About me: size 30FF/G or 32F/FF but most comfortable in 30G. Very projected, close set breasts with short and narrow roots. Even vertical fullness and center full. Best fitting bra is Cleo Lily in 30G.
Even though I'm most comfortable in 30G for Cleo, I sister sized up since I read that the band ran a little tight. I'm definitely glad that I did, because the 32FF is even a little snug! I get a pretty round shape with cakes on a plate cleavage in this bra, but I have some quadding on my larger breast. Another problem is that because I'm close set and the gores are ...a little high, it doesn't lie completely flat on my sternum. However, there's only a slight lift. I think the projection is a little low for me, and the band digs into my skin in certain positions because of the construction, so while this feels comfortable at first, by the end of the day I'm dying to get out of it.
As for design, I have the white colorway and I think it's a little plain, but that's just a personal preference. Read more 83 more words
Cleo Kali 32F - one the recommended list for FoB. The band was so tight I had a hard time thinking. Wrinkles on the bottom! Looks like I need a larger cup and larger band. Maybe 34F? This one might just be a shape incompatibility - the wrinkles at the wire indicate there's not enough immediate projection (so I heard).
This bra comes up very small in the cups. I am generally a 32F, including in other @Cleo bras. I feel I am at the very limit of being contained in the 32FF - almost but not quite at the point of quad boob.
I generally struggle to find moulded bras that fit- this one work well for me because the cup is not high.
I like the unusual shade (magenta) and the shape it gives me. Comfort is good.
I would like the band to be tighter. I had to wear it on the tightest hook from the outset, and it does feel like there is a roll of flesh below the band that should really be within it. I would try a 30G or maybe even GG next time.
I really wanted to like this bra. It's so cute and smooth enough that it could be worn under thin knitted fabrics. The cups and the gore were problematic for me. The cups were easily 1 size to large, possibly 2. I'm considering reordering in a 32F to see if that fixes any problems. The gore dug into my sternum at both the top and the bottom; perhaps it's too long for comfort for me.
I am normally not a fan of Cleo. I don't usually like the fabric, and I think the wires are too firm, and the shoulder straps never let out enough for me. Plus I just don't like unlined bras. Enter Mimi.
I get the rounded, slightly-enhanced shape I get in an Ewas, the shoulder straps let out enough, the wire isn't killing me...I LOVE this bra. I got the blue animal print because it was cheaper and I kind of hate it, but I couldn't afford the rose. It's definitely on my to-buy, list, though. This is a really great bra if you want a Polish look without ...going Polish. And it's soft, too!
If you fit into the Freya Lauren half-cups you'll probably fit into this fine, but I think it's a little deeper. The immediate projection is pretty impressive. All in all, a great shape and really comfortable. Reminds me of the shape I used to get from molded bras when I could find ones in my size.
Consider sizing down in the band if you're between sizes; I'm very comfy in a 32 on this and I'm usually between a 32 and 34. Read more 87 more words
I grabbed this bra after seeing stellar reviews on line. I wanted a padded balconnet bra and I was having issues with finding my correct fit/size in Polish bras.
I find this bra fits true to size in both band and cups. I don't consider this bra to be 'padded' though; there are no thick cutlets at the bottom of the cup. The cups have a layer of fabric that add shape and not bulk or size (at least, to my eyes). The cups lift and provide lovely 'cakes on a plate' cleavage.
Note - the straps are only partially adjustable. I am 5'3" and I am wearing the straps fully extended. People with longer torsos or whose breasts sit lower on the chest may encounter issues.
SEE POST-ALTERATION EDITS BELOW. (Note, measurements are for un-altered bra.)
I hereby dub this bra "The Frankenhalfcup."
It (predictably) has the tall gore and ultra-stretchy band of the Juna. It has the projection at the gore of a Juna or the deeper Freya/Fauves. It has the apex projection and the seam pattern of a Comexim 3HC or a Ewa CHP. It has the closed-on-top configuration of a Comexim 3HC. It has the wide-set straps and cup height of a Ewa CHP.
And it...almost works for me. The "closed on top" part is the question mark.
If I give this a true and honest swoop and scoop, I am hella quadding near the gore. Well, yeah, fused ...breasts. A tall gore in a half cup, that's going to happen. Interestingly, if I narrow the bottom of the gore so that the top line of the cup becomes horizontal, the quadding disappears. So I'm seriously considering keeping and altering this one.
On the downside, I fear that this band is going to stretch out in about 10 seconds. (A 32 that stretches to 36"? And I always get pinged by Bratabase for UNDERMEASURING stretched band length.) Also, those straps. Ugh. Only half adjustable and halfway off my shoulders as it is.
I mean...what bra straps AREN'T halfway off my shoulders, but...
Needs more thought.
EDIT: So, I altered the gore, and while, as predicted, the center quadding disappeared, a host of other pesky issues popped up.
The gore went from "too tall/digs a little" to "actively floating."
My A-shaped ribcage was not fond of band having more tension on the bottom than the top.
The armpit spillage increased mightily--not sure if this was a cup problem or a band problem or both.
If I had purchased this bra on sale, I'd probably keep it (especially as I'm in love with this print). But since I paid full price, I will probably send it back. Read more 200 more words
This bra leaves me puzzled. I know what's wrong (the fabric, mainly), but I'm wondering where to go.
The band is perfectly comfortable--snug, but more "extender for aesthetics" snug than "size up" snug.
The cup fit is about a half-cup smaller than my 32FF Jasmine--currently my best-fitting bra. The wire width and consequently the strap placement is perfect, an improvement on the too-wide Jasmine. It's quite friendly to center projection (although, like the Lily and like ALL THE BRAS, the gore is too tall for me.) However, the all-over stretch lace is giving me some significant in-cup quadboob. There's just not enough tension to smooth me out. The Jasmine ...at least has the stiff lower cup, so the slight in-cup quadding from the stretch upper portion is barely noticeable. Also, the stretchier material is just not supportive enough overall.
But the shape of the cup is dead on, which points me in the direction of Marcie...
But do I go by wire width and go 32FF, or do I try a 32G and hope it doesn't saw my arms off? Or do I try a 34FF or even a 34F and compromise band longevity in search of the perfect wire?
Damn you, Nordstrom, for dumping the Marcie. Doing this in store would be a hell of a lot easier than waiting on Amazon.
I guess Cleo in general is a first world problem. Why dont you try another brand? Pamache wires are hard and long as hell. Try fauve bras e.g. The French know about lingerie.
Oh, I've tried a lot of brands, and I've resorted to Cleo. :) Jasmine is okay, but the rest have failed for various reasons. I was looking for something with easy returns (i.e., not Ewa/Comexim) that's super deep and narrow (frankly, not really Comexim) and comfortable on ultra-close-set breasts (not Freya). I used to love Fauve and still have a few, but they went the way of the Dodo a few years back, and are also too wide and shallow, mosly.
Marcie has been my 'maybe this is as good as it gets' bra. They contain my boobs and they aren't horribly uncomfortable. But they don't give me great shape, or all that much support.
This bra fits true to size in the band and the cups.
I'm somewhat narrow, short rooted, mostly even, and quite projected, and this bra works fairly well for that. I do get gapping at the tops of the cups near the gore, so I don't believe I have enough upper/center fullness for this bra.
I'm somewhat narrow, short rooted, mostly even, and quite projected, and this bra works well for that.
Compared to the Cleo Lily, the scalloped edge at the top of the cups sticks up a bit on the Erin. The fabric of the Erin is also a little thicker/more rigid than some of the Lily colorways.
I was really excited to get this one; I was told pretty frequently that the Marcie would be the answer to my problems. But it looks like the hunt is still on.
The fit is far from ideal for me. The wires go a little too wide and far too high into my sides. The gore is high and the bottom wire shape doesn't mold to me at all (I think it's still too shallow for me...looks like I've gotta convert to Polish). I do gap some at the top too, which makes sense since I'm FOB.
I'm sure this is a pretty awesome bra, the quality seems on par with other Cleos and it seems like a nice bra. Just not for me.
This is just a touch too small, but since I'm trying lose a bit more weight, I think this will fit perfectly in a few pounds. Until then, it's not uncomfortable and it looks fine under tshirts. I got three because they were super cheap.
First off, I love the colour of this bra. The lovely lilac base goes wonderfully with the fluorescent orange detailing. I've been um-ing and ahh-ing over whether or not to finally purchase a @Marcie after getting properly fitted 7 months ago, but when I saw this new Bluebell colour I just had to buy it. It's one of the first non-moulded bras I've bought since getting re-fitted so I wasn't sure about sizing, but since reading reviews that the top of the cup tended to gape I went for a 32FF instead of my usual 32G and I'm glad I did because it fits almost perfectly! The lace ...does gape by a millimetre or two but even then it's only on my smaller breast and is unnoticeable under clothes. The shape from the side is a lovely rounded and uplifted shape, and the wires curve around the root of my breasts like it was made for me. The band is rather stretchy, but I think a 30 band would be too tight and could distort the wires. When I first tried the bra on, the wires at the side felt a bit painful, as though they were sitting on breast tissue even though they weren't, but when I wore it for a whole day there was no pain and sometimes I even forgot I was wearing a bra because it was so comfy! I think the bit of pain at the beginning was partly because I'm used to wires sitting further back from my root and partly because the bra was new and hadn't been broken in yet. I was worried about the straps being too far apart for my narrow sloping shoulders but I'm happy to report that there are no issues so far with digging in or falling down constantly. Another nice thing about this bra are the low wires at the side, which means no digging under the arms. The only bad thing I have to say is that the centre gore is a bit wide for my close-set breasts and doesn't always lie flat, but that's a minor niggle compared to the overall look and feel of the bra. Read more 255 more words
This bra isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn close. Like the other @Cleo bras I own, it has wires that are perhaps a little too wide for me, and the wires themselves are fairly stiff. The bra fits relatively well but the top edges feature non-stretchy lace, and I don't *quite* fill out the lace all the way. Still, I'd rather have this be the situation than have stiff lace and quad-boobing. I do love how fun the colors are!
I love this bra! The wires are a *tad* wide for me, but not so much that I feel any discomfort. I have relatively firm, evenly-full breasts, so the stretchy lace on the top works really well -- some bras with non-stretchy lace can cause me to quad, but the Hettie does not. I only wish this bra came in different colors!
The Juna fit me similarly. It seemed huge, but in reality it was a shape mismatch. Hope you find a great fit soon :-)