Curveturiere Preview

On Monday night I had the privilege of attending a cocktail preview party for the new intimates line Curveturiere! I was delighted and a little star-struck to go to my first press event, but I had such a lovely time speaking with the founders, Mary Pifko and Kelly Moore, having some bubbly, meeting buyers and other writers in the fashion and lingerie fields, and chatting with Avril, the gorgeous fit model who showed off some of the styles that will launch in 2013. Curveturiere’s journey has been a whirl-wind; Kelly told me that work on the line began in February 2012, and they’re already showing their first collections. They should be able to reveal their first buyers and retail locations in about a month! Mary and Kelly each have an impressive background in fashion design and marketing, and their experience really speaks in their attention to detail.

A quick run-down: all Curveturiere styles, including strapless and wire-free bras, will be available in sizes 32-50 D-K. Note that Curveturiere uses the US cup-sizing system (generally, A, B, C, D, DD, DDD/E, F, G, H, I, J, K), so women who wear higher than a UK H/HH-cup may be sized out. Curveturiere is making a point of soliciting customer feedback even before the launch of the full line at Curve Las Vegas. Kelly told me they’ve already had multiple requests for 28 and 30 back sizes, and if they get enough requests they may even have time to get these sizes patterned, cut, and ready for sale in 2013! That’s a pretty dazzlingly quick turn-around, so hopefully women who are currently sized out at any end of the spectrum can speak up and see items in their sizes in the near future.

Curveturiere hopes to become a true lifestyle brand, offering lingerie, sleepwear, and swimwear. The initial collection is all about color—even neutral options have a little spot of brightness: a beige lace underwire bra features chartreuse straps, and the white lace strapless bra features beautiful periwinkle-blue embroidery. Most styles are available in at least four color options, if not more, and there seems to be a fairly equal division of underwired and wire-free styles. I keep hearing from full-bust and full-figure women that they’d like the option of going wire-free, whether for sleep or just for comfort, and Curveturiere’s wire-free styles are really a breath of fresh air in a field of beige and white (although these neutrals are available too). The colors will suit a range of skin tones—Avril seemed to glow in everything she wore, but I could also see the colors popping beautifully against very dark or very pale skin, and the many different styles and details will appeal across a wide range of ages and tastes.

The attention to detail across the board is really great. Avril invited us to touch the items she wore and to notice things like the soft comfort straps, the depth of the bra band at the underarm (great for support and also for smoothing and shaping), and the lift the different styles gave. She even threw her arms up and danced around in her strapless bra, which was obviously completely charming. All of the hardware has been carefully selected for comfort and durability; once a strap is adjusted, it won’t slide out of place. Each size is individually patterned; the manufacturers don’t use a grading system, which means that fit is very specific from size to size. The number of hooks and eyes and placement of boning (some styles are three-part cups, and the strapless bra is a four-part cup) adjust with every size.

Nightwear is sized XS-XL and 1X-3X and will feature shelf bras (for bra-sized nighttime support, I’d recommend looking out for the wire-free styles and the cami-bra). The lace nightgown we saw is sexy and pretty and soft.

Available in black, white, pale green, and pale lavender, the bodice is made up of the shelf bra with a sheer lace over-layer with capped sleeves, and the knee-length skirt is a soft modal-feeling stretch knit. I love the idea of delicate silk chemises and wispy camisoles and tap pants, but I’m a thrasher and a stretcher when I sleep—I much prefer fabrics with some stretch and give. The white, which Avril modeled, would make wonderful bridal nightwear—it’s extremely pretty and sexy, yet comfortable and easy to wear.

Being the best blogger ever, I only got two pictures, and these are super-high-quality wonderful smartphone pictures, so obviously you can really appreciate the details. Bah.

This is one of the “basic” underwire styles, but as you can see it’s anything but. Available in beige/yellow, black/animal/red, and mint/cobalt blue in a three-part cup construction, the shape is a classic, but the colors are fresh, and the embroidery feels fun, instead of frumpy. Avril’s modeling the bra with the classic high-waisted brief, available in multiple coordinating colors (a high-waisted thong is also available in the same colors). I have to say that the mint green color isn’t my favorite, but it looked fabulous on Avril, and I’m looking forward to seeing the black/animal/red colorway in person.

This is one of the wire-free styles. Thanks to my incredibly inept photography skills, you can see how adorably retro she looks. No? Let me break it down for you. The bra is a wire-free three-part cup, with an animal print over a layer of black. This brief is pretty cool—ultra high-waisted, the leg length is between a brief and a tap-pant, so it will provide great coverage with low risk of VPL. There’s lovely soft lace trim around the leg line and a ruched seam up the center back to hug your curves. This brief also features a comfort lace panel across the belly, which offers some lift and shaping without the death-grip that some shapewear provides. Avril was a big fan. She said she could tell the difference the brief made without feeling constricted or squeezed at all. Between the soft curls in her hair and the great retro shape and style of her underwear, she looked like a gorgeous pin-up girl.

I think I’m most looking forward to trying the strapless bras and the cami-bra. I’ve touched on this before, but strapless bras, no matter the size, tend towards the practical: white, beige, and black. Women with full busts particularly struggle to find a pretty strapless bra that also supports them, understandably, because of, you know, gravity and all. I have Freya’s strapless Deco bra, and it’s great, but it also makes me feel huge and immobile. I’d love to find a strapless bra that didn’t feel so constricting, yet could still provide great shape and lift (I would also like to pay $0 in rent and have guaranteed first-class airline travel, just in case someone’s granting wishes). I wasn’t sure about the pink + gold lace combo, but seeing it in person completely changed my mind. It’s pretty, girly, and sexy: I can see someone rocking a black strapless dress with just a hint of hot pink lace peeking out over the top!

The cami-bra also looks intriguing. It’s based on Curveturiere’s seamless molded wire-free plunge bra, with a layer of not-quite-opaque mesh as an outer lining. Avril modeled the same style as this press image and the top layer provides great coverage with just a hint of sheerness, for a flirty touch.

We all (that is, Avril and her adoring fans) agreed that we could see younger women experimenting with some of the pieces as, if not outerwear, then certainly as visible components of their going-out attire: a little lace peeking out of a blazer or strapless top, a visible neon bra strap, a bright bra under a sheer top. At the same time, I think the collection will also appeal to an older or more classic demographic. Curveturiere will offer some really lovely lace bras in flattering shapes with beautiful and unique details– I’m can’t wait to see a beige/lavender lace bra and a cobalt blue lace bra with mint straps in person. I’m very, very much looking forward to the line’s arrival in stores in 2013. Just a reminder as you shop: a new bra should fit you firmly and comfortably on the loosest hook, with the band lying straight and horizontal across your back. Avril modeled some of her bras on the tightest hooks, because she’s a lovely model and she can get away with it, but if this happens to you, try a smaller band size (with a larger cup size to achieve the same cup volume you had before) and see how it feels! You might surprise yourself, and your bra will last longer since you can keep tightening as it stretches with wear.

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The other wonderful part of my evening was meeting two NYC women with exciting things on their horizons. Steffany Allen is a fashion stylist and personal style coach, working with clients of all shapes and sizes but especially sensitive to the needs of full-figure women, for whom finding great fashion can be a struggle. Kathleen Sanchez is getting ready to open Curvaceous K, a brand-new boutique on the lower east side specializing in clothes, accessories, and lingerie exclusively for the full-figured customer. I was really inspired speaking to both of these creative and friendly women, so I’ll do my best to keep you apprised of any new developments in their careers, especially the planned opening of Curvaceous K in the Fall. I recommend checking them out!

http://www.steffanyallen.com
Steffany.Allen@gmail.com

http://curvaceousk.blogspot.com
Kathy.Sanchez@curvaceousk.com

August 8, 2012 by Sweets | 9 Comments