What a surprise! I had always passed on the Ciao Bella based on the appearance of the photos online and the fact that I have been looking for unlined bras lately rather than lined ones. I decided to give this a shot since Nordstrom had the Vanilla Ice colorway on sale. I figured it wouldn't work out and I would return it, but I am actually quite pleased with this bra. Despite some issues, it is surprisingly comfortable, and I expect this will be a great bra for daily wear when the weather gets a little colder.

I ordered this in my normal size of 30D to start. The band fits true to size for the brand, about the same as Betsey Johnson and Natori. The band is made from micromesh-lined open mesh, with decently firm elastic that goes under the cradle, giving it a much more secure fit than I am used to from American department store brands. The unstretched band measures TTS for 30D, and while it isn't as snug as the UK 30D bras I am used to, feels secure yet comfortable.

Now, one major reason the styling of the bra never appealed to me is that I thought it was one piece molded foam, which I absolutely hate. Instead, it is constructed as a normal bra with cups made from a seamed flexible foam lining. The construction of the bra is the same as Cleo Mimi, but has a lace overlay over the entire front panel. Since it is really just a normal balconnette with a bandeau-like appearance, it ends up looking more like a normal balconnette on me.

I was originally worried that the cup seams would be really visible, since I hated the ones on Cleo Juna, and several users' fit photos showed a pointy seam, but these are actually quite subdued on me. This is thanks to the flexible foam cups, which really do mold nicely to your shape. As long as you are full enough to fill out the cups completely, the seams won't be visible. The lace texture is also pretty subtle under clothing, and is no more noticeable than my normal unlined lace bras (currently the Auden unlined lace balconnette).

My only fit criticism is that the shape of the cups is very immediately projected, and the fullest part of the cup is rather low on me and doesn't look as nicely rounded as I would like. I've also noticed this in fit photos of almost everyone else, so the fullest point of this bra is kind of unbalanced. However, the top of the cup is more closed, so it almost gives me a little bit of quadding. The shape is a little bit orange-in-a-glass on me, and I could do with a shallower bottom cup but more room at the top of the cup. However, since the foam is very flexible, this shape mismatch is pretty subtle, and I could easily get away with this fit, especially under clothing.

After trying the 30DD and comparing measurements, I have concluded that these cups are just too small for me, which explains the fit issues and shape mismatch. This is pretty odd since the only other B.tempt'd bra that fits me is a 30C, and so far none of the 30Ds I've tried have fit (I've tried 3 styles and 5 bras). I really have no idea how the overall sizing for this brand runs, but I do feel that the cups run small on this particular style.

However, there are two things I really don't love about the bra. First, the adjustable portion of the strap is very short (most of it is a decorative twinned strap), and I have the straps fully shortened. I am 5'1" with a normal torso proportion, and I don't think this would work for someone who actually has a shorter torso. However, I saw another user who is also 5'1" write that the straps were too short, so I wonder if the style has been updated, or if there are just some inconsistencies in strap length. The second is that the lace, while decently soft, snags easily. In handling the bra for this review, it snagged on my gold bracelet and on a rough patch of skin on my finger. Hopefully this doesn't become an issue with regular wear, as I am planning to add this bra into my everyday rotation for cooler weather.

I have noticed that after trying five of these bras in the same size that some have a nicer shape than others. This color, Surf the Web, seems to have the smallest cup shape and looks the most off when worn, meaning that the cup looks too pointed and short in the wrong place. I ordered this same color and size twice and saw the same issue in both bras. Some other colors have a better shape and almost work for me, but overall 30DD is the best fit.

Surf the Web colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 05, 2019 Flag this

---

add a comment

Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

You need to sign in to comment