Curvy Kate Moonflower Black Floral Padded Bikini Top 34K and Ruched Back Brief 20

A brand I can always rely on for great-looking bra-sized swimwear is Curvy Kate. They make a wide range of styles, colours, and prints, and any time I need a new bikini they are one of the first brands I'll check out.

Just before my holiday to the Greek island of Zakynthos back in late August I was thrilled when the lovely ladies at CK sent me the Moonflower Black Floral Bikini.

Image courtesy of Curvy Kate

The Moonflower comes in a range of co-ordinating options and I was sent the Padded Bikini Top (UK sizes 30-40 D-K) in 34K and the Ruched Back Brief (UK sizes 8-22) in 20.

The print on the bikini top is SO pretty. I know black can sometimes be rather sombre, but Curvy Kate have cleverly designed a pink, turquoise, and white floral print that absolutely leaps off the black background, so it's anything but dull. The pink straps and bow on the central gore help to accentuate the pink, and also allow the top to co-ordinate with other pink items from Curvy Kate's spring/summer 2015 collection - my Luau Love High Waist Brief are the perfect match!

Speaking of which, the Black Floral Padded Bikini Top is actually pretty much identical in design to the Luau Love Padded Bikini Top. The balconette bikini top has lightly padded foam cups, which are overlaid with the black floral stretchy fabric. The fabric is cleverly cut and positioned so that the underwires are completely covered, which gives the top an appearance of being wireless. This makes a pleasant change from all my other bikini tops where the wires are very apparent - I don't mind this at all but this bikini just looks different, and I like that. There is a small strip of pink fabric sitting over the central gore, onto which a large pink bow is attached.

Overall this bikini top is a good fit on me. I would have liked the cups to be deeper, as is evidenced in some of my photos where the quadboob is on show. However, it's really not that bad at all and I think the slightly upward angle of these photos makes it look more noticeable than it actually is in real life. I like the shape this bikini top gives my boobs, and it holds my breasts at the front of my body, just where they should be. A few years ago CK bikinis pushed my boobs out to the side, but this feature is a distant memory with the new designs.

The central gore sits flat against my sternum and stays in place during wear. I love how low cut the gore is - perfect for sunbathing! The cups give me decent coverage without covering me up too much and despite the low gore my boobs feel very secure in them.

The wires are narrower than ever before and whilst I still find them a bit too wide they are definitely a vast improvement on previous seasons' CK bikini tops I've tried. They are the perfect height under my arms and do not dig or poke. However one day whilst on holiday I noticed that the top was rubbing my under my right arm and when I investigated I found that the wire had popped out of the channel into my armpit. That meant I couldn't wear the top for the rest of my holiday, which was more of an inconvenience than a disaster as I had other tops I could wear instead, but it was a pity. Writing this review has reminded me that I need to get out my sewing box to reclose the wire channel - it's an easy enough task but better done in natural daylight rather than artificial light so I can see better.

The 34 band is fairly firm and the fit is comfortable on me. I daresay the 32 band would also be good, but as K is the largest cup size, and a 32K would be the same cup volume as a 34JJ, I definitely would have found the cups too small. The band fastens with a single chunky plastic pink clasp.

The straps are rather thin and I expect - like the Luau Love - they will stretch out after a few wears (the popped wire occurred on only the second wear). Thin straps are great for minimal strap marks, but not so good for supporting large boobs and being kind to shoulders. I would have definitely preferred them to be wider. The straps adjust fully and the sliders stay in place pretty well during wear. There will always be some slippage on swimwear straps because of the slippery material and the fact there is no embellishment along the edges of the straps, as there is on bra straps.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Ruched Back Brief. I requested a 20 as in other swimwear from the same collection I've had 22s and have found them roomy. The 20 turned out to be perfect for me. I would have preferred the front rise to be about an inch higher, but otherwise they are spot on. They are skimpier than the M&Co bottoms I've been wearing on recent holidays so you can see some of my seemingly everlasting tan lines, but they give good coverage at the front (aside from my personal preference for a higher rise), at the sides, and over my backside. In fact, they are really well shaped across the bottom and give a very pleasing appearance, if I do say so myself! I'm not sure if you can see it from my photos but the 'ruched' bit is on the centre of the back, where there is ruching to add shaping. If you have a bottom the size of mine no shaping is required but I do like the added interest the ruching provides.

Wearing the Moonflower Bikini Top on holiday in Greece in late August 2015

I am really delighted with this bikini and look forward to wearing it on many future holidays to come. The Moonflower range also comes in a plunge bikini top, a tankini top, ruffle tie side briefs, and fold mini briefs.