So...I picked up this bra in an effort to get free shipping with my purchase. I originally wanted the Neve Plunge but that one was double the price. I hopped on over here and found a 30:4 should fit measurement wise. Bought it was. I have heard SO much hype, ALL THE HYPE, about Cleo bras from women in my size range. Perhaps my expectations were skewed because of this because I feel very "meh" about the Cleo Jude bra. It's a 30 band. So, it's too big for me. It is comfy on the second and third hook, so it's ...definitely more taught then most 30 band bras I have tried. The wires started warping once I stretched the band all the way to 29". Which is great for a day when I need to be very active or if there ever is a day when I just can't tolerate a tight band. I don't really PMS become bloated so those things don't matter a whole lot to me. The straps are SHORT. Like so short. I'm pretty short (Five feet even) and I wanted more length. They're about 14.25 inches long fully let out. They're not soft, but not rough either. They're decently wide, stretchy and quite supple feeling. Certainly more than tolerable (unlike other bras: Limited Edition by M&S!). They did seem to stretch out as time went on and I stopped feeling them at all. The Gore. I can't feel it at all. I actually don't remember if it tacked or not. I'm thinking it was a soft-tack. I believe plunge gores are best for me because my sternum starts above where the band of the bra site. The gore is also deceiving in it's width, it does not look like there is a whole lot of separation between the cups; but there's well over an inch. Great for wide set breasts. Not great for making cleavage. Speaking of cleavage, I quad out tremendously after putting on the bra. The very bottom of the cup also collapsed under my breasts due to the cup being too shallow. At which point I tugged on the top of the cup while simultaneously pushing the under wire up to my IMF. As my ten hour shift progressed the cups seemed to stretch out and allow my tissue to settle inside if the cup. These are the softest under wires I have come across. I hardly noticed them. They're too wide for me and I kept feeling the need to adjust/pull my tissue "back into the cup"/to the front of my chest even though my breast was fully enclosed in the cup. The molded cup was surprisingly thin, soft and supple. While the cups being molded, definitely give a rounded shape I'm not in love with the shape the bra gives me. I like a nice lifted, gathered, rounded shape that enhances my breast as opposed to just a round, wide shape. I mark this bra as a win for me. It's great for giving my body a rest from rigid under wire's, Gore's and tight bands. A comfort bra for very active times. I think a 28DD would be better for me over all. A tighter band, probably more cleavage (a 28D for super cleavage maybe?) and narrower wires. I could probably get a 28E to get a similar result to the look of this 30D with a tighter band. Read more 466 more words
Darn. Like you, this bra would push out of mt IMF, too.
Fortunately Love4Pollinators the under wires and fabric are so comfortable I hardly notice during wear, or perhaps it's just because the band is loose.
That's good news :-) A loose band helps so much sometimes. It is the reason many of my bras are 36 bands when I measure 28.
I'm hoping that the non-moulded cup Cleo's will give me that very lifted, rounded shape I hear so much about. I fear most Cleo bras will be too wide and shallow for me. I only have 'average'/some projection...but I'm very center / inner full so I think this makes it difficult for me to wear very shallow bras. It also seems my sweet spot for wire width is 4.5". Much smaller and it sits on tissue, much larger and it doesn't gather and push my breast forward.
I really had high hopes for this bra, considering I have had good luck with the cleo Maddie, and this was supposed to be an updated version. The cups are really small on this and much more enclosed than the Maddie. I'm not sure if a cup size up would fix this problem or if it's just the wrong cut for me. It did not feel similar to the Maddie, other than they are both molded balconet bras, but they are cut very differently to me.
This bra fits well and is comfortable, both in the band and cups. It has a decent amount of forward projection and doesn't dig in anywhere. I am accustomed to more substantial bras that are moulded or padded, and while I usually prefer the feeling of being 'locked and loaded', this Kali feels so light and free. It almost feels like being braless, but with some support. I don't feel it gives a lot of support, though. Things are definitely bouncing around and jiggling more than usual. I have very soft breast tissue and the cups are super thin and kind of stretchy. I'm not a huge fan of the heart design as it feels a bit juvenile.
This bra definitely runs a full cup large! That was always my favorite colorway.
Just another quick comment after checking the measurements you added. I have this bra in a 28F and the cups are definitely not 5.5" wide. Are you sure that's accurate?
I just double checked and changed it from 14 to 13 cm. It is definitely closer to 13 cm when I measure the between the inner edges of the underwire. Thanks!
Wow, you're right, Sonya ! That is some impressive projection right above the wire. Glad you found this gorgeous bra.
Thanks! :) I am so happy to be learning what to look for in order to find a bra that fits properly. I wish it was easier to find tiny band sizes though. My ribs are only 25". This bra in still slightly loose on the tightest hooks.
Sonya , I think your pictures well illustrate a more projected example in the 28F range. Thanks for the reviews. I hadn't realized there were so many 28F UK bras now that can accommodate that level of projection.
Yes, I am happy to find some of these. It seems that most UK bras in this size are better suited to shallower breasts. I have some Comexims and Ewa bras on order and am excited to try them. Should be here on Tuesday!! :)
Overall cup is too small for me. This bra is shallow for me-although other reviews say otherwise. I'm so used to wearing Polish bras that the wings seem extra short.
I found this print too shallow, also. I suspicion there was a pattern change for the floral pattern.
Love4Pollinators I remember asking if there were any differences from the leopard print and floral, and it seemed no one really had an answer. I have the floral version on the way, so I'm hoping it fits.
I just checked the floral price on Amazon: I'm eager to know, definitively, if there is a pattern change. Looking forward to your review....always :-) :-)
Prettyncharmeuse, my experience with the blue animal print Mimi is similar to yours, with the added "benefit" of it being the most uncomfortable bra I own. I never understood what people meant when they complained about Panache wires, until I met Mimi.
My hypothesis is that the Darcy/Juna has softer, flexible cups which allow for projection at the expense of shape; while Mimis rigid cups force the wires below the IMF on projected folk. On me, this means it jams into the bottom of my rib cage (rib flare?) and is only kept from going further by the straps.
I also have the straps at their maximum (I'm only 5'4" and have 1.5-2" overlap on my other bras) and they're uncomfortable after time, again probably due to the bra being pushed down.
I was really excited to see the floral and dot colorways of Mimi, and bought the blue to test it out. Sadly, I'm pretty sure Mimi and I are done.
acee how did the blue Mimi fit? I don't think I've seen it yet (in not interested in buying that color, just interested in seeing it) I definitely get what you mean about the differences between Mimi and Juna. I really wish Cleo came out with more Juna sister cuts. I actually ordered the Juna in 34D because I wanted it that bad.
Love4Pollinators the floral Mimi just went up in price on Amazon a few days ago. In my size it was $43 now it's like $55. I got the floral one from bare necessities because it was $19.99, but I don't think they have a lot left. There's a lot of cheap bras at bare necessities right now. When I was on a laptop a 15% coupon popped up, so I got it for $16.
I also thought the wings were very short! If only I could find a bra with narrowly placed straps but tall wings. Then my armpits would be happy.
I thought it fit, until I moved. It looked nice, maybe a little empty at the straps due to my short roots and non-existent side tissue. The band was loose, and needed to be on the tightest hook (in my usual 28FF) for support. I also found the thick (relative to Darcy and Comexim 3HC) top of the cup to be very visible under clothes.
I never tried another colorway, so can't compare the fit. The pictures on this site are representative of the blue animal, though.
Darcy in 28FF is my sleep bra, but I quad too much to wear it during the day. Juna in 28G "fit", but the straps were too wide to be comfortable.
I hope floral works for you! It's a very cute bra.
Prettyncharmeuse Will you be listing this bra or did you send it back? I tried this in 30DD, and it was so close, but not quite right and definitely big in the band for me. I'm sending it back and have a blue leopard 28E on the way. If it works, I'll probably want the orange one too, but everyone is out of it.
So far it is the best bra fit I've found after many tries. I really like wearing it but it does have that one unfortunate problem of being very thick at the top of the cup. I really don't care about seams showing but this is actually a ridge and is much too visible.
musica_476 I still have the bra. I bought it from large cup lingerie, which is a UK company. I'm not going to return it, because it would probably cost more than the bra was. I initially was going to buy the 28F, but it's sold out now. I saw your fit reuqest, and thought about you. I'll definitely be listing this bra, since it doesnt fit me. avakatz the visible ridge is what kept me from spending a lot on the floral Mimi, but since I just paid $17, I don't think that's too bad.
Wait, this is not a Juna clone is it?
renemy no, it's not. I wish thehave still made Juna clones.
Yeah me too. Do you know if they have plans for any more? I can't find this info anywhere
I also got this Mimi from LGL recently. Mine is a 28ff and can say it fits me better than the floral 30f. The floral feels larger due to the band being looser. I haven't measured them yet, but it is possible there is a difference in cup volume also. The 10£ price with free shipping was just an offer I couldn't ignore. :)
After obsessively reading reviews, and referring to the fit of my Darcy in 30E, I decided that the 28F would be my dream size. It's pretty close! Great fit. Wires are maybe a hair too wide. The lace at the top does not lay flat, but this seems to be a common complaint. The cups are a good shape for me and are a good average between the two sizes of my boobs :-/
Band size is great.
For reference, I am: wide rooted, even to FoB, tall roots that have shallow boob issues, shallow-ish/average projection. 28E.
Update: may 4, 2016. I think the cups are a little more open on top (less closed) than my 30E Darcy. The Darcy is basically a perfect fit on me but this gapes a tiny bit on my smaller side. Maybe with a couple washings it'll soften up and mold to my body better
This is my first non-VS bra. Based on my measurements, I was suggested to be a 36GG, but that was absurdly large on me (trying multiple styles), so finally reached 34FF as the right size for me. This bra does a great job of lifting and holding my slightly splayed breasts up front - so much so that it actually pushes them close enough that the gore is a bit too high (which has never been an issue for me, even with the other bras I've tried in the last few weeks) and it digs in a bit. So far it's not serious enough to be a problem. Also, the shape feels little torpedo-y to me, but I think I'm also just used to very little support, thus a more "settled" shape. I think this would be a great bra for anyone who wants a "high and perky" shape.
congrats! yeah, the Marcie shape is very special. you either love it or hate it. But, having found this, hopefully you can start finding more in your correct size!
It looks on the verge of being too small, but Marcie is a very full-on-top shape so sometimes people who are not so full-on-top find it a bit pointy
dbmamaz I think that's accurate - I'm definitely maxing out the cups, and even my smaller side (right) is filling out the cup completely, which is unusual. I'd previously tried the Maddie, but it cut in slightly at the top so I was recommended to try Marcie instead.
I tried this bra on a whim. I have a super short torso, and have never really given longlines a second glance, but with a color this pretty I couldn't resist at least trying... Plus my size was on Amazon so it was risk free!
First, the good: the color is gorgeous! It's a nice saturated cobalt blue. The eyelash lace is a nice touch. The straps are padded between the shoulder and cup (but this makes them only half adjustable).
Now, the bad: This didn't fit me at all. The band was huge. I could fasten it on the tightest hooks right out of the package; the stretched ...measurement is 39" on this 34GG! I actually double checked several times to make sure Amazon sent me the right size. I usually don't have an issue with Panache/Cleo bands, if anything they're usually too tight (I'm between 32 and 34), this was much looser than normal. It mostly stayed put due to being a longline, but definitely would've had issues were it a regular bra.
The cups were either a smidge too small or possibly the wrong shape. I couldn't get the wire to stay in my IMF, it felt like it was floating down a bit, plus I got noticeable quadboob on both sides. I think a bigger cup would've helped, maybe... But with the lack of proper tension from the loose band and the way the cup is shaped (NOT good for FOT ladies!) it was tough to judge. The gore tacked just fine, go figure. I kept trying to hike it up to get my boobs to settle into the cups, but it just wasn't working for me.
The wires are at least 1/2" shorter than their channels, which makes the wings do an uncomfortable pokey maneuver in my armpit. Despite the side stays and the band of elastic along the front, the section with the eyelash lace kept rolling up while I was standing still (not sitting or even walking).
There also seem to be some quality control issues. In addition to the very stretchy band, the lace had several runs/pulls/bobbles and there were loose threads attached all over the cup seams (see pics).
Despite how lovely this bra is, I'll be sending it back. Read more 271 more words
I've had such high hopes for this bra! The longline design, the unpadded cups, the fun colour, the pretty lace - what's not to love? It really is a great bra, and I'm happy that Panache is trying out unpadded longlines. However, the cups are not a perfect fit on me shape-wise, even though their volume and bottom projection seems to be ok.
Nice things first: the colour is as pretty in person as it is in photos. I'm not a great fan of neon accents, but on this bra they are contained to a tiny centre bow, which could be easily removed, and the hooks. The lace doesn't ...look luxurious, but it does look good and quite elegant even, and the eyelash finish along the bottom edge is a nice tough. I also enjoy how it's paired with the mesh upper part of the cup, which has a very subtle dot patter. The inside mesh lining is soft enough and I experience no discomfort, but then I'm not particularly sensitive to rough fabrics. The straps have comfortable soft lining and are fully adjustable.
The band is true to size, barely stretching to 28in. I'm wearing it on the loosest set of hooks and its plenty snug, more so than my other Cleos with a 28 band, but this impression might be partially caused by the longline design. The gore tacks with no issues. I have no problem with the sides being too high, but it's a problem I never experience, having breasts which are set fairly low on my chest. For the same reason, the band ends rather low, at my natural waist, which I think looks ok, but would be a problem is the band was even a bit longer / my torso was a bit shorter.
Now on to the main problem. The top section of the cup is really closed off, something I've never experienced in any Panache/Cleo soft cup bras. My shape is rather even, I wouldn't classify it as FOT. This leads me to believe that my roots must be long, and therefore not really suited to this bra. I tried hard to convince myself that the cups look good enough, but when I keep my back really straight, the spillover is impossible to miss (as shown on one of the detail shots). Sadly, I think I'll still have to wait to fulfil my dreams of a well-fitting longline.
I'm going to start off by mentioning that Breeze runs 1 size too big in the cup. I'm a 32H cup size wise in other bras from Cleo, but a 30H in Breeze. Ultimately, I tailor the band down to a 26-24. My review is based off the wear of Breeze with and without alterations.
The gore hugs my sternum tightly. 0% floating away. The cups are substantially firm and supportive. They have a nice round profile. No hint of cone whatsoever!
The material of the straps are comfortable and don't dig into my skin. *happy dance*
The fabric below the cups is quite stiff with no give, no stretch; ...which further provides ultimate support. The quality is immensely impressive, I'll tell you that. Admittedly, I've slept in Breeze for over a month and it still looks brand new! Overall, I find this bra supportive, cute, high quality and durable.
The straps aren't fully adjustable. I find the straps are too long for me even on the tightest setting.
With 6 hooks, Breeze is one hook too long for my short torso, as it awkwardly hits my ribs; causing discomfort when I bend a certain way. (I heard it's 5 hooks for smaller cups)
TL;DR -------- PROS: - Supportive - Durable - Comfortable straps - Firm Round cups - Back support
CONS: - Straps aren't fully adjustable - Slight east/west look - A bit too long for shorter torsos - Visible under tight clothing - Cup are a tad more separated than I prefer Read more 131 more words
Pine21 My breasts are fairly projected and it worked well for me. The cups are on the tall side which somewhat gives a bit of a minimizing effect, projection wise.
I almost gave up on buying more Cleos after I got bored of my Lucy - as it is way too loose now on me and I stopped wearing it after I start buying Comexims and EM. However, when I saw Blake in the preview it made me to think that I could give a try as it looks very simple. It was great choice - better than my Hettie that I was in love but again is too loose on me - so im trying to sell it and get it in 32DD or 30E instead. Blake has so great materials! like a new better Cleo! Fabric feels ...so good quality and is very soft. Also, I love the combination with beige trim. The only think that I don't like is the bow with animal print. It gives obviously rounded shape, the wires are narrow enough and works well on me. The band is bit loose, I could close it on the tightest hooks however the second set feels comfortable and supportive enough. The band unfortunately is made of 1 layer of mesh - so I think that it may stretch out with the time.. the straps are not too wide - feels like my EM BM Szmaragd, also are fuly adjustable. Overall Im very happy with the purchase and Ill be trying to get it in new blue version *_*
EDIT: Ive got with it panties in 12UK (M, 38) and they fit like real M (38) size. Front is made of the double layer of mesh while back of one layer of the see through mesh. Read more 156 more words
I am so behind in my reviews! Let's catch up shall we?
I originally purchased this bra in a 30E - Cleo » Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) at full price. I was so disappointed when it arrived and sent it back after trying it on. When this, my proper UK size, popped up on sale at a UK website (Pro Tip: buy UK bras from UK websites. This Cleo is $55 on Amazon, it is $34 at poinsettiastyle.co.uk and I got it on sale for $25 when it was new) I went ahead and bought it again praying that it wouldn't try to kill me like past 28 ...Marcies have.
It didn't! Sure, it's still not blue and it still had that horrible neon orange trim (which I removed right away) but it fit! And the shape it gives, A+. Marcie is super round, even though she expects a touch more upper fullness than what I have, it's still very globe-like.
The band is great and TTS. The straps are fully adjustable and comfortable. The wires are still a little wide at the top. The cups have even tension (no in-cup quad). The wire channels are much longer than the actual wires, there is a lot of empty space in them. The gore is too high and too separate for me, so I use that extra wire channel space and shove them down towards my underarm and sew the channels at the gore so they don't stab my sternum.
It is pretty, it is (mostly) comfortable, and it gives a great shape. It won't take the place of my beloved SM, but they can certainly live together in my drawer.
if the cohabitation becomes impossible, I would be happy to offer your SMs a new home, without any competition in the drawer ;)
Beautiful!!
This looks great on you! I just received mine yesterday in size 28GG. I've lost weight and have been replacing my 30GG bras with 28GGs. I also noticed that this bra has quite a bit of room for upper fullness. I can not quite fill out the top, but one can not see the slight wrinkling under tops. I'm glad yours worked out too!
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.
Thanks Love4Pollinators ! The gore width is narrower than the Marcie, so I find it more comfortable, personally. :D
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
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
This review is for the Bluebell colorway. It's an incredibly pretty shade of pale bluish lavender, but no sooner than the mailman delivered it to me and was on his way back down the driveway, I got to work removing the horrible bright orange trims that (in my opinion) clashed horrendously with the beautiful color! I replaced the gore bow with a lavender one and am satisfied with the finished result https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Unfortunately the strap adjusters and hooks are still an obnoxious shade of orange, but you can't tell from the front so it doesn't personally bother me.
As for the fit, the ...band on this colorway definitely runs loose. My snug underbust is 28," but I have only ever purchased unlined Cleo bras in a 30 band because a 28 is usually way too restricting and uncomfortable. After reading jlcl119 's review, I decided to size down though and am so glad I did... it's perfect on the loosest hook. That said, I really hope it doesn't stretch out quickly. I've owned Marcie in a couple different colorways now, but have forgotten how phenomenal the shape is! Super round and lifted, lightweight and perfect beneath clothes. The wires sit and stay in my IMF, and the lace is filled out nicely without any wrinkling or overflow. There's the tiniest hint of in-cup quadding near where the three cup panels connect, but I think that's just due to the difference in firmness between the lower and upper parts of the cup. As it doesn't show under tops, it's negligible to me. Overall I'm very happy with this bra and look forward to getting lots of use out of it https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 185 more words
This color....beautiful on you!!! The shape is stellar. Is this as comfortable as Bardot?
Thank you!! Yes, it is!
I love the changes you made with the trim and the bow, I think it's so much prettier this way! Looks great!
I reordered this in a 28F when I found it on sale and I did the exact same thing you did. That trim was horrid, and I replaced my bow with a giant white one.
agcn589 Thanks! jlcl119 Oh, I really like the combo with the white bow too! No idea what motivated the choice of that terrible orange trim, but then again Cleo's design choices are sometimes a little inexplicable, for sure!
This one feels like it might run a touch small all over. The cups are a bit too narrow for my wide-set, broad-rooted breasts. The embroidered section at the top is very strange, as well... The top of it cuts in disproportionately, while the majority of that section is too loose/wrinkly. I also found the straps to be too short, but my breasts also lay somewhat low on my chest. My shape is not very compatible with this bra, so you may find it lays better for you. If the vertical seams were further away from the gore and the lacey stuff wasn't there, this might have fit ...me better. If you have more even fullness (I am full on bottom and on the outsides, but very shallow on top and in the center), you will probably have better luck with Zia than I did.
The material is weird for me, but it is impressive. It is polyester. It seems very durable and tough, but the cups do not stretch (the band does). It is unlined, but it's definitely thicker than sheer/lace bras. Read more 74 more words
I love the Marcie to death. The yellow color way is pretty true to size, in my opinion, while the pink color way errs on the smaller side. For me, this means the pink one fits better than the yellow! Overall, this bra is perfect for FOT shapes that need a lot of projection. It gives that half-sphere shape and the pattern of lace/mesh(?) isn't visible through shirts. It's a spunky yellow, too!
The 28F Cleo Blake is my new best fitting bra. This bra gives the rounded Cleo shape (much like Marcie) with no trace of the "in cup quad" that Cleos are prone to, probably because the entire cup is made from the same fabric. (The seams are still visible under tight tee shirts, though). The fabric is understated and comfortable, with most of the support coming from the inside lining fabric. The outer fabric is quite stretchy, and the top of the cup is finished with a piece of beige elastic. I've uploaded closeup pictures from the 28FF I first tried.
I was able to size down in the cup relative to my usual Cleo size. My guess is that the stretch in the fabric allowed more projection and/or fullness at the gore which I need. I'd suggest that those who usually need larger cups than their measurements indicate may be able to go with their actual measured cup size in this bra.
The band is medium, sort of between Cleo and Freya in terms of firmness.
I bought this well-loved Marcie as a summer bra. It was getting hot, and my only acceptably fitting bras were lined. Based on what I had heard about the Marcie (that it's the bra to try to test if you're full on top) I was not expecting it to work for me and my even-to-FoB, short roots. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. Not only do I actually fill out the top, it looks amazing AND it's comfortable!
It's not perfect. The wires are too wide, and the inside seam at the lace cuts in a bit on my larger side. But the shape is where it really ...shines. My breasts look perfectly round in this thing. It's seriously amazing. And I don't even need to tighten the straps much at all! None of the fit issues cause me any discomfort, so I can easily ignore them. Maybe it's because it's already been broken in, but the wires don't even feel too hard like Panache wires usually do.
I admit when I first started looking for bras and saw this one getting recommended constantly, I didn't give it much thought at all. I didn't care that it would probably never fit because I wasn't the biggest fan of how it looked. I'm not sure what changed my opinion, but now I actually think it's pretty cute with the bow-patterned lace and little button ornament. And I love how many different colors there are. I have a red one on the way that I hope will be as much of a successs as this pink one. Read more 158 more words
Darn. Like you, this bra would push out of mt IMF, too.