This week will be my last preview of the A/W18 Curve expo, covering Curvy Kate this time.
At the last Curve show, we learned that head designer Charlotte Davies would be leaving CK. So this time, I got to meet the new designer, Olivia Wilson. Even though Olivia’s designs won’t be shown until the next Curve Expo, I can already see a few changes that I think are at least partly due to her influence.
The most obvious difference I notice is what Olivia called CK’s “fresh, new look,” which is reflected in the brand’s cleaner, brighter website (and this season’s matching lookbook). Some of the lingerie also reflects this change in the details, such as removing gore bows or replacing them with a simpler decoration.
I’m personally a big fan of these minor changes. The brand is still plenty youthful, but now it offers just a little more sophistication.
However, one thing I’m very much not a fan of is that Curvy Kate appears to be phasing out 28 bands. I didn’t even notice it until I got home and flipped through the lookbook, but of the 18 bra styles in the book, only three list 28 bands—Ellace, Daily Dream, and the Luxe strapless. There are even older styles that I know used to be offered in 28, such as Princess and Smoothie, that now start at 30. Why, Curvy Kate???
Well despite the fact that I apparently won’t be able to buy Curvy Kate bras since they’re no longer offered in my size, here are some of my favorite styles from A/W18…
The new “Victory” bra is emblematic of the cleaner look, with a keyhole cutout in the gore and little silver V-charms instead of bows. This wine color runs throughout the whole collection. Sizes 30-44 band, up to K-cups.A closeup of Victory’s V-charm.Olivia called “Lifestyle” the “little sister” to Victory. It features a plunge shape and glistening mesh fabric. I was particularly keen on this “petrol” color. Sizes 30-40 D-J.“High Hopes” is a new lightly padded, seamed plunge style with a lace band. The seams are fixed to the foam so that the outer fabric can’t shift around. Sizes 30-40 D-J.The new “Deluxe” is a fancier version of the Luxe strapless bra. Sizes 30-40 D-J.My favorite piece of the season is “Dragonfly.” This black and wine colorway is so pretty! Sizes 30-44, up to J.A closeup of Dragonfly.Dragonfly also comes in a plunge babydoll!From Scantilly, “Encounter” combines the playfulness of Curvy Kate with the trendiness we’ve come to expect from Scantilly. Sizes 30-40 DD-HH.I love the new Scantilly “Brazen.” It may not look that unique from afar, but it’s hiding a little secret……The fabric is quilted! I just love this texture. Sizes 30-38 DD-HH.Finally, we arrive at swimwear. Starting this season, all CK Swim uses “Extra Life Lycra” for better quality and longevity. There are also more strap multiway options across the line. These “Maya” sets were definitely the standouts. I love the colorblocking and flattering structure. I wonder if the one-piece would be long enough for my freaky torso…? Bandeau sizes 28-38 D-J, one-piece 30-44, up to J.
5 Comments on Off the Rack ~ Curve Expo A/W18: Curvy Kate
I read your blog all the time and really appreciate it. Thanks for covering Curve!
But, I would love to see a different take on 28 bands than a variant of “hmph, guess this company doesn’t want my money” when someone thinks a company isn’t making enough small bands.
The company isn’t making money off of you anyway because 28 bands barely sell. There I said it! don’t @ me lol. It’s a fairly rare band size because many (not all) people with a small back don’t need/want a tight band for support. Any fitter will tell you she doesn’t sell many compared to 30s and 32s, much less the more common 34s, 36s and 38s of the world. It’s expensive to make lots of sizes, and companies will lose money if they make too many sizes that don’t sell well.
It’s easy to just shorten bands when necessary. Like a hem, it’s not a difficult or expensive alteration (around $5-15).. This is why Nordstrom doesn’t offer 28s but shortens them in-house. So if you need a 28 band, all these bras are actually still very accessible to you! That’s not the case if you need a larger band than what is offered.
I would like to ask you to think about why there is so much extra-small band/large cup hypervisibility in the online bra world. Maybe the next time you’re wondering why a 28 has been cut from a line, also think to ask whether there is a 44 and advocate for that customer as well.
Again, I really appreciate your blog and I’m sorry to respond with criticism. However I am genuinely tired of this trope and would love to live in a brafitting world where our 42As get the same love as our 28Gs.
Hi Mel! It’s so heartwarming that you read our blog and are so thoughtful about the issues. I agree—it’s tiring to read the same complaint about no 28 bands available, but as someone who actually wears 28 bands, it’s even more tiring to MAKE the complaint!
I regularly alter my own bra bands to be smaller (it was one of my very first posts! https://hourglassy.com/2011/08/leahs-second-column-shrinking-a-bra-band/ ), and shortening a band is not always the perfect solution. The wires and cups may not be the right shape, the straps may be too wide-set (I always run into this), and the straps end up situated differently than intended in back, so they don’t line up with your clothing straps.
Small-band big-cup bras get a lot of visibility online because we’re still treated as outliers by the mainstream lingerie market, and we’re all trying to find bra and clothing solutions together (and excited to share when we do find something successful). Supposedly 80% (or whatever) of American women are wearing the wrong bra size, and supposedly a big chunk of that is people wearing too-big bands and too-small cups because that’s all that’s available unless you shop online. Every single company that I covered at Curve this year was British. Literally the ONLY American company making 28 bands or anything above a UK F cup is Parfait. So educating people about wearing smaller bands, as our blog (and others) do, has the potential to increase small-band sales.
When a company that’s all about size diversity (Curvy Kate) stops making 28 bands, I HAVE to complain. CK has an online store, they could make them online-exclusive if retailers aren’t ordering 28s, and manufacture fewer of them.
Again, it means so much to us that you’re thinking about the issues and have taken the time to write such a thoughtful comment. As you can see, it happens to be a subject I feel passionately about!
P.S. Regarding larger bands, such as the 44 that you mentioned, we sympathize with full-busted women who are plus-size, and we try to mention solutions when we can. We would do more if we had a writer to cover this area (in case any of our readers want to contribute *hint hint*).
I appreciate your thoughtful and kind response. Sorry this is so long…
While I agree with your basic point that UK companies are the ones making bras that fit real people, I have to say that just because a band isn’t labeled a 28 doesn’t mean it doesn’t fit like one. Wacoal’s not a US company, but they are very widely available in the US and most of their 32s fit like (for example) Freya 28s. (That’s not an opinion, btw. I’ve measured lots of bras! 🙂 There are of course other brands using this legacy sizing, Glamorise I think. Cup wise, Wacoal goes to at least H and their H is a UK GG/H (even though cup comparison charts don’t reflect this). Curvy Couture also goes up to H and down to 32, though a much looser band. Elila goes to like M or so, with tight bands down to 34. Goddess, no longer technically American, goes to a UK K in cup and I think they’ve gone down to 32 with a loose band. Those are just ones I’ve worked with. So no, Parfait is not literally the only US company making lots of sizes but I do see what you’re saying of course.
You can tighten in a way that does not alter strap placement: http://www.kimtimates.com/the-kimtimates-blog/how-to-tighten-the-back-band-of-your-bra
If the straps are too wide in front, it’s either a too large cup, or a cup scaling issue, neither of which is helped by the company making smaller bands, and I have to say it’s not always awesome when a company makes sizes they haven’t tested and scaled properly…like, a Fantasie JJ cup can really leave you scratching your head lol. As bra-wearers we have this fantasy that each size must be individually scaled, because that makes sense, but it is expensive and the truth is that most manufacturers change *nothing* about the cup between band sizes, so a tightened band done well is effectively the same as a smaller band size.
The thing about manufacturing fewer of a size is that companies have minimums they have to meet for a size and style to go into production. My experience (and Erica at A Sophisticated Pair has great stats on it as well) is really that the market for 28 bands is small, and there are a few reasons for this but it is the truth. Of course you still deserve great bras!
But here is my main thing. “Small-band big-cup bras get a lot of visibility online because we’re still treated as outliers by the mainstream lingerie market” — but what I’m saying is — come on. The reason is not *just* that you’re in an underserved market but that you fit the cultural ideal of someone who is “allowed” to complain that she can’t find sizes that fit her. Other underserved markets include large band/small cup, large band/large cup, wireless large cups (less so now but still), ppl w dark nude skin tones, sensitive skin, soft tissue, etc etc. Even our whole conception of what a “large cup” is is of course bonkers, since the average US woman is E-F but wearing a C, so paradoxically the largest market is also underserved. But online, you know, you’d kind of think everyone with a bra problem was a 28 or 30 band, young and usually white, with full breasts. And I get it! You need bras too and you should advocate for yourselves. But can you also see that this represents a further centering of variations on the most culturally desirable body type? If we are fighting for inclusion, can we not find a way to fight together? I am not asking you to do anything differently, just to have a little bit more awareness that your very specific crowd of extra-small-band-large-cup is not the only one with an issue.
The 40Gish blogger Comfy Curvy does great reviews, and I love that she branches out to weird brands no one else is reviewing. She also reviews some brands that use legacy sizing and always has detailed notes on fit relative to modern UK sizing. Maybe she’d like to team up?? Or maybe there’s like a 34F Ms. Average-Full-Bust out there who has something to say.
I am not trying to start drama on your blog and I want you to feel free not to post this comment publicly. I am only very gently pushing back on this thing of sort of “inclusivity equals 28 bands.”
You know what *I* don’t see enough complaint about? Bra shapes. 90% of bras are shaped to fit women that have even fullness or are full on the bottom. We full-on-top ladies get NO love and are forced to usually buy half cup bras the get a round shape. This is NO FUN if you also happen to have soft breasts, as they WILL migrate out of the top of such bras. The only bras I have found that don’t make me look like I have torpedo and/or grandma boobs are Ewa Michalak. I have to order from POLAND!! Don’t even get me started on the mess that is. And here’s the thing, i can’t even alter, say, a Curvy Kate bra to make it work for me.
Funny that you say most bras are designed for full on bottom. I’m VERY full on bottom and I have to strongly disagree. It’s extremely rare that bras have enough projection for my shape. Ewa Michalak and Comexim are the only brands I’ve found that offer a true perfect fit. But I’m also above average full on top as well, AND I have tall breasts so I know exactly what you’re talking about. Many brands give me the “pillowing” or “quad-boob” effect even in the “right” size. I wish more brands accommodated a variety of breast shapes from style to style, but I suspect that would be cost prohibitive, and difficult from an engineering standpoint as well. Thank goodness for Polish bras!
I read your blog all the time and really appreciate it. Thanks for covering Curve!
But, I would love to see a different take on 28 bands than a variant of “hmph, guess this company doesn’t want my money” when someone thinks a company isn’t making enough small bands.
The company isn’t making money off of you anyway because 28 bands barely sell. There I said it! don’t @ me lol. It’s a fairly rare band size because many (not all) people with a small back don’t need/want a tight band for support. Any fitter will tell you she doesn’t sell many compared to 30s and 32s, much less the more common 34s, 36s and 38s of the world. It’s expensive to make lots of sizes, and companies will lose money if they make too many sizes that don’t sell well.
It’s easy to just shorten bands when necessary. Like a hem, it’s not a difficult or expensive alteration (around $5-15).. This is why Nordstrom doesn’t offer 28s but shortens them in-house. So if you need a 28 band, all these bras are actually still very accessible to you! That’s not the case if you need a larger band than what is offered.
I would like to ask you to think about why there is so much extra-small band/large cup hypervisibility in the online bra world. Maybe the next time you’re wondering why a 28 has been cut from a line, also think to ask whether there is a 44 and advocate for that customer as well.
Again, I really appreciate your blog and I’m sorry to respond with criticism. However I am genuinely tired of this trope and would love to live in a brafitting world where our 42As get the same love as our 28Gs.
Hi Mel! It’s so heartwarming that you read our blog and are so thoughtful about the issues. I agree—it’s tiring to read the same complaint about no 28 bands available, but as someone who actually wears 28 bands, it’s even more tiring to MAKE the complaint!
I regularly alter my own bra bands to be smaller (it was one of my very first posts! https://hourglassy.com/2011/08/leahs-second-column-shrinking-a-bra-band/ ), and shortening a band is not always the perfect solution. The wires and cups may not be the right shape, the straps may be too wide-set (I always run into this), and the straps end up situated differently than intended in back, so they don’t line up with your clothing straps.
Small-band big-cup bras get a lot of visibility online because we’re still treated as outliers by the mainstream lingerie market, and we’re all trying to find bra and clothing solutions together (and excited to share when we do find something successful). Supposedly 80% (or whatever) of American women are wearing the wrong bra size, and supposedly a big chunk of that is people wearing too-big bands and too-small cups because that’s all that’s available unless you shop online. Every single company that I covered at Curve this year was British. Literally the ONLY American company making 28 bands or anything above a UK F cup is Parfait. So educating people about wearing smaller bands, as our blog (and others) do, has the potential to increase small-band sales.
When a company that’s all about size diversity (Curvy Kate) stops making 28 bands, I HAVE to complain. CK has an online store, they could make them online-exclusive if retailers aren’t ordering 28s, and manufacture fewer of them.
Again, it means so much to us that you’re thinking about the issues and have taken the time to write such a thoughtful comment. As you can see, it happens to be a subject I feel passionately about!
P.S. Regarding larger bands, such as the 44 that you mentioned, we sympathize with full-busted women who are plus-size, and we try to mention solutions when we can. We would do more if we had a writer to cover this area (in case any of our readers want to contribute *hint hint*).
I appreciate your thoughtful and kind response. Sorry this is so long…
While I agree with your basic point that UK companies are the ones making bras that fit real people, I have to say that just because a band isn’t labeled a 28 doesn’t mean it doesn’t fit like one. Wacoal’s not a US company, but they are very widely available in the US and most of their 32s fit like (for example) Freya 28s. (That’s not an opinion, btw. I’ve measured lots of bras! 🙂 There are of course other brands using this legacy sizing, Glamorise I think. Cup wise, Wacoal goes to at least H and their H is a UK GG/H (even though cup comparison charts don’t reflect this). Curvy Couture also goes up to H and down to 32, though a much looser band. Elila goes to like M or so, with tight bands down to 34. Goddess, no longer technically American, goes to a UK K in cup and I think they’ve gone down to 32 with a loose band. Those are just ones I’ve worked with. So no, Parfait is not literally the only US company making lots of sizes but I do see what you’re saying of course.
You can tighten in a way that does not alter strap placement: http://www.kimtimates.com/the-kimtimates-blog/how-to-tighten-the-back-band-of-your-bra
If the straps are too wide in front, it’s either a too large cup, or a cup scaling issue, neither of which is helped by the company making smaller bands, and I have to say it’s not always awesome when a company makes sizes they haven’t tested and scaled properly…like, a Fantasie JJ cup can really leave you scratching your head lol. As bra-wearers we have this fantasy that each size must be individually scaled, because that makes sense, but it is expensive and the truth is that most manufacturers change *nothing* about the cup between band sizes, so a tightened band done well is effectively the same as a smaller band size.
The thing about manufacturing fewer of a size is that companies have minimums they have to meet for a size and style to go into production. My experience (and Erica at A Sophisticated Pair has great stats on it as well) is really that the market for 28 bands is small, and there are a few reasons for this but it is the truth. Of course you still deserve great bras!
But here is my main thing. “Small-band big-cup bras get a lot of visibility online because we’re still treated as outliers by the mainstream lingerie market” — but what I’m saying is — come on. The reason is not *just* that you’re in an underserved market but that you fit the cultural ideal of someone who is “allowed” to complain that she can’t find sizes that fit her. Other underserved markets include large band/small cup, large band/large cup, wireless large cups (less so now but still), ppl w dark nude skin tones, sensitive skin, soft tissue, etc etc. Even our whole conception of what a “large cup” is is of course bonkers, since the average US woman is E-F but wearing a C, so paradoxically the largest market is also underserved. But online, you know, you’d kind of think everyone with a bra problem was a 28 or 30 band, young and usually white, with full breasts. And I get it! You need bras too and you should advocate for yourselves. But can you also see that this represents a further centering of variations on the most culturally desirable body type? If we are fighting for inclusion, can we not find a way to fight together? I am not asking you to do anything differently, just to have a little bit more awareness that your very specific crowd of extra-small-band-large-cup is not the only one with an issue.
The 40Gish blogger Comfy Curvy does great reviews, and I love that she branches out to weird brands no one else is reviewing. She also reviews some brands that use legacy sizing and always has detailed notes on fit relative to modern UK sizing. Maybe she’d like to team up?? Or maybe there’s like a 34F Ms. Average-Full-Bust out there who has something to say.
I am not trying to start drama on your blog and I want you to feel free not to post this comment publicly. I am only very gently pushing back on this thing of sort of “inclusivity equals 28 bands.”
You know what *I* don’t see enough complaint about? Bra shapes. 90% of bras are shaped to fit women that have even fullness or are full on the bottom. We full-on-top ladies get NO love and are forced to usually buy half cup bras the get a round shape. This is NO FUN if you also happen to have soft breasts, as they WILL migrate out of the top of such bras. The only bras I have found that don’t make me look like I have torpedo and/or grandma boobs are Ewa Michalak. I have to order from POLAND!! Don’t even get me started on the mess that is. And here’s the thing, i can’t even alter, say, a Curvy Kate bra to make it work for me.
Funny that you say most bras are designed for full on bottom. I’m VERY full on bottom and I have to strongly disagree. It’s extremely rare that bras have enough projection for my shape. Ewa Michalak and Comexim are the only brands I’ve found that offer a true perfect fit. But I’m also above average full on top as well, AND I have tall breasts so I know exactly what you’re talking about. Many brands give me the “pillowing” or “quad-boob” effect even in the “right” size. I wish more brands accommodated a variety of breast shapes from style to style, but I suspect that would be cost prohibitive, and difficult from an engineering standpoint as well. Thank goodness for Polish bras!