I am shallow, slightly FOB/almost even, with tall roots and I get inner cup wrinkling and the top is too closed and cuts into my upper bust. This bra has pretty wide wires. The gore is too spacey for me at like an inch wide incl. wires. I'm definitely too shallow for this bra: I can't fill the apex of the cup so the extra fabric bunches up and looks like a pointy nipple. I'm not an expert but I think this bra requires more immediate projection than I have.
This is my first true-size swim bra, and as I anticipated the band is stretchier than regular Cleo bras but still solidly supportive and firmer than a typical Freya band.
After my success with the Cleo Hattie Bandeau Top, I decided to pick up another similar looking style from the same eBay seller. Once again, I was able to snag a complete set (ruffle bottoms in XS) and two different top styles to try (Bandeau and Padded Plunge). Even though this is a size smaller than my ideal size right now, it also worked out!
Matilda Bandeau and Hattie Bandeau are similar looking from the front, but the main difference between the two styles is that the cups are made from different types of foam. The Hattie has a very soft and flexible matte white foam ...lining, but Matilda has a stiffer shiny white foam lining. This means that the Matilda cups are stiffer and more structured. In the bandeau style it's not a big deal, but I can feel a little bit of emptiness at the top of the cup just due to the shape, as it is quite projected and then the top closes back in. I prefer the soft foam and the slightly larger cups/wires of the Hattie in 28E, but I feel that this style in a 28E would have been too deep, so it's a good thing I ended up with this size.
The fabric of my set is matte yellow with a honeycomb-like pattern. It's simple, but still feels fun. I got the bottoms called "Frill Pants" in size XS, my normal size, after having tried a S and finding it way too big. They look really big compared to my other bikinis, but they fit fine. I think this fabric doesn't stretch as much as the American bikinis I am used to. Even though they are considered ruffled, the ruffle itself is actually just at the top of the leg opening, so it isn't too much. Overall, I am very pleased with this set!
Please see my separate review for the Matilda Padded Plunge Top.
I ended up liking this style enough that I purchased the same set in both Cobalt and Yellow. Note that compared to my Cobalt Matilda, this particular one runs a bit narrower and shorter in the cups, but the cup depth is the same, and the band is a bit tighter. These minor differences are not really noticeable in the fit since the cup is structured and band is supposed to be very firm, so the fit is essentially the same. The Yellow set was purchased through Breakout Bras via Amazon. Read more 316 more words
After my success with the Cleo Hattie Bandeau Top, I decided to pick up another similar looking style from the same eBay seller. Once again, I was able to snag a complete set (ruffle bottoms in XS) and two different top styles to try (Bandeau and Padded Plunge). Even though this is a size smaller than my ideal size right now, it also worked out!
Matilda Bandeau and Hattie Bandeau are similar looking from the front, but the main difference between the two styles is that the cups are made from different types of foam. The Hattie has a very soft and flexible matte white foam ...lining, but Matilda has a stiffer shiny pink foam lining. This means that the Matilda cups are stiffer and more structured. In the bandeau style it's not a big deal, but I can feel a little bit of emptiness at the top of the cup just due to the shape, as it is quite projected and then the top closes back in. I prefer the soft foam and the slightly larger cups/wires of the Hattie in 28E, but I feel that this style in a 28E would have been too deep, so it's a good thing I ended up with this size.
The fabric of my set is matte blue with a geometric pattern of diamonds and waves. It's simple, but still feels fun. I got the bottoms called "Frill Pants" in size XS, my normal size, after having tried a S and finding it way too big. They look really big compared to my other bikinis, but they fit fine. I think this fabric doesn't stretch as much as the American bikinis I am used to. Even though they are considered ruffled, the ruffle itself is actually just at the top of the leg opening, so it isn't too much. Overall, I am very pleased with this set!
Please see my separate review for the Matilda Padded Plunge Top.
I ended up liking this style enough that I purchased the same set in both Cobalt and Yellow. Note that the Yellow Matilda runs a bit narrower and shorter in the cups, but the cup depth is the same; the band is a bit smaller on the yellow one. These minor differences are not really noticeable in the fit since the cup is structured and band is supposed to be very firm, so the fit is essentially the same. Read more 307 more words
I picked up Lucille on deep discount during HerRoom's summer clearance sale. This is my first swim top from Cleo, so I went with my normal size of 28DD. While this print wasn't one I would choose normally, happily the fit worked out!
The fit seems to run pretty true to size for Cleo balconnets, although I am not sure exactly which block this is based on. The band is definitely true to size, and the cups fit me snugly, although this may be because the cup height is not very tall. I found the style to be lifting and supportive on me, and I ...definitely liked this fit much better than the Freya plunge styles I also picked up. These all have the same plastic snap back, which I found to be difficult to put on, however once they are on, they feel secure.
I like the fit of this top, but I am not a fan of the geo print or the little button details. For swim, I like simpler styles with no additional ornamentation, contrast binding, etc. I'll definitely look out for this style in the future and see if I can get it in a solid color or a print that suits me better. Read more 105 more words
I love this bikini top! Doesn't gape when I'm lying down, or when I put my arms up. Perfect for my wide shallow breasts.
I used to wear those triangle string bikinis and was so depressed about how they flattened my chest out. But this bikini has given me so much more confidence going to the beach (if you live in Australia, you'll know what I mean about the pressure to look good in a bikini!)
Bipples--love it :-) :-)