My Thoughts on Curvy Kate Galaxy Bikini

With all the success I've had with various Curvy Kate bras, I really wanted to try their swimwear.  After reviewing the Scantilly set Curvy Kate gifted to me I asked if they might be able to send me a bikini to review as well, they were generous enough to oblige and let me choose the style.  There were several I really liked including the Daze especially the Cross Over Bandeau, Cherry Berry, and High Voltage.  Ultimately I could only pick one and it came down to Daze and Galaxy, I chose Galaxy since it came in a plunge, halter style.  I have a bit of concern with bandeau based styles as they can sometimes be a bit wide and shallow though I can't speak for Curvy Kate's bandeau's since I have not tried one.

The Curvy Kate Galaxy comes in several styles the halter plunge which I chose, a strappy bandeau, and a one piece sharing the strappy design of the bandeau.  The bikini is offered with 2 different bottom options including a side tie brief and a high waist brief.  While I am intrigued by the high waist bottom, I'm was a bit unsure of how I would like that style on myself, so I chose the side tie briefs in a size 8, since my experience with Curvy Kate bottoms is they tend to run a bit big.  Until the bikini had arrived I forgot 8 is equivalent to XS in US sizing and when I  noticed I was a bit worried, but it is a side tie so worst case it would just be a bit cheekier.

Choosing a size for the top was a bit easier.  I'm usually a 30E or 32DD though I have a couple Curvy Kate bras that have me considering a cup size larger.  I decided to go with 32DD since I'm between band sizes and the bikini top doesn't have an adjustable closure.  The only concern I had with the top was that it's a plunge and the only experience I have with a plunge from Curvy Kate was with the Cabaret unlined plunge which was a bit of a shape mismatch, but the Galaxy is padded so I was hoping it would fit differently than the unlined Cabaret plunge.

I rushed off to try on the new Galaxy bikini, I put the top on first and at first it seemed I might have some gaping, but a quick readjustment of the halter strap solved that.  The band is a perfect fit, I'm satisfied with my decision to go with the 32 band, I think a 30 would have been too small for me.  After making adjustments the cups seem to be a pretty good fit as well.  The top also gives a great lift and cleavage.

Taking measurements for the top I was actually very surprised to see that the wires are quite narrow at 5in, the wires are also very short at about 7.5in.  The cup depth isn't as deep as most my best fitting bras, but considering it is a plunge it may be about average, the depth is 7.75in.  Despite seeming a bit small in the depth department, it has quite a bit of apex projection, though not a ton of immediate depth. The gore is about an inch wide, but since it is a plunge the gore is less than 2in tall so I don't think the width is causing any real issues, it almost looks like it's on a bit of tissue, but I don't feel it. The top also is a 3 part cup with one vertical and one horizontal seam.

Now knowing the top is a great fit, I grab the bottoms to try on.  To my surprise the bottoms fit very well too, they are definitely cheeky, but looking back at the photos of the model, I'm fairly confident this is how they are designed to fit.  It is possible I could have went with a 10 and had a decent fit as well, just perhaps with slightly more coverage, but I'm quite pleased with how the size 8 bottoms fit.  If the high waist brief goes on sale at some point, I may give it a try, but I feel like high waist things aren't super flattering on me, but that could come from shunning high waist bottoms of any type for so long.

Overall I am very pleased with the Galaxy bikini and will most likely try other Curvy Kate swimwear in the future.

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My Thoughts on Scantilly Peek-A-Boo

Before I get started, I decided to change up where I take my photos, normally it's the bathroom because it tends to get the best light, but I decided to try out the recently renovated bedroom today.  I think the darker color wall offsets this sexy set pretty well, although the lighting may not be as good as the bathroom.

I've been having really good luck with Curvy Kate unlined bras recently and have been intrigued by their Scantilly line.  Scantilly generously offered to gift me a set for review,  the set I received was the Peek-A-Boo in black.  I got the bra in 30E and the brief in medium.  I was unsure what size to get in the brief as I hadn't tried and panties from Curvy Kate before.

The bra is a balconette style with sheer mesh cups, but has a black (spandex?) overlay that covers the lower part of the cup (hence the peek-a-boo).  It is a four part construction with 2 vertical seams and one horizontal.  There are several panty options including a thong, brief, and bare face brief (it has a cut out over the cheeks).

The bra fits decently, although the cups are a bit on the small side.  I have some bubbling, so I would be interested in trying it in a 30F to see if that is a better fit or if it ends up being too big, I have a suspicion that the bra is just intended to be low coverage since Scantilly is Curvy Kate's budoir line.  The gore on  the Peek-A-Boo is also rather wide, after full scoop and swoop I have to reposition a little so it's not sitting on tissue.  The cups almost feel a bit shallow, but when I feel under the overlay to see how the cup is fitting pulling the overlay away makes it actually feel rather projected.

I've seen a few reviews saying the overlay portion is a bit strange, but for me it didn't seem to be an issue.  I think in order for the overlay to work well, it needs to be a near perfect fit so if the fit of the band or cups is even slightly big the overlay might wrinkle.  When I was asked my size preference for the bra I said a 30E or 32DD depending on how the band fit and the representative said Scantilly bands run a bit big, but I find the band to be fairly TTS.

The panties I was sent are the bare faced brief, when asked size of those I said small or medium and provided measurements because I frequently fit in between sizes.  I was sent the medium, and  unfortunately they are too big, I would say they fit a bit more like a large.  I might try to take them in a bit.  Since I haven't tried and Curvy Kate or Scantilly panties previously I can't provide a comparison.  I almost wonder if the bare faced brief might run a bit bigger than regular briefs.  If anyone has tried the bare faced brief and regular brief any insight on fit between the 2 would be awesome.




The photos seem to be hiding the looseness of the panties, you can kind of see the upper band wrinkle a bit on the back shots.

If you look at the waistband, you can see a bit of wrinkling, it is also a bit loose on the sides.

Overall I am quite pleased with how the bra fits and the aesthetics of it as a set, I just wish the panties fit better.  It is a very sexy set, but I think it could still function well as a regular bra.  Now I do have a few qualms with the quality for the price point.  There are some loose stitches on both the bra and briefs, and the materials just don't seem to be as high quality as the price point would suggest.  I know that you can pretty easily find Scantilly on sale on UK based sites, so if you want the set and can find a good deal it's still nice just not at the MSRP.

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Curvy Kate Florence

Curvy Kate Florence

After my success with the Curvy Kate Ellace, I really wanted to try out some more Curvy Kate bras.  I knew the Ellace was related to the Bardot cut so I looked for other cuts that were related and came across Florence.  There were some nice fun colors as well as a soft pink which Curvy Kate calls blush.  It just so happened that sometime during my search for other Curvy Kate bras that the Blush Florence in 32DD came down in price so I ordered it.

The Florence unlike Ellace does not have any stretch lace, it's a mesh bottom with a lace upper section, but no stretch.  When the bra first arrived I was at a larger part of my cylce and I thought it seemed a bit small, I checked Amazon and found Florence in a cup size larger it arrived quickly so I was able to compare to my size at that time.  The 32E Florence definitely too big, so it went back immediately, sorry I didn't get pictures of the 32E.

The Blush color of Florence does work very well as a "nude" on my fair skin.     The only downside is the upper lace section is fairly visible through thin shirts, but that really isn't an issue.  The overall fit is amazing, I really can't believe that this fits so well without stretch lace, usually if lace isn't stretchy it gapes or I get pretty obvious in cup quad, that isn't the case with the Florence.

One thing I really love about the newer Curvy Kate unlined bras is that the side wings are super low.  I don't have issues too often (that could also be since I primarily stick with altered Comexims), but there have been some bras that I need to tighten the straps more and just can't because the combo of a wider set strap placement and taller wings or cups feels nearly lethal.

The band on Florence doesn't feel as tight as Ellace, despite it measuring identically.  I think this could have to do with the band on the Ellace having a firmer less stretchy elastic. Both bras fit great, but sometimes with the Ellace if I'm working outside in the heat I will use a bit of an extender with it because it will occasionally feel tight.  Florence on the other hand, I can fairly easily clasp on the tightest hooks, but I wear it on the loosest with no riding up.  It's kind of crazy how much the tension of the elastic can affect how a band feels.

Since I mentioned how well it works as a "nude" for me here are a few shots under a thin white t-shirt.  You can see the seems a bit, and while not visible in the photos the lace can be a bit noticeable as well (very thin $3 Wal-Mart t-shirt).  Florence gives nice rounded shape, but a bit more natural at the the same time.  I think it's fairly similar to the shape that Ellace gives.

Overall I am very happy with my recent Curvy Kate purchases, it's nice to be able to buy a bra and get it in just a few days as opposed to waiting a month.

 

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Curvy Kate Ellace 32DD, Amazing Lift, Shape, and Comfort

Curvy Kate Ellace

I came across the Curvy Kate Women's Ellace while browsing Amazon, and I fell in love with the look of this bra especially in the Black/Champagne colorway. I was hesitant to order because the last Curvy Kate bras I tried hadn't worked out that well for me (Portia and Smoothie).  However it was on sale on Amazon for around $15 in 32DD, most the other sizes were at least double the price or more (I had wanted to get 30E, since my last Curvy Kates felt a bit big in a 32 band, but it wasn't on sale), so I decided to give it a shot worst case scenario I could return it.

The first day I wore it was a 12 hour work day outdoors in the heat.  I don't particularly like trying a bra for the first time when working, but I was really wanting to wear some unlined bras while working and I don't have many yet (my work shirt also limits which ones I can wear without a tank top since it shows some textures quite well).  The Curvy Kate Ellace remained comfortable throughout the entire work day, just the band felt a tiny bit too snug late in the day (it was quite hot and humidity was up).  The band is fairly true to size though, I was quite surprised when I measured it because I really thought it felt like it ran a bit small, but it stretches to about 31.5in (I didn't measure until after the second wear so maybe it loosened up a bit).  The champagne band on the bra is a fairly thick piece of elastic and I think it does quite a bit to make the bra feel very supportive and firm despite stretching a bit larger than I usually prefer.

The cups are mesh and lace, the mesh part has 2 pieces of mesh and provides a good amount of lift and shaping.  The lace also seems to start a bit higher up than other bras. The top of the lace has a very thin piece of elastic to help the lace lay flatter.  On me it slightly presses in, but it doesn't cause any bubbling or anything, the seam where the mesh meets the lace also presses in on tissue slightly, but doesn't seem to cause any issues.  In Cleo Minnie and Marcie I do get in cup quad. The wires are also quite narrow at 5.2 inches and it has a good amount of projection.

The Ellace gives a very uplifted and round shape, and it doesn't push so much in from the sides the way Cleos (Update: I've tried some new Cleos and don't have this issue) do on me.  It doesn't really seem to be the  least bit minimizing either.  I really love how the Ellace fits and the shape it gives.  It is extremely comfortable (I wore it at work again today and it didn't start feeling too snug, I think it was cooler out today so maybe that had an effect on how the band felt by the end of the day), I really wasn't conscious of wearing it at all.  Even most of my Comexims and Ewa Michalaks aren't this level of comfortable.  I kind of wish I had a bought a second one while they were on sale.

Ellace comes in several other colorways as well, Latte, White, Navy, and Crimson .  While it looks amazing in photos, I love it even more in person especially after putting it on.  I really want to get another one (or more) of these, I would love to try the Latte (hopefully it's not too dark to work as a nude for me).

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Bra-Ventures, Bras and Road Trips, Part 2

If you haven't seen Bra-Ventures, Bras and Roadtrips Part 1, be sure to read it first.
<Back to Part 1

Day 4:

Since it had been a bit chilly the day before, I decided to wear my Comexim 3HC Sonia.  Now my Sonia is a bit special in that i believe it has been mislabeled.  I bought it secondhand off Bratabase and the measurements matched up to my other 3HC's.  My Sonia is a 75G, I would say it fits like an in between of 75F and 70G.  The band is a bit loose and I wear it on the tightest setting, it doesn't seem to ride up any.  Again I did get a bit of the wires resting on my  ribs but not as bad as in Irish Coffee.  I think when I have taken measurements of all my 3HC's I did notice Irish Coffee to be a bit wider than my others, making it most likely shallower so that might be the issue with that.

Comexim Sonia

Panache Sports Bra

I was shopping at a new store in my area called Bargain Hunt and found a Panache sports bra. If you aren't familiar with the store, they are most similar to Close Out style stores like Big Lot's, Ollies, and DFWH.  Bargain Hunt gets a wide variety of brands, I've seen Panache, Cleo, Curvy Kate, Levi's, Victoria's Secret, and more.  How it works is most the merchandise has a tag with a price along with a date, based on the date on the tag you get an additional percentage off (I'm not affiliated with Bargain Hunt in any way, just bargain shopper).  Anyway, one of the few Panache sports bras was in my size 32DD.  Since I have yet to try any sports bras from a full bust brand I decided to try it on.  I do apologize for the horrible dressing room lighting.  I was mostly taking pics for fit assessment and decided to make a quick blog post too.

Panache Underwire Sports Bra 32DD

Ewa Michalak, Giving the SM Another Chance

I had previously tried a couple of SM's and didn't have the best results, one being a size to large and the other having been used and having a 75 band altered down to a 65.  This time I got the bras in 65F and 70E and either new or barely worn.  I got the SM Rozowa in 70E and the SM Summertime is 65F.  These two are probably the best fitting SM's I have tried, though not without some issues.

Rozowa is nearly a perfect nude for me with it's pale pink tone (much like my Curvy Kate Florence) and cut like the Czarna Miglelka. The Summertime is a bit dark for me still very pretty, but to utilize as a nude it would be better on a darker skin tone (perhaps why it's called Summertime, although Summertime or not, it won't be a nude for me).

The design on Summertime is beautiful with the embroidered flowers and it's similar to Cukiereczek, but with more neutral toned embroidery.  Under most shirts the embroidery shouldn't be visible, but under clingy thin shirts it may be a bit noticeable.  I think on my skintone I prefer the Cukiereczek a bit more, but both are beautiful.

SM Rozowa

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Bra Size Bralette from Dreams and Underthings

30F Bralette by Dreams and Underthings

I've been looking for a bralette for awhile now and haven't found one that fits in both cup and band from the standard XS-XL sizing bralettes come in.  I usually find a cup that fits in a M/L but the bands are too large, and if I tighten up the straps the back is riding up.  I have been a reader of Dreams and Underthings brog for awhile now and remembered reading her post about making her own bralette and later finding out she was starting to sell bra sized bralettes. Being fed up with trying to find a non bra sized bralette I decided to contact her.  She uses UK sizing and asked my current UK size (well, at this point I mostly wear mostly Polish), I told her my current sizes Ewa Michalak (65F), Comexim (70G) and the couple UK bras (Freya in 30E and Curvy Kate in 32DD) I have around. She recommended I go with the 30F.

Laura was on vacation when I initially contacted her, but we discussed colors, and band length, I decided on the midline and nude with black lace overlay.  I wanted something pretty that could also possibly be a decent neutral.  I was pleasantly surprised in how quickly I received the bralette.  I had initally contacted her around August 6 and placed the order around the 11th, and it arrived by around the 20th.  This seems like an amazing turnaround time for a handmade, made to order bralette.

I absolutely love the look of this bralette, at some point I was second guessing my thoughts on the beige/black combo, but was very happy with it when it arrived.  It seems to be quite well made and I'm glad that we decided on the 30F size.  The only issue I have is that the midline length might not be the best for my shape. I do have a bit of rib flare so while I measure 30.5 underbust, just below I measureabout 31.5, this causes the part of the band on that goes just across my ribcage is a bit too snug in that area.  I can wear it with an extender and alleviate the tension in that area until the band stretches out a bit.  When I order again I will probably get the regular length.

The cups are a single seam triangle cut, and while the top of the cup where the strap attaches is a bit high it causes no discomfort issues, because the wings are very low and the part of the cup that comes up higher is very narrow.  When laid flat it seems like the cups would be a bit wide (6.5in) but if you shape the cup a bit as if your breast was in the cups it becomes much narrower at roughly 5.25in (it's harder to measure this way as I have to try to keep some shape to the cup and measure), this being said the wireless cup offers some flexibility for it to fit a decent variety of shapes since it can kind of conform to your shape to some degree. The cup itself is about 8.5in deep. 

I also give an acceptable shape under a shirt, slightly minimized but still fairly round with just a touch of east west.

I would highly recommend Dreams and Underthings bralettes if you are looking for a better fitting bralette that still offers good support.  It's also great that you can get a custom look.  You get to choose your colors as well as strap, bow and trim colors.

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My Thoughts on Cleo Hettie, and Lily Comparison

So when I first began my "ABTF" journey Cleo was constantly recommended as a diagnostic bra for fit to help determine shape since Cleo offers a variety of styles for different shapes.  Marcie for FOT, Lucy for FOB, and Lilly for even.  Being new to unlined bras I was unsure of the profile those bras under a shirt.  Most of Cleo's unlined offerings give a very round shape (which I liked), but also a very front and center profile.

Here's a quick photo guide for the different cuts:

Minnie a Marcie Clone for FOT 32DD

Lily for Even Shapes 34D

Kali a Lucy Clone for FOB 32DD

The front and center made me a bit unsure if I actually liked the way the bras fit, I felt it brought my breasts too much into the center of my body and made me a look a bit less balanced in shape since they moved outer fullness to the center.  However, I have fallen in love with some of their newer designs and decided to give Cleo's unlined offerings another try.  A bit of a spoiler alert, I am very happy I decided to give unlined Cleos another chance.

Cleo had offered to send me a couple bras to review and I already reviewed Mimi a 3 part half cup, which I loved, and they also sent me Hettie.  Hettie unlike Mimi is an unlined balcony with stretch lace at the top.  The Hettie is also a clone of a discontinued favorite Lily.  Lily was best for a mostly even breast shape, and was a bit closed off on top, so the stretch lace on Hettie may make it an option for those who are also more FOT.

Hettie is absolutely gorgeous, although how the color appears can vary a lot based on lighting, fortunately my photos are close to accurate in color.  In many photos Hettie seems to come across as more navy all over, and while the stretch lace is navy the rest of the bra is a more of turquoise with teal dots. This color combo makes for a great contrast, and Hettie is also available in burgundy (I found one at Nordstrom Rack, but it wasn't my size).

Compared to Lily, which I have tried in the past and still have one in a sister size of 34D the Hettie gives a nice round shape, but doesn't seem to pull breasts inside your frame as much (photos in shirt at bottom of post).  The cups actually have a bit of excess fabric on me on the outer section of the bra by the wire,  but I don't think I could size down as I get a touch of in cup quad where the fabric meets the lace, but really only right after scoop and swoop.  This isn't nearly as bad the in cup quad I've gotten in other Cleo's such as the Minnie (a Marcie clone), and isn't noticeable at all under a shirt.

You can kind of see the little bit of in cup quad as well as the wrinkling on the outer section of the cup.

I get a lot moe quadding in Lily, it's also a bit too closed off on top.

Even though I get a tiny bit of in cup quad in Hettie, the stretch lace does gape a little bit, at least after the initial scoop and swoop, but it's mostly near the gore and not bothersome.  Because of this I think Hettie could still accommodate someone who is a bit full on top.  I believe I'm mostly even with some slight FOT tendencies (possibly from being high set).  By contrast, in Lily I have to reverse scoop a bit to get the gore to tack.  The cups on Lily (9in) aren't as deep as Hettie (9.5in) and both bras have a cup width of 5.25in.

Here you can see the little bit of gaping near the gore on one breast.

When the Cleo rep asked me what size I wanted to try I chose 32DD, because I remember a lot of their older models running small, and being between sizes I chose the larger.  I had heard that some of the newer Cleo's were quite stretchy and ran big, but despite knowing that I went with the larger band based on my experience with the older models.  The band on the Hettie does run quite large and it will actually ride up on me on the loosest setting, and still a bit on the tightest.  Hettie stretches to almost 33in, and Lily in 34D stretches to about 32.5, unstretched Hettie is 29.5in, and Lily 28in.  I would definitely suggest sister sizing down for this one.

Band rides up on the loosest hooks, problem is solved by wearing on tightest hooks.

For a comparison this is Lily in 34D and it doesn't seem to ride up as much as Hettie in 32DD.

Despite the big band I do find Hettie to be quite comfortable.  In older Cleo's when I would try to wear them I remember the gore being incredibly stabby especially while sitting.  I've worn Hettie many times now including on a road trip (lots of sitting) and today while finishing my taxes (more sitting, and yes I know I'm cutting it close to the filing deadline, but they are all finished now), and the gore while being a firm tack is still comfortable.  I am more aware of the gore in Hettie than I am in a Comexim or a Curvy Kate, but by no means am I uncomfortable.

I would definitely recommend Hettie especially for those who need a lot of projection and immediate depth.  Also great for an even shape and possibly those who are a bit FOT.  As I mentioned when I reviewed Mimi, I would love to see Cleo try out some lower and narrower gores on their unlined and non moulded cup offerings.

Here's how Hettie and Lily compare in profile under a shirt.

32DD Hettie under a shirt, you can't even notice the in cup quad. (I have no idea what is up with the weird streak of light).

34D Lily under a shirt, I'm getting both in cup and regular quad.

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