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!!!!
My breasts are a bit too close set compared to the cups. Only noticeable visually (i.e. I cannot feel it). The gore is tacking and it fits comfortably—it just separates the breasts a bit which is not really a problem imo. If my breasts would increase or decrease a bit in size (depending on whether or not I have my period. temperature, etc) the cups might fit a little differently since it's moulded. As of now the cups fit very well.
Not perfect but good enough, plus the color is lovely. The gore is a little wide but doesn't seem uncomfortable. I wish I could get reduced cups like Comexim. The depth is more like the Panache Ana than the Jasmine/Envy. I could maybe use a smidge more depth on my larger side, but it's fine because of the stretch lace. There's minimal wrinkling on my smaller side so it seems pretty wearable. I thought this would be more balconnet-y but it's a little tall and leaning more towards full coverage on me.
This bra is pretty great. It is padded enough to hide the nipples and is comfortable. I wish the edge was a little bit thinner because the line of the edge does show up under tight fitting tops but it's not a deal breaker. I am a bit in between 28F and 28FF and this is just a hair snug on my larger breast but I am pretty sure that I would not be able to go up to a 28FF.
The Cleo Blake is a nice and supportive bra with an attractive design. As a Panache bra it lives up to the standard, the quality is excellent as always - no loose seams or threads or anything. The band is somewhat looser than a flunking new Panache band, but it isn't an issue. It's comfortable to wear, but after slouching or sitting down for a while the edge of the band beneath the cups digs into my skin. This doesn't happen with any other bras. The fabric edge is sort of sharp or rough, which I'm sure could be smoothed out with sandpaper but I'm not willing to ...do that to the fabric... I start noticing after a little while that I'm wearing this bra, it's not as comfortable as the Panache Jasmine. So all in all it's a nice bra, not as comfortable as I'd like, but has a cute and simple design. If you've got tub around your stomach I would not recommend this bra for you, as for me it irritated my skin quite a bit where the edge of the band folds with the skin. After investigating the details of it, I can see that this bra has more band underneath the underwires. There's more fabrc that extends vertically downward than in the Panache Jasmine; the band is longer/wider below the cups. This might contribute to the band rolling/folding into my tub(chub, pudge, fat, rolls). The edge of the elastic is what folds and the fabric edge is, as said, sharp. Read more 147 more words
That sounds uncomfortable! Do you have fold over elastic? It might soften the edge.
This is good to know, lunarmonarchy . Thanks for the review.
Love4Pollinators I don't have any fold over elastic, but I can get it easily from Ebay. How's it work? Do I sew it along the band?
learningaboutbras I'm glad you found it helpful! I tried my best to write a professional review to describe the bra's features, and I'm really glad you find this information useful :D
It is usually quite soft and you can sew it along the edge of the band. With such a sharp edge, you may require two layers. Sincerely, I hope you find something that helps.
I tried a 30E in this bra, liked it, but decided to be picky about the band.
The band on this 28F is great for my 29-30" underbust.. but the cups are definitely wider on the 28F (5.45" vs 5.2"). And the cups slightly deeper (9.45" vs 9"). Sigh. Just enough to make it not fit the best on me. I find the material is more prone to wrinkling than others, so I don't think I can make it work.
One observation is that this bra hurts a lot when I do wear it tight. Painful wires like no other. Could that be why the bands run loose? As is I prefer it with at least one row of extenders.
Very similar in fit to its sister cut, Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) . Marcie has lace at the top of the cup, which wrinkles a little on my smaller boob. Blake has a ribbon on top of the cups, which tacks a little better for me. This bra gives me a slightly better shape than Marcie, and I think its a little more supportive. My only complaint is that this bra is a little stabby! The spots where the strap is sewn onto the cup and the band chafe. I probably won't end up keeping it for this reason.
I have a 30DD in this, the 30 band I need on the tightest hook, and the cups had a little bit of quadding, and I had some side boob. Judging from that, I decided I needed a 28F and I was correct. When I first put this bra on, it felt great. The band is comfortable on the loosest hook, I fill out the cups properly, and the wires are a tiny bit wider than the DD which feels better.
It fits well. Since I'm slightly FoB it's half an inch to an inch of showing my aerola on my larger side otherwise. I wish the straps were closer together. It's a solid bra with lovely construction. I like the very delicate pattern even though it's nude and hides well under clothes. No headlights.
This is essentially the same as my review fot the 28FF. I got both the 28F and the 28FF assuming I'd find my size and send the other back. The 28F fits best during my "small week" right after my period, and the FF right before and during my period week, so I ended up keeping them both.
What I like about this bra:
*I'm a bit "bottom heavy/teardrop shaped." Fuller cup styles always, always wrinkle at the top, but the balconette style is nice. *I like the colors. especially the orange-red color of the lace. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> *The band is nice and tight, but this ...could be because this was the first bra I got in a band size that wasn't huge on me. *The cups are lightly padded, so they help to hide nipples without adding size.
What I don't like:
*There was definitely a breaking-in period. The bra was really stiff and scratchy the first couple of times I wore it, but is fine now. *I am already using the middle hooks, but I can't say whether it's because the band is stretching out already or if I'm just getting used to tighter bands and realizing I can comfortably fasten tighter than I have been. This may not be the bra's fault. I'll update when I've had it a little longer. *The wires come up too high in the middle, where they cut into my breasts just a little bit. I think if I could snip off the top 1/2 inch in the middle or move the wires down and around a bit so they're higher on the outside and lower in the middle it would be much more comfortable. EDIT: Yes, pushing the wires down in the middle a little, so the "rotate" up higher on the outer sides, helps a lot. *The seam down the middle of the cup is visible under tighter clothing.
I've seen complaints about the lace sticking up awkwardly above the cups, but I've not really had problems with that. It sticks up a tiny bit on my larger side, but it's not noticeable under clothing. I'll try to get pictures of some sort up soon, and will update about quality when I've had them a little longer. Read more 265 more words
Edited the "Fit Issues" to reflect the way the bra is currently fitting. Since this was my first bra in something close to a good band size it may be due to migration, but this size is definitely too small now.
Yay, this one fits! My breasts are not exactly the same size and it's noticeable to me that there is some slight puckering near the strap on the smaller one. The straps seem to be set very wide, I find that the puckering is less when the strap is worn closer to my shoulder. Tightening the strap just makes the puckering worse. It's mostly lace there and I don't think it's significant enough to be visible under a shirt. Band feels great, I'm glad I tried a 28, and the straps are very smooth and not too thin. Overall it's a keeper but I would not recommend this bra to someone whose breasts are not somewhat close to the same size. Should also mention that the cups tend to run small - I ordered the 28DD and 28E and found that both were too small - but my only reference is a 30D bra that fits in another brand.
Love the look of this bra, it's certainly the sexiest one I own.
So glad you found the right size, Shell! I only wish I could have gone up a cup size too but it's not made. :( I'm glad the verdict on cups running small is not just me. I have found trying on a few of the different Panache brands some styles run smaller than others. I had to return my Sadie. Enjoy her!
Unsure whether to say all Panache bras run slightly smaller than others. Personally, I think it's more TTS in general. I'm curious of your opinion even after just *trying on* a few more brands. :)
This is the shortest molded cup bra I could find. The band is surprisingly stretchy for Cleo though. I wear it on the second or third hook, but it works well enough for when I want a seamless look. I always like to have a molded bra around just in case 😂
My shape is low set, narrow and short rooted, and soft.
I received this bra from Sonya for a good price because my boobs have been feeling deflated and smaller lately, so I thought I should try a smaller size. Well, apparantly, I'm not quite a 28F yet. My large side (L) is bulging over the top and sides. My smaller side is bulging too, but not as bad. The wings are too short and the cup is too small.
The band is fairly firm, and it looks like the wires are being stretched, but they are actually just shaped like that (kind of like a ...rounded check mark rather than a U). They may be stretching a tiny bit, but the band didn't feel too tight or anything, just firm. I don't find the band all that comfortable because it is firm and narrow... it felt a bit like it was cutting in and would get uncomfortable for long wear. I prefer a band around 28.5", sometimes even 29" for comfort because I don't like to feel the band squeezing. The straps adjusted long enough for my tall frame, but they are narrow and not all that comfortable either for some reason. The inner cups are lined with soft cotton.
The bra itself is cute (though the bows aren't quite my jam). It's a half cup with 3 vertical seams. Too bad it doesn't fit because I have a feeling it would have given a great shape if it had fit.
Overall it's average to good for comfort and quality, and it would probably make a real 28F'er happy because of the shape it would give. Read more 170 more words
My first Cleo Hettie ❤️ It somewhat fit when I bought it, but I've gotten bigger and a 28F won't cut it anymore.
The fit has always been great, the stretch lace is amazing and while I do get quadboob when on my biggest in my cycle, I still don't fall out of the bra. The band and wires have always been comfortable.
I like the color of this one, it's my first Hettie so the color has grown on me over time. I'm becoming increasingly fond of light pastel-y bras and shirts so the colors are a little dark for my personal preference now, but it's ...by no means a deciding factor. I love how the lacy stuff that covers the pink makes the bra look nearly maroon or burgundy, and I looove the little holes that let the pink shine through.
For being a 28F it's absolutely true to size, and surprisingly sturdy considering how much boobage it needs to contain 😂
The bow at the gore could definitely be more colorful and/or bigger, but design wise I really have no complaints. I love how the strap adjusting things and the hooks are all hot like the inside of the bra. Read more 95 more words
Style It looks darker then on the photos. But the red trim makes a very nice contrast. When I took it out of the package I though “This is bedroom only.”: The cups are almost transparent when you hold it up against the light but when wearing it you can barely see my nipples.
Fit / Sizing I got this in a 28F since some of my 28FFs were wrinkling a bit and I also expected it to have more room on top like my Cleo Kayla. But the cups are slightly smaller then in the Kayla and this doesn't have stretch lace so it's a bit small on my ...larger side but there is no visible quadding. I already ordered the black version in 30F for the days when I am a bit swollen and my boobs are bigger. However, the shape is perfect. I never had such a round, perky shape in any other bra. Maybe this is even a side effect of the slightly small cups. But I can totally live with that.
I also expected a super stretchy band since it is one of the newer Marcie colorways, but it's actually really snug. I had to wear it with an extender a few times but now it stretched a little and feels comfortable on the loosest hook. With some of my bras (especially Freya) the wires are stretched too wide when the band is tight but in this one the they are narrow and super firm so they follow my IMF perfectly without poking me under the arms. This is actually more comfortable then having softer wires that are a little too wide.
Quality (I only have it for three weeks now.) Overall it feels really firm and supportive without looking bulky. And it will be much more breathable then my black Cleo Zia next summer. I am just afraid that the thin mesh will make it stretch out more quickly. Read more 212 more words
It is so cute on you, but one word of warning--if you took the photos today, you might want to check the strain it is putting on the band (see the straining hooks and the fold it is putting in the skin of your back). Some people are incredibly tolerant of overtight bands and feel no discomfort, so you can't entirely rely on your own sensations, but in terms of the bra's longevity you will blitz the elastic of all but the highest-quality band by wearing it too tight, cf. your concern about stretching. I would keep the extender on there for sure unless you have access to unlimited numbers of this bra in this colorway to be able to replace it! If you took the photos the day you got it, it may have stretched enough to be ok. Put it on and assess the back view--there should be absolutely no sign of the hooks pulling, and that vertical fold of pinched skin should no longer be there. If those signs of excessive tightness are gone, examine the boning at the sides and if it is not slanted or distorting, then you are probably ok to wear it without fear of stretching it into oblivion!
The photos were taken for a fit check on reddit after the first day of wear. Tbh, I get this skin fold and (slightly) straining hooks in most of my bras because I'm wearing one band size smaller the recommended. I just hate it when my boobs can move or even jiggle and I actually like the feeling of my bras squeezing me a little (Yes, I'm weird). But they hold up quite well so far. I have about 20 in my rotation and I never we wear one for more then two days in a row.
I can also eliminate the skin fold by pulling my back fat to the sides but that just creates more visible bulges under my arms. So I rather live with that skin fold and keep my back fat on my back where nobody can see it ;-)
I love this colourway. I’m trying to get this but still slightly indecisive between 30E and 30F based on the fit I had with the 32E a year ago. I think that I’m leaning towards the 30F though.
Oh, you're not the least bit weird--a lot of people enjoy compression, it is even recommended as something to try for anxiety symptoms or people with sensory problems! You might like to try longline bras or even corsets. For an extra secure fit in bras, full cup styles can provide that more easily than bras like the Cleo line, which is designed to be low-coverage, btw. Even if it's so tight it's ready to ping off you like an elastic and fly across the street, a bra can only prevent movement in the part of the breast that's contained. The UK brands don't always have the cutest designs in full cups but many other higher-end brands do, and you will often find them on sale. Lejaby Elixir, Eprise de Lise Charmel, Empreinte, Miss Mandalay and most of the Polish brands have 30 bands and really beautiful designs.
Tbh, this is cute but looks too small. You’ve got some quadding going on at least in these pics and it’s noticeable. You’ll get better encapsulation and overall support in a larger cup & possibly larger band.
"..a lot of people enjoy compression, it is even recommended as something to try for anxiety symptoms or people with sensory problems! "
Thank you, that's interesting! I was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder as a child (something similar to asperger syndrom but I can't remember what it was exactly).
"Even if it's so tight it's ready to ping off you like an elastic and fly across the street" Lol, that reads like a script for my next next nightmare.
I'm already planning to get a few more full cup bras (not too impressed with my Panache Jasmine). Empreinte and Lejaby Elixir are clearly out of my price range. Miss Mandalay looks very nice (especially the Paris). They are incredibly cheap on ebay but I never found one in my size. I am thinking about ordering the Comexim Charme or Geisha I am afraid of the whole shipping and return procedure.
Oh I get Empreinte and Elixir from discounters! UK discounters seem to have the best deals on Elixir. Empreinte is best found at French discounters, but I see you are in Germany--you have some good online discounters too, some on ebay and some not. There are usually some listed here as well. For cheaper and easier experimentation the UK brands do have SOME full cups and longlines for sure. If you look on the Figleaves UK site you will see a lot of choices, and I think their own brand as well as Pour Moi run very tight in band normally. Since Figleaves is a large retailer they have a nice reliable returns and exchange system.
This bra looks super good on you! I have a tendency to go for a slightly smaller cup too. A "little bit too small" is never a problem. You bra band being too tight on the other hand IS a physical, body problem. I am with you, I love the feeling of a tight band and the feeling of being squeezed by a nice tight corset or band. But wearing a band that is too tight is literally bad for your body. If you take a look around you will see pictures of women whom have worn too tight bands for a long time have very visible broken capillaries following their band around their rib cage. The main reason a too tight band is bad for the body is because the tension is over such a small area, if it were spread out over a larger area (like a long line bra or corset) it would be less of a problem, but a too tight band causes circulatory issues, damages skin and collagen production, it will also cause your fatty tissues to move away from the area where the elastic is. So if you continue to wear a bra band that is too tight, your torso will develop significant indents where the elastic sits on your body so your torso will not have a smooth line, and you will develops a line of broken blue capillaries around your torso, and could lead to circulatory issues. Just some food for thought! I wish I could find this bra in my size! GORGEOUS!
"you will develops a line of broken blue capillaries around your torso"
I absolutely don't need this. Do you know how long it takes for these issue to become apparent? I am wearing 28Fs and 28FFs since about 6 month now but I tend to take them off or switch into a 30F or 32E when I get home. So maybe 9-10 hours per day.
I get red marks especially from the band and the wires but they disappear after about an hour. I have once worn my Cleo Zia (fits much tighter then this one) for over 30 hours straight (long flight with multiple stopovers) and I had a two dark lines going around my chest that took several days to disappear. I thought it was just color from the fabric since the bra was brand new. But maybe I should be more careful with these super tight bras.
Most the women I've read about were wearing too tight bands for a very long time, like years. aboobaccount , I don't think a couple hours a day can do a lot of harm as long as your are not doing it all day every day and you remain hydrated. ^.^ I try to keep the stretched measurement around my snug/loose under bust measurement since I don't have a lot of extra padding but I am very compressible. After looking at your measurements I would stay with 30's in Cleo/Panache but the 28 in Freya and Curvy Kate should be fine.
It seems to technically fit well. I fill the cups without overflowing, and the band is good. I think it needs to be broken in, though, because doesn't quite feel comfortable. I'll edit this review once I've worn and washed it a few times.
I heard this cut was similar to Comexim 3HCs (my best fitting bras), and I think that's true. This 28F is about equivalent to Comexim's 60H, I'd say.
I'm so glad Cleo released this rose print, because I was really interested in trying this bra back when the animal print was the only option, but I think animal print is absolutely hideous and have a ...personal policy against buying anything with it. This print, however, is more my style. It's kind of a cobalt blue with pink and bright green which is cute but not obnoxiously childish like some other Cleo patterns.
Edit: it did soften up after a wash or two and was a great fit! Sadly, I've grown out of it for now due to pregnancy - it gives massive quadding that is obvious even under loose shirts. I'll definitely be keeping this one for when I go back to my regular size, but for now, Mimi has to wait in my drawer. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> Read more 108 more words
Style The dots are cool but they are also somewhat visible through most of my tops (even the darker ones). I even like that most of the time but for some color combinations it looks a bit weird.
Sizing / Fit This is my most supportive bra. As others have mentioned, the band runs more like a 26/27. Not only is it quite short, it's also extremely hard to stretch. Even the fabric on cups is very sturdy and thick unlike my other Cleo bras. I always ask my boyfriend to strap me into this thing because it's such a struggle to put on. But once it's one the support ...is amazing, almost like my shock absorber sports bra but with a very nice round shape. But like my sports bra it can also feel very constricting after several hours so I only wear it (without an extender) when I really want tons of support.
Quality I have it for over 5 month now and it didn't stretch much. The hooks were pulling out a bit. But I could fix that by pushing them back in and bending them a little wider at the base. Read more 83 more words
I love the polka dots and colors on this one. Looks great on you!
that looks way too small in the cups to me?
Yeah I'm going second dbmamaz , to me this looks pretty but the cups look rather small on you.
Yes, the top part cuts in a little when I pull my shoulders back or when I bend forward but you don't really notice it under clothes. I also got it in a 28FF but it looks about the same. So I guess it is just a bit too closed on top for my shape.
I'm going to agree with everyone else...this bra looks way too small on you. I would suggest going up a band size and not up a cup size. The way those hooks are struggling and how your back looks like it's being pinched together. I think a 30F will fit you much better than this 28F or a 28FF..
I tried the pink Marcie in 28F and loved it, so I thought I'd love the red one just as much. Turns out it's true that the pink one runs smaller. I thought the red Marcie fit until I realized that I wasn't actually filling the top; the bra had just slid down my ribcage. When I pulled it back up into my IMF, the cups were totally wrinkling and empty. 28E probably would have been a better fit in the non-pink colorways.
...It's really cute, but unfortunately it's just a bit too big. The cup size runs sort of large, and the gore is too wide compared to what I expected from a Cleo bra.There's some gapping at the top of the cup for me, but I ordered a cup size larger to accommodate the size difference because of my menstrual cycle. The underwires were somewhat tall. The fabric across the cups is sort of stiff, but might soften out over time. This bra has a sort of pointy shape too. The fabric wrinkled a bit as I couldn't quite fill it.
It looks like maybe the gore is pretty wide on this bra in general (1" is too wide for me!) and the wires a smidge wide for Cleo. That has been keeping me from trying it. I was also thinking about a 28F, but need a 9" cup depth...
Would you say it's more for full on bottom or full on top shapes?
letstalkaboutbras I may have measured incorrectly, but it's packaged in the bag again since I'm returning it back to Amazon. Yeah if that's the case then I'll have to go for others, cuz the space between my boobs when they're supported is quite small (smaller than not supported). Judging by the pictures I have it would fit FoB shapes more, I'm FoB and it fits me very well there. The wires were just generally too wide.
Thanks for the review. It's a very flattering bra.