MY SHAPE: round, projected, even, tall roots, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.
THE TAKEAWAY: Marcie shape + stretch lace = a winner for those who are even/FoT/or tall-rooted. Those who are FoB or have short roots might get a pointy shape with this. Comfortable and smooth interior cup fabric and stretch lace; good for those with sensitive skin. Band is stretchy; consider sister sizing down.
DETAILS: Stretch lace is love. Stretch lace is life. I can see why this comes recommended as a starter bra for those beginning their ABTF journey! I get a lovely rounded Marcie shape in this but with the added benefit ...of stretch lace, which is perfect for 1) dealing with a touch of asymmetry 2) my tall roots and 3) monthly size fluctuations. Other than the band running a bit loose (we can add Hettie to stack of Cleos with stretchy bands - ahem, Bluebell Marcie, plus all colorways of the Della and Blake), I have no major fit complaints. Hettie doesn't have a side sling, but it definitely pushes my breast tissue to the front. I would say that it minimizes the *width* of my bustline by moving the tissue to the center. In larger cup sizes, you might end up TOO front and center/busty for your liking. Read more 109 more words
Very pretty! I'd have to lose 20 lb to fit one tho.
Loooks lovely on you! I have mine in Black/Blue and love it! however i bought used one, and I believe previous user washed in washing machine so it wrinkles a bit -_- and also im waiting for the teal version that is coming soon
martka00 I feel like the Hettie is a more accessible version of the Panache Jasmine. It gives a rounder shape than the Jasmine, with a more comfortable cup fabric BUT with the same amount of projection and front-and-center shaping. I'm not planning on keeping this colorway, just wanted to try it out for fun. I've got my eye on that teal one though! I might grab it in the spring :)
I've been interested in this bra for a while, but can't justify buying one right now, because I bought a lot of bras this year. So, is it more comfortable than Marcie? I like the shape I get in Marcie, but by the end of a work day, I just can't wait to take it off.
(more accessible but a smaller size range?)
dbmamaz by more accessible I mean the shape it gives is more acceptable, my mistake. A lot of people don't like the Jasmine because of the pointed/torpedo shape it can have.
LadyInBlue what do you find uncomfortable about the Marcie? The wires? The gore? The lace on the cup?
ive tried 2 panache jasmine in 30f, and the light blue was too big, the pink one was good in cups but straps way too wide, and yesterday ive tried the dark blue and was diseaster as was so pointy. The 30F ive tried were fairly round and I liked them, so I need to try the other colours in 30E then! oh these bras drive me mad sometimes!! :D
The wires and the gore are OK, but I think the straps and band get somewhat itchy and annoying after a while.
LadyInBlue I pulled out my Bluebell Marcie to compare, and I think you will probably find the straps to be just as annoying (they seem to be made of the same material), but the band is made of a different, smoother fabric on the Hettie than the mesh on the Marcie, so that may be an improvement. In general, I found the primary difference in comfort to be the cup fabric.
The profile you get in Cleo Hettie is fabulously round, 100percentawesome ! Thanks for the review.
Hmmm, I may try it in the future, as my current bras start to wear out. I think I'm just getting spoiled by the comfort of my Ewa Michalak bras. Thanks for the additional info!
This looks like a terrific fit on you - I wish it had fit me that well!
Another one to try...
Also it sounds like this is one where you recommend sizing down in the band even more than on the Mimi, huh?
rainbrasspetals yes, definitely size down in this one. The 30 band was so, so stretchy. Do note that the construction of the top stretch lace changes over the GG divide; I believe it switches to a double layer of lace with an elastic edge that *may* cut in depending on your upper fullness. If you can sneak by in a 30G that's your best bet!
I usually take 32FF in Cleo; even the Mimi where that was too small in the cups was still kind of too big in the GG, so 30G is definitely my plan. :)
But also thank you for that warning, that's good to know and sweet of you!
Shape: round, projected, even, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.
UPDATE: After wearing this a few days over the last couple weeks I have to amend what I said in my original review: while the sides don't LOOK super tall in the armpit, and didn't bother me during my review + fit check, my experience is that the underwire + side boning do end up rubbing in an uncomfortable way while wearing over the course of a full day. I don't have this problem with any other bras :/ It's disappointing, and it means that I'll probably limit wear of the Piper to special occasion ...or short wears only.
Original review: It's here! I finally got my hands on the Piper. Here's my quickie review:
The good: - The color of this bra is even brighter and more saturated in real life. It's very striking and quite the statement piece - if you're into subtle, this ain't it.
- Love the little details. The eyelash lace at the bottom of the bra, the tiny polka dot print on the top mesh section of the cup, the lime green hooks to match the lime bow on the gore.
- The band fits true to size! I'd been worried after running into stretchy band after stretchy band in new Cleo colorways (Bluebell Marcie, Floral Della, and Turquoise Blake, with reports that the Leopard Della and Cerise Blake also suffered from the dreaded too-loose band). I was so concerned about this that I also ordered the 28F, just in case. Luckily, the 30E is comfy on the loosest hooks. The 28F - Cleo » Piper Longline Balconnet Bra (9351) is too tight to be comfortable for me, even on the loosest hooks.
- The cups are on the narrow end of average width, which is just about perfect for me. The cups have good immediate projection (are we calling it depth now? Immediate depth?). Wires sit right in my IMF, and don't budge. Actually, NOTHING budges in this bra. Perhaps it's the nature of the longline, but my breasts don't move *at all* in this thing - they are locked down in the cups.
- I'd heard there was the possibility of the sides running really tall under the armpits. I'm happy to announce that this isn't an issue for me at all.
The not-so-good: - While the cups fit, I get some annoying wrinkling in the top (near the strap) and sides of the cup. The bra isn't too wide for me, and I fill out the cups, so not sure what's causing it.
- FOT or particularly tall-rooted folks take note: the top of the cup closes in quickly. I get the tiniest bit of quad boob on my larger side (check the angle shot), and I'm even-to-FOB.
- No super round and uplifted Marcie basketballs here. I would describe the shape as "my breasts but better" - a lower set, more natural shape. If you're VERY close set or have oodles of center fullness, you may find this to be a shape mismatch.
- Let's just put it out there: while this longline is beautiful, fastening the 5, yes, FIVE, hooks in the back is a huge pain. Save your wrists and get help, lol.
Overall: I'm really happy with this! Love the color, the fit is comfortable (especially for a longline), and the matching briefs (a good fit in UK10 for my 38" hips) are adorable. It's a keeper - and I look forward to stalking next spring's Acid Coral colorway!
MY SHAPE: round, projected, even, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.
THE TAKEAWAY: Hooray, a new Cleo with a true to size band! This bra is very similar to the Panache Floris Balconnet Bra (7311), but the cup is shorter and the lace section closes in more quickly. In this size range, Minnie's shape is best suited for short-rooted, even to full on top breasts. Could potentially work for tall-rooted FoB if shallow on top. Average wire width. If you have very little tissue on the sides, you may experience some cup wrinkling.
DETAILS: This is one of the few unlined Cleo cuts I ...haven't tried, and that was only because I disliked the polka-dot aesthetic of the prior colorways. This brand new for SS17 multi-colored print is great and I couldn't resist giving it a try. Unfortunately, it's not a perfect fit. The biggest issue is the inflexible top lace/mesh section. It cuts in too quickly on my tall roots, essentially making the cup too short to accommodate my breasts. The result is that the top section both cuts in AND isn't fully filled. I also get a bit of wrinkling on the sides, but that's not a deal breaker (in general, I seem to have less tissue there than many bras expect - wrinkling ALWAYS happens in bras with side slings, and occasionally in bras without).
In the takeaway section, I note that this bra reminds me quite a bit of the Panache Floris. The fabric feels identical, very smooth on the outside of the cup, with a patterned mesh/lace portion on top. However, the lace top on the Floris is taller and more open, which better accommodates my shape. So - if the Floris fits you well, the Minnie may not, and vice versa.
A final note - after stretchy band after stretchy band in new Cleo colorways the last year, I was shocked that this one felt firm/true to size! I've lost my tailor's tape in a move, so I can't confirm how firm-TTS it fits, but I will say that it is a little firmer than my TTS 30E Panache Olivia and Floris on my 28.5" snug UB. If you're on the top of your band size (closer to a 30" snug UB), I would consider sister sizing up, particularly if you're sensitive to TTS/slightly firm bands.
Thanks for sharing this! I didn't realize that they had a new colourway. I have the polka dot one in red, and I have never been a big fan of the looks of that bra, but I have short roots and the cut works great for me. I'll have to keep my eye out for this one when it (eventually) comes on sale.
The only polka dot Minnie I liked was the navy & yellow one. I tried it & it was unfortunately a disaster on my shape. I am even with very short roots, I just think it is too projected at the apex for me.
I missed out on the Minnie in navy/yellow (I tried it on when I was a 30FF and got in-cup quad, but now I think it might work better in my new size). I'm glad it's back and excited to try it again.
Ah, Marcie! Marcie, Marcie, Marcie. You lured me away from Poland with promises of wispy soft blue hues, coral accents, and firm bands. Then you broke my heart with your purple truth, your TRAFFIC CONE NEON ORANGE highlights, and your Freya level stretchy band :''( Horribly deceitful and horribly expensive!
I so badly want a soft cup bra that gives great shape that is in a cool hue. All Ewa has coming out in my SM are pinks, and no, no more pinks please. So I wandered to Marcie, because in promo images Bluebell is gorgeous, like a hydrangea. The trimmings and bows look like a bright coral, which is pretty against ...the blue. Either my monitor sucks or the promotional images do, and I'm telling you that with my husband's computer obsession, I'm pretty sure it's not my monitor. This is purple in real life. Nothing against purple, but it's not what I wanted. The accents are neon, so bright, and I hate them. The disappointment is real people!
As for fit, the band is so incredibly stretchy. I bought a 30, because Cleo Marcie is notorious for running tight in most colorways. I had 28 banded Marcies way back when red was new and they were torture to my ribs. So up to 30 I went. It easily stretched to 32" and frankly I probably could have pulled it to at least 33" if not maybe 34". In my pictures you can see it push up into my lats and give me a nice big bulge over the band.
The cups were okay. The wires aren't too bad until they suddenly widen out at the top by my armpit. Immediate projection was okay. There could have been more or maybe I could have used a cup up. I had some looseness at the top, but I expected it, Marcie is more suited to FoT shapes and I am even, functionally FoB. So, I don't fault her for that.
I noped right out of this bra. It's going back and I'm not reordering it. If it ever makes it to a clearance price (and I mean less than $20) then perhaps I'd revisit it. Get a smaller band size, remove all the awful orange trim, because I still badly want a cool toned soft bra. I know this review is brief, but I didn't wear the bra that long, mostly just long enough for pictures. Read more 288 more words
I like the color of the bra, and I could even deal with the orange bow, but that orange trim on the bottom has to go! I recently got a Marcie in nude in my normal band size, and the band was tight the first time I wore it, but it loosened up very quickly. Granted, I seem to have lost 1/2 inch around my ribcage, since I put my measurements in Bratabase, but I don't think it should have made that much of a difference.
I actually don't mind the main color. It's a lot more purple in real life than it is in any photo but it isn't bad. It just isn't what I wanted. The bottom trim would be really easy to remove. The only orange that'd be left is the hardware, but you can't see any of that while you're wearing it anyway.
I think what I miss most about VS is that they actually could match colors properly!
Oh, i dont like the orange at all. I have only one Marcie, a raspberry. I also ordered a band size up after someone here said they run tight and immediately sent it bak for my normal band size - which was still kinda stretchy. i've gone up a cup size but its stretched out so much i can still wear it . . .
its a shame because its such an easy fit, but its horrible quality
I've read that this bra is an improved fit version of the Meg; for me this proves true.
Where the Meg seemed to run large in the cup, the Lily seems more true to size. For comparison, I wear a 30DD in the Meg (though it's a tiny bit too small, the E is far too big). Perhaps the upper section of the cup curves in less sharply than the Meg too, though this might be my imagination.
The fabric of the Lily has marginally more give than the Meg, but it's still not the most forgiving of bras; if you are very FOT or, conversely, shallow, this ...may not be a good fit for you. If your size fluctuates during the month, then it's probably going to be one of those bras which only fits you perfectly for part of the time.
Overall I find it a comfortable everyday bra which gives a similar shape to the Meg, but fits more true to (Cleo?) size. Stretchy band (think Lucy not Melissa) may be an issue if you are sub-28, but it's nothing like Freya/Fantasie. Appearance-wise it's pretty but nothing stand out. Read more 88 more words
The long-awaited (or not lol) Cleo Atlanta review. I've worn it twice now for full days of work, and I have so many things to say about it, so buckle in!
First of all, I need to tell you, I shortened the band because I had to. I saw that Secrets From Your Sister in Toronto had gotten this bra in, but only in my sister size of 30E. So I knew from the get-go that I would have to alter it to make it work. The fitter was a little taken aback, but I assured her that I'm handy with a sewing machine. So, I (conservatively) shortened the ...band. I realized after I wore it that despite shortening it to an appropriate length, the band still had to be broken in, and this resulted in the band stretching out to the point that it's back on the tightest hooks for me lol. I guess this is preferable to shortening it too small in the first place though. I can shorten the band again, no problem.
So, with the band shortened once, this is how it fits. It could be a little more snug in the band, but like I said, I can fix that (again). So let's move onto the cups. The two most noticeable features are that the cups have a side sling, and they have a thin strip of elastic sewn onto the edge to prevent gaping. Let me say first that I'm very impressed with the design of the side sling, because it doesn't cut into my tissue at all. It just helps gently shape. The elastic, however, may very well need to go. I'm pretty full on top, moderately full in centre, and my tissue is quite firm. The elastic cuts into my tissue, but with the plunge shape, it's not actually noticeable when I'm wearing clothing. The bulging is all along the inside edge, towards the gore. This wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that it gets worse as the day goes on and the bra settles onto my body. So I may have to take a leap of faith and remove the elastic (it's only sewn on with a simple zigzag stitch, which would be easy to rip out without damaging the lace over top). My only concern is that the lace may not have enough structure on its own, and may gape if I do this. Having said that, the cups give a wonderful shape under clothing. Rounded and lightly peaked. Just lovely.
Next, let's talk about the wires and gore. I'm very happy with the width (it doesn't seem too wide), and the gore is nice and short, and doesn't bother me personally. The wires still seem pretty stiff, if you're wondering. The sides of the cups (between the wires and the straps) don't seem to dig into my armpits, and don't seem to bother me.
Lastly, the straps. Oh, the straps. So beautiful, and so finicky. The straps are attached with the usual leotard-back style at the band, and are attached more close-set at the cups than the usual Cleo balconette bra. This is aided by the fact that the straps are attached to each other at the upper back using strap elastic attached perpendicular (horizontally) and a strong magnet. This is all great news for those who struggle with slipping straps. The straps have symmetrical lace panels running vertically from the upper back to the band, starting wide at the upper back and tapering down to very narrow at the band. (See my pictures if the description is unclear). The biggest problem with this is the height/length of the lace panels. I'm not sure if the problem is exaggerated because I bought a sister size, or if I just have a somewhat short upper back (or rounded shoulders), but the lace panels tend to ride up to my neck. Most of the pictures of this bra show that the lace ends around the same line as the shoulders, but when I wear it, the lace creeps up to my neck, almost to where a halterneck bikini would sit. I was wearing it at work the other day, and my male coworker pointed out the lace peeking out above the back of my uniform shirt (it's a v neck t-shirt). I told him not to worry about it (don't worry, he's very kind. He was just confused by it). This problem is exaggerated by the fact that I currently have to wear it on the tightest hooks. When I am able to wear it on the loosest hooks (like when I first altered it, before it was broken in), it allows the top of the lace (the widest part, with the magnet) to lay flat, and it prevents it from riding up too much. But when it's on the tightest hooks, I feel like the part where the straps attach to the band is narrower, or closer together, than the width of the top of the lace, so it kind of gets pushed together, and the slack rides up. My only potential solution for this would be to shorten the length of the lace panels, which I could do one of two ways. Either I could rip out the stitches at the bottom of the straps (there's a metal connector there) and pull the strap and the narrow end of the lace through the connector and sew it shorter, but this may result in some bunching of the lace. Or I could stitch rip the horizontal strap elastic off at the top and replace it lower, folding under the excess lace as needed.
Lastly, the lace panel drastically shortens how much the length of the straps can be adjusted. So if you need short straps, this may not be the bra for you. I'm currently on the tightest setting, and it's working okay for me. I can shorten the straps from the front if needed.
Quick thoughts on the matching brazilian panties: Why are these in style?? Also why are British panties so much larger than their US counterparts?? I got a Small pair and I realize now that they're just too big. Also they're meant to be worn high on the hips, so they have such a looooong crotch gusset. Once again, I am a short person, and I do not need such long gusseted underwear. I would be interested to try these in an extra small.
Final thoughts: I think it would be worth it to try the Cleo Atlanta in my closer sister size of 28F. This may or may not fix some of my problems with the scaling of the whole thing. But aside from that, I'm pretty darn happy with the wearability of it right now, and I know I can still adjust if/when needed.
PS. I have a bunch more photos if you go to the bra info page on my profile! All the pictures on here currently are from before I shortened the band. Read more 1058 more words
Your comment about long gussets- yes every time. Plus I need more room in the back, so the gusset is always pulled too far back.
I like Brazilians because of that- elastic always rides up on back and digs in on the front.
What I really wish is that more folks made tap pants
That is an absolutely gorgeous bra. Looks like it might cut into my center full breasts though. Is the Ava was too shallow this probably would be too right?? As for the lacr riding up, I feel you. Any crossed straps or decorative things like that always ride up on me until they are pulling on my neck. Even J hooks ride all the way up. No matter what size I wear or how they are adjusted. I've recently discovered I'm probably short waisted even though I'm average height so maybe that plays into it?? I desperately want this bra aesthetically but I doubt it would fit right
I love this bra, your review just makes me want it more! The navy with gorgeous lace details, it is awesome!
Fantastic review, as always! It’s a very pretty bra, but now feel like it is probably going to be a shape mismatch.
Thank you for this detailed review! It looks great on you.
This is an amazing review. Thank you! Also, this bra looks gorgeous. I'd never seen pictures of it before. Wish I could shop at Secrets From Your Sister.
This does look great on you I’m happy you were able to alter to a good fit! I tried my normal 30F in this bra and the cups cut in so badly that I went up to a 30FF and it was way too big. Stinks because I love the look of this bra. And I totally feel you on the long gusseted panties - who doesn’t love loose underwear hanging off their crotch? They looked horrible on me! Such a pretty set and I’ve read other good reviews of it lately - I figured it would be good for me because I usually do need a closed in cup but this just wasn’t for me....but you turned yours into a winner!!
Cleo Mimi is real surprise. It's narrower and more projected than usual half cups from British brands. However I would prefer full elastic straps and wider wings. Read full review on my blog.
Looks like a good fit on you! Thanks for the review and for pointing out the straps and the low wings... I had never noticed that the straps were so thin and not totally adjustable before, and the short wings might be a deal breaker for me, as I am low set and tall. I like the wings to come up a bit higher...
(If you've never heard of Georgiana before - it is like a non-molded, two-seamed ancestor of the Cleo Maddie Moulded T-shirt Bra (7201) and it's very famous with people with wide root shallow boobs because it creates a super nice shape, fits many different shapes, and is very comfy).
So, this is no good news for people with very wide root shallow boobs, as they will probably not have enough immediate projection for Mimi, even if they found Juna or Georgiana a good fit. But it's ...good news for everybody else.
I'm somewhere in the middle of the shallow - projected spectrum, and Mimi fits me super well. It fits very similar to CH and CHP shapes by Ewa Michalak. It creates a rounded, centered shape and it has just enough openness on top to accommodate my high roots as well (I wouldn't recommend it to people with much upper fulness (FoT) - Mimi requires some immediate projection at the bottom, and the cup rim might cut in on people who are very FoT).
I thought Mimi was a Maddie clone. You mean there's a padded Cleo bra that isn't as shallow as an empty pool? Interesting!
lcl0706 It's definitely not a Maddie clone. First of all, Maddie is made from molded foam. It has no seams and the foam is way thicker than the fabric Mimi is made of, making it even more shallow. Mimi has two vertical seams. Then, the volume of the cups is different - Mimi has more immediate projection and center projection.
The only similarities I can see between both are the underwires (which are identical) and maybe cup height.
Currently, my beige Maddie is way to small on me, quadboob all over the place. Mimi in the same size fits decently. That's because it's more projected and has more cup volume overall.
I could possibly go up a cup size in the Maddie, but that'd give me underwires that are too wide. I guess it just became too shallow for me.
Well, this is my last of the four reviews, and I waited this long because I wanted to write about my first experience with taking in a band! I finally worked up the courage to take this bra apart (somewhat), because it wasn't doing me any good sitting on my floor and not being worn. First of all, thank you to RubensNotRaphael for selling me this Lily. Lily is basically my holy grail bra, and as we all know, it has been discontinued for several years now and is becoming increasingly difficult to find. (I may be hoarding two Lilys in 28FF that are too ...big for me ATM, but should I ever gain boob weight, it will be perfect lol.)
I decided to take in the band from the hook and eye attachments, because I didn't want any bulky seams where some other folks prefer to just fold the band over itself, and I would also prefer that the straps are closer together in the back rather than further apart, which I feared would happen with some other methods. So, you can imagine my hesitation at taking in a bra band for the first time since I would be permanently, irreversibly chopping off a length of the band. My first step was to try and guess how much I should take off. I measured 0.5" inward from each attachment point of the hook and eye tape on either side of the band and marked with tailor's chalk. Then I ripped out the original seams so that I could fully remove the hooks and eyes. I chopped off approximately 0.5" of the band, but left 0.25" outside of the chalk mark, which is the part that would go back inside the hook and eye tape. Then I just folded the band over itself a tiny bit in the middle (horizontally) so that the top and bottom edges of the band would fit back inside the hook and eye tape and used a zigzag stitch to secure. I did this for both sides and gave it a try on - it was much better already, but still a bit too big. So I repeated the process, taking approximately another 0.5" off each side. This time, the band is nice and snug on the first or second set of hooks! Hooray, my experiment was a success!!
Now, the band measures 23.25"/59cm flat, and 26.5"/69.5cm stretched (a big emphasis here is that the band is really stretchy, so I can definitely pull it farther, but that would distort the wires and not be accurate to how much it stretches when I wear it)(PS. I measured in actual inches and cm's individually, I did not do a conversion, so the measurements may not be exactly the same). My stitching is NOT neat, but it does the trick! I am so happy with how it has turned out, and this makes me want to attack all my ill-fitting bras with the seam ripper lmao Read more 392 more words
Hooray! I'm so glad this worked out for you! Makes me feel better about it being a mismatch for me, somehow. I'm also super impressed by your sewing bravery. Rock on! Best!
Wow, it does looks pretty neat. I did you use a machine? And how long did it take you?
aboobaccount Yes, I used a machine. The total process, including ripping the original seams and then sewing everything back together, took less than an hour. I was also going pretty slowly since it was my first try, so I wouldn't be surprised if I could do this in about 15 minutes once I become more confident.
Shape: round, projected, even to FoB, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.
Holy heck, Cleo, what's with the stretchy bands lately? This is the second new colorway with a ridiculously stretchy 30 band I've had to send back (the first was a Cleo Marcie in Bluebell). It's SO stretchy you guys. I could fasten this on the tightest (!!) hook right from the get go. All the fit pictures are of the band on the tightest hook - it's a mess otherwise. On the loosest hook, there is so much gapping and wrinkling in the cup, the gore pops up off my sternum if ...I move in any direction that isn't chest forward, and the band is creeping up my back. If I move to the tightest hook, it greatly reduces the gapping and wrinkling in the cups, but it's not perfect (note the pronounced wrinkling at the bottom of the cups). The pros are that the shape is nice and rounded, the fabric is soft and comfy, and this colorway is just the best - turquoise and black look excellent together.
I'm returning and grabbing a 28F to see if that fixes the fit issues, otherwise, too bad. Read more 96 more words
Itnis amazing how different the bands are now. Skye is very stretchy. I observed the wires distort easily, too. Admittedly, however, the bras are significantly more comfortable to me now.
Love4Pollinators it's so weird! Cleo used to be known for super firm bands. For the upcoming Della floral print & Piper longline I'm going to size down to 28F right from the start. My hope is that the bands will be *consistently* stretchy, because if not - so frustrating.
Love it!!! I need to get one soon *_*
I had the same issue with the pink Blake. I started out on the tightest hooks and it was still too big!
I also let my 30E go to grab a 28F band... Love the blue though!
Oooh but I love the blue colorway so much more than the pink one. This is a very nice combo. I too am desperately awaiting the Piper release as well.
This reminds me of the color way on one of the tutti bras
revisa Yup, this is like a more athleisure take on the powder/blue noir TR Nichole :)
Id say that it reminds me about Claudette Fishnet set ;)
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!
(For reference, I'm even to slightly FOB, short roots, close set, self supporting, somewhat narrow and very short/small framed. Best fitting size is 26FF.)
Loved this bra from afar for years & finally found one in a sister size, but the fit is a total disaster. I'm heartbroken because it's gorgeous!! 😭
The boned longline and 3HC cup shape are great. They are lined with soft cottony padding that's slightly thicker and less stretchy than Comexim's. The floral part of the straps aren't adjustable. The floral fabric in the front of the bra is lined with firm mesh, while the back is a very stretchy, slippery, white fabric.
Now for ...the fit.
The band: I bought this planning to alter it if the cups were ok, as is life for the 26-er on a budget. But stretching to 33" is a lot if you are looking for a 30 that fits like a 30.
The straps: Surprisingly close together! Wide set straps are my bane & these, even in a 30 band, were perfect.
The cups & wires: A bit large for a padded 30E at 9.5" depth. But the real problem is how the wires at the gore are angled to splay apart much higher up than my roots. I've encountered plenty of too-wide gores but this is the first time it was so bad I actually got in-gore quadding (illustration in the images) with boob spilling out between the wires under the fabric of the gore. It was painful even just trying it on. The cups gape a lot because they're sitting on top of boob rather than being filled with boob. If I hold just one cup in place so the wire sits correctly, the shape and volume are actually perfect for my bigger boob. Overlapping the gore wouldn't even help as the angle of the wires - not only the distance between them - is totally wrong for me.
Oh well, guess I'm running back to Comexim for any future adventures into half cups. Read more 230 more words
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
I ordered Kayla and a Cleo Hettie Balconnet Bra (9011) at the same time to compare, and I wouldn't say there is a true "sister cut" relation between both, as they fit very differently.
There are some similarities, of course: Both are unpadded Cleo balconettes with a George/Marcie kind of cut pattern, and stretchy lace in the upper part of the cup (which George/Marcie do not have). They have identical wires and identical bands. Both are tight/true to size in the band.
The main difference: Kayla is considerably deeper in the cups than Hettie, therefore running notably larger. The difference is so large it's reflected in the measurements: ...Kayla has 1.6 cm (.75 in) more cup depth and 0.5 cm (.2 in) more cup height than Hettie in the same size. That's a lot.
I found a good fit in Hettie, while Kayla was too large. Sizing down would not be an option, because I need that wire width and side coverage (narrower underwires also means shorter underwires at the sides, and boob tissue might escape).
OTOH, if you find that Hettie is too small for you and you don't want to size up because the wires would end up too wide, try Kayla in the same size instead. It will give you the same underwire shape paired with a deeper cup.
The tl;dr version: Try Kayla if you need narrow wires and lots of projection in the cups. Be prepared that it might run slightly larger than other Cleos (e.g. Marcie), and can accomodate varying levels of upper fulness very well (due to the stretch lace part). Try Hettie if you are okay with medium to wide wires and average projection. Read more 198 more words
The cut of these unpadded balconettes is based on the Marcie/George range, but it allows for a lot more upper fulness. If you don't have much upper fulness (like me; I'm neither FoT nor FoB), the top lace part won't lay flat on you. It's not really a sign of bad fit, and it's usually not visible under T-shirts.
Sizing down in the cup doesn't help in most cases, because it will likely give you a bra that's too small in the lower part of the cup, say: Narrow wires etc.
So - if you try any of these bras, you should either have a boob shape that is full on top, or be ready to tolerate some loose lace at the top.
Every time someone reviews something as a 'marcie clone' I get all excited and think I should try it - and then I see the colors lol. I seem to hate all marcie clones and most marcie colors as well
Okay, third of four reviews, here we go! For some reason, a couple weeks ago, I suddenly got a hankering to get my hands on a Bluebell Marcie. It's the SS16 colourway, so already a couple years out of production, but I got really, really lucky and found it on Amazon.ca in a 30E. Currently my Marcie in Burgundy is fitting big in the cups, and it's a 28F, so I was unsure of whether I wanted to try a cup size down or not, but the Bluebell was literally only available in 30E, so that forced my hand, and I'm glad it did! Also, there was literally ...only one left in this size, and I added it to my wishlist when it was around $71 CAD (which is the same price as the other mainstay colourways) and I kept checking on it several times a day, and for some odd reason the price started dropping a couple bucks a day. I finally pulled the trigger when it got down to $54 CAD, which for us Canadians is a steal for new (UK) bras! I wish I could see if the price would've dropped any more, but I didn't want to take the chance of it getting sold out.
In my research of this bra, I tried to see through measurements and reviews on this site whether there was a correlation between certain colours having larger or smaller cup depths than other colours, but unfortunately there weren't very many Bluebells added in the first place, so I had to just take a chance. (Side note: I try to always include the name of the colourway when I'm adding my bras; do you? It pops up under the user's name in the measurements table for one particular size, when you want to see all of the measurements added for that particular bra. Side side note: In a perfect world I would love to be able to filter data by colourway for bras like Marcie which have many different colourways. Have I said colourway enough? Anyway, back to the review.)
Oh my, the appearance! I'm sure you all know why I got a hankering for this one. The beautiful pastel periwinkle colour plus the neon orange trimmings = perfection. It gives a nice round, projected appearance as always. It fits snugly (for now) on the tightest hook, and when the time comes I'm going to take a chance and take in the band to extend the life of it. (Second side note: I have a pile of bras which I need to take in the bands of, and I've read countless tutorials on how to do it with almost as many different methods, but I'm still too scared to actually do it.) This one does run just a hair smaller in the cups than my burgundy, which is perfect for me right now, and I'm sure it will accommodate me when I'm slightly bigger boobed as well.
Overall, I'm again very happy with this purchase. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 401 more words
Oh, how badly I wanted this bra to work, but the upper lace is just too stretchy for my soft tissue basooms, which really make the most of the leniency. Aside from that, I think the shape works well for me, and am interested to find bras that have a similar design (but use different fabrics).
You may be having some in cup quad? May need to go up a cup size to allow for the padding. Looking at your side profile it looks like there is ever so slight fold back on your tissue. Did the cups feel like they were squishing your tissue? There is some bulge at the seams where the lace is which suggests too small cup as well.
Definitely in cup quadding to the extreme. I've only had one bra that fits, and only for a week, and am beginning to think it's too small (posting soon to follow), so I'm really not at all sure what the difference between a well-fitting and tissue-squishing bra would feel like. I've recently had some bad luck with sizing up in the cup and ending up swimming in fabric. Also, I think my breast tissue is just too soft for stretch lace. I've tried CK Ellace, Princess, Gia, all with a horizontal seam between two differently-tensioned fabrics, and all gave me in cup quadboob--even the ones in too big a cup. I just don't think stretch lace can work for me.
This bra was one of my first well fitting bras a long time ago. I wore it out and passed it on. I had it before in 30E and now I am trying it in 30E and 28F. So how does it stack up now?
Still pretty good! Its comfy and flattering. The gore is still a bit stabby, being neither too high or low but hitting me in a painful place. The cups are a bit wide, but it's ok for me. Where the lace used to gape more, it now tends to cut in ever so slightly. The cutting in is made worse by the tighter band on the 28F, so I prefer the 30E.
Some people say this bra suits more shallow shapes, but I would encourage ladies with other shapes to try it too. I believe I am more projected than shallow, but I find this bra very forgiving.
I've noticed this bra is often mentioned for shallow breasts, but I have it (and the Darcy), and I love them both. There seems to be enough depth at the wires for me.
I don't find Juna that shallow either, especially in the larger sizes it allows for room at the underwire - it's just waaaay too wide on me unfortunately. Otherwise I'd own it in every color because it's hands down the softest bra I've ever put on.
Looks beautiful on you!! I, too, found it satisfactory for my immediately projected breasts. The gore was just too wide.
It looks like for 30E people measure the cup width between 5.2" and 6" - it's crazy how much variation there can be.
If you dig into width measurements there's always a lot of variance with every bra though. Like I love the concept of this database, but honestly can't put much stock into the measurements because of user variation in methods. Despite the clear instructions. Whenever i receive a transfer, I never ever measure it as what the sender had listed. Sometimes it's not even close.
Sometimes things like bra width are affected by wear as well. I know Cleo wires in smaller sizes are not as firm and will warp. I had some Cleo wires from a new bra that measured 6.4 inches that I put into another bra I had. Later I measured the width and it had expanded to 7 inches because the wires distorted. I know all Elomi wires do that, and so do Comexim. So if you measure one of those bras new you are going to get a narrower measurement than measuring the bra after a few weeks or even a day of wear (happened to me after an hour of wearing a new Elomi once, and I was wearing the band too loose to try not to stretch it out).
Sometimes things like bra width are affected by wear as well. I know Cleo wires in smaller sizes are not as firm and will warp. I had some Cleo wires from a new bra that measured 6.4 inches that I put into another bra I had. Later I measured the width and it had expanded to 7 inches because the wires distorted. I know all Elomi wires do that, and so do Comexim. So if you measure one of those bras new you are going to get a narrower measurement than measuring the bra after a few weeks or even a day of wear (happened to me after an hour of wearing a new Elomi once, and I was wearing the band too loose to try not to stretch it out).
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 second set hooks however the loosest 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 *_*
Love this bra! It's soft & molded which give my "not so firm/perky" girls a great shape. ITS COMFY!!! the gore doesn't dig in my sternum, the wires capture my tissue without digging into my armpits, and it holds the "scoop and swoop" pretty well! The band is super comfy on loosest setting (I had been wearing 34&36 bands & this is a 30 so I'm use to it being Super loose.) even if it's not a 100% perfect fit technically with sizing, it is comfy & that's what I personally care about. I LOVE THIS BRA!
Very pretty! I'd have to lose 20 lb to fit one tho.