This particular bra didn't fit me, so the review won't be as detailed as the Cleo Piper that fits me.
As always the quality of this bra is great, the seams are sturdy and the wires are comfortable. This is a 30 band so it's not as tight as my Piper in 28, but due to the five hooks it still stays well. The comfort was OK, the cups were too small so it didn't fit, but the band wasn't too tight.
The blue is a nice color, the neon/lime green bow and corresponding books isn't the prettiest combination with blue, but neon isn't generally something I'm very fond of. ...I like the clear contrast between neon green and blue though if nothing else.
When wearing this bra it's clear how poorly it fits! The four part cup isn't something that fits my shape very well but I can make do with it, though the main issue is that the cups are way too small. I'd need at least a 30F. A 30FF might be a better choice though.
I'd say the bra is true to size, it never felt like it was u reasonably small or big anywhere. The gore was a bit wide and the depth/shape of the cups didn't work, but nothing out of the ordinary. Read more 107 more words
Kayla is one of those bras that I’ve wanted to try for over a year now, however, I heard that it was similar to the construction of Jasmine which, up until recently, was a terrible fit. But my weight gain over the fall last year added some new growth and upper fullness, which makes Jasmine/Envy and clones fit better than earlier in the year. The other problem was trying to decide what size go with, since it’s reputation is of a very deep bra. With little upper fullness, I was asking for a shape mismatch with pointy boobs.
Earlier this year, I got a Freya Pop Art bra ...as a giveaway, and ended up listing it as a giveaway again. Much to my surprise, I got relatively quick contact. The seller offered her listings for trade, and this bras was one of them. I sort of felt like I probably need a 30E in this cut, but I said, why not?! I was initially expecting to just give the Freya away, and this would a swap. If it didn’t work, no harm done, and I at least get a bit of research on the bra to know if I needed a smaller size or if it would be worth trying a different size. Well, after about 3 weeks, I finally got the bra.
The pattern or print on the bra is quite unique, and exactly what I expect from Cleo. Bright colours and a fun abstract print. Sadly, it doesn’t extend completely around the whole band. The cups are lightweight and quite silky feeling. The upper stretch lace is robins egg blue with yellow threads. It almost has a mint green appearance. Straps and the rest of the band are the same robins egg blue mint green shade. At the gore is a bright pinky red bow, and the strap sliders and rings to match. Nothing subtle about this bra AT ALL!
The fit of this bra has great immediate depth, and the stretch lace is an asset, however, I have a bit of loose lace. I’m unsure if it’s a size issue or if it’s just been stretched out from prior use. I’m sort of ok with the lace resting on my tissue, and under my work shirts, it’s invisible. The band feels great. Wire width is acceptable...I’m narrowish. I think my biggest issue with this bra is the armpit curve. It’s an armpit eater for sure. Is it a size issue? I don’t know if a 30E would be better. Standing up, it’s not too bad, but it’s seriously painful if I wanna have a nap or relax on the couch on my side.
There are a few things that suggest that I can do a 30E, however, I’m close to in cup quadding, due to my soft tissue. Would it be worse? Would the stretch lace be firmer than this? I’m not sure if I will keep it or list it yet. There’s a lot I like about it. While I’m not mad about the weight gain, I’m glad that it’s rounded out my boobs some to fit bras better. I think when you have soft, deflated, fob and center full pendulous breasts, it can be a challenge. Adding a bit of fullness is definitely a help, though it’s not a huge amount of fullness.
I do love the fun colours and quirky print of the bra, and the silky soft and lightweight feeling of the bra. I do wish it fit a bit better. Read more 481 more words
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
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.
Ah, might not be worth cause I'm over everything about this bra. This was just for bra science since it was fairly cheap.
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.
note: I ordered this before my size change. This is why I didn't originally get the 30GG.
I fell in love with the colour of this bra (and the Cerise as well, but I couldn't find that one anywhere near my size) the second I saw it. Unfortunately, I do think a 30GG would have fit sliiiightly better, but that is impossible to find. On top of that, I have some issues with it that make me think it's maybe not worth even looking for a 30GG.
I think Blake fits a lot different than my two other Cleo bras in the same size. There are some positives and negatives to that.
One, ...the cups feel slightly narrower, and the wires extremely U shaped compared to the others. They are three part cups made of non stretchy tulle and covered with slightly sheer material (I really don't know what this material is called. Mesh, maybe? Not sure.) Unfortunately the cups seem to be a slightly wrong shape for me and by that I mean the wires make it so I can't quite fill out the bottom of the cup unless I try really hard. Like, I have to pull on the cups to make the wires fall into my imf (won't happen by just adjusting the wires and such). I have empty space along the wire. Regardless, the cups do have great lift, but I wouldn't say the shape is the typical Cleo shape I see in the photos (even on most of other women's photos). The shape is slightly more natural. Being a huge fan of the natural shape (with that slight peak at the apex) I quite like this. The cups are finished with a black non-stretchy strip, and this always cuts into my soft tissue but for some reason I am not experiencing this with Blake as I do with other bras. Make of that what you will. I do get some in-cup quadding however, both sides.
The band is slightly stretchier than my other 30G Cleo bras as well. Not in a bad way, though, it's still tight enough for me. Only 2 hooks https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
The strap situation with this one is BAD for me. They adjust long enough but they're so thin they might as well have just put a piece of string up there.
The wires on Blake are sturdy! They wouldn't budge while I was doing my stretched band measurement, and kept their shape the whole time. No distortion whatsoever. The gore is narrow, it tacks beautifully, nothing much to say about it.
Overall, I do like this bra and I think it looks amazing. I just feel like it's not quite right for me (and wouldn't be even in 30GG).
Should I give up on Cleo? I gave up on Panache in general, but for some reason keep clinging onto their Cleo bras because they are so fun. Maybe they are just not for me. The 2 hooks and thin straps in 30G (and from some investigating, there are 2 hooks in 30GG as well) baffle me. Read more 400 more words
BTW some might remember my first 30G Blake got stolen, but I managed to find a replacement for it because I really wanted to try this bra!
I do love the color of this one, but if the fit doesn't make you happy, there is no reason to continue to try them, right? (Keeping in mind I say this all while I keep trying Comexim even though I know they don't work for me, so my advice isn't really credible, heehee. So.....take my advice since I'm not using it? ;-)
Lmao, speaking of Comexim, I actually got the Bridget in 30HH and holy crap, it fits even worse than the 32GG, if that's even possible. Mainly because it fits the same as 32GG when in theory a band size down and a cup size up should fit considering the 32GG was too loose in the band, and too small in the cup. BUT NOPE. Fits almost exactly the same. What a disappointment. 65L - Comexim » Bridget Half Cup (554)
Bummer! The cup depth is slightly larger on the 30HH, so could the cup fit issue be due to the new growth? :-/ Otherwise yep, they look the same on for sure!
I have no other explanation. That's the downside of waiting for a bra to come... I'm sure a month ago it would have fit.
I have no other explanation. That's the downside of waiting for a bra to come... I'm sure a month ago it would have fit.
I am living that pain right now. No bra fits. Several (really a lot) on the way, while half most likely will be too small in the cup when they arrive, and I desperately need the few that should fit now (and two weeks ago at this point. :' -(
I'm sorry :( Sucks. Hopefully some fit of the new ones.
Indeed. Now if they would just arrive already! Waiting is torture.......
This bra does not ideal for someone with center fullness. It leaves an empty space by the armpit and causes quad boob in the middle. It isn't super wide at the band, but it does chafe under the arm.
Thanks for this review. I've been curious about the cut of the bra "underneath". :)
That looks great! Thanks for the review! I still can't fully tell the structure of the bra underneath - is it a balconnette cut ot or has only vertical seams?
OMG! I AM IN LOVE!!! Thank you so much for the review. Fingers crossed that is available in 28D/28DD!
This mod was an experiment. Using hand-sewing, I shortened the band and padded the underwire ends with thick leather. The underwire feels narrow to me, but this may just be the widesettedness of the cups due to the too-large band.
The cups are too big at the outsides (mostly too wide). The projection is not too bad, and I can fill them in the middle and bottom. Molded foam cups aren't very amenable to tailoring, otherwise I'd have frankenbra'd them as well.
This is a 38G, but I am (probably) a 32H. Now modified, the band measures 31 unstretched and 37 stretched. For me, the band is still too loose.
A curiosity--an unsuccessful project, because the modifications couldn't make it fit. But it's a successful project because it showed me that a cup problem isn't fixed by padding the underwires or shortening the band. It's also successful because leather details and contrast top-stitching look siiick.
This bra's measurements have been altered
Altered band,
stitched thick leather to all underwire ends (at center gore and at wings)--am experiment to prevent painful digging/distribute pressure. Hand stitched a shortened band and decorative topstitching (by hand)
My breasts are slightly FOT, and while I've seen reviews saying that this is a great bra for similar breasts, it fit me terribly.
The band runs small, and so, it would seem, do the cups. I fit comfortably in a 28FF Freya Deco, but the Koko felt like a 26F in comparison. Of course, the band tightness could be due to the bra being a strapless, but I was surprised at how snug it was.
The shape is hard to speak about as my breasts were far too large for the cups. However, it seemed to want my breasts flat and spread out towards my armpits. I have fairly immediate projection, but the cups were a bit empty at the bottom which is why I think this would be better for someone FOB.
Overall, a terrible bra for me. At this point I wouldn't recommend it to anyone as the sizing was so off, but the construction did seem sturdy.
For me Freya never required the same cup size as Panache/Cleo so I'm not surprised that the two didn't fit the same. Personally, I've found Panache to be unreliable in sizing as a whole *but* I also never paid full price for one so that could be why (possible slight seconds etc.)
I like the fit of this bra however in the 30FF the band seemed more comfortable. I’m not sure if it’s due to the color or size? 30FF is Black and 30G is tangerine. They both fit pretty good except in the 30FF I had a slight in bra quadding where the lace is at but the band was much more comfy. In the 30G it seems like a better fit but the band is not as stretchy. I’m not sure the center gore tacks at the top portion on either sizes but is perfectly fine on the bottom. And it doesn’t poke or bother me in any way whatsoever. I’m not sure if I should try another size or color or just break wait for this to loosen up with day to day wear?!?
I love this colour. Since you said that it is a snugger band, does adding an extender help with the gore tacking?
I’m going to try that. I originally thought of trying the 28G in black I would of never got a 28G on in the tangerine so I will see if the extender helps!
I'm actually wondering if you could go up a size still? The gore isn't tacking and you have some side-boob excaping. If the extender doesn't solve the tacking issue, maybe you could try a 30GG?
So I did use the extender and yes most definitely helps but I’m starting to think I may still need to size up.
I added a few more pictures with the extender. I will add measurements of this bra shortly.
One month update: I've been wearing the Zia for a month now. The band is stretched out to where I now wear it on the tightest set of hooks. I've noticed this in the past with Panache bras. Ideally I'd like my bands to not to stretch out so fast. In addition I have since gone up 1-2 cup sizes so the cups no longer fit me. As mentioned in my original review the style doesn't suit me. Overall I'm not a fan of this bra, but someone with broader shoulders and shallow and wide set breasts would probably love it.
Original review: The Zia is absolutely beautiful with ...its large polka dot design and embroidered upper panel. Traditional three part construction balconette bra. I have heard that cleo bras have narrow wires. For me they were on the wider side as I prefer the wires on Polish bras. The cups are great for projected breasts. Bra is smooth under thin fabrics. The bra almost gives a more conical shape; it's not very rounded. If you prefer a less rounded shape this is a good fit.
In addition to the underwire being too wide for my preference I would prefer it have three hook and eye closers instead of two. The band is nice and supportive but I think it would have better support for anyone above a UK G cup with three hooks. The gore is also too high for me. I'd prefer it be 3". As someone with full on top breasts I prefer stretch lace for the upper panel, and also prefer a full cup style over a Balconette style. I do get a bit of overflow, but not enough to justify going up a cup.
Zia (and Cleo in general) is good for people who find Polish wires too narrow, but British wires too wide, wants a smooth look under clothes, has wider shoulders, is full all over/full on bottom, likes a Balconette style, and prefer a less rounded shape. Read more 223 more words
The strap positioning and wire width appear to me to reflect a too-large cup being pulled tight into a semblance of fit by a too-small band! Cleo runs small in the band already so sizing down from the 30s and 32s that you have been wearing recently would produce a lot of cup distortion--I can't see if you're using 1 extender but I think you'd need 2-3 for this one. Really, even if you are more of a 30, most Cleos run so small that a cleo 32 can fit like a firm 30. I think this would be worth a shot in 32GG and you'd find the strap and cup width issues much improved.
no,no. my 30HH cleo Zia was 30, not less. I could wear 30HH with sewed in center Gore, or 28J with exender (but still center Gore sewed in) in most Cleos on my 29" frame. So, they may run small in smaller cups sizes, but not in HH.
I finally tried Minnie again in my new size. Surprisingly it almost works with a little tweaking. But I am not a fan of this colorway so I'm waiting for the next. Recently, though, I don't like the shape I get from Cleo. I got more uplift and rounding when I wore a larger cup.
My shape: mid-height front-facing teardrop-profile (ski jump with no "jump") with tall shallow roots, low apex, lots of immediate projection underneath but moderate overall projection, wide roots with lots of side fullness and shallow tails that wrap all the way to the shoulder blade, extremely close-set center tissue (possibly a trace of natural symmastia), and very firm self-supporting tissue that when pushed out of shape will push right back.
This review is for the Tangerine colorway I purchased from Zulilly.
Such an interesting and bright color! It's a very saturated orange-pink, like red grapefruit. I'm not sure it's for me, though. The bra is pretty enough, I suppose, but I ...have never really liked the aesthetic of the sheer upper panel with opaque lower ones.
Well, I still haven't found a T-seam cup that works with my shape. The upper cup panel is a too roomy but closes too soon, so if I sized down to a 28FF/30F, I think I'd get faux-quad-boob and still not fill it out. The apex is slightly too high for me, but this isn't necessarily apparent in the photos because the buckling of the vertical seam and the cup fabric shifting down to find more space (due to insufficient immediate projection, or depth at the wire, which I need more of). It looks like there's also not enough depth around the gore, which is not something I usually have issue with, being side-full, and I think might cause lots of center-full ladies some issues. The sides are tall enough to contain all my tissue, but I do like quite tall cups, so others sensitive to armpit chafing should take that with a grain of salt.
There is about 2cm of space in the wire channels, which I used gratefully to push the wires out toward the wings. It makes the gore, which is otherwise slightly too-wide and a bit pokey, float artificially and is much more comfortable. If I were keeping it, I would tack them in place so they can't slide back! They are nice and wide and comfy, too steep for my Nike swooshes but not uncomfortable, and not too hard.
The band is too tight. That's pretty rare! It couldn't ride down out of my IMF because it was so snug, so true 28s or even ladies on the edge of 26, this might work for you!
I've had lots of trouble lately with several of my new bras having scratchy wings. Maybe it's just me, or maybe this one would go away with the first wash, but this one is no exception. Curiously, I don't think it was the tag, though, so I'm not sure removing it would help.
Dear Cleo, please teach Freya how to position their straps. These are great! Not in my armpits is always nice.
This one is getting listed. Read more 358 more words
The colors are weird: It's a pink and brown animal print on a beige background. The beige looks a lot brighter on the pictures but it doesn’t look too bad in person. The cups them self are not too visible under a bright shirt but you do notice the black seams and straps.
The fit is OK. The cups feel somewhat large one me but I am sure the black trim on top would be cutting in if they were any smaller. It probably works better for a full on bottom shape. Unlike most other Cleos this does not make my breasts super round. It is more of a ...natural very projected shape. In fact it only lifts my boobs a little without really changing their shape. The fabric is thin and the seams don't align with my nipples so they can easily poke though.
The band is very loose and stretchy. It feels like a loose 30 (like Freya) or a snug 32. It is still OK on my 73.5cm ribcage but not very supportive. I mostly wear this one at home or when I just don't feel like wearing one of my tigher bras. The straps are also long and stretchy. I am tempted to shorten them even more but that just makes the band ride up. The wires are firm and a little too wide on me but they don't poke my anywhere.
Quality is also good. I have it for almost 6 month now and it didn't stretch much and still looks like new. I also like that the wire channels are exactly the right length. On some of my other bras I have over 1 cm of empty wire channel at the sides which looks a bit strange.
Overall it's a really nice and comfy bra but if you have a smaller ribcage then I you should go down at least one band size in order to get any support. Read more 213 more words
Interesting print and colours. I’ve never been one for animal prints, although I am considering the CK Madagascar in pixie, and that’s a zebra print. I don’t think it’s quite the same. It’s actually quite complimentary to your skin tone though, I think. As for the band....see, I think that it’s fine. Doesn’t look stretchy or like it’s riding up to me.
Yeah in your shot of the back the band looks like it’s barely holding together & could snap. There’s nothing too big about this bra. It’s a better cup volume than a 28F. If you need to feel super compressed, i like Wendy’s suggestion of long lines on your Ellace review 👍🏻
lcl0706 Believe this thing is stretchy. I can easily fit both hands under the band. Maybe the hooks are a manufacturing error. My Freya Enchanted (http://bra.pe/XYMZ/) fits much tighter and the hooks look perfectly normal. I also have quite a bit of back fat so most bras look tight on me.
I hate that hands under the band thing. My one requirement for a band is it to stay in place. So what if I can fit my hand or both hands or 5 fingers sideways under it... if I’m not pulling it back down all day I’m good!
@lcl0706 Yes, it's a very inaccurate test. I also never understood why you are supposed to be able to get two fingers under the band. I can do that even if a bra is way too small. But I did this experiment some time ago:
And the this one actually turned out to be a full size looser.
@Calluna I'm not too much into animal prints as well. But my boyfriend loves it for some reason. Maybe he will buy me the Madgascar if I show him the pictures. I already got my Cleo Marcie this way ;-)
aboobaccount lol! Men can be so manipulated when it comes to our bodies (or theirs) though, in my case, my husband prefers me with no bra....though he's happier I'm switching to more soft cup bras as he's not really a fan of the boob armour type lined/mounded bras I have been wearing for a while. I'm getting the CK Bardot that lcl0706 has listed and it's sheer....so maybe he'll like it? I think that it's sexy as all get out. ;)
Also, I went to the abtf page and was totally lost when I looked at the information and results. 🤔
@Calluna My BF also favors no bra over everything else. But he does like my unlined 28Fs a lot more then my old, mostly padded 34Ds. I wouldn't say that I am manipulating him. I am just inspiring him to invest some of the money he saves on his underwear (he spends like 10€ per year) into mine ;-)
As for the big excel sheet: I tried to figure out how much support a bra could theoretically give based on the force exerted by the band as opposed to how far the bra stretches (which is what bratabase records). But it turned out that you have to take the whole structure into account. I just used the link to point out that this particular bra fits nearly twice as loose (less force) compared to my others.
Basic all black version of Cleos unpadded classic with the amazingly round shape.
I've grown a little bigger lately so I ordered this bra in both a 30FF and 30F - Cleo » Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831). When I tried the raspberry version of the 30FF three years ago it was definetely too big and the upper lace was gaping. This time around while the black 30F technically fits the 30FF does as well, even the upper lace is laying perfectly flat which can be a problem in the Marcie with FoB breast.
As this bra was a perfect match for my boobs on those bigger days, the uplift not compomised and the wire width perfectly wearable I decided to go with the 30FF and enjoy the extra comfort that goes along with the roomier cups.
This bra is very comfortable (and super cute!). I'll be trying a 28 to see if the fit of the band would be better. This is currently my best fitting bra!
So glad this is comfortable! Marcie creates an awesome shape.
I’m considering this in this same size. I’m concerned that I might still be a little bit too FOB for it though, but the 32E I tried wasn’t too bad, just too large of a band. What’s your shape like ?
Calluna Go for it! Seriously! I'm *very* FoB and while the top of the lace in mine is a smidge loose, the bottom fits extremely well!
Scarl3tt3 to me you look evenly full in this bra. I wouldn’t call you *very* FOB. Regardless, I made Marcie work for me as well and I am even with the shortest roots on the planet lol. So I tend to disagree with the widespread notion that Marcie only works for FOT shapes. I wore Marcie in a size down from my average size, until I got tired of its killer wires and elastics.
Scarl3tt3 thanks! I think that I am borderline evenly full but with the tendency to be more fob than fot, though as I have fairly soft and malleable tissue, sometimes my boobs act differently depending on the bra. They’re tricky little bastard boobs sometimes. Which makers me feel like I should go for it in the 30F instead of 30E. Agree with lcl0706 that perhaps it’s not quite the fob/fot diagnostic bra that it’s reputation says it is.
It looks very nice on you! Stupid question: is it the black version? I just order the black one in a band size larger since I was expecting it to fit tighter then the other colorways.
aboobaccount Not at all! This one was actually the navy color. The black doesn't have any color accents IIRC. :)
I'm actually looking at the navy one too. Though I love the bluebell.
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 .
Thank you to jlcl119 for selling me this bra! I've owned Marcie before, but not for a few years. It's even better than I remembered! It's super comfy, the gore doesn't bother me like Hettie's does, and I only get mild in-cup quadding on one side which is barely noticeable. I just wore it for a 5 hour waitressing shift and I felt supported and contained the whole time. It gives me a nice round shape under clothing, as is expected from Marcie. This burgundy colourway is beautiful, and I think the cute cream bows with burgundy pin dots brings the whole thing together. I also received two matching briefs, but I'll have to wait and see how I feel about them. I tried them on and they fit well, but they give me major VPL and cut into my glutes like crazy. This is always a problem I have, so I won't be wearing them with any tight-fitting clothing. I could probably make do with wearing them under skirts and dresses that are more A-line.
Thanks for the review. It's a very flattering bra.
It looks beautiful on you. I love the colour.
Sonya Thank you! I like the colour too. I need more dark coloured bras because I have so many that are a beautiful light pink/peach colour haha
Brash5 And thank you as well, Brash! I agree, it is very flattering.
Great review! Nice to hear about the wires not bothering you! Yeah!! Looks nice on you too! I have a silly question....What is in-cup quadding? I have heard that term before but couldn't figure it out. Thanks!
Denise5 Not a silly question at all! In-cup quadding happens for me when the tension of the diagonal seam is tighter than the cup's fabric above and beneath the seam, or when the upper fabric (usually stretch lace) is stretchier or looser than the lower fabric, which results in my breast tissue protruding a little bit past the seam. It can create the illusion of quad-boob under clothing when in fact the cups may be the correct volume.
sherrach898 Oh!!! Got it!!! Thanks for the explanation!!!!
Ooooooh myyyy goodness. I'm supposed to be doing a million other things right now but I just got this bra in the mail after spending the past few months trying to find a good strapless bra in time for summer in order to replace my Parfait By Affinitas Jeanie Strapless Contour Bra (4815) , which had always been uncomfortably tight and really mean to my rib cage. I was avoiding this one a little because the reviews were mixed and it was one of the more expensive options, but since my best fitting bras are all Cleo (especially 28G - Cleo » Maddie Moulded ...T-shirt Bra (7201) ) and I had a coupon, I decided to....take the plunge. (Sorry, I'll see myself out shortly.)
This bra is basically everything I was looking for in a strapless and more. Like, for a basic black bra, it is actually really cute! That plunge is no joke! My cleavage (of which I usually have relatively little without the help of padding) looks great, which has basically never happened with a strapless before! The removable straps have little black triangle dot things! And the bow at the center gore is black with gold polka dots! I typically have a strong aversion to the bows at the center gore, but this one...I can work with this one. Additionally, inside the cups, along the underwire, you'll find "Crafted for fit. Styled for fun." in gold lettering, and even though I'm the only one who'll really see it anyway, I think it's a nice touch. The bra itself feels really sturdy and well-made (no flimsy cups!), and the fabric doesn't irritate my skin in any way. It's got not one, but TWO silicone grips all the way along the top and bottom of the band (so 4 per band, total) to keep it in place, and let me tell you, those things are doing their job. I did a lot of jumping in this just to be sure.
In terms of fit, I thought it might be a little big, just looking at it out of the box, but it fits like a dream. I have wide roots of average height, even fullness, am self-supporting and somewhere between shallow and average projection, and these cups are perfect. I get the perfect amount of coverage and a nice, rounded-but-not-too-rounded shape, which is what I prefer. There's no squishing, no quadding at the top of the cups or near the center gore, no wrinkling at the bottom of the cup, no orange-in-a-glass, no cups coming up too high on my chest or extending up into my armpits or flopping around on the sides or not being able to contain the sides in the first place.With the band, I do feel like it could be just a tiny bit tighter, and while I'm curious to see how the 28G (my actual size) would fit, I don't think I'll take the chance. Even though my band size should be a 28 based on my measurements, 28 bands (and tighter 30 bands, even) tend to cause me A LOT of discomfort and sometimes even some bruising/soreness because my rib cage flares out a little, so I tend to stick to 30 bands when I can. Even so, I did try the bra on with just the loosest set of hooks and it stayed in place and is supremely comfortable (words I thought I'd never say), so I think the 30 is a safe bet for me. If you don't have the same rib cage issue I have, though, I'd say go with your measured size. In terms of cup volume/fit, this 30FF fits very similarly to my 28G Maddie and my 28G - Cleo » Koko Belle (9066) , so it seems to run pretty true to size. All in all, if you're looking for a good strapless that's not _too_ shallow and that also doesn't look closer to a utilitarian bandeau with the center gore going almost all the way to the top of the cups, I'd highly recommend this one, especially if you've had luck with Cleo before. Read more 584 more words
My shape: Projected, narrow, shorter roots, even/functionally full on bottom, soft tissue. Cleo Lily fits me best.
I'd say this bra fits pretty true to size. It wants a little more inner/upper fullness than I have, but I don't have loads of empty space in the cups, either.
Because of the softer/less rigid fabrics used on the Skye, it gives me a slightly more natural/less round shape, but really only slightly. I certainly wouldn't call it pointy.
I'll be returning it (don't like the colorway), and I'm not sure I'm going to revisit it. I don't feel as secure as I'd like because of the less rigid materials used.
I have just posted new review. It's Cleo's Kali in burnt orange, and it's a great bra – perfect for summer. Head over to my blog for full review https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
omg I freaking LOVE an orange bra! thanks for reviewing this.The Kali doesn't work for me but it reminds me I need to look for one that does ;-)
I love this colorway. It makes me want to try the bra, but I just can't bring myself to get Lucy or Kali because I don't like the bandless front design. :/
wendybien I just realized there are very few orange bras on the market.
letstalkaboutbras I know a lot of people don't like bandless bras in general. Bandless can look weird sometimes like, for example, my Cleo Koko Muse which gives impression of wires sitting too low on chest while everything fits perfectly.
Gorgeous color on you!!!
WelshCorgiPembroke it is pretty rare yes. I had a burnt orange Lejaby that I kept for almost a DECADE wearing it only 5-6 times a year! Had to make it last because they were even harder to find back when I was young (aka when rocks were soft, when Moses was a pup etc.)
Small! Yikes! Love the colours though.