Those of you who have been readers for a long time might remember my love for Curvy Kate’s Showgirl collections – particularly the Tease Me and Thrill Me styles! Unfortunately, these styles only went to a 30J and sister sizes, and as a 30JJ/K, they were always a bit too small (not that that ever stopped me!). Luckily for me, not too long ago, the Tease Me was reinvented and re-released as the Curvy Kate Tease, in a new-and-improved size range of 28-38 D-J.
I usually wear a 30K in Curvy Kate’s unpadded bras, however, since this size isn’t available, I decided to try it out in a 32J with size 14 briefs. I’m also wearing the set here with my Lovehoney Flaunt Me robe (reviewed here) – I think the scalloped lace trims match this set perfectly!
This bra gives an absolutely amazing shape! It’s quite open on top and shallow at the bottom, which is great for really pushing your boobs up and giving amazing Marie Antoinette cleavage. Similar to my Curvy Kate Ritzy, the shallowness at the bottom means this bra does sit a little below my breast root, however, I find the cups to be a little deeper/bigger than in the Ritzy, and as such I do find it’s doesn’t sit quite as far down (though still a little lower than it should).
Appearance-wise, this bra is unbelievably stunning. The original Tease Me was part of Curvy Kate’s ‘Showgirl’ range, a collection of frivolously beautiful, unbelievably sexy styles, perfect for lovers of pin-up and burlesque, and the Tease is no different. In the Black/Blush colourway, the Tease features a blush base for the cups, with sheer black mesh for the band. These details continue onto the knickers, which feature a blush centre panel at the front and sheer black mesh everywhere else.
The cups are overlaid with black polka-dot mesh and bold black seams, with lashings of black scalloped lace and threaded blush ribbon trimming the cups. There are also small bows on the gore and straps, featuring a thin blush bow on top of a wide black one, which I think is a really lovely choice.
The old Tease Me style was well known for running large in the band and small in the cups, however, the Tease is a different story, fitting true-to-size in the band and slightly generous in the cups. As this is an open-on-top, cleavagey style, the straps are fairly wide-set (slightly moreso than in Curvy Kate’s balconette styles). I personally still find the bra to be comfortable and wearable despite my narrow shoulders, but if you already have problems with Curvy Kate’s bras, this might not be the best bra for you.
In this size, I find the wires to be average in width, and the cups to be average depth (not quite as shallow as the Ritzy or the predecessor Tease Me). The bra also has a fair amount of vertical volume, with the open-on-top design giving some leeway in fit. The sides of the bra are average-to-tall – not as bad as, say, the Curvy Kate PL or Parfait Charlotte, but I’d say they’re tall enough to be a problem if you are short rooted or high set. The gore is average height and width, but unlike the Ritzy, I find the Tease to tack beautifully, giving much better fit and support. I would say this would best fit those who are full-on-top, but I think those with even or full-on-bottom breasts may also like this bra for the amount of uplift it gives (just be aware that it may not sit at your root).
The back of the briefs are sheer mesh, which I’m happy to say is perfectly comfortable and itch-free. Unlike some of the first Tease Me designs, the suspender briefs no longer feature ruffles on the back, something I’m personally gutted about, but I can understand the practical reasons behind it. Size-wise, I find the 14 to be pretty spot on for me, with no loose areas or uncomfortable digging. I do find (due to my high, slightly chubby hips) that I get slight muffining over the top of the briefs, but this is something I get in all low-waist styles, so unless Curvy Kate decide to offer a high waist option for this style, there isn’t really anything that’ll change this for me personally.
The Tease features the standard U-shaped band, fastening with three rows of hooks and eyes. The straps are average width and fully adjustable, made with comfortably stretchy elastic (nowhere near as stretchy as the super stretchy elastic used on my older Tease Me or Thrill Me styles).
The briefs feature four detachable suspender straps, which can be used to wear the set with your stockings. Unlike some of my pairs of suspender briefs, I actually find Curvy Kate’s to be very functional and practical. I never have any issues with the suspenders unclipping from the knickers or unfastening from the stockings, and despite not being high waisted, the briefs still manage to stay up and keep my stockings in place. For the days where I want to wear stockings but can’t be bothered to wear a full suspender belt, I find these briefs are a pretty great choice.
While this set is very beautiful, I actually find it’s pretty practical, too. The blush shade is basically nude against my skin tone, so I personally find this set works beautifully under darker coloured clothes. The detachable suspenders mean it a can easily be worn either with dresses or under jeans, and the neckline of the bra works great for lower cut, straight necklines. And of course, it’s also a very sultry, sexy style which works great for bedroom wear. This set always manages to make me feel like a burlesque goddess!
Overall I am so glad to have this set in my collection! The Tease Me was always a guilty pleasure of mine, so the fact that I now have one that actually fits is a dream come true! The slightly deeper and more generous cups also mean that this should now work for lots of people who couldn’t wear it before, so if you tried the old Tease Me in the past and wrote it off, it might be worth another try now.
The Curvy Kate Tease is available from many online stores such as Brastop, Amazon UK and Amazon US, and has so far been released in Black/Gold, Black/Blush, Cranberry/Champagne and Black/Berry. It is also available in a flirty camisole in the Cranberry/Champagne and Black/Berry colourways.
Bra: Curvy Kate Tease Padded Balcony in Black/Blush, size 32J. Available in 28-38 D-J, RRP £30.
Briefs: Curvy Kate Tease Suspender Short, size 14. Available in 8-20, RRP £16.
Stockings: Silky Scarlet Seamer Stockings in Black/Black, size Medium. Available in M-L, RRP £4.99.
Robe: Lovehoney Flaunt Me Floral Lace Robe, standard size. Available in standard and plus size, RRP £19.99. Reviewed here.
Latest posts by Anna (see all)
- Nude Bras for Women of Colour in AW16 - August 26, 2016
- The Ultimate Strappy Bra: Review of the Ewa Michalak S Przeplatanki (70K) - August 2, 2016
- Bank Holiday Sales Round-Up (May 2016) - May 29, 2016
Yay for expanded size ranges! I keep looking for an excuse to buy/wear the Tease, but darn does it show as bumpy under almost all of my clothes.
That’s such a shame! I don’t find it bumpy under clothes personally, but that I wonder if that might be due to size? I believe the scalloped lace trimming the cups if the same height regardless of size, so in larger sizes (where the upper section of the cup is larger), the lace will be more likely to sit flush against the upper cup (unlike in smaller sizes, where the lace covers 1/4-1/2 of the cup). Or at least that’s the reasoning that’s just popped into my head…
That does make sense. I’m glad it works in larger sizes, at least!
Thank you for reviewing this! I was a big fan of the Showgirl range and, like you, wore them even though they didn’t technically fit.
I am so excited to hear the fit may be better now, though! I agree that losing the ruffles on the knickers is a bummer. I wonder if there are any ruffled knickers from past collections that would pair with this new bra (…..off to eBay to check!)
Hmmm, not off the top of my head. I’m still hoping they’ll return one day! Maybe if they added a high-waist version with no ruffles, and brought the ruffles back on the regular briefs…
The fit is excellent. I think they’ve really reworked the fit (without changing the overall shape and vibe). I don’t wear padded bras but this one is lovely and it doesn’t scream padded.
It is a really thin, light padding. It doesn’t seem to add any bulk, the uplift is all from the construction. I’m so pleased with it.
Well designed set! The bra is so conformable and supportive. For curvy women, it can be perfect to support their breasts and feel free while working. Also, color and fabrics are fine. I think Curvy Kate tease will rock in the market
Hi Anna is this available in a long line bra as I really love the feel and support provided ?
There isn’t a longline version of this, though if you’re lucky you might be able to find the Curvy Kate Carmen in Black/Boysenberry in your size? The Carmen is very similar construction-wise, but with a longline band. The only problem is that it’s a few years old, so it might be hard to come by :/