After falling in love with Polish big bust brand Urkye‘s Dwulicowa Czarna Tuba top, I just had to place an order for more items. I bought another Tuba top in a different size and color, the Francuski tee shirt, and the Kieska short-sleeved dress.
First up is the Tuba top. I got the last one in black size 38 o/oo. Since there weren’t any colors left in that size, I went with my sister of 36 oo/ooo. Since I was going for the red one, I figured having it be a little tighter would be fine since red is a bit sexier in my opinion anyways. And it didn’t fit that much differently in the end. It’s a little tighter on my tummy, so I need to suck it in a bit, but it’s not so tight that I feel self-conscious. The color is a deliciously bright cherry red. It’s warmer and brighter than my pictures lets on.
Unfortunately, switching sizes means you can see just a touch of bra strap next to the little tube. Additionally, the underbust on this top seems to be sewn rather crooked, resulting in a somewhat wonky line. I think Urkye could use a bit of improvement in the consistency department (more on that below), but it’s not enough to stop me from ordering more.
Next up is the Francuski tee shirt. I was hesitant to purchase this one because the length is so much shorter than the Tuba top, but I loved the princess seams and slightly puffed shoulders enough that I took the plunge and tried one anyways. I selected my usual 38 o/oo and it’s just right. The fabric perfectly skims over my body without clinging. The length is less of an issue than I anticipated because the shirt fits so perfectly that it doesn’t scrunch up at the bottom or ride up around my waist. I have never had a tee shirt fit this way; it’s quite a revelation. The high-quality fabric, a bit thicker and more substantial than the Tuba top, also helps keep it from wrinkling up. The color is a bit brighter than the slightly dusty shade that appeared on the Urkye website, which I’m very pleased with. And you’ve gotta love that wide open neckline with just the teensiest hint of decolletage.
Last, and my personal favorite, is the short-sleeved Kieska dress in teal. I’m a sucker for short jersey dresses that can be worn in summer and winter (with tights!), especially in teal and turquoise. I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it when Urkye first opened shop earlier this year. Now it’s on sale, so I snatched it up in my sister size of 36 oo/ooo (no 38s left). And I am so, so, so glad I ended up buying the tighter one. It fits exactly the way I like: tight enough to hug my waist and show off my shape, but not so tight that it’s unflattering to my tummy or stretched weirdly across my butt. And no visible panty-lines! It’s made of the same fabric and has the same princess seams and puffed sleeves as the Francuski tee, so either of these items would give you an idea of what size to order in the other.
I know the pockets are a bit controversial, but I think they’re really cute and give the dress a visual interest that makes it stand out.
Now as far as that consistency issue, here is where I really noticed it. The shoulders do not match. The right one has all the gathering in the front and the left all the gathering in the back. So one is way poofier-looking than the other. I’m tempted to unsew the left sleeve and re-do it, but don’t really feel like doing that much work. I’m hoping the sharpness of the right poof will soften some as I wear and wash the dress more.
Now that the clothes are out of the way, let’s talk about the ordering process. I could not have been more pleased with it. The website is easy to navigate, and I had no worries about the package getting to my address. One thing to note is that there is no space to write in your US state, but you can put it in the city field (i.e., New York, NY). There’s also a space for additional notes, so I left a message explaining that I wrote the city and state in the city field, and then included my address written in the format you’d use in the US.
You have the option to pay with a credit card or PayPal. I received an immediate order confirmation email after paying, and then an email the next business day saying the order had been shipped. And then, get this, it arrived in less than two weeks! I was shocked. I thought it was supposed to take, like, a month for packages to get from Poland to the US. I’ve had things from the west coast of the US take more time than this shipment did. Amazing.
The package also had these cute stamps on it. Does anyone know what they are?
Another thing I really like about Urkye is its sizing system, though this would probably apply to all the big-bust brands. You can tailor the fit to the way you want to wear the item. If I want a sexier top, I can go down a couple body sizes and maybe one bust size to get a skimpier fit. If I want something that’s more relaxed in the tummy but still the right shape for my bust, I can go up a body and down a bust. I wish all clothing brands worked this way.
I really cannot recommend Urkye enough. The prices are incredibly reasonable, the quality is good, and the fit is fantastic. I’m already considering another order now that they’ve added Kieska dresses in fall colors with three-quarter sleeves. Love that bright orange!
These stamps were designed in 1996 as a part of series with zodiac signs: http://ritavespa.com/maciek/mac3pp2s.htm
It’s a capricorn 🙂
They do make tights like that…they’re from Wolford and awesome, especially for high hip to waist ratio people. The only bad news is they’re pricey but I love them so much and they are so comfy I don’t care. I’m partial to the cotton velvet ones. Darlene should buy some too, and then she can skip the shapewear with her knit dresses.
I’ve read a number of glowing recommendations of Wolford tights…but they are way too expensive! Not to mention that the only opaque black pair on their website (coincidentally the cheapest ones too at $36) are out of stock :\
I have some from Michael Stars that I really like. They don’t pinch as much and the fabric feels so smooth and nice instead of catching on every little thing. But they were all in the wash on the day I wore this dress and I had to go with my old cheaper ones 😛
All I needed was a reason, pdxeater! Any chance they magically will keep my knit dresses from clinging to them, or do I still need to wear a slip?
The cotton ones are a little cling inducing, the non-cotton ones are not at all, at least in my climate, where it rains all winter. In a climate where it is cold and dry, static might be more of an issue and you might have to wear a slip. I seriously will not wear any other tights. I would rather have many less pairs. Besides an 11 inch difference between waist and hips, I have a soft, squishy middle from age and childbearing, and I refuse to wear shapewear, so maybe it is more important to me. They are so amazingly comfortable and look good under dresses.
Leah, maybe Urkye can replace the dress? It is helpful to let young companies know if something is wrong.
I love that dress on you!
Also, have you tried Spanx high waisted tights? The top of the tights slides underneath your bra band, so then you don’t have the awkward tights line at your middle 🙂