Now that Curvy Kate has reached the States, I’d be interested to hear how many of Hourglassy’s stateside readers have tried the brand? If you’re like me, you’ve read the reviews of bloggers from the UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe and been curious to try it, but not curious enough to deal with overseas shipping.

Overseas shipping is no longer an issue since Bare Necessities now carries Curvy Kate. So the next issue is what size to order?

That’s a really good question. I began with a 34FF Princess based on the Bare Necessities conversion chart for Curvy Kate, and the cups were far too small. I exchanged it for a 34H and the cups were almost okay, but the underwires extended too far past my breast in back (I have the same issue with Elomi), and the “lift” was actually droopy.

I didn’t feel comfortable asking to exchange my free bra yet again, but I also didn’t feel comfortable publishing a review based on my limited experience. Perhaps it was just the Princess style on me, or perhaps I needed a 34GG. So I ordered the Princess and two more styles in 34GG: the Romance and the Lottie. I also ordered the Tease Me in 34GG because that was the largest cup size available in that band. Unfortunately, in each of the Princess, Romance and Lottie, the 34GG cup was back to being slightly too small. I also tried the Romance in 34H, but that size was back to being slightly droopy on me. The fun Tease Me looked great from the front but squashed from the side because the cup was simply too small (Leah wrote about a different fit experience with the Tease Me here). I checked in with other Curvy Kate wearers and learned that others (but not all) have had similar experiences.

So I’ve been holding onto these bras for over a month now (thank you Bare Necessities for your 60 day return policy), dragging my feet with this review because (1) I didn’t want to be negative about a brand that is doing so much to boost awareness of large busts on non-plus-sized figures; and (b) how can I accurately review something I haven’t walked out of the house in? Yes, I can write about the style and quality of the brand, but those aren’t nearly as important as fit and support.

If I were to write about Curvy Kate based on my limited experience, the review would take just a few lines:

  1. Quality: ok. The materials aren’t remarkable. After handling $100+ brands, the difference in Curvy Kate bra quality was tangible as I took them out of the box. They’re not bad. They’re just not top of the line, which they can’t be at their price.
  2. Style: fabulous! I was so sad that the Princess didn’t work for me because it would have made such a sweet everyday bra. And the Romance’s quiet beauty made me feel pretty in it (from the front). I loved the little round curly-cues in back that matched the curly-cues at the center gore. If the Thrill Me had fit, I would have kept it even though I wouldn’t have many opportunities to wear it (June from Braless in Brasil has removed the lace so that she can wear it under knits). It gives the major lift that I love. Finally, despite what I said about quality, the bottom of the Lottie cups has a strong, firm satin feel. It’s simple and sweet.
  3. Fit: Boo!
  4. Price: Meh. They’re made in China. If they were in the $65 or lower range, the price would be perfect, but at $68+, I expect a little more.

Fortunately, I came up with a work-around to my dilemma. I looked up the US stores carrying Curvy Kate (only 16 so far!) and realized that I knew one of the owners, Benita Kimball of At Last Bra and Lingerie in Sacramento. Last December, Benita called to ask me about Campbell & Kate because she realized how badly her customers needed shirts like mine. When a lingerie store owner asks about outerwear for her customers, you KNOW she cares about the women who come into her shop.

Based on our conversation, I knew Benita would give me a fair assessment of Curvy Kate. A 32J, Benita has been wearing custom bras since she was a teenager. She knows what fit and support feel like, and she fits women of all shapes and sizes into bras. She also targets the woman who spends less than $100 on her bras, which is exactly the Curvy Kate market.

It turns out I couldn’t have asked for a better reviewer. Benita tries on every bra in her store that comes in her size. She wears it straight through for one week solid, even though this means she has to sacrifice wearing the matching panties that she loves. Then she washes it the way she knows her customers will wash it–not the way she instructs them to. After that, she wears it a few more times. In that period, she’s been chasing after children, lifting merchandise and working with customers.

What is Benita’s bottom line about the Curvy Kate brand? She LOVES it. But not blindly. Tomorrow I’ll tell you more.