I recently went up a size, so it's back to the drawing board, trying to find new bras that fit. This one fits the bill! Really projected, fits similar to Lily but with a stretch lace upper. Annoyingly, I get that weird in-cup quadboob along the seam between the lace and the bottom of the cup. I was able to remedy this with a thin moulded foam insert that came with another bra. It hasn't affected the fit, so it's a good solution for me.

Updated on Oct 07, 2016 Flag this

Unexpectedly cute, very colorful, and pretty comfy. It's a bit more projected than Hettie, but also needs more upper fullness than I have.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 05, 2016 Flag this

I don't think it's my shape. Plenty of top wrinkling, due to a combination of stretch lace and my FOB. Wires feel uncomfortable at the sides...I don't think they're too high but they do dig. Gore is correct even for my close-set inner fullness. But the wire shape is more of a U, whereas I need closer to a sideways ). Even though I don't think it's too narrow on the sides, it's still too ...peaked at the front I guess.

Also, from the side I think the shape looks fine, but form the top they are impressive torpedos. I think this bra just lets my inner fullness take over, so all the tissue slumps into the center. Not a fan of what my tissue & shape do in this cup.

32:8 32FF

wires below IMF, top wrinkling

Cleo

Kayla Balconnet Bra (9221)

3 suggestions

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 15, 2016 Flag this

Fits ribcage 27
B. perimeter 11
Stretched Band 34.3
Band Length 25.8
Stretch ratio 1.3
Cup width 5.75
Cup depth 11.5
Depth ratio 2.0
Wire length 12.5
Cup height 7.5
Cup separation 0.75
Gore height 3.5
Wing height 4.3
Strap width 0.7
Strap length14
Hooks 2

Updated on Jul 14, 2022 Flag this

I got this bra quite a while ago and have worn it on a regular basis, but just now remembered that I haven't written a review of it.

Shape info: narrow root (Omega shape?), high on chest, pendulous

I'm so glad I bought this bra.
Technically fit-wise it isn't perfect, but I think it comes pretty close to being perfect and it is very comfortable. The few fit issues that I did notice (gore doesn't tack completely, maybe a tiny bit too wide at the center front) don't cause any pain or too much instability, so I mark this bra as fitting.

*What's good about this bra:*
* It is made of a ... very soft, smooth fabric on the lower cup and lightweight lace on the top part of the cups.
* It is VERY comfortable to wear. It doesn't slide down in the front (enough space/projection in the lower part of the cup) and that is a huge plus.
* Its fabric is printed with a pattern in a lovely color combination (oh if I could count the times when I've found something that comes kind of close to fitting but is a terrible color/pattern for me...). I love the look of it! : )
* The straps are fully adjustable! That is great.

*The only cons I can think of:*
* The straps sometimes slide off my shoulders. No idea where's the issue - the band seems to be snug and in place, the straps are well-adjusted, I think. Also they don't seem to be placed too far apart. It tends to happen with movement. If that happens and I don't have a chance to put the strap back immediately, the cup fabric tends to flop over downwards after a bit and then awkward side-effects of that tend to happen. : |
* The hook&eye closure has stretched out a bit after wearing it for a while. I don't know by how much, but it is visibly distorted. I've seen articles online saying that if this happens the bra band is too small, but I don't think that is the case here. The band is comfortable.
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This bra's measurements have been altered

I wouldn't call this an alteration, but the bra might've changed a tiny bit since I got it and I thought I should indicate that. I've been wearing this bra for a while now and the hook&eye closure has stretched out a bit - can't tell how much exactly but it is visibly distorted. I thought that might influence how long the band measurements turn out to be.

Updated on Apr 14, 2021 Flag this

Recently I've been thinking about trying Kayla in my current size of 28E since many of the older Cleo styles are no longer easily found in my size. However, I was digging through my drawer when I discovered this Kayla in Butterfly Print that I had completely forgotten about. It had been sitting in a pile of bras that didn't work for me, so I guess out of sight, out of mind. I pulled this back out to check and see if it might fit me better now that I measure 28E instead of 28DD, and realized that I had never written a review!

At 28DD, ... this definitely didn't fit me. The band is too big, to the point of riding up slightly. The cups compared to my 30D Marcie are half a size deeper and wider. The wires were a good size and shape for me, but I could only fill out the bottom of the cup and the lace top was pretty empty. At 28E, the lace at the top is still baggy, though I obviously fill out the cups better. I found that inserts worked best at the top of the cup, so this style is meant for projected FOT shapes and has the ability to accommodate tall roots thanks to the stretch cups. Other shapes will find it difficult to fill out the top of the cup, and lack of upper fullness will either show totally baggy wrinkly lace or lace that doesn't quite lay flat when you move.

In hindsight, it's no surprise that this didn't work for me regardless of size, because this is the same cut as Hettie, which gives me the exact same fit problems. Both styles seem to run large in both band and cup, and are suitable for projected FOT shapes.

Kayla also bears a strong resemblance to Minnie upon first glance, since both cups are made from silky printed fabric and have a lace upper cup. However, Minnie has a closed off top and the cup runs smaller, and would work best for short roots and even fullness with more projection than Marcie. Kayla's cups are also thinner and softer, since the fabric is single layer (like Fantasie bras made from the same silky fabric), and the upper cup is made from very soft stretch lace and cut wider than most Cleo styles. The print extends through the cradle, but the band is the same firm powermesh used on most Cleo bras. I don't love that the straps are plain elastic with no texture, as I don't think it really goes with the style, and because smooth straps slip more easily. The only other adornments on this bra are a center gore bow and a bit of contrast picot trim at the bottom of the band.

I'm glad that I tried this bra on again, and thanks to my new Commando Takeouts, it was easy to diagnose that this wouldn't fit me even if I had the correct size! I'll be passing on the 28E and any other related Hettie cuts unless I magically develop a huge boost in upper fullness.
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Butterfly Print colorway

Updated on Apr 11, 2020 Flag this

It's one cup size small for me. I have awful in-cup-quadding. The band is quite stretchy. The cup shape is good for FOT breasts due to the stretchy lace.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 17, 2018 Flag this

This bra is a wonderful in fit in all ways but one and that's the underarms. The wire comes up a bit too much. But if you're crafty it's an easy fix to trim. The fabric is nice and soft and the lace isn't abrasive. It holds my whole breast with the gore and underwire against my chest. It's currently my favorite bra.

Paisley colorway

Updated on Aug 28, 2018 Flag this

Much more comfortable than the Cleo Hettie to me. I think the band is stretchier on the Kayla compared to the Hettie, also the gore does not dig into my sternum as much as it does on the Hettie. I do get more gaping at the top lace on the Kayla than the Hettie on my smaller side. Both bras are sufficiently deep at the wire (immediately projected) hurrah! I think Kayla might have a slight edge in immediate projection. I will say this bra doesn’t feel super duper supportive, the lift and weight redistribution is pretty minor compared to my heavy duty lifter bras. It makes me wonder if there might be an inverse correlation between projectedness and support. Possibly the bra needs to squish the boobs close and out to the sides of the chest wall in order to redistribute the weight off your shoulders.

Mono Print colorway

Updated on May 20, 2018 Flag this

I have the white colorway with the purple bow in the middle. Overall this bra is a good fit. Band is the traditional Cleo kind measuring just shy of 30” on the size 30 band. I did size down a cup. I appreciate that the wires are narrower than the Lily and slightly more projected. Both make it more comfortable for me. The gore is higher than my favorite fit. It doesn’t poke too much but the bow is misaligned by my center tissue. Seams disappear well. The purple in the stretch lace was a fun surprise. Somehow the bra reminds me of the 80s and the song Girls just want to have fun. I don’t feel like the bra reads as overly juvnile when I wear it but it’s more playful than the majority of my bras.

Updated on May 03, 2018 Flag this