**Today's guest post comes from a wonderful reader of mine and - at least that I know of - Fuller Figure Fuller Bust. Kristi had asked me for help with bras on my FB page, and when she told me that she ordered the Curvy Kate Princess, I asked her to do a review as this is not a bra that I myself have tried. Read on for her experience with the CK Princess **
Recently I got into contact with Fussy Busty to ask her about some bras styles that work for her because she and I share a common problem? (not exactly the right word)--how about common figure feature which is that we are both short-waisted while still being busty. What I said to dear Fussy was that I was having a hard time finding bras that fit in the cup without digging into my armpits. She recommended, among a few brands, trying some of the balconette styles because the sides don't come up quite so high and thus might alleviate the problem I was having. After doing a little online shopping I chose the Emily from Curvy Kate as well as the Princess. I'll be reviewing (for the first time ever!) the Princess from Curvy Kate. Fussy asked me if I would review it because she had heard mixed reviews of the bra. I was happy but nervous to oblige. I know how much online reviews from real wearers mean to me when I'm trying to decide on something so personal as a bra. Fit is everything because let's face it, even the prettiest bra will get shoved to the back of the drawer if it's not comfortable and when I can't go to a store to try it on I have to rely on a few factors and the biggest one is what other women have to honestly say. So let's get to it!
I ordered from Brastop.com and considering that the package was arriving from across the pond, it made it to my door quickly. I took it as a good sign. I opened the package to two really gorgeous bras. I measured out at a 40FF and believe me, I NEVER thought I would ever find pretty bras in my size so having these 2 in my hands seemed almost unbelievable. I particularly LOVE the polka dots on the Princess.
I couldn't wait to try them on so I snipped the tag from the Princess and got down to business. The band was snug but not too snug on the first set of hooks. I adjusted the straps so that they would be as short as I could get them. This proved to be much more uncomfortable than I thought it would be because it caused the sides to dig into my armpits again. I thought "oh no! really? all that money for these 2 bras and now I can't wear them either?" but I calmed down and decided that perhaps a little adjustment was in order. Upon lengthening the straps I felt much better.
I do like this bra. It is gorgeous but I don't love it. Here are my down sides... 1. I should have ordered down a size in the cup because I think it runs big even though I ordered the size I measured out as. To prevent gaping across the top I have to push the straps to the edges of my shoulders and that's not always comfortable. I have some tops that this is necessary for though anyway but I do wish I had known just how big these cups would run. 2. The material, even after a washing, is scratchy and the lace across the top of the cups is stiff but it's really the little bows that oddly enough, drive me so crazy. I actually get red marks from the stitch on the back of the strap where that bow is sewn to and given that there is zero reason for it to be there other than that it looks pretty I wish they hadn't added it. Bottom line is that it's the kind of bra that I can't wait to take off. I was going to wear it for a long trip last weekend that included a car ride and party and I when push came to shove, I just could not do it. In terms of construction it's a 3 part cup, features 3 rows of 3 hooks and eyes and the straps are fairly wide although not completely elastic. The center gore comes up pretty high so this isn't a style for low cuts. The wire on the side does reach my armpit but not as high as some so it's not poking me uncomfortably. For the first time EVER the center gore lays flat against my breast bone like it is supposed to and that alone is something I truly love because I was starting to wonder if that was ever actually going to happen.
Bottom line? I think I prefer the comfort of a lightly padded cup and I probably will not buy this style again. Overall grade? A for BEAUTY! C for comfort and fit.
**I've read more than one review that has made mention of the Princess running small in the cup versus the gaping that we see here in Kristi's pictures. Other than the slight gaping, the fit on the Princess seems nice, the shape looks good....and as for the pesky bows... I would simply take a seam ripper to the puppies and pop them off. Have you tried the Princess? What did you think of it?**
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