I really thought that I would hate this color and bought it purely for a size check but oh my God do I love this color! It's some seriously bright lime. It makes this bra so much more awesome. This was the first bra that I fell in love with in my proper size. The cups have the perfect amount of projection and width to encompass my side tissue that (hopefully) will migrate. If you like Cleo Lucy (which is great for FoB) then you'll love Cleo Kali. The wires don't poke and the band is snug, but my one complaint so far is the material is rather ... rough under my arms. I'm hoping with a few wears and washes it'll soften out.

Edit: After a few washes and wears the fabric has softened considerably. After analyzing the fit a bit more the band isn't quite tight enough for me. It's possible I need a bit more immediate projection and at least a 36 band on all my bras. The wires on this bra are much too wide for me which I didn't notice wire widths until recently and saw where the bra wire was leaving a mark versus where my root ended. The only other problem is because I have a bit of a belly, the material between the cups digs in a bit if I'm not sitting up properly. I guess it gives me a good reason to fix my posture though! As the day goes on I notice the straps begin to really irritate my armpits. I get this with the Jasmine too. The straps are just too wide for me, it's tolerable though.

Edit 2: This bra is no longer tolerable https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> With someone who doesn't need as much immediate projection and plays well with the Lucy would do well in this. Also, Cleo, please, please, please STAPH WITH THE WIDE STRAPS.
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Neon Lime colorway

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Updated on May 04, 2015 Flag this

Every time I have a chance to chose something from Panache to test, I’m always i

http://miskidwie.pl/en/cleo-kali-70hh-2/

Updated on Mar 27, 2018 Flag this

MiskiDwie

6201 reputation

586 bras

This bra fits well and is comfortable, both in the band and cups. It has a decent amount of forward projection and doesn't dig in anywhere. I am accustomed to more substantial bras that are moulded or padded, and while I usually prefer the feeling of being 'locked and loaded', this Kali feels so light and free. It almost feels like being braless, but with some support. I don't feel it gives a lot of support, though. Things are definitely bouncing around and jiggling more than usual. I have very soft breast tissue and the cups are super thin and kind of stretchy. I'm not a huge fan of the heart design as it feels a bit juvenile.

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Updated on May 14, 2017 Flag this

In it's bright orange shade, this Kali set is perfect for spring! The bra works better for even, projected and medium width breasts!

More details on the full blog review: http://www.myfashioninsiderblog.com/2016/03/lingerie-cleo-by-panache-kali-in-28ff.html

Cleo by Panache, Panache Lingerie, Kali, Cleo Kali review, 28FF, Large Cup Linge

http://www.myfashioninsiderblog.com/2016/03/lingerie-cleo-by-panache-kali-in-...

Burnt Orange colorway

Updated on Mar 07, 2016 Flag this

Brallerina

1707 reputation

61 bras

It's a good sign when silent screams of glee start up as soon as you open a package. This bra is the brightest, most fluorescent green I've ever seen in my life. I own several bright green items, and they can't stand up to it. Obviously, no internet picture could possibly do it justice. It's most comparable to the edges of those see-through yellow-green LEGO parts that come with the space sets--their edges, not the clear bits.

However, I knew when I bought the bra that I might need to make an exchange. I have a lot of 30GG bras at the moment that I'm nearly, or already, quadding ... out of. The Cleo Lucy (5851) I bought this to replace is pretty far gone in that realm. I think I'm more of a 30H/HH in Cleo at the moment.
As with my original brush with the Cleo Lucy, it was very hard for me to tell whether this bra fit in the cup or not. I decided the Lucy was a perfect fit, not a quadboob disaster waiting to happen, and I was right. With the Kali, it was less clear-cut. I felt less positive about the cups than I did about Lucy's, but the Kali also seems to offer a slightly less round shape than Lucy, overall. I didn't want to go up in the cup and lose the iconic Cleo shape, as it's one of the major reasons I bought the bra. But I tried on the bra the next day and got some quadding, so I'll be going up a cup size.

As far as other aspects of the bra, either the scaling is really good or Cleo has calmed down with their wire width. I'm not getting stabbed in the armpit or underboob at all. This is surprising, given my usual experiences with both Cleo and Panache, as I need narrower wires and am short. The band feels like a very decent 30-back. I'm wearing it on the loosest hooks. Have I mentioned said hooks (and eyes) are orange, matching the front bow? I'm a fan, even though I plan to cut the bow off. Overall, this bra is pretty comfortable.

One of my major questions when I first saw pictures of this bra was whether the ridiculously ill-advised embroidery on the underside of its cups (can we start a petition?) would show through tight shirts a la Lucy's damned raised polkadots. They do, but it's not as bad an effect as with the Lucy. The leaves are a good deal more subtle. They don't look like a very regularly placed attack of hives, and I think there are also less of them. The leaf embroidery on the upper part of the cup doesn't show at all.
There is some wrinkling of the lower cups' top layers of mesh that might bother some people. I assume it's due to the cup shallowness I mentioned, even though I'm filling out the cup fine.
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Aug 24, 2014 Flag this

I have just posted new review. It's Cleo's Kali in burnt orange, and it's a great bra – perfect for summer. Head over to my blog for full review https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />

Blog o biustonoszach, bieliźnie i amatorskim brafittingu.

https://bluebralette.blogspot.com/2017/05/cleo-kali-soneczna-pomarancza-na-la...

Burnt Orange colorway

Updated on May 30, 2017 Flag this

WelshCorgiPembroke

1360 reputation

196 bras

I'm posting this for the hilarity of it.
Had I bought this bra (and my upcoming Lily) in 30GG, they probably would have *fit*. If they both came sooner, they also would have fit.
Unfortunately I ordered it a while ago and before I had this sudden growth spurt, and then it took a while for it to get here and so this is what I got.

That being said, I don't think the issues I have with this bra would be fixed with a different size.

For me, this bra does not allow for upper fullness. I don't care what anyone says, I don't even *have* a lot of upper fullness ... but look how closed the cups are on top. I'm not sure what kind of breasts I'm supposed to have for a Cleo bra to be honest. The shape I get is just... weird. Looking at this is like looking at Marcie when I tried it (and I so regret not saving those photos because those were tons more funny).

Anyhow. Three part cups with upper part being non-stretch lace. Invisible in the photos, but the different tension in the lace where there is and isn't embroidery cuts in in the shape of hearts, cause very soft tissue. This is the same thing I had with Fantasie Alex.
The wires are alright. They're not Curvy Kate wide, but they're not Ewa narrow either. Somewhere in between and I liked the wires.
The cups are actually quite deep, and they should technically fit. I genuinely don't understand the bad fit. I guess maybe I'm on my high tide days already? I'm gonna give this bra a whirl past period and update the review.
On my smaller side there's some major wrinkling at the wire going on. Actually I felt like my asymmetry was very pronounced in this bra.

The band is tight. Even with my measurements technically being a 30 right now, I'm just not used to bands that tight so this is where my issue was, not that the band was tight for a 30. The band is not suffocating me or making me feel uncomfortable, though. Just feels tight. It stretches out beyond 71cm but I didn't want to enter that in the database as the wires get slightly distorted. I initially thought this is why the bra fits so bad, but after putting an extender nothing changed.

The gore is... very wide. I measured it at close to 3 cm and this is the first bra I had that has a gore that wide. It didn't bother me, the gore tacks, but I felt like there was soooooome wire on breast tissue going on. A gore scoop and swoop fixed it but it's a thing to note. If I were to wear this bra, I would alter the gore.

The straps don't adjust long enough, the story of my life.

To be honest, nothing about this bra seems like it should be made in a cup over E-F. The straps are so thin even if they could adjust long enough they would cut in bad--the weight of breasts would just be too much for it. The double hookset is just not what someone like me needs (or wants). I often underestimate the extra stability from that third hook, but it is quite obvious I need it (as anyone with a fuller bust does). It makes me appreciate Curvy Kate cause for all their faults at least all their bras at my size range (and smaller even) have three hooks and wide straps.

The fun part: the colour is FANTASTIC. I am absolutely in love with it. I got this colourway cause it was the only one available, but I think even if that wasn't the case I would have gone for this one. The heart embroidery on the lace is fun and cute. Maybe some day I would call it juvenile, but I quite like it today, lol.

Overall, Cleo by Panache --> not for me. That's 0/2. I do have Lily still coming in, and we'll make a final verdict. But things aren't looking so good right now.

edit: I know the tone of this review sounds a bit frustrated but I'm really not.
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Updated on Dec 17, 2018 Flag this

I scoured the earth for this bra, after I received my Cleo Lucy and fell in love with the shape it gave me... I knew I needed the purple Kali, as I own entirely too much purple stuff. As this is an older colorway, I could not find my usual size of 36F-- I did, however, manage to land a sister size (38E) still new with tags on eBay-- lucky day for me!

Honestly, going to the larger-banded sister size may have ended up being a very happy happenstance. The only downfall is that there is some slight wrinkling in the lace portion of the cup(edit: After tightening the ... straps slightly, the lace issue became a non-issue. Cheers!), but not enough to be a deal-breaker. It seems to me so far, that for every area where the Lucy failed, the Kali has more than succeeded. Perhaps it's that the band was a bit too tight on the Lucy, but the Kali's band is perfect for me. I do believe both bands will loosen up with time/washes, and I might be best off in a 37 band, if such a thing existed-- there is only a one inch difference between my snug underbust and tight underbust measurements.
Where the very ends of the hooks on the Lucy were rubbing my mid-inner back (enough to annoy me and be aware of their rubbing-- it's one of the reasons I think maybe the Lucy is a bit too small in the band for me), there was no issues with the Kali. The wires also seem to be a tiny bit wider than with the Lucy-- I don't have that irritating rubbing issue, which almost makes the Lucy unwearable. I do have to wonder if the issues I have with the Lucy's underwire would be eliminated if I went to the 38E sister size. Maybe next time. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />

Overall, I was very comfortable at work when I wore this. It's a pretty bra, and I am very happy with the color and look. The Kali does seem to have less of a rounded shape than the Lucy, but you can't really tell much of a difference, especially with a shirt on.
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purple colorway

Updated on Mar 11, 2017 Flag this

Projected, FOB, evenish fullness, pendulous, soft tissue, short roots, maybe splayed?

This is my first Cleo bra, though I've owned many Panache and a few Sculptresse bras. The first thing I noticed was only two hooks per row! Obviously, this was listed on the product page and I just didn't pay attention. I'm not sure I've ever had a bra with just two hooks. I do think I prefer three hooks, but it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

Second impression was how low quality the materials felt. I think it would soften after a few washes, but compared to the Sculptresse bra I got at ... the same time, this Cleo felt scratchy. The straps were padded with very soft fabric, however. The hearts in the mesh top of cup area are cute but not super omg! hearts!!!! And IMO, the burnt orange color is pretty freaking ugly but hey, it was on sale.

I am wearing it with an extender in these pictures so the band is riding up a bit. While this is normal for me in a Panache 36 band, I was really surprised that the band only measured at 28".

My smaller left breast was encased really nicely in the mesh top. It stayed in place even as I moved around the house. I normally prefer stretch lace as my boobs just defeat mesh, but Kali surprised me. After scooping and swooping my larger left breast spilled over in the center.

In the side shot you can see the wire will not lay flat against my sternum, so I think it's not quite projected enough. There's also a small amount of breast tissue outside the cup/wire in that area.

I think this would be a good bra for some a little smaller and less projected than me. Hopefully I did not get a mislabeled bra but at least in this colorway, I would consider sizing up a band.
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Burnt Orange colorway

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Updated on Sep 02, 2016 Flag this

The cups do beautiful things for my breasts, and because of that I would LOVE to keep this bra. However, it might get sent back because its wide strap placement doesn't play nice with my narrow shoulders. For me, that caused puckering in the tops of the cups and digging in the armpits-- and it wasn't the underwire, it was the sides of the cups that were digging.

Also, as seems to be the tendency for Cleo, you might want to order up a band from your normal size. For instance, my snug underbust is 29", my tight underbust is 27.5", and I still could have done with either a 32 band or an extender in this bra.

Cobalt colorway

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Updated on Aug 19, 2015 Flag this