While I was at Bravissimo, I saw Cleo Minnie hanging around and against the advice of the fitter who said "that bra is such an awkward fit; I've never seen it fit anyone right", I tried it - in 30G and 30FF. The 30FF felt better on and way more supportive than Cleo Erin Balconnet Bra (7911) . Unfortunately there was a lot of quadding at the top; I was really busting out of it. I tried 30G and it was way too big and floppy on top. Compared with Erin, there was less wrinkling at the side of the cup where the strap meets the cup. Not sure what that means. Even though it felt generally supportive, the shape was not very pleasant, probably more due to the severe overflow stretching the lace part. I simply cannot do unlined cups. I don't like the minimize feeling or thinness of the material; perhaps due to sensory issues. Under a shirt, they just look terrible.

Blue/Yellow colorway

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Updated on Feb 08, 2016 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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The Deco Moulded Plunge was one of the first bras I tried in 2014 when I first started looking for new bras. At 30G/GG, the original Deco plunge was a fail for me because my tissue spilled out of the center, the wires poked and the top edge of the cups rested in my armpits (cups were too tall). It also felt like I was wearing a straight jacket; just so uncomfortable. The cups felt thick and weighted towards the bottom and the wires were torture. I put Deco on my hate list and never looked back.

Now I finally got around to re-measuring myself after losing a ... little weight. Down to a 28G, I had to start the bra hunt all over again while I still have tags on some of my 30Gs. I actually have no idea what possessed me to try the Deco again, but I'm glad I did. This review is for the Deco Rebel (leopard print) colorway.

Aaaand it fits. There, I said it! The wires aren't too tall or grossly too wide (just a tad), it's comfortable, and the new addition of binding along the top of the cup closes it off enough that I don't spill out of it (time will tell if this changes with wear). I still get a little bit of strap gap, but the silhouette is so smooth. I can't believe I actually have a t-shirt friendly bra that fits!

My first successful Deco was actually the 28G - Freya » Deco Vibe Moulded Plunge Bra (1704) , and I will also be reviewing that one, too. Vibe may run a smidge tighter in the band, but it's not noticeable for me. I read that the Deco had larger cups than the Vibe, but I find them very similar. If anything, the Vibe maybe is a little taller towards the strap end. I find the cup depth nearly identical, but the Vibe a tiny bit more closed on top, something I notice more towards the gore because I don't spill out of it.

Edit 03/2016: Although I tried the Vibe and Rebel at home several times before wearing, I grossly underestimated the tightness of the Vibe band. Vibe is a *very* snug 28, would be perfect for 26-7" underbusts and I wear it with an extender right now. Rebel has a more supple, softer material with more stretch.

--I mention this comparison here because the Deco Rebel has the same item number as the regular Deco Plunge, but, in my estimation, these should be listed separately on Bratabase. It does not fit like the Deco Plunge because of the aforementioned binding on the cup. I don't know how other colorways match up to this. -- Editing this out because the Rebel is listed separately.

In truth, the Rebel pattern is not my favorite. I guess it's on sale for a reason. It has grown on me since I got it, but leopard print is not among the patterns that I like. Even the same colors with less of the black marks would have been preferable. Since it fits, I'm overlooking that. I've never been one to turn down a hideous bra as long as it fits! One plus for anyone considering this colorway, though, is that the straps are basically nude. At least I can have nude straps since I don't own a nude bra.
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Rebel colorway

Updated on Mar 10, 2016 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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I wanted to try the Deco Charm since finding out that some Decos work for me. I hoped that the lace trim might make this bra similar to the Deco styles that have some binding which makes them more closed on top.

I’ve been wanting to try the Freya Deco Charm Molded Plunge Bra since finding out ...

https://letstalkbras.wordpress.com/2016/06/04/bra-review-freya-deco-charm-plu...

Shimmering Magenta colorway

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Updated on Jun 04, 2016 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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This was my correct fit in this bra, but I returned it because it was damaged. I also found the violet color to be way too loud - much more so in person than online. I will do a full fit review on the Geo pattern.

Ultraviolet colorway

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Updated on Apr 30, 2015 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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I tried this bra on in a boutique, mostly because there were so few bras in my size at the store that I tried on anything the saleswoman brought me, even though my intention was a smooth t-shirt bra. Aesthetically, it's a very pretty piece. At the time that I tried it, I was probably thinking how out of place it would be in my wardrobe of otherwise plain things. But the dusty rose color was so pretty and the style uniquely retro. So early in my journey to find a bra in my "real" size, I felt like for once I was able to try on pretty ... things like smaller-chested women and I appreciated that. The fitter brought it in in size 30G (my usual UK size), but it was too small in the cup. I seem to have this problem with Parfait. I believe the straps were also a little long, so I couldn't get it all the way up in my IMF. At the time, I didn't think of altering it and there is no larger cup size in a 30 band. All the fit issues were too much combined. On the plus side, the contour padding on this bra is extremely thick. It was like wearing body armor, but I didn't feel like it gave any extra bulk, just a nice shape (minus the quad-boob) and good support. I hate that I'm sized out of this item, because I would pick one up just to have a fancy addition to my closet. I normally wear a 30G, not a 30GG, so it's doubly annoying that I can't fit into it. The other Parfait By Affinitas Charlotte Padded Bra (6901) which is not a balconnet comes in more sizes, but the wires and cups are far too tall on my frame. Sad, because that's a cute bra, too.
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Dusty Rose colorway

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Updated on Oct 18, 2015 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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I had really high hopes for this bra as it was recommended to me loads of times in fit check posts for having narrower wires and more projection/front facing shape compared with Freya half cups that I wear now. I finally got the chance to try it on in-store in the UK. The first thing I saw was that the lace was sticking up ridiculously, which I have heard is the sign of a good fit ... only it didn't fit at all. There was a lot of quadding on my larger side in a 30G, but going up to a GG was definitely not feasible. The wires ... were already up way too high in the armpit with the G cup. Because the straps on Juna are only adjustable half way (ugh), I could also not get it up high enough in my IMF when fully tightened. Also irritating was a weird sticking out gape of material on the outside edge of the cups, where the strap meets the cup and along the outer side. This was something I used to get when I was wearing a 38D Lilyette minimizer, and since I found my "real" size the only other bra I had this with was the Panache Sport (wired version). I was also disappointed to find that the wires are not much narrower than Freya half cups. They are at least an inch too wide at the ends and strangly slanted upwards like a swoosh, in addition to being simply too tall. I was really hoping this was going to be my bra, so I'm sad.
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Black colorway

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Updated on Sep 15, 2015 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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I got a chance to try this bra on quickly today, but was unable to take any photos or measurements.

Every time I see photos of this bra, I love it more and more. It's pretty and lacy, but with a vintage feel. A little background: I first tried Clara in the Black/Gold colorway when I was a 30GG and it was a total fail on me. Now that I am in the market for an unlined style, I thought it would be worth trying it again. I found the new Royal Blue colorway in a UK department store. They also had other colorways, but I only had ... a few minutes to try things on, so I grabbed the blue in a 30E. Sadly, Clara doesn't come in a 28-band, or I would have chosen a 28F, which is most likely my unlined size post-2016 weightloss.

When I grabbed the bra off the rack and felt it, the first thing I noticed was that it seemed different to the Clara I had tried before. The materials seemed softer and finer/more delicate, somehow. I know a lot of people would be happy about that, but the Clara I tried in 30GG had more of an industrial, supportive feel to the materials. The bottom part of the cup was rigid/stiff and the top lace wasn't so stretchy. I was hoping for that again. I wonder if it's because the construction of the cup changes above a G?

As for the fit, when I put it on, I had to hook it on the last hooks straight away. The band was super stretchy and soft. I wasn't expecting that. I'm a little worried now because I ordered a Panache Floris Balconnet Bra (7311) also in a 30-band and I hope it runs tighter. But I digress. The other thing I remember about the first Clara I tried in 30G was that the wires and gore were murderously hard and uncomfortable. The gore on this Clara was fairly high for me, but for some reason didn't dig in (maybe because the band was loose) even though it tacked very well. I was surprised by that.

I had some difficulty adjusting the straps because of the decorate hoop edging along the edges of the straps. The fasteners just wouldn't budge. I was already in a rush in the dressing room and that got frustrating quickly. I'm short-rooted and high-set, so it took a while to get them short enough. I persevered.

The fit of the cups was... confusing. As someone who has been a 28G-30G for a long time and mostly wears padded/molded bras, the cups on the 30E looked so tiny. My boobs must have really shrunk. Thanks, genetics. I have plenty of other fat stores you can take inches off, you know. I was therefore surprised when I got it on and scooped & swooped that I was reasonably contained. Well, my larger side was quadding considerably and the lace was cutting into my roots (amazing, given how short my roots are when supported). I think it's because the bra really wasn't supporting me properly. The bottom of the cup was too shallow and had some space above the wire that I couldn't fill. The apex of the cup was too shallow, especially on my larger side. Since my tissue is very soft, it just sort of squished down. From the front, the cup might have appeared to fit my smaller side well. The outer side of the cups was a whole other story.

The inner construction of Clara comes with a side support sling. I dread these, as I have a ton of inner fullness but absolutely no outer fullness post-weightloss. The outside of the cup was weirdly empty on me, with hardly anything touching the side sling. It made my roots seem even narrower. The cups aren't technically that wide for me, but they are too shallow. So I had a lot of empty space at the sides of the cup while feeling squashed in the middle. To get enough volume in this bra, I'd probably need a 28FF to fit my larger side, but then I would have gaping on my smaller side and a lot more empty space at the sides of the cups. It would probably also feel more jiggly and even less supportive.

And finally, some brief notes on the comfort/feel of this bra. I found the material too thin for my comfort. Especially the lace top part, which is very thin, and the rest of the cup just wasn't supportive enough for me. I prefer thicker materials that give me more "coverage". If I run my hand over the cup of the bra, I don't want to "feel" anything through the material, if that makes sense.

Sorry, Clara.
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Royal Blue colorway

Updated on Jan 11, 2017 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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Last year, I found this bra in 30G to be an excellent fit, much better than the Panache Sport Sports Bra (5021)](model:11622) . See 30G - Panache Sport » Non Wired Sports Bra (7341) for a comparison review of the wired/wireless versions.

At that time, I tried a 30FF and found it to be too small (see 30FF - Panache Sport » Non Wired Sports Bra (7341)). I was spilling over the gore. The 30G was a better fit all over, although the cups were wide, and it had enough coverage for my upper fullness without conflicting with my short roots. It ... also gave me a really nice, rounded shape under clothes.

I have since lost weight and have been sizing down in all my bras from 30G to 30FF. I ordered this bra assuming it would fit in line with my new size. However, I have also had some shape changes and loss in upper fullness. This time, the 30FF still seems too big. The gore tacks fine and the cups feel comfortable at the bottom, but there is a load of empty space at the top. I can pinch a handful of material beneath the straps and across the chest. It also gives an unpleasant east/west pointy appearance.

I have tried it on a couple times and hope that these issues will be resolved by going down one more cup size and not that this bra is now a shape mismatch for me. I need a sports bra right away and would hate to have to start from scratch.

I still have a new 30G version in black geoprint that fits me very similarly to this 30FF in floral/gray, with just a tad more room in the cup. I wonder if the new colorways run larger in the cup? Even though my underbust size has decreased since last year (28.5 snug from about 29.5), the 30" band is still comfortable and supportive.

A lingering issue that repeats from the 30G is that the straps don't adjust short enough. The j-hook helps with that, but just another 1/4" of space would have been nice.

As for the appearance and quality of this bra, I really wanted the coral/gray colorway, but couldn't find a good price in my size. So I kind of settled for the floral/gray one (neither of these are "gray", but more slate blue, by the way), and when it arrived I was very happy with the it. It's a little over the top girly, but it's pretty and it's going to be under my workout clothes anyway, in which I will feel distinctly un-pretty, so why not? Also there were no pics on Bratabase of this colorway, so I've added some.

Notes on quality: In the photos, you may notice some buckling along the front seams of the bra material. I think they are all like this. Also sometimes it feels like the material comes away from the foam towards the band/bottom of the cup, like the outer material shifts, but I only notice it when I take it off and feel it, not when wearing. Again I have found that the interior foam of the cups seems to crease very easily inside, even when it fits well. That's annoying for me because I like my bras to stay in great shape for a long time. It doesn't appear to affect fit or comfort.

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Floral/Gray colorway

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Updated on Mar 27, 2016 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

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