I recently ordered the Flirtelle Sublime because I’d never tried any of Flirtelle’s stuff, even though their bras are usually very inexpensive on Brastop. As Curvy Kate’s “sister brand,” the structure and sizing is like that of Curvy Kate, so I ordered my normal Curvy Kate size of 28J.
You can see the bra looks nice from the front. I was happy to see that the sheer upper section didn’t appear too vast and didn’t make it look like “a lot of bra.” The overall look is actually quite delicate.
Sadly, the bra itself is far from delicate. The bottom sections are made from a VERY thick material. Since it is marketed as satin, I expected a thinner, smooth, shiny fabric. In reality, the fabric of the Sublime felt to me like sailcloth, or something you could make shoes out of. In addition to being very thick, it was also somewhat course to the touch, without the buttery-smooth texture that usually goes along with satin. I am easily turned off by textures I dislike so this bra was no-go for me from the second I touched it.
My only other issue with this bra was the fact that I got a very slight bit of wrinkling along the seams, which you can see in the photo below, meaning it was the slightest bit too big. I think, though, that a cup size down might have been too small, and the wrinkles did not show under a shirt.
Overall this bra is not terrible, but the thick fabric caused me to hate it. For those who don’t mind a thicker fabric, this may be a nice bra to try—I imagine it could even be used as a sports bra because of its ultra-supportive material.
I have a theory that the Curvy Kate “Lottie” shares this very thick fabric, as it is listed in their catalogue as having a “Strengthening laminated lower cup," and in pictures it looks like a similar fabric to the Flirtelle Sublime, though the shape is different.
The same phrase “Strengthening laminated lower cup” is used to describe their upcoming “Gia” bra, which is a shame as I really love this cherry/blush color.
Of course, not every bra will suit every person, but I wanted to blog about the Sublime (and the Lottie and Gia) because I think people should know what they are ordering and in my opinion the Brastop website is not very clear in their description of the Sublime. I also think, though, Flirtelle has more to offer that I would like better—the Vineyard, Divine, and Dahlia bras all look worthy of a try-on.
Thanks for this! I didn't realize it was a sister brand to Curvy Kate so if I figure out my Curvy Kate size (and they work well for me) I'll watch them more then. Did you find the material itchy or uncomfortable? I have no problem with lots of padding but have pretty sensitive skin...
ReplyDeleteI'd say it's a bit softer than bras that are made from all-over mesh (like Bravissimo's Alana bra, Cleo Lucy, or the Flirtelle Vineyard I pictured at the bottom of the post) but not as soft as the microfiber-type fabric in the Panache Harmony and Melody, if you've tried those. The material in the Sublime does have a very slight smoothness in one direction--it's technically still a satin weave, just a very thick one. So that might help for your skin. The upper section is a very soft, slightly stretchy mesh.
DeleteThe Cleo "Lucy" is fabulous and if you like that, try the the "Eleanor"
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review! I am struggeling a little with my bra size at the moment, because I've got 2 young children and my body shape has changed. I tried some Curvy Kate bras in 36GG but found the band too tight and the cup too small. I have then tried 4 Flirtelle bras in 38GG. The bands of Iris and Lucy feel nice and snug without being too tight but the cups wrinkles a little, especially when I sit down (I did not have this problem with the Audrey and Jasmine bras, they fitted me well in 38GG). I think going to a G would make the cup too small. Do you reckon? What is the sizing of Curvy Kate and Flirtelle like compared to for example Freya or Fantasie? Once again thank you so much for your website. Its making me love my bras again :-)
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