Review: Curvy Kate Portia

Portia is probably my best shape in Curvy Kate, i.e., the style that is roundest, & with the least 'upside down 7' potential. I also think the cup is slightly deeper than styles like Princess or Emily. It isn't however, the comfiest. That would be Wonderland, followed by Gia.

Comfort Profile
This falls into the category of most of my UK bras, which is 'Comfy Enough'.  This means I can wear it for a whole work day, but at least twice during the day I will ponder the minor discomfort caused by strap or band, or not-soft-enough issues. Bras in this cateory are definitely whipped off minutes after I walk in the door; there is no forgetting to take it off until after dinner. Which, of course, is not the same at all as truly comfy, as in I'm not especially aware of the bra at all times, would happily wear it all day at work, then out to dinner, too. That kind of comfy is, frankly, a very short list. 

• Fabric.  Very light mesh. The mesh itself is fairly soft, but this is negated by the very pretty eyelet and ribbon embroidery and the overall design of diagonal panes. It definitely doesn't feel smooth against the skin, though isn't actually scratch, just...incredibly textured. However, it is highly breathable, so welcome in summertime.
• Straps.  For CK, these are comfy straps. No harsh edging, not stiff, they lay fairly smoothly. They are not as wide as Freya, but are restricted stretch. 
• Cups.  Portia's cups are a bit deeper than other styles in CK, and slightly more full-on-top friendly. And the gore tacks perfectly. Which is surprising, as, with virtually all CK styles, the cups have no stretch at all. 

 Beauty

I do like the design aesthetic of Portia. The eyelet lace with threaded ribbon reminds me of a Victorian choker. All that's needed is a cameo at the gore, rather than a bow. I also love the look of the textured diamond windowpane pattern of the cups, though I don't enjoy how it feels. The texture is strong enough to show through very light fabrics. This coral colorway is one of my favorites. It glows against the skin, giving it the illusion of a dash of healthy color (which will not be apparent in my trademark pics of dismal quality - thanks again, dark Alaska winter days).

Compromises

Fabric.  Besides not being the softest, the utter lack of any stretch makes the cups really unforgiving of size fluctuation. 

Wires.  The cup itself doesn't cut in, but the  outer wire tip on my larger boob will dig in. I do bend the outer wire tips away from my body in all my CK's, which renders them far comfier and helps them follow the lines of my body better. 

When Do I Wear It?

When I want an ultra lightweight balconette, in a true 3/4 cup style, with a Fairly rounded shape, very open neckline, and pretty straps that may peek out. And I'm only going to be wearing it 8 hours. This is a very useful bra for boatneck tops and deep scoop T's. The pattern is sometimes visible under very sheer tops, and I don't mind if the lace edging shows through a medium fabric. 
Size:  38GG