaret Plunge which felt too tight and cut in slightly so I thought it would be perfect just a size (band and cup) up. My husband was also looking forward to seeing me in this bra. I even bought matching undies, which I never do!
Now I'm kicking myself that I didn't get a 38J. I can't send the bra back because of international shipping prices. I can't find a 38J anywhere either. I'm wondering if I should alter the bra to get a better fit or just sell it online. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
Edit 4/1/17: so I kept this bra, took off the band and straps, replaced them with better ones (although I know now how to fix too wide set CK bra straps so I didn't have to do that but whatever) and lowered the sides. Now that I am a cup size bigger there is little gapping on my smaller side so I took in the top a little bit on the smaller side. This is a really good fit. I have been going through my pictures and I think I have been squeezing into too-small cups for a while trying to get shorter cups for my very short roots. I think I filled this cup out pretty well in the bottom, especially compared to my 38Js which squished me up instead of allowing me to extend my breasts out the way they need to. Taking in the top basically allows me to make it a full coverage Plunge which is exactly what I need. Read more 393 more words
If you are returning to the UK, this may ship for $3.50. At least, that is what PayPal charges for international to the UK. Frustrating the variation from the same cuts. Sincerely, I hope the 38J fits precisely the way you require.
Too late. I got angry and altered it. Took a band and straps off a bra that doesn't fit but has a more center pull fit and sewed those on. Put in lower, narrower wires. Folded the gore over to take out the top bagginess and make it actually a plunge. Folded the wings over. It looks a little frankenbra right now but the fit is quite good actually and the plunge is perfect. I'm going to resew it more carefully when I get purple thread to make it more like it was supposed to be like that.
Best for short-rooted, FOB breasts with narrower roots in this size. I size up a cup for my FOT breasts and then alter it. The most beautiful bra I've ever owned. They hold up really well too. This is my 4th one.
Curvy Kate Princess Balcony Bra (CK6001) This colorway is much prettier than nude. It fits similarly to my strangely large but low cut 40HH - Curvy Kate » Princess Balcony Bra (CK6001) in nude. I think that bra is a fluke. I also think if you have a square or upside down 7 shape in Curvy Kate you should try a cup size up because in my other princess in blueberry in 40hh I get slightly droopy boobs that I don't get in this bra. However the straps are too wide set. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
I like the wires on this bra, because they are relatively low and do not poke into the armpits as much as Panache bras do. Unfortunately the wires are also less stable and tend to get bent out of shape under stress from the band. I also found the band to be to stretchy for me. This seems to be a general problem with Curvy Kate.
Another problem i have with Curvy Kate is that the cupshape of their bras does not agree with my breastshape. I tried a large variety of CKs in all kinds of sizes and my breasts always either had a funny droopy shape or the lace of the cup was fluttering around.
I thought this would be similar to the Curvy Kate Daily Dream Padded Balcony Bra (CK4501) but the structure is just like 38J - Curvy Kate » Luxe Strapless Bra (CK2601). This is not a good fit for me but might work well on others who like vertical seam bras. Thought I would like the colorway more than I do- I don’t really like the shade of green and hate the black and white background behind the leaves.
While better than 38K - Curvy Kate » Victory (134), this is still too tall and my breasts aren’t held to my chest, and the wires aren’t strong enough or the right shape to do their job. There’s no cantilever action at all.
I love the design of that bra, especially the rings. Looks great on you!