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!

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Updated on Nov 22, 2015 Flag this

Ordered online from Nordstrom, sized up in the cup as per reviews (I *think* my size is 30FF, so far my best fitting bras are in that size from Parfait by Affinitas).

This is hilariously too small in the cup -- quadraboob everywhere, gore floating above my chest, everything smushed and squashed and popping out all over. The band was very stretchy and flimsy, snug on my 29" ribcage but I could definitely see it stretching out over time.

This bra doesn't even come in a larger cup size and it's not available on Nordstrom's website any more so I'm going to return it and see if they have anything better in store. Even if this bra did come in a bigger cup size, I still don't think it's a good bra for me because the band does not seem to be supportive.

Updated on Apr 12, 2013 Flag this

I'm a big fan of color and pattern, as well as on a perennial hunt for a molded bra with enough projection, so I was delighted to find Karen on EBay. Well, she sure is cheerful and bright! Pink, purple, blue and yellow stars on a black background, with deep pink rickrack trim and a little pink grosgrain ribbon bow. Fun! The material is slightly shiny, smooth, and extends all the way around. The straps are very thin and very, very stretchy - the band does the work here. The band is a little small for a 32, but not uncomfortable. The wires are a deep U shape, ... and come up well on the sides while the gore is quite narrow at the bottom - providing firm enclosure on the sides and in the center. A front & center profile. For a molded cup, the immediate projection is good, similar to unlined Cleo's like Izzy or Ellis; but not shallow like Maddie (which is what I expected). The wires are definitely Cleo-firm! The smooth cup and little trim are completely invisible under tight knits. However, the top of the cup toward the center cuts in firmly and I quad pretty badly. An extender doesn't help, as it sometimes does. This bra might be better for short and narrow roots without a lot of center fullness. I think my breasts are being held in and up too much, then encountering the firm top edge. Pity, because Karen really makes me smile!
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Updated on Aug 18, 2016 Flag this

Awesome bra! Band fits great! Perfect cup width, wish it was deeper but overall it fits wonderfully!!!!

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Apr 02, 2015 Flag this

Moulded T-Shirt-bra in a halfcup/balconnette style. It has shallow cups and relatively wide wires, so it fits well on wide root shallow boobs.

In the correct size, this bra gives good uplift, a rounded shape, and it goes well under tight clothing and tank tops.

It's very comfortable to wear. I often have problems with pokey wires (I'm looking at you, Cleo Juna (6461) and Cleo Marcie (6831)) but the wires of the Karen are comfy because they end up lower on my sternum.
Also, unlike other 'fitted' bras, the cups do not have too much coverage and the thin straps work well with any kind of tank top.

The only "con" I found is that the band is on the stretchier side, so if you are between band sizes or prefer a tight fit, you probably have to sister-size down.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 12, 2013 Flag this

Let me tell you about the Karen. Wouldn't you know it, I'm wearing it right now! So, anyway. This is a bra that I searched high and low on the internet for in my "default" size (30G). At one point I found it on Nordstrom's website on sale, but then I didn't act quick enough and it slipped through my grasp. Imagine my delight, when I found the Karen at my local Nordstrom Rack on clearance for $22.

But! I compromised with a 32FF. So I feel like I should put a giant disclaimer on this review, because while it technically fits, it is on the tightest ... hook. Like, if I had my way, I would much rather have a 30 band. However, given the nature of the cups, I wonder if a 30G would have ended up stabbing me in the armpits. But I digress.

Let me start by saying I've tried a couple of other molded "plunge" models and this one may be by far the most comfortable. For example, take the Freya Deco -- while I love that bra, it goes slightly farther up in the armpits than the Karen. The Deco also smushes your boobs closer together and up, while the Karen seems to just lift them up but not necessarily smushed together. Not that there's anything wrong with that! It just means, given the cut of the bra, you can wear something that is more of a V-neck with the Deco than you can with the Karen. The Karen is good for necklines that are open or wide but that don't dip down too low. In general, I love the rounded, uplifted shape that the Karen gives my profile. It might look like I'm getting some quadboob action, but that's only if I contort enough while taking photos (but I'm working on that lol).

Of course, I love the star pattern. This is why I sought it out! The material is soft and but no means scratchy. To me, the band is firm for a 32, given that I prefer 30 bands. I do wish that the straps seemed a little less flimsy. I mean, maybe I'm used to .75 inch straps now, instead of the half inch straps here. Another thing is, if I had my way, I would design this model with three sets of hooks, instead of the two that this model (and every other Cleo model I've tried) has. Why the resistance to the three sets of hooks? :'(

Okay, I'm done waxing poetic about the Karen. I say if you have boobs like mine, get your hands on a Karen and try it out for yourself https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
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Updated on Mar 16, 2013 Flag this

I found the base of the cup to be a little bit shallow and the wires were quite wide

Updated on May 15, 2019 Flag this

Jeanette

2 reputation

1 bras

Pretty comfortable when it fit.

Updated on Jul 06, 2016 Flag this

Fits just like a Cleo Maddie -- good moulded cups that I fill without gapping or quadding. Love the star print and smooth material over the cups. Great for FoB & projected. I like the way my cleavage appears in this bra. Small amount of gapping at top of cup with larger breast because of malleable tissue (weirdly), but this does not detract from fit.

Updated on Jun 02, 2016 Flag this

I LOVE THIS!! It's soooo cute, fits just right and IT'S A CLEO THAT DOESN'T HAVE A GORE THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY!! I'm loving the molded half-cup look and feel... it just works so well with my shape and I finally have something comfortable that won't show up under t-shirts.

Updated on May 26, 2015 Flag this