Unfortunately this bra did not work for me in 28D or 28DD. For this 28DD, I would be tempted to alter the baggy lace at the top... IF the straps weren't in my armpits or if the sides of the cups weren't and inch beyond my breasts. It is such a cute bra. I am sad that it didn't work for me.
I bought the Lily along with the Marcie and Lucy as a sort of shape test to find out which type of bras I should be looking for. I like the bold and colourful style of the Lily quite a lot, both in this and other colourways. The wires in this size are relatively narrow, certainly far more so than the unlined Freyas I've tried in the same size, and they have more of a roundish shape rather than the 'swoosh' shape of the Cleo Marcie. The construction of the top of the cups is a little bit odd - there's a sort of pocket formed by the ...stripe and the material directly below it, which tends to wrinkle if you're not projected at just that point. However this isn't visible under clothing and the bra is therefore still wearable even if you don't fit that part of the cup perfectly. While the band is quite tight, I found it to be more comfortable and to need less 'wearing in' than the Marcie.
In terms of fit, the Lily came closer to fitting me than the Marcie and Lucy in the same size, both of which were clearly too small and, in the case of the latter, possibly also the wrong shape. When I first put the Lily on, I get wrinkles in the cups due to my boobs not being able to fit into them, and cutting in along the orange stripe, leading to quad boob directly above it. However after I've worn the bra for a little while, both these problems lessen, as if my boobs jiggle themselves into the cups as the day progresses! While the very round shape of the cups isn't especially flattering on me without clothes - I think it has a slight 'pancake' effect on my smaller boob! - the bra gives a very nice and uplifted shape under clothes, especially considering it's unlined. I also like that this bra allows for quite a bit of centre-fullness. I frequently find with a lot of other bras that the tops of the cups cut in near the gore, even where the bra is too big overall. This isn't a problem with the Lily.
I also own this bra in a 28E and that size fits reasonably well too, probably better than the 28DD on my larger boob, but the top of the cup wrinkles a bit on my smaller boob. Again though, that isn't visible under clothing. The main difference in fit between the two sizes is just that the smaller size gives me a slightly rounder and more uplifted shape. Despite it not being a perfect fit on me, I generally like this bra a lot and am glad I managed to pick up a couple very cheaply now it's being discontinued - hope the 'new Lily' is just as nice! Read more 368 more words
It's actually not being discontinued entirely. It's getting replaced by the Erin, which looks to have the same cut but comes in far fewer sizes. It does not come in 28 bands at all and only comes in cups E-H in band size 30.
Thanks, yeah I was just looking at Bravissimo's site and noticed that it only starts at 30E. I'm well and truly sized out of it!
I'm quite happy with this bra overall. It's not the absolute smoothest fabric and gets a bit itchy on dry skin - but it's a nice shape, the band and straps fit very well, and I quite like its colors.
This bra fits me best on the moderate to larger swing of my cycle.
I bought this bra because it is the same as the Leila which fitted me amazingly.
The Ariana fits me very well also. It's very comfortable and encases all my side tissue. Love the thin foam padding as it gives a great shape! It gives me nice cleavage too.
As in the photos, there is minor wrinkling on my smaller right breast, but it's not a problem for me. One complaint is that I do have to adjust myself at least once during the day. I think the fabric may be a little stretchy for me.
A great one for wide shallow breasts! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
I am sized at a 28D/DD. I tried this bra in both a 28D and a 28DD, and the 28D was too small for me. It gives a great round shape for my shallow and conical breasts. It also gathers them together and aims them forward.
The lacy upper section and the seams are slightly visible through thin, tight knits, but this bra gives a great shape and it almost invisible under looser, thicker knits. The wires are very comfortable for me, and the thin fabric doesn't show my nipples but is also breathable and very comfortable.
I would highly recommend this bra as a first-try unlined bra for shallow, conical breasts. I do not have much upper fullness without a bra, but this bra still fits me very well.
This bra is much maligned, but I really like it for my wide-set, FOB breasts. The molded cups are very rounded, and on my petite frame, they end up a little splayed, but that fits the natural curvature of my breasts. I am very slightly shallow, and this bra comes close to cutting into my upper breast tissue because it curves in so drastically at the top edge. However, this prevents any gapping when I bend over, and this works for me. You might try this bra if your breasts are FOB, splayed, and wide-set without a significant amount of tissue spread above your upper ribcage.
I love this bra for t-shirts, and I kind of want one in every color now!
The wires and straps were quite wide. I had quad boob after swooping and scooping, and wrinkles were the nipples meet the cup. The pink colourway is lovely, but she just wasn't the gal for me.
The cups were too small, I had major quad boob all over. My armpit tissue wasn't contained at all, and I quickly leaked out after Scoop&Swooping. The wires were wide, and band was also really loose. I ordered it in Hawaiian Blue, a lovely colourway. In the end I returned the bra, as it was simply too small.
Pretty bra and quite comfortable. I seem to be right on the border of 28DD and 28E in this bra. If there is any quadboobing at all it's ever so slight. This was my first try in my new size and it seems it had worked out.
Something just didn't seem to work well with this bra, I think it is best described as orange in the glass, it was too big and too small at the same time. very pretty though and the fabric felt super soft. Really wanted it too work though
The cup of this bra fits absolutely perfectly. Lately I have been getting cutting in or gaping on the top of all soft cup bras. I love the cleo bras, but it's always one or the other (cutting in or gaping space). This bra has an amazing smooth line, I love it.
However, the band of this bra looks horrible when I wear it. The band has two hooks, which already can cause backfat problems. The band seems to made of basic elastic and cheap fabric, so my skin moulds around the two bands of elastic, and it creates the most unappealing backfat that shows up through everything. I ...have tried using an extender, but I lose support, and I have tried the tightest hook, and the problem doesn't change. I really don't like band fabric that has a lot of give. I find the fabric gives more than the elastic, and it doesn't hold my skin nice and flat. (Sorry if that's too much gross backfat information.) I prefer bands that don't give or stretch much- masquerade anise for example.
So for those reasons, I have a great fitting bra in the cup, but I never wear it because I have better options that don't leave me with bra lines under my clothes. Read more 104 more words
The cups in this bra are definitely too deep for me. I have shallow breasts and I probably should have purchased the 28d, although I'm still not quite sure it would suit my shape. The top lace portion wrinkled and there were slight wrinkles around the cup. I tried doing the scoop method and everything I could to try to fill it, but it just wouldn't fill. It's mainly in the top portion that I am lacking in. It's my first 28 band, so I guess I have to expect some failure while searching for the right bra! Everything else seemed to fit fine and it's a gorgeous bra. It is just too bad because I purchased it from the UK (I am from the US) and would rather not have to pay to return. So, if you are at all hesitant about sizing and you have shallow breasts, go for the smaller size!
Me: Average projection. Fuller on bottom. Slightly wider left breast (I suspect this breast is also 1-2 ml taller than my other breast). Usually wear 28DD or 30D.
Very pretty bra. Fits great on me. Left side, the cup fit perfectly. Right side, fits mostly great; there's only a tiny bit of gaping but it's barely noticeable. It's not even noticeable through a shirt. This bra is not a push-up bra but it does give me that push-up bra look. I'm not sure why but I'm not complaining. The straps are a bit far and I'm afraid the straps might fall if I move too much; I haven't put it to the test yet of walking around with the bra on me.
I'm not sure how I forgot to review Maddie as it was one of the first Cleo bras I ever tried in my size of 28DD, and one of the first that fit me in this new size. At the time, I found the band to be comfortably snug and was impressed with the lift and rounded shape that the cups gave me, but thought the wide strap placement was a bit irritating by the arms. I later tried a 28E when I still measured 28DD and it was predictably too big.
Now, this bra is laughably short on me, and I've found that there is not ...enough projection even though the openness of the cup does allow it to accommodate a bit more fullness, making it a good choice for hormonal fluctuations. It no longer gives me the nice rounded shape I used to get, though I get pretty impressive Marie Antoinette cleavage since it only covers half my breasts in my current size. I tried to order this again in 28E, but Amazon accidentally sent me an entirely different bra, so I guess it's not meant to be.
After trying on more bras with this kind of shape, I've concluded that bras with short, open cups, a low gore, and wide set straps don't work well on me. These bras tend to run shallow in cup shape, but while they sit nicely when I'm standing up straight, the wide set straps and open cups gap whenever I move. So, while 28E would have more projection and taller cups, the width of the strap placement would still cause this problem to happen. This bra is shallow-friendly and good for tall roots, and can accommodate varying amounts of upper fullness. The cups are quite wide so the proportions are difficult for narrow frames or narrow roots.
I remember trying this style and Lexi at the same time, but ended up preferring this style. Though both fit similarly, Lexi had a really visible top edge that was obvious under clothing. The lace upper cup trim on Maddie is a little more subtle, though it appears wider.
The main theme of Maddie is contrasting texture, and the main fabric of this bra is a shadow stripe with textured ribbing that is echoed in the strap elastic (same elastic as Hettie). I like that the fabric has visual texture but doesn't show under clothing, and is soft to touch. The cups are a little thick for my tastes and are a little firmer than other molded T-shirt type bras in my collection. I really liked the firm band on this style, as it is made from the same stretch body fabric and lined with powermesh, so it is extra firm and stable despite the wings being on the narrow side. Other than the lace on the upper cup, the only decoration is a simple button at the gore covered in textured fabric.
I'm unsure if I will give Maddie another try knowing what I know now about cup shapes that suit my body. Though this bra runs a little small on me, it does give a nice push up effect, so I might still pull this out of the collection every once in a while for special outfits, but it isn't suitable as an everyday T-shirt bra for me. Read more 458 more words
I'm not sure how I forgot to review Maddie as it was one of the first Cleo bras I ever tried in my size of 28DD, and one of the first that fit me in this new size. At the time, I found the band to be comfortably snug and was impressed with the lift and rounded shape that the cups gave me, but thought the wide strap placement was a bit irritating by the arms. I later tried a 28E when I still measured 28DD and it was predictably too big.
Now, this bra is laughably short on me, and I've found that there is not ...enough projection even though the openness of the cup does allow it to accommodate a bit more fullness, making it a good choice for hormonal fluctuations. It no longer gives me the nice rounded shape I used to get, though I get pretty impressive Marie Antoinette cleavage since it only covers half my breasts in my current size. I tried to order this again in 28E, but Amazon accidentally sent me an entirely different bra, so I guess it's not meant to be.
After trying on more bras with this kind of shape, I've concluded that bras with short, open cups, a low gore, and wide set straps don't work well on me. These bras tend to run shallow in cup shape, but while they sit nicely when I'm standing up straight, the wide set straps and open cups gap whenever I move. So, while 28E would have more projection and taller cups, the width of the strap placement would still cause this problem to happen. This bra is shallow-friendly and good for tall roots, and can accommodate varying amounts of upper fullness. The cups are quite wide so the proportions are difficult for narrow frames or narrow roots.
I remember trying this style and Lexi at the same time, but ended up preferring this style. Though both fit similarly, Lexi had a really visible top edge that was obvious under clothing. The lace upper cup trim on Maddie is a little more subtle, though it appears wider.
The main theme of Maddie is contrasting texture, and the main fabric of this bra is a shadow stripe with textured ribbing that is echoed in the strap elastic (same elastic as Hettie). I like that the fabric has visual texture but doesn't show under clothing, and is soft to touch. The cups are a little thick for my tastes and are a little firmer than other molded T-shirt type bras in my collection. I really liked the firm band on this style, as it is made from the same stretch body fabric and lined with powermesh, so it is extra firm and stable despite the wings being on the narrow side. Other than the lace on the upper cup, the only decoration is a simple button at the gore covered in textured fabric.
I'm unsure if I will give Maddie another try knowing what I know now about cup shapes that suit my body. Though this bra runs a little small on me, it does give a nice push up effect, so I might still pull this out of the collection every once in a while for special outfits, but it isn't suitable as an everyday T-shirt bra for me. Read more 458 more words
Bonnie is an interesting style. I picked this up because I was able to find my preferred size of 28DD in this style, and it is supposed to share the same cut as Lucy. Now, I've tried Lucy in various sizes (28D, 30D, 30DD) and haven't found my perfect fit, but I thought maybe 28DD was the perfect one. However, this isn't it either.
The styling of this bra is quite busy, with orange and white daisies embroidered on the mesh cups. The upper cup is heavily embroidered in white, orange, and lime green geometric mandalas. It reminds me of a sari I once ...wore to an Indian wedding, which is not a bad thing. More is more is the look here, and this is probably the most heavily embellished bra I own. Other than the embroidery, the straps and wings are kept a clean solid pink.
Now I don't have the 28DD Lucy on hand to compare, but the cups of the 30D Lucy definitely differ from this Bonnie. The lower cup is more projected on my Bonnie, and the upper cup is definitely taller. 30D Lucy feels too small in the lower cup for me, but I couldn't fill out the top of the 30DD although the lower cup was a great fit. Bonnie was a similar problem, where the bottom cup fits well, but I don't have enough upper fullness to fill out the lace portion. The additional cup height compared to 30D Lucy doesn't help either, so the top of the cup hits me where I am very shallow.
I think I can easily tuck the lace portion in and tailor the cups to fit, so all is not lost. The band is suitably snug, almost to the point of being too tight, but I didn't notice any distortion or digging in from the underwires.
So, compared to Lucy, the bottom cup is bigger/taller, and the upper cup is bigger/taller. The underwire shape was the same. If Lucy works for you and you can fill a taller cup with more coverage, this would work. However if you have problems filling the upper cup in Lucy, the issue will be exaggerated here. Part of this is comparing the 28DD to 30D as I know the proportions are a little different, but I do believe that there is enough difference between the two bras that you could notice the difference in fit across the same size.
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28E update:
In my current size, I fill out these cups much better, but the seam between the upper and lower cups is a bit wrinkly. At first I assumed this was due to sewing and the thickness of the embroidery, but I tried this with inserts at the center of the cup, and the wrinkles disappear. Thus, this is suitable for even shapes with a bit more projection than I have. The cup seems to run a size large as you need a really snug fit to get a smooth look from this thick fabric--plus, I wear Lucy in 28E and it fits well with no wrinkles.
Regarding my original comment about the band feeling tight--I think that initially I was just not used to 28 bands, since my underbust measurement hasn't changed, but the band doesn't bother me anymore. A good reminder to step down gradually as you are going down to your true band size! Read more 471 more words
Lace on top edge of bra is unbearably itchy and scratchy until the edges of the lace have worn down from washing/wear. Lace is also meant to be upper part of the cup and works best for those with a rounded shape on top (full on top?) and not for shallow-breasted
I bought this ages ago. On me it is too wide, too shallow, and the band is too short. Massive quading following immediately by the bra sliding down my chest.
This bra is in my normal rotation, but only until I can get enough other bras to finally burn it.
The Good: 1) The foam covers the nip without being too thick, making it a good T-shirt bra. 2) I love the stripe. Invisible through thin white tees but adds cuteness to what could otherwise have been a boring-looking bra.
The Bad: 1) The straps are really wide-set. I mean, I have broader shoulders than most of my man-friends and I think they're wide-set. 2) As a result I get a bit of strap-gap. 3) The wires are really too wide for me. They were perfect when I bought it ...six months ago, but I've since had a bit of tissue migration.
The Ugly: 1) The band stretched out ridiculously fast. 2) The wire channels started to fray at the gore within three months. 3) I get quad boob in the middle but gaps at the outside, which I think is because it doesn't match my shape at all. As a result I'm always having to adjust the damn thing. 4) The gore rides up onto my bigger side and sits on the breast tissue.
All in all, this bra used to be ok for me, but my shape has changed and it's stretched and now I hate the damn thing. Read more 110 more words
Absolute favorite bra for wide, tall roots and shallow projection.
Pros: comfortable, easily adjustable straps, doesn’t loose shape or stretch out too much, wires aren’t as stiff as other bras, and is smooth under T-shirts.
Cons: the straps sit far on the outer edge of the cups so they can dig into the armpit. Cups run a size too small.
It's actually not being discontinued entirely. It's getting replaced by the Erin, which looks to have the same cut but comes in far fewer sizes. It does not come in 28 bands at all and only comes in cups E-H in band size 30.