Recently I have been looking for a suitable and pretty t-shirt bra that would go well with my full-on-top breasts. I grew out of my Curvy Kate Smoothies and my Deco which is a tragedy as they both fitted me so well and for months I went without proper smooth bras which would be invisible under clothing made of thin fabric. However, the amazing folks of Curvy Kate gave me a chance to review their new Starlet which is a lovely peach-shade t-shirt bra with a similar shape to their previously released style Smoothie. I just had to get my hands on the beauty and when it arrived I instantly put it on and tested it for a few days.

Design: As said before, Starlet is very similar to Smoothie, however some bloggers have even preferred Starlet as a better-fitting option. I was very happy with my Smoothies so expectations were quite high! The style turned out to be lovely but a bit different style-wise compared to Smoothie. Starlet feels like the little sister of Smoothie – a bit more girly and fun. It’s a a fun number for everyday use and I absolutely love the mermaid-kind-of look of it! The colour combos have been great as well – especially the red Christmas edition left me drooling. The summer shade of Tigerlilly is very suitable for the season and so flirty with its pink trimmings and a little star on the center gore! The cups also have a nice almost fish-skin-like pattern which even adds up the mermaid-feel of the set.

The shape of the bra is great under clothing. It is very rounded yet natural and doesn’t show any lines under clothing like some other padded styles do. The cups are quite thin for a padded bra which is definitely a plus for so many ladies out there. Also the Starlet gives me a decent cleavage unlike my old Smoothies. It is a great feature since I am a lover of proper cleavage – this bra would make my boobs look pretty awesome in a low-cut shirt!

Fit: Very similar to my Smoothies which means the fit is very close to perfect. The cup depth is quite good for me and the size 30GG absolutely right as with my other CK styles as well. When I first received the bra I was 99 % sure the cup size would be too big since the bra looked huge. However when I put it on I was happy to note that it was exactly the right size, even with some extra space at the bottom of the cup. This is what I think is the most significant change CK made since releasing Smoothie and getting critique about the fit. For me, this change was not needed and I would have preferred the original fit but as said, the change in the fit has clearly worked out really well for other women and especially more full-on-bottom breasts. The slight folding of the cup at the bottom part doesn’t bother me that much and it’s nothing too noticeable.

Even though Starlet gives me a pretty awesome cleavage it doesn’t make me spill at all from the cups. Therefore I would say it’s still quite a good choice for full-on-top boobs as well. No spillage, no gaping and the wires sit on a almost perfect spot, maybe a tad wider than I need. However, the wires don’t go further than the edge of my armpit which is great regarding how G+ bras tend to have horribly graded wires. The edges of the cups are also placed really nicely on a medium height which means there is not too much spillage towards the armpit nor does the edge of the cup chaff my skin.

The back band feels firm yet comfortably stretchy which is what I prefer at the moment. I have been thinking a lot about the complaints towards stretchier bands recently and have come to the conclusion that in fact 30 should not only stretch to 29″ or 30″ like some do but preferably have a little give to them for comfort reasons. This is where +0 method sometimes goes wrong: if the bands are created to be exactly 30″ they will still feel uncomfortable on a true-30″ ribcage. This is why Curvy Kate never fails me with its sizing: I know that their 30 bands are quite stretchy and suit my bodytype really well (eg I have very prominent ribs that sometimes affect the fit of a bra).

Comfort: Curvy Kate has always managed to be one of my favourite brands because of how comfy their sets are. I can just throw them on and forget that I am actually wearing underwear. The Starlet is a great everyday bra and again, as said before, it has quite a good wire width despite that it’s a G+ bra. If I remember correctly Smoothie had a few problems with the wire width in bigger cup sizes combined with small backs. I can’t say anything about the GG+ versions but mine was beautifully graded so that the wires weren’t digging into my armpits nor my back which is great. Also the materials were smooth and didn’t cause any irritation. The back band has three hook and eyes which is great for weight distribution and relieves the stress on my shoulders and back. It doesn’t dig in either which both comfort- and looks-wise very important.

If I could make a slight improvement to the bra it would be placing the straps closer to each other since, in my size at least, they felt a bit wide-set and as you can see in the pics above, they were chaffing my armpits a bit. However, the straps haven’t fallen off my shoulders a single time because of the material of the straps, so that hasn’t been a problem to me. It’s only when doing “bigger” movements with my arms is when I notice the strap placement. Also the straps are fully-adjustable which is always a plus for more petite women.

This time I went for the thong as a co-ordinate option since I haven’t recently been too keen on trying high-waisted knickers, just for the sake of my body type. I am also trying to learn to use more thongs since they are quite practical under tight clothing and also cause I do feel sexy in them. However, it is very hard to find a thong that would flatter one’s body type and also feel comfortable during the day. I was thrilled when I tried the Starlet thong on cause it truly is a great everyday option eg under tight jeans. I loved how comfy the thong felt and size 8 was definitely the right size for me; no muffin top and also no feeling of the thong rising to high up my butt during the day. A+ plus for panty that’s usually regarded as an uncomfy sexy-time garment!

Overall the set is lovely and a great option for those who love something a bit different for their t-shirt bra choice! The set is available in sizes 28-30 D-J, 32 D-HH, 34 D-H, 36 D-GG and 38D-G, panties in sizes 8-20. I would also love to hear any other experiences about the set so if you have any, please share them in the comment box!

This set was generously gifted by Curvy Kate for review purposes. All opinions are my own.