Curvy Kate are a fairly young brand in the full-bust world, but they are constantly coming out with new styles and revamping the older ones. The Gia is a style that was introduced in Autumn 2012, and I’ve been eyeing it since. However, at the start of my bra-fitting journey, I had found that I did not get along with many of Curvy Kate’s earlier styles, and with plenty of other bras that fit me at a 30JJ, I saw no reason to take a risk…until I went up to a 30K/KK about a year ago, and suddenly found that my options became much more limited. So, seeing it on sale in August last year, I decided to try out both the Seafoam and Cherry/Blush colourways. This is mostly a quick comparison of the bras I tried while looking for a good fit, so won’t be quite as detailed as my usual reviews.

As my usual size at the time was closer to a 30KK, I first tried a 32K in both colourways (pictures and measurements above). The Cherry/Blush is the first colourway the Gia was seen in for AW12, followed by the Seafoam in SS2013. Appearance-wise, the geometric cut-out mesh is a fun change from most basic bras, whilst still being flat enough to be subtle under clothing, and I particularly loved the soft blue-green of the Seafoam colourway.

I was surprised to find that, despite needing a 30K/KK in most Curvy Kate styles before my size changed, the 32Ks were both definitely too big all over. The bands seemed true-to-size, stretching to just over 32 inches, and the cups seemed to be more standard, or perhaps even slightly generous (the Cherry/Blush moreso), giving wrinkling both at the top and bottom. It was also clear to see that Curvy Kate revamped the Gia between these two colourways – the Seafoam had narrower, deeper cups, a lower, narrower gore, and even in the wrong size it gave a better shape (none of the Cherry/Blush’s upside-down 7), while bringing my breasts upfront and centre. Tentatively hopeful, I exchanged them both for 30Ks.

As expected, the 30Ks were a much better fit for me, and I would describe them as true-to-size. Both the bands and cups felt spot on, and the differences between the colourways became much clearer. While the sizing felt right, I did find that no matter how much I adjusted and pulled the wires up, the bottom of the cup kept wrinkling. I think this may have been partially due to me not tightening the straps enough, though it may have also been a shape issue, and in the case of the Cherry/Blush, it was exacerbated by the cup being too wide, resulting in empty space towards the sides. I did find that the trim at the top of the cup was quite prone to not sitting flat, but the cup (and elastic border at the top of the cup) both sat flat fine.

I found the Cherry/Blush was just the wrong shape for me – the wide wires didn’t suit my narrow root, the tall sides were slightly irritating, the gore was too tall and wide for my close-set breasts, and the upside-down 7 shape is just not what I look for in a bra. However, the Seafoam was just about perfect. The wires seemed just the right width, the gore was just low/thin enough not to dig in, and the shape was one of the best I have ever had in a Curvy Kate bra. The only real issue was that, as I seem to find in most bras, the sides were still slightly too tall (though there was a definite improvement). One thing I did love was the choice of laminate material, which gives great shape and support, without stretching or distorting with wear, and I was also pleased to find that this style was much more open towards the centre than many of my older Curvy Kate bras. All in all, I loved the Seafoam, and I was totally set on keeping it. That is, until…

…This happened. Unfortunately, as I found from speaking to various other people, many of Curvy Kate’s SS2013 bras (particularly those in Seafoam) had some kind of manufacturing fault, which resulted in the band mesh developing runs and small holes. The picture above was taken after just a quick try-on of the 30K – no strenuous activity, no prolonged wear, this happened almost immediately. I returned both bras and ordered another 30K Seafoam, and was very sad to find I had exactly the same issue again. From other people’s experiences, this doesn’t seem to change the support or structure of the bra, so if your bra starts doing this after a while, it’s not necessarily a reason to throw your bra straight out. However, as it happened so quickly, I did not want to risk holding onto it.

So, sadly, I didn’t get myself a Gia at this time. However, this is not due to me not getting along with the cut or sizing, or disliking the colour – it’s clear to see that the revamped Gia has a great cut and construction, and trying it convinced me I would have to get one someday. Luckily for me, I have since bought another Gia in a different colourway, and so far I have found it to be a great success (and somehow even improved from the Seafoam). I don’t want this post to become too long, so I will be sharing pictures and a detailed review in a separate post in the next few days. So, if you’re curious about the Gia, make sure to look out for my next post!

The Curvy Kate Gia is available in sizes 28-40 D-K, 42-44 D-G, and retails for £29. Various colourways are available at Brastop, with some colourways available from £8.95 (limited size range). And, as an afternote, I am still running my blog survey – if you have a minute, please check it out here!

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Anna

Founder and main author of Bras and Body Image. Anna is a lingerie lover, feminist and maths student based in the UK, who hopes to someday cuddle every cat in the world.

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