Urkye Review - Dwulicowa Tuba and Groszki latte!

Hello!

It's been a while since my last post – I've been really busy with schoolwork. Those papers aren't going to stay up until dawn writing themselves! I wasn't sure whether I should still review some of the older Urkye shirts, since I recently bought new ones, but I figured that since they're still in stores (and since they're awesome), I might as well.

I'm going to review two shirts: the Tuba and Groszki latte. I'll start with the Tuba:

As you can see, I picked the red version. It's a size 34 o/oo. Alright, I'm dying to say it: I adore this shirt! The fit is perfect and comfortable, the colour is a great saturated red, and like a good little garment, it stays put where it's supposed to. That means: no peaking bra straps (which is amazing for a tank top), no bunching up at the waist, and no surprise-party for my cleavage.

I like that the straps can be worn in various styles using the two strips of sliding fabric. The one pictured below is a nice alternative, where the strips are slid to the back.

I must warn, though, that if you are between bust sizes or at the lower end of oo/ooo, you might want to size down. I originally purchased this shirt in green, size 34 oo/ooo, and although it looks alright from far away (as pictured below), from close up there was just too much loose fabric. As you can see, sizing down to o/oo solved this problem very nicely. However, my other Urkye purchases in 34 oo/ooo have been fine in the bust, and I'm the equivilent of that size in Biubiu clothing, so I think only the crossover cut has this issue. My next purchase shows the same problem.

 

I got the Groszki latte in size 34 oo/ooo, and I deeply regret this. It could have been a great shirt in the o/oo. Unfortunately I listened to my friend who insisted I kept it (I have got to get a mind of my own), only to find that I ultimately couldn't stand the fit issue.

Once again, from far away, it looks fine (though the bunching fabric at the bustline makes my chest look larger than usual). The shirt itself is gorgeous – I love how delicate and feminine the style is. I love how the belt emphasizes the waist. I love that the belt can be worn multiple ways (I'm a sucker for versatility). I especially love how pyjama-soft and breathable the fabric is.

Alright, I'm done my love poem to this shirt. I guess we were destined to be star-crossed lovers. The 34 o/oo is sold out.

Sizing down may also have helped resolve the issue of cleavage peak-a-boo. The fabric at the bust slides down a bit after a while (a little more than shown below, but I felt silly wriggling around alone in my bedroom for more than 10 seconds). I can't really say for sure if this was a problem with the shirt itself or just due to incorrect sizing, but judging by the staying power of the rest of the fabric (at my stomach and hips), I'm going to assume it's the sizing factor. 

In general, I do love these shirts. I must add, though, that when I wear them I feel as if my bust is highlighted. The cut draws attention to its shape and size - especially in bright/light colours which have a maximizing effect.This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your taste.

If you prefer a less “fierce” look, I'd suggest some of the other Urkye styles, which I will be reviewing very soon!

On a side note, I had to reorganize my blog, so I lost the few comments I had on my posts. I'm sad because I enjoyed the comments, but Blogspot is a bi - ...big, complicated website that needs some figuring out.

I hope this review has helped! I have two more Urkye items to review, as well, so stay tuned!

Introduction - My Bra Experience

Hi! My name is Ally. I'm 21 years old and I'm an aspiring artist.

To be honest, I've never really blogged before, save for when I was 11 years old and my best friend and I slapped together a couple of beauty sites. Still, we ripped everything off of Cosmogirl (ahh, the days of innocence).

Ten years later, I'm taking another stab at it, except now I have both personal experience and a thorough understanding of plagiarism :P.

Let me elaborate on the personal experience: it all started in the 12th grade, when I had a localized growth spurt. Where was it, you ask? In my bra. Suddenly I was "well endowed".

I was still wearing my sister's C-cup hand-me-down bras when it became evident that something was wrong; I was uncomfortable and spilling out of them. I figured that I needed new bras that weren't stretched out, so I went to a lingerie store near my house named Change. As fate would have it, this store specialized in larger bra sizes.

When I approached the salewoman, she asked me if I knew my size. I confidently answered, "34 C". She looked me up and down, smiled with sheer amusement, and replied, "There is no way you're a 34 C, hunny". 

I ended up buying a 30 F bra that day. I was stunned - how could this have happened? Why was my size so abnormal? I had never heard of anyone having a 30 F cup in my life. What's worse, they warned me that I really needed a 28 band, which even specialty stores did not carry in my cup size. Not only was every mainstream, relatively cheap bra store like Victoria Secret or La Senza off-limits to me, but even the expensive stores that specialized in uncommon sizes could not help me.

I tried to console myself with the knowledge that my 30 F bras still fit, and that after all, it was just a number/letter - albeit an expensive one.

But soon I grew even larger, and the F cups just didn't fit anymore. I also began noticing that the 30 band didn't seem to be supportive enough for my comfort or my appearance. I began looking high and low for 28 bands in larger cup sizes, but no store seemed to carry them. I couldn't even find 30 bands in sizes larger than an F.

Desperate for a bra that - at the very least - fully encased my breasts, I bought a few 34 DD's at La Senza. Because the bands were so incredibly loose, though, the straps had to take on full responsibility for supporting the weight of my chest. Obviously this caused a number of problems, from shoulder pain to a sagging silhouette.

Feeling frustrated and isolated, I began my search for a better bra again. I ended up finding a 30 FF at a high-end specialty store, which I shelled out around 200 dollars for. The band was still too loose, but due to my lack of options, I wore the bra practically every day.

Obviously, the straps and the band quickly stretched out, and the bra looked awful on me. 200 dollars for one month's worth of a kind-of-okay bra? Screw that.

I pretty much gave up on high end stores, and ended up wearing the same stretched out bra - the only one I owned that was vaguely comfortable and flattering - practically every day for a year.

Then one day, during one of my google-browsing sessions, I came across Bravissimo. Bravissimo is a reasonably-priced bra store in England that targets women with larger busts, while also carrying smaller band sizes. I quickly ordered off of their website (they ship worldwide), and excitedly awaited my order.

Through some expensive trial and error (shipping prices there and back), I found my size: 28 G.

I was ecstatic and relieved to find cute bras (my other ones looked like the kind your great granny might give away to charity), which actually felt secure, fitted, and comfortable. I looked way better in my clothes, I felt a lot sexier in my underwear, I didn't have to worry about embarrassing pop-outs, I did not have aching, sore breasts by the end of the day, and there were no more wires scratching me.

After feeling disregarded by the lingerie industry for so long, and dealing with the consequences of ill-fitting bras, I feel it's important to help other women who are struggling with the same issues. We all deserve to feel confident, beautiful, and comfortable.

That is why I plan to write about my experiences and knowledge in this blog, which will hopefully help other women find their perfect bra.

 

Me in a my favourite bra: Deco by Freya (I was too cheap to buy the matching undies - but these pink and grey ones kinda work!)

                                              
                                             
I won't lie, it feels weird to put pictures of my body online, especially because I recently recieved some pretty nasty comments about my bust size. But the lovely, confident women of Thin and Curvy and The Curvy Kitten have inspired me to be happier in my own skin, and I'd like to do the same for others.


Stay tuned for an in-depth review of the Deco Bra!