Shape: Projected, even/center full, narrow/tall roots, soft tissue.

THE TAKEAWAY: A lightly-padded 3HC (three-part/two-seamed half cup). The shape and construction are definitely similar to the 32HH - Wellfitting » Liftsational Classic Demi (aka, a Comexim 3HC). One big difference is the lack of a top section, which probably makes this bra friendlier to true FOT shapes. Good for even or center fullness, and at least moderate projection. The outer material is soft to the touch, and the seams are nicely subtle, but unfortunately on me the lip of the bra is pretty noticeable under thinner t-shirts, which stops this from being a true t-shirt bra for me. One word of caution is that the straps are quite wide. This bra is a rare Cleo that's comfortable on me in a 30, so you may want to consider sizing down from your usual, especially if you're between bands.

Edited to add: My 32, at least, does not stretch to 36". It definitely only hard-stretches as far as 34". But without distorting the wires? 31.5 is about the limit. This is my problem -- bras that _hard-stretch_ to 31.5" are about my size, but bras aren't categorized by their hard-stretch...

THE DETAILS: I went ahead and tried the blue leopard print because that's what was on sale in my size on Amazon; my plan was definitely to buy the AW16 rose print if it worked for me. Unfortunately...

I don't think this bra provides enough projection for me. In the 32FF, I get pretty major quadding, but in the 30GG - Cleo » Mimi Padded Balconnet Bra (8091) (bought because of 100percentawesome's spot-on advice to size down) the bra shows its true colors, quickly sliding down out of my IMF when left unattended. (I'm wearing it right now, and I keep glancing down to see that it looks like the GG suddenly fits, only to tug it up back into my IMF and see the return of the gaping.) This makes me think that the 32FF is giving me orange-in-a-glass, which is well-disguised by the firm padded cups.

This bra would work better for me in 30GG if I were more FOT or had more outer-fullness (which would fill out the outer gaping in the 30GG; it looks pretty perfect in the center, but the rest of the bra casts a wide shadow on my tissue), but I think ideally I would also be less projected. Still, that this works on me at all makes me think it can definitely handle at least SOME projection. The gore is also a smidge wider than my ideal, but gores so rarely bother me that I didn't even notice until I _really_ started inspecting the fit.

But the biggest dealbreaker might actually be the strap wideness. When I wore a 34, I frequently had problems with straps being too wide, but on smaller bands it's usually less of an issue. Yet in the 30GG (and maybe even especially in the 30GG, versus the 32FF), the straps are basically in my armpits, and I think it would definitely get uncomfortable over time.

Blue Animal colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 01, 2016 Flag this

• Show all comments (7)
• 1

  Nuts, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! I wish there was some good way to quantify depth at the wire, since it seems this bra has worked out well for some of us who are projected, and others not. It's particularly a head-scratcher in this case because I think our shapes are a close match, you're just in a larger cup size. Maybe the scaling is a little wonky? You mention how wide set the straps are as well as feeling like you need more outer fullness - how would you say the wire width is for you?

• 100percentawesome It could totally be a scaling problem, or it could be me being between cup sizes in this particular bra; there's a pretty dramatic difference on me between the 32FF and the 30GG. (Apparently I hadn't added the pictures yet, which... annoys me, because I thought I'd waited to review this bra until they'd been approved, but apparently I got this one confused with the 70HH - Comexim » Small Quail Plunge Bra (454) and the 32GG - Anna Pardal For Comexim » Florence Nuance Plunge. Nuts.

  I wish I had tried the rose print, though, so I could be sure it wasn't also somehow a colorway issue.

• 100percentawesome I realize that you asked a specific question!

  The wire width in my size is completely fine. The 30GG is markedly taller than the 32FF, though; about half an inch taller. (Also interestingly the 30GG has thicker straps; I don't think I've noticed that before between sizes that are so close together.)

• Ah, you experienced the GG divide with this one, then. If I recall correctly the construction of Cleo & Panache bras changes beginning with GG cups. That's actual super useful info (taller cups, thicker straps after the divide) and might be worth highlighting in the review of the 30GG.

  As for the wire width, I was thinking some of the issue with the cups could be due to it, but it looks like it could be the combo of the cup shifting due to not enough protection (or OiG, if not wide enough) and being a bit too tall (at least in the 30GG).

• That's a really good point, and I will do this. :) It's been a while since I ordered a GG cup (lost some boob when I went off hormonal BC), and I don't think I was often comparing it directly to a non-GG cup when I was!

  Yeah, the wire width in this case is fine, but that was a good question. I do wish I was more confident in my cup volume measurements but I find them so tricky. I wish we could measure depth the same way we measure cup height (that is, by running a tape measure down the inside of the center of the cup from top to bottom, rather than trying to find the deepest horizontal part of it), because I just don't know where to put the tape measure and fiddling with it makes me increasingly lose confidence in the accuracy of the measurement.

  I think I'm like, in a properly measured ~5.5" cup I would want just a smidge over 10" of depth, but the shape of the cup has such a big impact on how it fits me that the same depth in one 5.5" cup can quad in another... le sigh.

• rainbrasspetals I feel you! I always doubt my depth measurement and it is SO dependent on cup shape that it's sort of useless anyway. By the depth measurement the Mimi *shouldn't* actually work on me, as it's not nearly as deep as my best fitting bras, but there's something about the shape that makes it work. It remains a mystery. All I have to say is if Amazon Prime goes away (with all the free shipping and returns!) I would have a dreadful time finding bras that fit.

• 100percentawesome Gosh, so very agreed. Without Amazon Prime, I wouldn't have ordered a Cleo Hettie today. Knowing that I can try it on, and return it for free, is a huge boon. I've never actually tried a Lily or a Lucy or a Minnie, I don't _think,_ but Amazon Prime makes it very easy to fix that. :)

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