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Bras » Cleo » Lily Balconnet Bra (7351)

Lily Balconnet Bra (7351)

AW2013-AW2014 - Unpadded balconette with a decorative ribbon at the cups; available in multiple colors and prints More...
This bra is discontinued.

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28

28D

28:4

9 bras

28DD

28:5

10 bras

28E

28:6

16 bras

28F

28:7

27 bras

28FF

28:8

29 bras

28G

28:9

22 bras

28GG

28:10

16 bras

28H

28:11

11 bras

28HH

28:12

5 bras

28J

28:13

6 bras

30

30B

30:2

0 bras

30C

30:3

2 bras

30D

30:4

5 bras

30DD

30:5

19 bras

30E

30:6

25 bras

30F

30:7

30 bras

30FF

30:8

48 bras

30G

30:9

29 bras

30GG

30:10

13 bras

30H

30:11

11 bras

30HH

30:12

12 bras

30J

30:13

12 bras

32

32B

32:2

0 bras

32C

32:3

0 bras

32D

32:4

2 bras

32DD

32:5

8 bras

32E

32:6

23 bras

32F

32:7

26 bras

32FF

32:8

34 bras

32G

32:9

21 bras

32GG

32:10

10 bras

32H

32:11

11 bras

32HH

32:12

7 bras

32J

32:13

7 bras

34

34B

34:2

0 bras

34C

34:3

1 bra

34D

34:4

1 bra

34DD

34:5

2 bras

34E

34:6

7 bras

34F

34:7

5 bras

34FF

34:8

10 bras

34G

34:9

8 bras

34GG

34:10

5 bras

34H

34:11

13 bras

34HH

34:12

5 bras

34J

34:13

9 bras

36

36B

36:2

0 bras

36C

36:3

0 bras

36D

36:4

0 bras

36DD

36:5

1 bra

36E

36:6

3 bras

36F

36:7

2 bras

36FF

36:8

8 bras

36G

36:9

8 bras

36GG

36:10

5 bras

36H

36:11

1 bra

36HH

36:12

1 bra

36J

36:13

3 bras

38

38B

38:2

0 bras

38C

38:3

0 bras

38D

38:4

0 bras

38DD

38:5

1 bra

38E

38:6

3 bras

38F

38:7

3 bras

38FF

38:8

3 bras

38G

38:9

3 bras

38GG

38:10

1 bra

38H

38:11

2 bras

38HH

38:12

1 bra

38J

38:13

2 bras

  1. 28 D-J ... (28 :4-:13)
  2. 30 B-J ... (30 :2-:13)
  3. 32 B-J ... (32 :2-:13)
  4. 34 B-J ... (34 :2-:13)
  5. 36 B-J ... (36 :2-:13)
  6. 38 B-J ... (38 :2-:13)

Read reviews

  1. 8
    like

    30E

    Fits

    I've read that this bra is an improved fit version of the Meg; for me this proves true.

    Where the Meg seemed to run large in the cup, the Lily seems more true to size. For comparison, I wear a 30DD in the Meg (though it's a tiny bit too small, the E is far too big). Perhaps the upper section of the cup curves in less sharply than the Meg too, though this might be my imagination.

    The fabric of the Lily has marginally more give than the Meg, but it's still not the most forgiving of bras; if you are very FOT or, conversely, shallow, this ... may not be a good fit for you. If your size fluctuates during the month, then it's probably going to be one of those bras which only fits you perfectly for part of the time.

    Overall I find it a comfortable everyday bra which gives a similar shape to the Meg, but fits more true to (Cleo?) size. Stretchy band (think Lucy not Melissa) may be an issue if you are sub-28, but it's nothing like Freya/Fantasie. Appearance-wise it's pretty but nothing stand out.

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    88 more words

    Updated on Sep 21, 2013 Flag this


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  2. 7
    like

    30F

    Fits

    I own this in the old-school parrot print colourway.

    QUALITY: It's nice! Maybe not as luxe as some other $$$ bra brands out there, but it feels sturdy, there's no loose threads or unfinished, itchy corners (cough, Freya), and the elastic holds over over time admirably. It was designed with a real person wearing real shirts in mind, and the seams aren't obtrusive under shirts - even the flashy pink stripe at the top of the cup is just sheer fabric, not ribbon, so it doesn't poke out or interfere with the rest of the cup construction. The fabric is a little acrylic and stiff, which is weird ... when you first put it on, but as your tissue relaxes into it, it becomes a perfect and secure fit.
    COMFORT/FIT: This is the best fit in a bra I've ever had. The gore doesn't dig, the band is just snug enough, and while I get some puckering at the top of the cups, it disappears after a few minutes of wear. I wish the wires were padded up just a little more - the wires can dig in the underbust after a long day. I highly recommend this bra for people with close-set boobs and with centered/evenly full tissue.
    APPEARANCE: I'm so down for these parrots. The print is kind of busy, but as long as it doesn't interfere with the bra's functionality, I truly don't care. The pink ribbon at the top makes your boobs look like luminous, perfect spheres through the power of forced perspective, and the shape this bra gives under shirts is great - rounded, lifted, and unlike many other unlined bras, your nipples aren't the center of attention when it's cool out.
    IDEAL USES: Boppin' around town, lookin' cute, day-to-day boob business
    KEY AESTHETICS: Modern Independent Woman, Abbi From Broad City, Cold Brew & Cults Concerts, I Own A Succulent Garden And Also I Do My Own Taxes, I Have A Record Collection But I'm Not Going To Be A Douche About It

    Read more
    228 more words

    Updated on Mar 13, 2016 Flag this


    • I love this review :D I just wish the lily didn't wrinkle weird on me :)

    • Lily parrots is super sturdy. I wore mine weekly for over a year before I had to start moving the hooks to a small setting.

    • 1

      I got a Lily Swan print set listed for sale in the sister size to this, 28FF. Just an FYI ;-) The Lily's are classic, well made and give a great rounded shape to those who have the even fullness and short roots they demand.

    • KEY AESTHETICS: are you stalking me? (minus the cold brew..give me blazing hot coffee, or give me death)

      Thanks for this review, I really want to try this bra and it is helping me to make a decision. :)

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  3. I wrote a massive, and I do mean massive, review last night for this bra. I knew that my phone was low on battery power, so I plugged it into the backup battery I had. Little did I know that the backup battery was also low on juice, and I was nearly done with my review and my phone died. I was so engrossed with finishing the review, that I didn’t see the battery power begin declining once the backup was done. And everything was lost, as I had been typing in the site as I always do, but hadn’t thought about copying the text at “save points” ... in case something happened. So here I am again, trying to see what I can recall from last night.

    ************************************

    Warning: this is going to be long. Like really really really long. For the tldr, skip way to the bottom. Like WAAAY to the bottom. Sorry...

    This review begins with teenage Calluna, in the early 90s, shopping for bras at Victoria’s Secret with my bestie, as you did. I think that this may very well have been the peak, or start of the peak when VS was really popular with teenage girls. Like any and all 5’ tall 100 lb girls, I was put into a 34A/B (*snort* because you all know it is true). I remember having this beautiful white eyelet bra, one of my first underwire bras. I don’t know why I remember that one, but I do. I think that my friend might have also had the same, or she had really liked it. Anyway, I’d often complain about the straps slipping from my shoulders and would be told it was because I was so petite. Later I would be remeasured and told that I was a 32 band. Think that I listened? Ha ha, you’re right, I didn’t. I think that for me, the idea of a 34A/B seemed hugely normal for someone like me that was hugely abnormal in my eyes. I have a lazy eye for a start, and at the time, I’d already had 2 surgeries as a kid and my muscles grew and my eye would go out again. As mentioned, I was tiny. I still am tiny. And I look young. Nobody believes that I’m 44. I have size 4.5 feet that come with their own set of problems, my ears were huge and stuck out so much that my parents opted for me to have surgery, and I was very smart in class (except for math). Socially, a bit awkward too. I was so very abnormal on so many levels, that fitting what seemed to be a normal size was a comfort, so being told that I was not what I thought in my mind was normal went in and out of my ears so fast. At the time, I had very little knowledge about bras or even the social myths and misconceptions or anything about size.

    I do recall that sometime after high school, I would submit and accept my 32 fate, and would you know it, my straps felt better and slipped less. I was still tightening them a lot.

    At one point, I went on the pill, and every underwire bra irritated the crap out of me, and I lived in that kind of pullover lounge bra that had the wide elastic band at the bottom and was ribbed like a tank top on top. It was also VS. I eventually realized that I it looked crap under clothes and I was starting my first office job that was business casual and so I found some wireless bras that worked. I can’t recall if this is when I adopted the 32 bands or if it was pre pill, but that’s not important.

    One day I realized that my 32C Chantelle wireless bra was not fitting anymore. I consulted with my best friend (different one from high school) because frankly, she has a much larger chest than I do, and we’re super close and have no TMI issues. I mean, we met in the IUD Divas group on live journal and discussed our insertions which were both the same day. So yeah, discussing the plastic T in your uterus is pretty open and revealing. She gave me so many resources. I learned about Fig Leaves, Bare Necessities, and Bravissimo, along with the basics of bra fitting via the sites and her. I ordered the first round of bras, took pics with my phone and emailed, and she suggested I try one size higher...32DD. That seemed to work, and I had two Fantastie bras and a Panache Tango Plunge which I ended up getting in a 32E. I actually have the two bras from Fantasie still, and I even have one in my bras here (Rimini), but mostly because I wanted to add data. I have not worn them a decade, but have put them on over the years as my weight has shifted and affected my size...I used them to gage size. I later got a Freya Pollyanna which I liked even more. I still have that too, and I used it for data here as well when I first started. I got rid of the Panache plunge, because gorgeous as it was being a Bravissimo exclusive colourway option, it was a love hate relationship. It took a while to readjust to wearing underwire...I weaned slowly. The Fantasie bras were more comfortable than the department store ones.

    And thus began my long affair with 32DD and feeling like I was more educated on bras than the average person. At one point, I tried a t shirt bra at Gap Body after resisting them (I don’t remember why), and realized I was getting a nice shape, and while I still wore my Fantasies and Freya, I was beginning to realize that I had a bit of a pointy shape.

    I started to wear molded cups, even with a few size fluctuations. I was now in Canada and La Senza was my go to, and once I sized out of the Cotton ones, I switched to the So Free Lightly Lined Balconette. I’ve had soo many of them over the last several years. At some point around 2014/2015, I am trying bras at the newly discovered specialist shop and told on more than one occasion that I should be wearing 30s, but of course you know that I resisted. Right? https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" /> I’d admitted that the 32s from La Senza were feeling a bit loose and stretched out fast, but 30s felt too tight and I didn’t want to use any extenders.

    Flash forward to two years ago...October 2016. It’s our 20th wedding anniversary, and we’re headed to England. Our honeymoon was there, and it seemed only natural to go back for this. And you all know what this meant. BRAVISSIMO!!! My plan was to visit as many as I could. Screw the rest of the vacation, I wanted to go to Bra Mecca on pilgrimage.

    Side note:

    Dear Apple,

    Thanks for putting your stores close to Bravissimo stores so that hubby can be babysat while I try bras. Lol!

    Grateful,
    Calluna

    Anyway, I got to TWO different Bravissimo stores...Birmingham and Oxford Street (?) and had tried to get to more. At the Birmingham shop, I went in hoping to try a Freya Patsy Half Cup. Asked for a 32DD. Tried it and it was huge. Like, it was just ginormous! Everywhere. Seriously. Band and cups. I tried a 30E and 30DD...the former was gapping a bit, but the latter was too small. I wanted it so much but I was not having luck with the fit.

    After trying on different bras and then explaining what I liked about the one I was wearing, I was brought a 30E Lepel Lilly. She had said that it was a stretchier band and people were sizing down which was why the 30E sister size. I really liked it...the shape was good, and I absolutely loved the bird print. I’m also a sucker for navy blue. The strap had a weird thing about it but it was discounted as a result, so then I called my hubby to come meet me to buy the set for me. Matching briefs, oh yeah! I was ecstatic and over the moon! For whatever reason, the 30 bands felt fine at this point. Maybe because they ran big? The Lilly was a little bit tight, but I was able to manage.

    Later in the trip, at the other store, they had no 32DDs in anything I wanted, but as I was just scouting out sizes and fits of the bras and clothes for potential web orders back home, I opted to try a few 32Es. At first I thought that they were too large. And then I was reminded to swoop and scoop from the fitter, which I had not done in ages! Surprise! The 32Es fit. Well sorta. I had some shape issues going on (I’m looking at you Envy and Jasmine!) but this is when I fell in love with Marcie. Only I was pretty broke upon returning home after such an expensive trip, and I never had a chance to get it...I was relegated to only buying the La Senza ones on major clearance. But Marcie would pop in my head periodically.

    I bet you are all wondering where this is all leading, but it is leading somewhere, I promise. I swear.

    Flash forward to the beginning of the year, maaaaybe the tippy toe end of last year. I co-admin a group on Facebook thats focus is wavy hair (we’re the hair type that no one knows how to handle because it’s not straight, exhibits elements of curly hair, but isn’t inherently curly either). We often allow the occasional off topic post and someone was asking about bras and that opened up the rabbit hole and so many people commented. I think that she was looking for places to buy and suggestions. I think that it had 200-300 comments. Now at this point, I’ve been in 32DD mostly, and feeling like I was pretty educated on bras and sizes and fits. Only a bunch of really smart and intelligent ladies piped up and brought up things like A Bra That Fits, this site, Polish bras (say whaat?), breast shape, and so on. Suddenly, I felt very very dumb about bras and boobs.

    After reading a ton of the links and guides and getting totally lost and confused even further from figuring out my breasts, lcl0706 came to my rescue. She helped me out and was soooooo instrumental in my learning and understanding what my breast shape was and what the characteristics were, as well as what I needed to look for in a bra that would fit. I’m hugely grateful for all her help answering my questions, often more than once. We determined that we were actually pretty close in size and shape, so that when she sold her crimson Ellace, she offered it to me first. In trying to figure out whether or not it would fit, she told me to get my best fitting bra and she taught me how to measure that bra over Facebook messenger as she was measuring the Ellace. We determined that it would probably fit and that it might be a little small so she included an extender. Anyway, along the way, she was suggesting that I try Polish bras because they had been her best fit. If I wanted basketball boobs and a molded cup, I really needed to go Polish to obtain the depth at the wire that I needed. What did I do? Naturally, as has been shown is my nature over decades, I was resistant! To be fair, it was a lot of unknowns on my end, and ordering cheap UK bras from Amazon was hitting the right buttons at the time, but spoiler alert: she was totally right about Ewas and Comexim being best for me. But in the meantime, I was working with the UK brands because they were more accessible to me, and less mysterious and unknown. Among one of the many discussions, she had said that the ones that fit her best (aside from Polish) was Curvy Kate Ellace and a few Cleos. She’d said that Cleo Lily was amazing and although it is discontinued, should I ever find it somewhere in my size, that I should snap it up, because it’s become one of the mythical unicorn bras. She thought it would give me a great shape and lift and so on the way it did for her. It’s everything that I needed and was looking for. I saw the reviews on her blog and I just about died when I saw the parrot print. I swooned! Well, try as I might, I could not find my size anywhere. I checked eBay regularly. At one point I found a 32E parrot print on braswap for a good price, but the band was super stretched out to over 32” iirc. So I passed on it with hopes of finding one a bit closer to my size. Nope nopity nope. I waited and watched and searched and mythical unicorn bra was indeed mythical unicorn bra.

    Then I spotted this one, right here in the listings, for $3. Wait...what? What? Really? Now this was at the time when I was starting to fit my Marcie better from weight gain and although it was the same size, it was a smaller cup depth (9.4 vs 9.8), and I worried about it not fitting. I wavered back and forth on it but decided to go for it, with the hopes that maybe I could at least wear it for low tide...but I was still super concerned with it likely not fitting in high tide. I knew that I had to at least try it, and if it was not going to fit, I would not be out a lot of money. And thus, my first package from Norway was sent.

    Fun fact: my aunt sent me my grandma’s cameo brooch on November 5th from Texas, and this was sent out from Norway a week later on the 12th, yet I received both the same day. 🤔

    I was super happy to see it. Not only did it have a super adorable small glass jar of Formosa Dong Ting oolong tea, a favourite of hers, but the bubble gum ice cream blue and cotton candy pink brightened my day as it was cold, grey, and rainy, and the bra was like a ray of sunshine. You can see the little jar of tea in one of the pics. It smells so amazing, and I am going to have some soon...

    Now we can get to the proper review...

    My shape tends to be narrowish and tallish roots, though they are vertically shallow or deflated and therefore are functionally short. My tissue is soft and malleable, pendulous, center full and close set, and even to fob vertical fullness. I’m still learning about my shape and suspect that it’s slightly changed from the beginning of the year.

    The shape of this bra is amazing. So round! The band feels great on the loosest hooks*, and the cup height is great on my shorter roots. I spill a little at the center, but that’s pretty consistent with my bras in general right now. The material is soft and light and although I would prefer the parrot print, this one is super fun. I don’t even mind that it is a little bit cutesy and girly. Straps are thin and comfortable, as is the gore, which I was also nervous about after my experience with Marcie, and the wires are just at the edge of too wide. I can do narrower with my soft tissue, but this is as best I can tolerate.

    With all the excitement of this getting this bra, I definitely have a few quibbles with the fit. The first is cup depth. I was worried about it when I got it, and I was right to be. I’m getting a little bit of cutting in at the top on my larger breast, and to a lesser extent on my smaller side. Loosening the straps seems to have helped a bit, but I still have minor quad boobs and some in cup quadding. It’s not *too* bad, but it’s not perfect. I’m also getting wrinkles near the the gore. I’m guessing not enough depth at the gore. On one side I have wrinkles in the fabric from where it attaches to the straps. It’s definitely not a problem from the band being too loose;not enough wire tension, as I have the same thing if I use the tightest hooks. I’m guessing it’s expecting more tissue to fill it out than I have there, given the center fullness. I have been wearing the bra today for the first time, but *while I was totally comfortable with the band on the loosest hooks, I could feel the bra wanting to slide down my rib cage out of my IMF. I could feel the gap between wire and boob. I moved the hooks in one to the middle and I think that was ok. I think that the bra in general is designed for projected breasts, but that maybe it’s a size issue more than shape that’s making it artificially too shallow for me. That maybe it’s because my boobs are fighting for space at the apex and pushing it down the same way it does in my 65F SM Wrozka. Given the minor quadding, center gore wrinkles, and this, I wonder if the 30FF were to be a better fit (were I ever to come across more mythical unicorns).

    I also wonder if this means that the 28G/30FF Lucy/Kali would fit based on this one. The 28FF/30F depth is about the same as this, and it is more closed in on top.

    Anyway, I very much like the bra, but being honest, it’s got a few flaws with the fit. I’m sure that it’s going to be ok for now, as long as I don’t grow anymore or try to wear it in high tide. But for now, it’s minor fit issues and nothing is major. If I lose weight, it’s probably going to work better.

    I’d love to have some feedback on this.

    Thanks lovelies!

    If you read this whole thing, comment with “cotton candy pink” 😂

    Read more
    2992 more words

    Updated on Nov 28, 2018 Flag this


    • Show all comments (58)
    • 3

      The combination of cotton candy pink and blue raspberry is fun! I see what you mean,there are aspects of a good bra, but definitely some minor fit issues. As long as it's comfortable nothing to stop you from wearing it while you keep you eye out a different sized unicorn

    • 1

      Thanks veggiechic ! Do you think that I can size you in this if I can find one?

    • 1

      *size up

    • 2

      I think you could size up in the cup, with the little bit of quadding, and on the side it looks like you are being squeezed a little too. That being said, it is pretty on you, and gives a great shape under your shirt too.

    • 4

      Cotton Candy Pink :-D

      This was so much more than just a mere review, it was a window into your soul, allowing us to get to know you better. 22 years of marriage is very commendable by the way!

      It is a gorgeous bra, & I agree with veggiechic, you should size up in the cup.

    • 3

      The dreaded side boob! That looks uncomfortable. I do think you should size up on this one. I enjoyed reading the whole thing, cotton candy pink 🍭😀

    • 1

      Entertaining read... too bad the bra is a touch small, but it still looks good on you. It does look like your smaller side fits better, but you are getting some bubbling and side boob that is more noticeable on your larger side. Like others said... watch out for that 30FF if it ever magically shows up somewhere.

    • 7

      Easy cup fit test for super-petite ladies: take hold of both straps up at the shoulderline, keep them as tense as they are when you wear the bra, and gently move them outward to the point where they'd sit if you had [much] broader shoulders. In your case it may be in mid-air, but that's ok--you just need the straps to be at normalish tension and to sit nice and vertical so they are not angling inwards anymore.

      Now, with the straps vertical, observe the cups: are your boobs (a) busting out of the cups, or (b) fitting perfectly?

      If (a) this means the bra is just too small in at least one dimension and sizing up has a chance of working. The only reason it looked like it kinda sorta fit in the current size is because angling in the straps also angles the cups in towards one another, artificially making the cup edge fit more generously and minimizing spillage even if the cup is too small.

      If (b), unfortunately this means the size is pretty good but the wide-set straps are forcing you to angle them inwards to the point that the cup orientation is too distorted and the poor fit is caused by its inability to hold its shape.

    • 1

      I love a good story about finding your way out of poor-fitting bras. Totally relate about resisting your size - the first time I learned how to correctly measure myself and counted up inches to cup sizes, I got GG. I thought this was crazy and deliberately ordered a band size too big and an E cup. Tried to force myself I tom it for a week before even I knew I was being ridiculous! 🤣

    • Myself into it for a week*

      Sorry typos!

    • 2

      Hey all...I’ve read your comments but been really busy, so I’m going to try to respond back as soon as I can.

    • 1

      Hey all...I’ve read your comments but been really busy, so I’m going to try to respond back as soon as I can.

    • 3

      MamaPagan thanks so much! I mean, I could have just cut to the chase and skipped all the backstory, but this bra is an important part of my bra fitting journey, and I think that seeing the journey of how I got there was important. So what if this review is over 2500 words? Ha!

      Sovavosi its not uncomfortable, and I never thought I had side boob. Is there a picture that illustrates this?

      Wilderness1 I’m glad you enjoyed and hopefully it tells you what you need to know, as I know that you were curious about it.

      wendybien do you mean to test this while wearing the bra? I think that in my case, at least with the bra, it’s too small regardless of whether I have the straps angled in, because I routinely angle them for better strap fit and comfort. If angling them leads to more room in the cups and I’m still spilling, it is too small and won’t matter what they do not angled. Am I understanding this test right?

      Robras I think that because I hadn’t been hugely different, and my size has slowly crept up over the years, I had less size shock. I also learned a good bit about how sizes work and the myths of the D+ cups way back in the mid 2000s. I’d have people say that I couldn’t be a 32DD because they were DD and way huger. I’d basically say that I had the same volume as a 36C. But that my rib cage was smaller.

      Everyone, thanks for taking the time to read everything. I know that it’s long and not necessarily essential to have the whole story, but this just felt like the right bra to have a coming out story, so to speak. I’m definitely going to try to find a 30FF in Lily, but in the meantime, possibly try Kali in 30FF Andy Lucy in 28G as the band appears stretchier then Kali.

    • 1

      Also, my reread spotted some errors that I have to fix...sorry.

    • Calluna , to my eyes, the pictures where can see your armpit, and a good example is the one with the giraffe curtain in the background, are the ones where I am concerned about side containment. Not really sure if your full breast has been totally swooped in from the side, but it looks like the bra is a bit low to contain it on the side and it is trying to escape in that direction...

    • 1

      Calluna I can see your tissue bulging at the side wires, because it looks like it ran out of room in the front and is running to the side. I find this uncomfortable.

    • 3

      COTTON CANDY PINK!
      Had to all caps that since I love reading stuff like this. Bras are such an integral part of ourselves here that it’s really interesting to read these kinds of journeys, if that makes any sense.
      I don’t have anything fit-wise to add, but what size in the parrot print would you be after? If I ever see one that size, I’ll snag it up for you!

    • mandapandarawks The small photo makes it look like those are ice cream cones instead of birds. 😆

    • 3

      mandapandarawks I’d be after a 30FF.

    • 3

      Calluna Exactly! And believe me when I say that I know for a fact that several of us on here do love sharing in the journey just as much as the bras, as you are an important and valued member of our bra family. :-) I also agree this one is too small in the cup regardless of what you do. Sizing up is the only viable solution here for sure.

    • 2

      Cotton Candy Pink! and aah yes the struggles of small feet, I know them well (I'm a 4)

      Hmm..can't really say anything much different than what anyone else has said re: the fit..

      But I will say that the colourway of the bra is cute on you! ^_^ and the shape is good too

    • 1

      Thanks MamaPagan! I will definitely be on the lookout for a 30FF or even a 28G, given that the band is stretched out enough as I’m good with this one on the middle hooks on this one.

      I never really looked at the side as side boob as I thought it was just because my upper tissue is wider than the lower tissue...almost like soft conical, I think...and it’s a lower band/wing height so it shows more. But I guess it’s side boob and I juydidn’t realize it, as I don’t really have any pain or discomfort.

    • Frazzleberry is that US or UK size 4?

    • Calluna it's a US size 4 ....

    • 1

      Calluna If you haven't already, do an EBay search then save it with alerts to your phone. That way if any do show up on EBay, you'll get notified automatically. :-)

    • 1

      Yeah I have done some searches but maybe not in these sizes. Good idea.

    • 3

      I found a 28G Meg (similar to Lily) in the listings here, only the user has not logged in for 4 months, sooooo.....

      http://bra.pe/GCH5/

      I’m really glad that everyone has liked what I wrote. I worried that it was too long, too revealing, and not wanted. But I think it’s a relevant back story for this one in particular.

    • 1

      I would be leery of that listing. If you go to her profile front page feed, you see she listed it in Sept 2014 so not likely still available 4+ years later. ...... Last bra entered was 2015, so again not very active on BtB. :'/

      And the review backstory was appreciated. Not too long, not too much information. It was perfect. :-)

    • 1

      Yes, agreed on the listing.

    • 1

      Calluna yes, I meant to do it while wearing. The point of the test is to see if the strap-angling is DISGUISING a too-small cup and making it look like possibly an ok-sized cup. If that is the case, in a bigger cup size it is possible that the bra would look and feel good (even though you will still angle the straps). It is also possible that in the bigger size you would get gaping somewhere, but that is always a risk regardless.

    • 1

      * because angling the straps also distorts the cup and in some cases it distorts it just enough that it makes it appear too small when it's actually big enough. This is usually when the person has more side / outer fullness, since angling in the straps reduces the space available in the sides of the cup.

    • 3

      wendybien thanks for explaining the test. Now given that I angle all my straps based on the fact that I have narrow and sloped shoulders, can I assume that even if it’s artificially creating more space while angled, that it doesn’t really matter so long as it fits? I’m not angling them to make the cups fit, I’m angling them for better and more comfortable positioning and anchoring. I’m going to angle them regardless. Thanks!

    • 3

      Calluna ok I must be doing a super crappy job of expressing myself or something here...

      The fact it creates more volume--or more exactly, displaces the available space in the cup from the side to the inner (mostly upper) quadrant of the bra--is not inherently good or bad, it just is. If you need more space near the sternum and won't miss the space on the sides it's good; if you didn't it's not. Likewise it can pose a problem if it tilts the cups inward and distorts them to the point they lose support or acquire a weird shape. The vertical strap test is strictly to assess if sizing up or down will help!

      Example, I haven't tried the following bras at my current size but a few years ago, the Cleo Marcie was unwearable for me because my necessary strap angling caused the cups to lose stability and acquire a bizarre shape. So the 32FF gaped all over the place and was too big, the 32F was theoretically a good volume and did not gape but was unstable as described above. In contrast the Fantasie Elodie, which fits generously at the apex but not at the cup edge, superficially appeared to be an ok fit in 32F but after being annoyed by the droopy uncomfortable fit all day I realized it was a too-small cup masquerading as a juuuust-big-enough one due to the need to angle the straps for them to stay on. This was bad news for my pocketbook since I'd worn it but good news for the bra as it meant the 32FF solved the weird shape problem and the distortion caused by my strap angling simply eliminated extra space on the sides which I could not fill anyway as I have no tissue out there.

      To recap, I have composed an ode in blank verse, because it's better than doing work:
      MOST FULLER BUSTED PEOPLE HAVE TO ANGLE THE STRAPS ON AT LEAST SOME BRAS
      THIS IS FINE
      SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE TO ANGLE IN THE STRAPS ON ALL BRAS
      AS LONG AS IT IS COMFORTABLE AND FITS THIS IS ALSO FINE
      IT'S MORE THAN FINE, IT'S GREAT
      COS STRAPS STAYING ON IS A PRETTY BIG PRIORITY
      UNLESS YOU LITERALLY HAVE A LITERAL ANGEL ON EACH SHOULDER STRETCHING OUT THEIR LITTLE ARMS TO HOLD UP YOUR STRAPS ALL DAY 2" OR MORE AWAY FROM YOUR BODY
      WHICH I GUESS IS POSSIBLE
      BUT NOT THAT COMMON REALLY
      SO ANGLING STRAPS IS A PRETTY SOLID SOLUTION IF THE STRAPS ARE TECHNICALLY TOO FAR APART FOR YOU AND ANGEL-ING STRAPS IS NOT AN OPTION
      ACTUALLY ANGLING MAY BE THE SUPERIOR CHOICE AS ANGELS COULD BALK AT HAVING TO MATCH THEIR HEAVENLY ATTIRE TO THE DAY'S CHOSEN BRA AND THEN WHERE WOULD YOU BE
      YOU WOULD EITHER HAVE TO CLASH WITH THEM OR STICK TO WHITE BRAS
      WHICH I THINK WOULD BE A SHAME
      SO ALL THINGS CONSIDERED I WOULD RECOMMEND ANGLING STRAPS AS THE PREFERRED WORKAROUND EVEN IF YOU HAVE ANGELS CHILLING ON ONE OR MORE OF YOUR SHOULDERS
      ALSO THEY WILL BE HAPPIER AND FILE FEWER WORKERS COMP CLAIMS
      Amen.

    • 1

      I’m more center full anyway, so less space to fill at the outside from angling the straps is a ok with me since I already lack tissue at the sides anyway. ;)

      In the case of this bra, angled straps or not, it’s just too small in the cup. I tried the test and I had zero change.

    • 2

    • 2

      Not sure if those are CAD but the store is based in Toronto. Can't beat a new bra for $25 tho!

    • 1

      wendybien There is no need to shout. Seriously, it is a review and Calluna knows her body better than you do. Using all caps will not force her to listen to your theories and honestly is quite rude. If you can't be respectful, please stop commenting on her review. Thank you.

      @Calluna Loves <3

    • 2

      Ooooh the price IS in CAD! so CAD 25 not bad at all

    • 1

      That is a great price brasaremean! Good find!!

    • 2

      I just got it for myself in 30G lol. I've been looking for the swan print EVERYWHERE. Hopefully I don't need a 30GG

    • 1

      Hope it works out for you brasaremean! :-)

    • 1

      Wow, great find! I personally prefer the parrot over the swans but it is a great price. I hope it is still available when I have funds again. I don’t have any money to spare for anything else but food and rent right now. We just had to fix a crack in the windshield that was getting worse with the heat being used now. It was almost too far gone. Thank goodness for the insurance paying a good chunk of it, but we still had to pay money that we don’t really have to spare right now. I can’t wait to see your swan print when you get it.

    • 1

      I like the swallow print too, but the contrast in this is amazing. I am having second thoughts about getting 30G lol

      30GG is also up, but I find for me cups are so deep (and wide) on Cleos and Panache in general I have to size down a cup usually.

    • 2

      Yeah, I love the swallow print. I’m a little bit concerned with the stretched measurements on the listing, so pending reply, I will ask for updated measurements. It’s a little bit too small for my comfort, but if it’s stretched since it was entered, it might work. I’m not sure if I would be able to use an extender with it and maintain a proper or decent fit in the cups. But we’ll see. As for the swans, I’m going to contact the site and see how much they have in the 30FF... I am guessing just the one. I’m going to see if they can hold it til after the strike backlog clears which hopefully will also give me time to save money again. I also have to see what the return is like given the price reduction, if any. I’m told that the prints vs solid colours fit different as well. So it’s possible that it might not fit still.

    • 2

      Ok, message sent to the website asking if they had more than one 30FF Swan print and whether they could hold it til after the Canada Post backlogs clear for me to buy as it would also allow me to save money again. They also have a 28G Lucy in red that I am interested in. Red would be great. It’s the new nude under whites and frankly, I have enough black bras and have little interest in a solid white one right now. Plus, the red is cheaper than the white one on Amazon anyway, but I gotta check specs on the red though in case I need a 30FF instead. But it looks like the band is stretchy on the Lucy.

    • 1

      I hope they reply with good news!! :-)

    • 1

      Me too, though I’m doubtful that they have more than one given the reduced size range available, and thru probably won’t hold it, but it’s not a well known site so maybe it will not sell right away. Still, never hurts to ask.

    • 5

      wendybien omg your poem about angels angling bra straps killed me. Literally dying of laughter over here. I did not know about your quirky side- I should have known you would be wordy quirky, being a translator and all.

    • 2

      So it looks like the 30FF prints, parrots and swan alike, run bigger than the aqua print I have here. So, brasaremean the 30G might be ok. I’m still interested in trying it but worry that it might be too big.

      http://dreamsandunderthings.com/2015/10/04/bra-review-cleo-lily-28ff-parrot-print/

    • 2

      I just searched the FB group and found the post I referenced. It was from December 23, 2017 and had 302 comments. It’s amazing how taboo bras and boobs can be in society...no one willingly wants to talk about them, but as soon as someone says they are this size and looking for help, everyone is open and revealing what their sizes are. Or giving tips to remeasure and teaching others the ways of the bras...and it becomes a community with putting our tits out there, so to speak. 😂

    • 1

      Too true Calluna! We are women, hear us roar! ;-)

    • 2

      Late to the party but cotton candy pink <3 This was a wonderful read, I can also connect a Cleo Lily to the journey of bra discovery!

    • 1

      Oh really corvidsandtea? How does it connect to your journey?

    • 3

      omg Calluna I just read further up into the thread and realized, months and months later, that some other user thought I was yelling at you and being disrespectful and contradictory when I used all caps for my stupid bra poem!!! I am just checking in to make sure you didn't think the same thing! I was just being silly. (Also if they had bothered to read the poem they would also have seen I was agreeing with what you had said you preferred to do, but I know some people jump to conclusions a little fast.) It just really, really upset me to think you may have also thought I was being mean :-( I guess it wasn't funny, but it definitely was neither disagreement nor yelling and certainly not disrespect. I very much respect you. I remember you had thought at the very beginning of that tangent we went on that I was disagreeing or criticizing in some way and I had explained and maybe even overexplained to be as clear as possible that I was not.

    • wendybien if you are going to mention me at least have the courtesy to tag me, haha. FYI all caps is yelling in written form, and is rude even if it wasn't your intention. You simply sounded crazy or on drugs honestly, but I think you know that which was why you removed yourself from the feed until you could come up with an acceptable reply, yes? Please play nice and let Calluna have her moment with corvidsandtea.

    • 1

      wendybien I for one loved your capslock bra poem <3 It was really funny and it was a clever fun word thing you did :D I think the user just misread the situation. Capslock is technically shouting, but you did it for clarity AND it was a poem. So it was a combination of things that maybe went over their head.

      Calluna Well, as it turns out, my first bra that fit was one of these elusive Cleo Lilys! That year had a lot of firsts for me, and I might just add that bra a new so I can re-review it as well as measure and such.

    • 3

      MamaPagan I'm going to mention you now, since we both spoke about you. I'm going to call you out directly and say I think you're being condescending to wendybien . Saying "Please play nice and let these two people have their moment" in a public comment section, where noone has intentionally done anything to stop or interrupt the conversation, is plain rude. I still don't like the comment you left on my bra adventure about bra shopping, but I wasn't interested in trying to explain to to you how I thought it was ignorant. You could have made one click and seen that I have enough reputation and bras to likely know what's good routine and what isn't.

      Saying you assume someone spent a month "coming up with a decent reply, yes?" is honestly plain petty, and downright condescending when you phrase it like that. Wendybien apologized for potentially coming off as rude. I understand if you're confused or misreading the situation, but there is not more you can do in these comments after her comment. If you don't think either of any of us are in the right, I suggest you take it up in a personal message instead of making Calluna's review so incredibly long.

    • 1

      corvidsandtea Okay....you are entitled to your opinion and we can agree to disagree. :-) Have a beautiful day!

    Entry closed


  4. Well, this is my last of the four reviews, and I waited this long because I wanted to write about my first experience with taking in a band! I finally worked up the courage to take this bra apart (somewhat), because it wasn't doing me any good sitting on my floor and not being worn. First of all, thank you to RubensNotRaphael for selling me this Lily. Lily is basically my holy grail bra, and as we all know, it has been discontinued for several years now and is becoming increasingly difficult to find. (I may be hoarding two Lilys in 28FF that are too ... big for me ATM, but should I ever gain boob weight, it will be perfect lol.)

    I decided to take in the band from the hook and eye attachments, because I didn't want any bulky seams where some other folks prefer to just fold the band over itself, and I would also prefer that the straps are closer together in the back rather than further apart, which I feared would happen with some other methods. So, you can imagine my hesitation at taking in a bra band for the first time since I would be permanently, irreversibly chopping off a length of the band. My first step was to try and guess how much I should take off. I measured 0.5" inward from each attachment point of the hook and eye tape on either side of the band and marked with tailor's chalk. Then I ripped out the original seams so that I could fully remove the hooks and eyes. I chopped off approximately 0.5" of the band, but left 0.25" outside of the chalk mark, which is the part that would go back inside the hook and eye tape. Then I just folded the band over itself a tiny bit in the middle (horizontally) so that the top and bottom edges of the band would fit back inside the hook and eye tape and used a zigzag stitch to secure. I did this for both sides and gave it a try on - it was much better already, but still a bit too big. So I repeated the process, taking approximately another 0.5" off each side. This time, the band is nice and snug on the first or second set of hooks! Hooray, my experiment was a success!!

    Now, the band measures 23.25"/59cm flat, and 26.5"/69.5cm stretched (a big emphasis here is that the band is really stretchy, so I can definitely pull it farther, but that would distort the wires and not be accurate to how much it stretches when I wear it)(PS. I measured in actual inches and cm's individually, I did not do a conversion, so the measurements may not be exactly the same). My stitching is NOT neat, but it does the trick! I am so happy with how it has turned out, and this makes me want to attack all my ill-fitting bras with the seam ripper lmao

    Read more
    392 more words

    Aqua colorway

    This bra is not owned any more

    Updated on Jun 22, 2018 Flag this


    • 1

      Looks fantastic! Congratulations on your successful alteration/s :-)

    • Love4Pollinators Thank you! :)

    • 2

      Hooray! I'm so glad this worked out for you! Makes me feel better about it being a mismatch for me, somehow. I'm also super impressed by your sewing bravery. Rock on! Best!

    • 1

      Wow,
      it does looks pretty neat. I did you use a machine? And how long did it take you?

    • 1

      aboobaccount Yes, I used a machine. The total process, including ripping the original seams and then sewing everything back together, took less than an hour. I was also going pretty slowly since it was my first try, so I wouldn't be surprised if I could do this in about 15 minutes once I become more confident.

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  5. My measurements for reference: snug 32, BTT 30.5, standing 38.5, leaning 41, lying 39. Pendulous, projected, narrowish shortish root, FOB/even (I think). I have a lot of outside fullness.

    Well, this is a very cute little bra. I like the parrot print, which is actually much more subdued than my crazy neon Lucy or yellow Marcie. It's a very lightweight mesh construction, but damn, it does the job. Why can't every bra just lift like this? All my Cleos do provide a great profile, but this one is the best so far.

    The band is comfortably snug on the loosest hooks, not like my Marcie which still ... practically cuts me in half after six months wear. The wires are pretty much the perfect width. The gore tacks. The straps are nicely placed and fully adjustable. I fill the cups nicely, although I have to swoop and scoop more enthusiastically on my smaller side.

    There is virtually no wrinkling in the bottom of the cups. The most amazing thing, though (to me), is that they don't ride down at all throughout the day. I guess I finally got the magic combination of wire width and projection. I think this is why I find this bra much more comfortable than either Lucy or Marcie, because the wires don't move around and cause chafing. They don't seem to be any more padded or anything. The band under the cups doesn't even curl up. That might just be a first for me.

    Alas, it is not perfect. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> Thanks to the combination of Cleo construction and my soft tissue, I still get the in-cup quad boob going on. I wish Cleo would figure this out and fix it. People with squishy boobs deserve better!

    Except for that, I do love this bra. I think it is my best fit so far. So of course they're discontinuing it. Story of my life. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />




    Read more
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    Parrot Print colorway

    Updated on Dec 02, 2014 Flag this


    • 1

      Along with the Panache Jasmine, the Lily was the best fit I had until I tried the Panache Envy. (All in 30FF, so we're pretty close in size.)

      Lily's wires ride down a bit on me (my biggest bra-fitting challenge), but my Envy wires don't budge all day, due to sufficient depth at the bottom of the cups. (The Envy is similar in construction to the Jasmine, which does ride down on me a bit, except for having that extra projection at the bottom.)

      So Envy and Jasmine might be worth a try, if you haven't already.

    • I actually do have an Envy in 32F which fits really well, too. (I'm a terrible slacker about adding my bras into Bratabase.) The shape is great right when I put it on. The only thing I find is that the material is a little too stretchy and tends to lose shape over the day. The Envy cut with stiffer fabric, but still the stretch lace on top, would probably be the best of all possible worlds.

      Also, there's a Jasmine I'm watching on eBay, but I sort of promised my husband I wouldn't buy any more bras before Christmas. ha ha

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  6. 4
    like

    28G

    Didn't fit

    I have wanted a Lily for over a year now. Specifically, this print. I finally found a 30F Aqua Lily here for cheap a few months back, but said Lily was a titch too small, so I’ve been searching for a larger cup size. Then I found this sister size. Which was a gamble with a smaller band. I waited in anticipation for this bra. My tracking number was positively infuriating. Then, rather by surprise, when I’d been complaining about it taking so long and no updates for days, it suddenly appeared in my mailbox!

    It’s a beautiful, gorgeous bra. I love the print and the shape and everything! ... It’s my mythical unicorn bra. 🦄 Except for the size. I knew that it was a gamble from the start with the 28G as I was told by the seller that the band was 28”... a number that also coincides with my snug under bust measurement. The 28G is technically my size based on measurements, but I am also a sub 32 band and I’m one that can’t do a lot of squish...I can fit loose 28s or tight 30s sometimes needing 1 row of hooks from an extender, but this one requires a full extender and I’m super worried that the tension is going to damage the hooks and pull them out...my 30F navy Marcie already has hooks that look like they want to come loose and I’ve been wearing with the extender mostly with 1 extra row of hooks (but at one point was 2) for nearly a year now. And that one stretched to 28.5” new where this Lily was a hard pull to 28” to the point I marked at 27.5” but feel like it’s closer to 27”.

    The cups fit pretty well when I have it on without the extender, but I’m definitely getting a bit of gapping when I have the full extender in use. My smaller boob has some gapping regardless, but is exaggerated the further the hooks are. And I definitely can’t wear it that tight more than a few minutes at a time. But I need the tension for the best cup fit. All the pictures are with no extender, btw.

    I’m still going to keep my search for the 30FF (possibly 30F in one of the larger fitting colours/prints) and hopefully find something that will work, because it’s so beautiful and it’s a great shape and fit for me. In the meantime, I have my contingency plan for this bra that I am pursuing. I’m glad I scoped out an option before I bought this bra. I was a lot more confident knowing that I had a plan for it if it didn’t work, and I was afraid that it might not.

    Sad to see it go away again so soon, but I’ll be getting something that I know will fit. So it’s still a win.

    Please have look at this beauty and weep with me that my rib cage is just a little bit too big for it...

    😓

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    This bra is not owned any more

    Updated on May 30, 2019 Flag this


    • Show all comments (10)
    • 1

      When I first saw the thumbprint photos, I thought it was a chili pepper print and I was so excited. 😍 It is still very pretty!

      Sorry it wasn't a perfect fit for you. Hopefully another will come along soon that will be. 💙

    • 1

      Thanks. I am a bit sad. I mean, I could keep it and wear it out, but I am afraid that I will wear the hooks out before I even get to use the loosest hooks on the bra. Wearing the extender using one row of hooks is fine, but I don’t want to use the whole thing. Especially when I can trade it for something that I know is going to fit.

    • 1

      I wish I could think of a way to stretch the band out quickly without distorting the wires or risking hook damage in the process.

      If the only concern is the hook connections, you could always add a few stitches to the hooks & eyeloops to strengthen them, right?

      No worries though, I'm sure another one will surface soon and it will fit you perfectly. 💙

    • 1

      It's very pretty and this colour definitely suits you well. Too bad about the band :(

    • 1

      Sorry it didn't work out. Hope 30FF shows up soon!

    • 3

      Thanks. I’m swapping it for an Ewa. And who knows, maybe after the person who I’m swapping with wears it out, it might be stretched out enough to swap back. I am sad but confident in my decision to keep looking for the best fit of the Lily.

    • Update: I’ve added some new daylight pics with and without the extender so you can see the difference in the cups and possibly see the strain on the hooks with the extender (just imagine it worse on the hooks without...maybe I’ll redo that picture later)

      Apologies for the slightly lower picture quality...they were taken with my iPad which is older than my phone so it’s not as good of a front facing camera, but I can use the case to stand it up hands free and use the timer. Sooooo.....

      I’ll see if I can add more pics later to include more details.

    • Full back shot without the extender is up. I don’t know how well the strain is showing.

    • 1

      This looks perfect on you. Too bad the band doesn’t work. But it’s funny how it doesn’t even look tight compared to this one: http://bra.pe/X0Ur/

      Don’t worry about the hooks. They look strained even worse on most of my bras. I just pushed them back in and bend them a little wider at the bottom and they haven’t come out once even on bras that I can’t get on without my boyfriends help.

      If you are still looking for a 30F there is this:

      https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cleo-by-Panache-Lily-Underwired-Non-Padded-Balcony-Bra-7351-Aqua-Pink/192822394791?hash=item2ce51c3fa7:m:mP6IqScNP83ZJ5GfWI5MIlg:rk:3:pf:0#shpCntId

    • Thanks aboobaccount I actually have a 30F in aqua which is a little bit too small which is why I opted to try this one even though I was a little bit concerned about the band being too tight.

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  7. 4
    like

    32D

    Fits

    Currently the most comfortable bra I own - great for even/projected shapes with a need of narrowish wires, I would say. I really love the Lily in general. While this seems to be comfortable and loves my armpits, however, it does have wrinkling that I wouldn't expect in the cups, but I don't think it's enough to justify purchasing a size up or down as far as cup size goes.
    Lily is made of a pretty nice mesh, I would say, that doesn't scratch/irritate. It's a million times softer than any Claudette I've tried, and probably twice as soft as the mesh used in the Marcie.
    This provides a minimized, very lifted, very centered shape. I love it. Can't get enough of it.

    aqua/pink colorway

    Updated on Jul 10, 2016 Flag this


    • 1

      Looks beautiful. How is the gore width for you?

    • 2

      Thanks Love4Pollinators ! The gore width is narrower than the Marcie, so I find it more comfortable, personally. :D

    • 1

      My lily parrots has been a work horse. I only switched to the second hooks after a year. I've had it three and it doesn't get all the love it used to since I have more options now but I don't have any interest in parting with it. But please Cleo- fun but basic would be nice. I love the grey color way idea

    • 1

      My parrot one has been trucking since 2014, IIRC, and it has an alteration but ugh...I long for a 30DD/32D version! If not grey, maybe just.. plain colors that are a little more neutral LOL

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  8. Right, so.
    I previously got 30G - Cleo » Lily Balconnet Bra (7351) and it didn't really fit. I do find it to fit better these days as I've lost a lot of volume, but in my opinion, it still fits small.

    So when that one didn't fit, I decided to get it in 30GG (not knowing I will lose the volume, heh). Now, this one has its issues as well, which just reinforces my opinion that I'm somewhere between a 30G and 30GG--and possibly even between a 30 and 32 band, but I still do fine with the 30s, so eh.

    I find that in 30GG, the ... shape I get is more pointy and not as round as in 30G. This seems to be the case with a lot of bras I have in 2 sizes--the small one will give me a rounder shape than the larger one. I don't know why.

    So starting with the cups--lots of gaping, especially on my smaller side. Like it's half empty. The top panel is just sitting loose and barely even touching my breast at all. I definitely think this is more of a even to FOT bra.
    Larger side, it fits fairly well but (to repeat myself) you do not stand still in a bra. So I find when I move my arms around, it will cut in. When I sort of hunch over, it will gap viciously.
    Overall, an interesting case.

    The band is nice and tight, it's a little wider than the 30G but still has 2 hooks which, eh.

    The straps--on my smaller side they adjust long enough. On my larger side, not nearly. The straps are a lot wider than 30G (yay), but for petite women I do think the straps would be hard to adjust because half of them is padded (for extra comfort? I like it.)
    That's okay tho, as I generally wouldn't recommend it to petite women because in 30GG the wires are the exact same as in 30G, only a lot longer.
    The gore overlaps a teensy tiny bit which I like a lot. It tacks beautifully, as usual.

    So overall, I don't know what to think about the fit of this bra. On one hand, I kinda like it as it reeeeeeally brings my breasts front and center (very easy to see in the photos), the gaping is not visible under a shirt that much. On the other hand, I find it odd that the fit depends a lot on what I'm doing with my arms, lol.
    The real issue with this bra (and the 30G, and any other Panache bra I got) is that they are just plain uncomfortable. Scratchy fabrics, stiff wires, scratchy elastics... the bras just feel like torture devices and I can't quite tell why. Maybe I've been spoiled by the nice, soft materials EM uses, but the difference is stark

    Read more
    366 more words

    Updated on Feb 21, 2019 Flag this


    • Show all comments (7)
    • 2

      Panache wires are so hard, I think it makes the rest of the irritations much worse. 😑

    • 1

      Yeah plus I genuinely think the materials they use are just low quality :(

    • 1

      I second both your comments Sovavosi and brasaremean.

      Sorry this one isn't ideal. Your perfect bra is still out there somewhere. 🍀💙

    • Sorry you have not found your perfect fit for this one yet. The aqua is reported to be the smallest fit of the Lily prints and colours so perhaps the 30GG in that would work if you like the colour and can find the size. Swan is said to fit big.

    • 2

      Ah, might not be worth cause I'm over everything about this bra. This was just for bra science since it was fairly cheap.

    • 1

      I totally agree with you about Panache and Cleos, I consider myself usually pretty tolerant of materials others complain about but these are too much for me lol.

      I think with the Lily you, like so many other people, will probably always have a bit of a problem with the upper cup since the upper half of your chest has a nice gradual slope whereas the Lily curves up and inwards quite a lot. It seems to be one of those bras that is an especially unforgiving fit in that one area of the cup--the little ribbon detail highlights the smallest difference between the cup's curve and slope and that of the wearer's upper breast.

    • wendybien I think you're completely right, this bra has one of those constructions that sadly don't work with the wearer, there is no adjustment whatsoever, either you're a good shape for it, or you are not.

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  9. 3
    like

    34H

    Didn't fit

    Ehh it works. But you may end up fighting a losing battle against the dreaded quad boob not to mention the oober skinny two hook band isn't giving you any leeway on the battle front of the severe frumpy look .

    Updated on Nov 04, 2017 Flag this


    • I loathe Cleo bands--two hooks and narrow does not create comfort on my body.

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  10. 3
    like

    32FF

    Fits

    Sweet lord.

    I tried this bra before in 32G, which was too big in the cup for me, but I got the sneaking suspicion that this would be a pretty great bra for me in the right size. It was difficult to find the right size anywhere, but I finally managed to track one down on Ebay.

    And as I said before: Sweet lord! Sweet lift! Sweet projection! This seriously is the most lifted and front an centre I've ever seen my boobs, and I love it.

    Even in 32FF, the tops of the cups still have a little bit of room left, So I'd say this bra is more FoT friendly that the Marcie or Minnie.

    The fabric is slightly nylon-y and scratchy, but very firm and supportive, so I'll take it!

    I'll be on the look out for more of these, so anyone who has a Lily in 32FF they want to part with: I'm your girl!

    This bra is not owned any more

    Updated on Oct 13, 2015 Flag this


    • 1

      Amen! :)

    • 1

      Lily is a fantastic bra, it's hands down my best fitting unlined bra. I beg to differ a bit with the open on top determination, as it is not more open on top than the Marcie I've tried and the general consensus is Marcie/even more so the Minnie is the go-to Cleo bra for FOT shapes. What print do you have of Lily? The swan print, and to a slightly lesser extent the parrot print, is known to run more open on top and generally bigger all around than the aqua color. But typically Lily demands even fullness and short roots. If you choose to upload pics, I'd be curious to see them because IIRC, you don't have extremely short roots. But maybe you do! If that's the case, you'd likely get along well with Curvy Kate Bardot or Madagascar. Bardot is getting tricker to find since the black/purple colorway is discontinued and selling out rapidly and the AW2015 black/red colorway is brand new and selling at $72 at the moment.

    • 1

      lcl0706 I have the swan print version, so that's probably why I find it FoT frienly. I'm not super FoT by the way, more even with some upper fullness. I certainly have short roots, though how short I can't say. My boobs are definitely shorter than they are wide.

      I'll add some pictures later today.

    • Oh I see what you mean in the picture, but I don't see it in real life. I do get super round boobs in this one, which I also get in the Marcie. The Minnie and Kira bras give me a slightly more pointy profile instead, so I think those are more projected.

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