First thoughts: It doesn't fit and it ISN'T the Marcie https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> after some thinking, this was a size too small so I don't know if it's actually a better fit in a better size.
TLDR: It was the wrong size for me at the time so obviously too small, but even in a more appropriate size the wires are really stiff and the cup depth doesn't feel the same.

Cups seem to small?? Band is too tight?? Gore too wide??
The Cleo Marcie will always fit me and now that Panache is discontinuing it and trying to replace it ... with the Asher, I will be grieving the loss of the future colorways. I have a lot of emotions and thoughts about this bra.
The full measurements are next to this bra review once you click on the review. The measurements are fairly similar to the red 28FF Cleo Marcie I bought at Bravissimo a few years ago. The most significant differences are in the band and cup depth.

Before you read: my underbust was a 30 band (but i hadn't measured myself yet) when i tried this on so it was technically too small, wich is why it was so tight. The band was still shorter than average though.
FIT: Without an extender, this is a poor fit. I measured the band to be 58.5cm and the stretched band to 63.5cm (it stretches 5cm), which means the band is shorter than other bras in this size that I own, which means it's on the lower end of the average stretch for the bras i own. This still makes it tighter than average for Panache, and then the cups are also too small/not deep enough. I can't comfortably wear this for any given time as is. Once i add an extender to the last row of hooks and then clasp it on the middle row of extender hooks, I can comfortably wear it. The cups are still too small and I get quadboob, but it's not as bad, and it isn't painful or difficult to breathe comfortably in. With the extender placed comfortably, I'm essentially lengthening the band by about 3 cm - which would make the band 61.5cm long, and then allow it to stretch past 63.5cm. I measured myself in order to set the fit for this bra, and my Super Tight is 64.5cm. So as is, this bra is tighter than my Super Tight measurement which means it isn't comfortable.

STRUCTURE/COMPARISON: The cup depth and shape isn't quite the same. The seams are effectively the same as the Marcie and so the overall structure is very similar. The straps are wider than average for Cleo bras which I don't mind aesthetically, but I feel like they could slide off my shoulders more easily. The gore is wider, just a little bit. What I've noticed the most after trying a 28FF and a 30GG is that the wires feel really solid and stiff, more so than other Cleo bras I have. The 28FF obviously wasn't comfortable because cups and band were too small, but the 30GG still isn't that comfortable because it feels like the wires don't sit on my chest, but hover in the middle by the gore. this could be because both the wires and the cups are too big. The stiff wires definitely don't contribute to an amazing fit.


DESIGN: The visual design is good, it's a pretty bra. I miss the polka dots from the Marcie to be honest. I don't like the square bow, which only pulls the attention more to the wide gore and wire channels. It feels and looks like a solid structure, like you'll really feel it when you wear it. The wire channels seem wider.
All the seams are well made and sturdy, I don't feel like this bra is goign to come apart any time soon! The black color is a little boring for me personally, but it's preferable over beige. My clothes and bras all tend to be very colorful so a black bra is a little bit of a contrast. It's got non-stretchy power mesh in the cup and between the wing and wire channels, and the wing is made of elastic power mesh. The edges of the band and straps have the typical loop decoration.
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Black colorway

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Updated on Jun 18, 2020 Flag this

[I bought this bra in both 28E and 30D, because I saw a review saying it was too big so I thought I would try two volumes, though I normally wear a 28E/30DD. The 28E mostly fit while the 30D was too small in the cup. Ordering my usual size would have been no problem; I do not recommend going down a cup size.]

I know there are a lot of people interested in this bra and how it compares to the Marcie so I will try to make this thorough. Happy to answer any questions OR even provide more pictures. I can even retake old pictures of my ... pink Cleo Marcie being worn, just to rule out the possibility of breast shape changes on my end over the past 6 years when comparing how they fit lol

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PREFACE: MY BREAST SHAPE
I have even breasts, with average roots (I never have an issue with wires being too wide or narrow; the ~5" wire widths in most Cleo bras generally work for me) but slightly tall roots. The slope of my tall roots on top is almost always the deciding factor on in a bra will fit or not, as it extends up somewhat high. Cup tops will either match the slope there or they will cut into it.

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PRODUCT PICTURE VS IN-PERSON
First off--I think this bra is very different than what I expected based on pictures. As another reviewer said, the color in person is a darker tan than I thought it would be. It is a bit too dark to be a good match for my pale skin tone, but this is probably good news for some people who find most "nude" bras a couple shades too light.

(edit: I uploaded a picture to compare the color of the latte Cleo Asher with the beige Panache Emily: https://www.bratabase.com/picture/dpqbk/. The Emily works great with my skin tone under white shirts, while the Asher is much notably darker. Based on product photos I expected a bra that was more the color of the Emily)

There's also a weird extra piece of fabric where the cup connects to the band, almost like a piping, that's darker than the rest of the cup... I am sure it is just decorative but I do not think it does anything for the bra so I wish it had been excluded!

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FIT VS. THE CLEO MARCIE
This is probably the important info a lot of y'all will want!

Preface: Since I am somewhat small-chested, FoT vs FoB vs even matters less in my range than in larger size ranges, and I managed to find a great fit in both the pink Cleo Marcie and Cleo Lily in multiple colorways, even though people say the Lily is usually even while Marcie is THE FoT bra, just as an example.

My first thought was that it fit very differently than the Marcie, but I went to my (6 year old!) review of the pink Marcie (https://www.bratabase.com/picture/did9t/) and the raspberry Marcie babydoll (https://www.bratabase.com/bra/dlylt/), and rediscovered that the pink colorway of the Marcie actually runs a hair small in the cup. The pink Marcie fit me and the slope of my tall roots perfectly, while the raspberry Marcie babydoll gapped slightly on top as I don't quite have enough upper fullness to fill it out. I don't have the raspberry babydoll with me at the moment to be able to see if it still fits the same after all these years, but the Asher does not gap on me. However, it doesn't QUITE fit the slope of my roots, causing me to not quiiiiite fill out the upper half of the cup as well as I would like, and causing some wrinkles under shirts that I am not super satisfied with.

It's hard to compare the fit of each, especially years apart and with variances in colorways, but I definitely don't think they fit quite the same. Some people have had success with both while some people have only had success with one, it's definitely hard to say. For whatever it is worth, I find the pink Cleo Marcie, the raspberry Marcie babydoll, and the latte Cleo Asher to each fit distinctly different from each other, even though they are all "the same."

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SHAPE
Gives a beautiful rounded shape--I love 3 part cups with side support panels!!

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UNDER CLOTHES
As mentioned in the beginning, the color isn't what I expected and as such does not quite work for my skin tone for white shirts.

I was worried about the upper cup design showing through shirts, but it is not as textured as I worried and I don't think that it would pose too much of an issue.

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CONCLUDING STATEMENTS
I would be interested to try this bra in black if it goes on sale, to see if it fits like the pink (specifically!) Cleo Marcie does. Overall it fits differently than my two different versions of the Cleo Marcie; I wouldn't be afraid to give this a try regardless of how the Marcie specifically fit you, especially if you have had success with this style of 3 part cup in other models. In general, I would order your regular size, I think it is true to size.
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LATTE colorway

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Updated on Nov 29, 2020 Flag this

As a preface, when I first tried the Asher, I tried a 28FF which was too small in the band since I've recently become a 30 band. The 28FF was REALLY small so I saw 30GG on sale and thought "It's just 2 cup sizes larger than 30FF which i normally wear" and while technically correct, this bra is much too big in the cups https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" />

QUALITY: As always from Panache, the quality is really good. None of the seams feel like they're going to unravel, the fabric is really sturdy, the overall structure is really solid.

FIT: The band is really ... comfortable! I do feel like it could slide down because the cups don't fit properly and so I imagine the tension in the band isn't 100% correct for a correct fit, but I'm not keeping it so I'm not concerned. The cups are too big, my boobs fall to the bottom and fill it out nicely, but leave room for another small boob on top in the empty fabric. The cups are also comfortable, despite being much too large.
The wires feel stiff when I hold and feel the bra, and when I compare it to my Cleo Marcie in 30FF, the wires feel a lot stiffer than the Marcie.

DESIGN: I'm not gonna lie, this bra is quite pretty. The blue is really nice with the geometric patterns in the top lace panel. There's lace loops decoration on the edges of the straps and lower edge of the band, much like other Cleo bras, but these loops are much smaller than usual. It looks nice on the straps but might be annoying for the skin on the lower edge of the band. Next to the wire channels on the outside of the bra there's a stripe of fabric just a millimeter wide, but it's shiny and adds just a touch of detail that I really appreciate. It's subtle and I don't know how visible it is when you're wearing the bra but it looks great when it's laying next to me on my desk. The only thing I don't really like is the bow. It's wide and square and makes the bra feel wide and square. I personally prefer the small lacy bows that usually come on Cleo bras, if I end up getting this bra in my size I definitely will be replacing it.

There's an extra layer of fuzzy fabric sewn onto half of the strap lengthwise, from the middle and down to where it meets the cup. It's there for comfort and I like that attention to detail. It wouldn't make the bra more comfortable to me though as I have the straps on max length, but I'd imagine it's nice for someone with a short torso.

TLDR, Asher isn't as bad as I thought! But I have yet to try it in my actual size.
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Sapphire colorway

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Updated on Jun 18, 2020 Flag this

This is my favorite bra, the nearest to perfect that I've ever owned. The fit and shape are spot on. It's smooth and the seams are low-profile under clothes. I love the geometric patterning. Unpopular opinion, but I consider this a huge improvement over the Marcie.

Asher displaces my previous favorite everyday bra, the Freya Rio (also in 28FF). If you are a Rio fan, you should definitely give this a try.

Black colorway

Updated on May 30, 2020 Flag this

The new Marcie, according to Panache. I found this to be a pretty typical Cleo bra in terms of fabric feel. Stiff, not soft, and firm. Very firm wires. Relatively high center gore. I really liked the fact that Cleo went with a more sophisticated look with the fabric here. It is smooth without lumps and bumps. The top fabric is pretty, but still understated. I MUCH prefer it to the Marcie's all over dots and bow top lace. It is very sheer, so no nipple camouflage if that is a consideration for you. Onto fit. I found it to offer a rounded shape. Definitely was open on ... top and left me with too much gaping when I was fully deflated and more FOB shaped, and with some minor gaping when I was not quite as deflated and more even shaped (I fluctuate since I’m in the very last stages of nursing). The center gore ends up overlapping itself with my center full and close set shape. I filled out the bottom completely, so may try again in a smaller cup size, but may find it to be incompatible for my current shape and needs. Band was true to Cleo firm/tight-ness. Absolutely does mimic the Marcie from what I remember Marcie being like when I tried it in the past.
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Latte colorway

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Updated on Sep 21, 2019 Flag this

I like this bra, but the biggest thing I'd change is to make the wings a little taller. Even 1/4-1/2 inch taller would be a major plus. I prefer tall wings and underwire.
Oh well, I'll probably keep it still, it is very smooth under clothing. Seams are smooth. It's a nice summer bra because the cups are two layers of fine, non-stretch mesh. It is very supportive.

Updated on Jul 15, 2021 Flag this

Hmm…not too thrilled with this one.

I came about the bra because I was perusing what other 32FF Panache Sport wearers were wearing that fit. The measurements looked like they might work for me, so I went for it.

Unfortunately, not a good fit by ANY means. Notably, the wires are too narrow for the amount of depth. It pushes me up and in. I guess if I were looking to create cleavage, this bra would be a winner in that aspect. The band is also very snug and only measured barely over 30” stretched. Being a black bra, that’s to be expected.

The bra itself seems well made, but also kind of cheap? The material is scratchy and not appealing in the least. I believe it’s made out of mesh? The top part of the cup is not stretchy and is also uncomfortable. I’m definitely not a fan!

Black colorway

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Updated on Nov 21, 2023 Flag this

Narrow cups and great immediate projection. Lovely round shape. Very good for those of us with upper fullness.

Odd thing to note, though: the band on the 28H I have comes up tight yet the band on this 30H comes up loose.

I would call this Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831)‘s cousin rather than her replacement. Noticeably to me, Marcie has a narrower gore and overall feels more ‘dainty’.

Black colorway

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Updated on Apr 09, 2021 Flag this

My shape: FOT, narrow, very center full, tall roots, projected.

This bra seriously cut into my tail of Spence, and gave me this weird vertical line just outside of the center of my breast that cut into my tissue, the gore wasn't a problem but I think the pattern doesn't have enough center fullness for me, if it weren't for these two things it would've been perfect.

Black colorway

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Updated on May 17, 2020 Flag this

I am UK 32FF/F, even fullness, narrow roots and projected.

Polish bras have the best fit in terms of construction for meas there is rarely ever any UK bras that have narrow and projected enough cups for me. Cleo Asher included, but it fit a lot better than I had expected!

I have dense breast tissue and often find that padded cups are really hard to wear. Often they will push down because the shape just doesn't match. This includes polish brands like Comexim, which is the only Polish brand that is feasible for me at the moment. I want to try their balconettes, but they are mostly ... unlined, which doesn't sit right with me at all.

My first ever bra - the Cleo Asher is still by far the best fitting because of this, but it still has its fair share of fit issues.

Cleo is a sister brand of Panache, they do keep the quality of Panache bras. (The stiff band and all). But one thing I found different from these two is the cup separation. I think Cleo's cup separation is more close-set that Panache, which may be why it fits a lot better than the Envy I tried and faied miserably to fit. As for the Cleo Asher, it is similar to Panache envy and Jasmine in that it is a lined blaconette bra made fully with stiff, fabric as the cups. It's also more known to be a FoT bra, and I agree - I'm having some sort of fit issues on the bottom of the cups due to my even fullness.

Overall fit is good!
The wires are as usual, too wide for me. But, It's comfortable enough to wear long. I bought a black one, and due to it being black, it was slightly too stiff and tight for me - I had to get a band extender. Other than these few issues, the bra is still my favourite.
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Updated on Jan 23, 2023 Flag this