I'm not sure how I forgot to review Maddie as it was one of the first Cleo bras I ever tried in my size of 28DD, and one of the first that fit me in this new size. At the time, I found the band to be comfortably snug and was impressed with the lift and rounded shape that the cups gave me, but thought the wide strap placement was a bit irritating by the arms. I later tried a 28E when I still measured 28DD and it was predictably too big.
Now, this bra is laughably short on me, and I've found that there is not ... enough projection even though the openness of the cup does allow it to accommodate a bit more fullness, making it a good choice for hormonal fluctuations. It no longer gives me the nice rounded shape I used to get, though I get pretty impressive Marie Antoinette cleavage since it only covers half my breasts in my current size. I tried to order this again in 28E, but Amazon accidentally sent me an entirely different bra, so I guess it's not meant to be.
After trying on more bras with this kind of shape, I've concluded that bras with short, open cups, a low gore, and wide set straps don't work well on me. These bras tend to run shallow in cup shape, but while they sit nicely when I'm standing up straight, the wide set straps and open cups gap whenever I move. So, while 28E would have more projection and taller cups, the width of the strap placement would still cause this problem to happen. This bra is shallow-friendly and good for tall roots, and can accommodate varying amounts of upper fullness. The cups are quite wide so the proportions are difficult for narrow frames or narrow roots.
I remember trying this style and Lexi at the same time, but ended up preferring this style. Though both fit similarly, Lexi had a really visible top edge that was obvious under clothing. The lace upper cup trim on Maddie is a little more subtle, though it appears wider.
The main theme of Maddie is contrasting texture, and the main fabric of this bra is a shadow stripe with textured ribbing that is echoed in the strap elastic (same elastic as Hettie). I like that the fabric has visual texture but doesn't show under clothing, and is soft to touch. The cups are a little thick for my tastes and are a little firmer than other molded T-shirt type bras in my collection. I really liked the firm band on this style, as it is made from the same stretch body fabric and lined with powermesh, so it is extra firm and stable despite the wings being on the narrow side. Other than the lace on the upper cup, the only decoration is a simple button at the gore covered in textured fabric.
I'm unsure if I will give Maddie another try knowing what I know now about cup shapes that suit my body. Though this bra runs a little small on me, it does give a nice push up effect, so I might still pull this out of the collection every once in a while for special outfits, but it isn't suitable as an everyday T-shirt bra for me.
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Updated on Apr 11, 2020 Flag this
Sonya , you are correct Cleo Maddie is not known for lots of space right above the wire.