This is in direct comparison to the 30C - Cleo » Minnie Balconnet Bra (7431) that I used to own. I didn't get pictures of this, but I gave that bra away after it was in rotation for several months because it was quadboobing me even during the smallest parts of my cycle, plus the band was too loose. I have since learned my lesson and took updated pictures of other bras that stopped fitting.

This bra is totally different from the 30C version. I always thought it was interesting that the 30C fit like a plunge. This one is much more of a true balconnet. The ... gore is a whole lot higher and is also super narrow, which I like.

I really love this bra and I wish it fit me better. I am not quite sure what to make of it. The band is super comfortable, the cups are only a little bit too wide, and it brings everything front, center, and in-your-face. The problem, of course, is the godforsaken Cleo upper lace section. Why, Cleo? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 20, 2015 Flag this

Adorable 3-part unpadded balconette style. Front and main part of cups is a red-red background with scattered (random, not ordered) white polka dots. Back and straps are solid red. Top section is white mesh with red embroidery with unfilled circles in the field and a wider circle-y pattern (rows of filled and unfilled circles) along the edge. Pale yellow with yellow polka dots ribbon bow at top of center gore. Scalloped edging at the bottom of band that matches the scalloped edging on bothsides of straps. Straps are fully adjustable with a pattern in the center lines. Elastic along entire bottom of band.

(Acquired new w/tags; sewn-in size ... tag is the rip-off kind)

Wore it for the first time today. Here are my thoughts...

SHAPING: Definitely pulls my boobs front and center inside my frame.
BAND: Too tight new. Wearing with an extender. Hope it loosens after being worn a few times.
WIRE: Is sturdy and not too high for my short torso/high-set boobs.
CUP DEPTH: Almost perfect. Fits my right boob fine. Tiny bit of flapping at top of left cup.
CUP WIDTH: At rest is too narrow, but when wearing it encloses my boobs fine.
APEX/CUP HEIGHT: Seem fine, which is crazy to me.
STRAPS: Slightly too wideset, but stay on my shoulders easily. They don't cut into my underarm crease and are on the inside of my narrower-than-it-should-be frame.
AESTHETICS: I LOVE this pattern. Red + polka dots + geometric lacey is perfect for me.

OVERALL: I'm loving this bra on the first wearing.

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Updated on Sep 07, 2014 Flag this

This bra is comfortable. That's the first thing I noticed. It lifts and centers the breasts a lot. I think the lift is what makes it feel comfortable. My breasts feel supported! I like the color and the thicker fabric feels sturdier than mesh.

I would say this is a good bra for women who like to keep their breasts within their frame, if that makes sense. Mine aren't that big or wide--or naturally centered, for that matter--so this extreme front-and-center position looks weird to me. Plus it gives me a really pointy profile because the cups are so deep.

I'm ... still undecided about keeping it because of this. On the one hand, it's pretty and comfy and supportive so I want to see if the pointy-ness will relax with wash and wear. On the other hand, I know that the depth has a lot to do with the shape and that can't be changed... unless I alter it. I'll be reading this obsessively for a while to see if I can muster the courage to try to alter it: http://brasihate.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-make-pointy-bra-round.html?m=1
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Updated on Jul 23, 2014 Flag this

Minnie is the first unlined printed fabric bra I've tried from Cleo, and I was surprised by how nicely it fit. While the print isn't my favorite, and the upper lace panel is a bit too deep for me, the actual fabric cups fit like they were made for me. This style definitely makes me want to explore more fabric bras from this line!

The band is a fantastic, secure band made from powerful stretch fabric, and sports an ultra-wide bottom elastic. This is a full band style, so the wide bottom elastic really helps the bra feel secure around your torso. The straps are ... equally supportive wide elastic with a slight texture, which helps the straps not slip once adjusted. This is probably the most well-engineered Cleo bra I've come across to date.

The cups are made from smooth, lightweight printed silky fabric lined with tricot, while the interior of the cups are lined with power mesh. This combo offers an extremely supportive yet lightweight feel that I love. The wires here are the same size and shape as Marcie (although the cup depth is a little shallower than Marcie), so they are perfect for me. The top panel is lace-topped mesh with no elastic binding. While this in theory would make the top fit like Marcie or Lucy, in reality the lace is very wide and stiff and has absolutely no give. The lace will not stretch to accommodate tall roots, a lot of fullness on top, or in my case, stretch horizontally to lay flush against the skin, causing an area of excess fabric. On Marcie, the upper cup is embroidered mesh, and thus has enough horizontal stretch on me to sit flat on the body.

However, the cups here are on the shallow side, so the bra almost borders on too small for me, and sizing down would not be an option. Having tried sizing up to 30DD in Lucy to resolve a similar issue with the upper lace panel not sitting right, I found this was actually exaggerated in a larger cup size, thus I don't think I will try 30DD in this style. So, I would say that this bra fits me perfectly except the slight shape mismatch and inflexible construction causing the upper panel to not sit flat. If the fullest part of your breast sits higher and is closer to the seam where the panels join, then I think this would work better for you (however still not suitable for tall roots or very FOT).

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28E update:

The bra is now definitely too small and also the wrong shape for me. I get the orange in a glass effect with the closed top cutting into my roots, and the cup width is too narrow. However, the shape is for more projection than I have. I considered trying this in a 28E but I’ve learned to stay away from closed top cups given my tall roots.

Note that this style superficially resembles Kayla, another unlined printed bra made from the same silky fabric. Kayla is a sister cut of Hettie, and both band and cups run half a size larger than most other Cleo styles. Kayla's cups are single layer, so they are softer and more lightweight, and the upper cup is made from much wider stretch lace rather than the rigid lace found here in Minnie. Kayla is suitable for projected FOT shapes and can accommodate tall roots, while Minnie is for even shapes with short roots and is slightly more projected than Marcie, so it may be suitable for conical shapes. The rigid upper cup limits upper fullness, while Marcie isa. bit more flexible.
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Navy Multi colorway

Updated on Apr 11, 2020 Flag this

This is my first bra I've tried in my journey to find a bra that fits. I got size 28 D from the calculator, but this bra is way too tight in the band. Being new to bras, I can't really comment on much else, with one exception. This bra gives my breast a kind of strange shape - it pushes the tissue upwards, which gives a good, full look, but it leaves the sides of my boobs looking awkwardly flat. I will try to capture pictures of this. Otherwise it's a cute bra, I was really hoping it'd work for me, but I guess I'll have to try a band size up.
About the band size: I'm not sure how this is supposed to work, but this bra is a size 28D, however, the band's stretched maximum length is 27 inches. It sits at 22 inches un-stretched. I'm not sure if this is normal for a 28 band size, but I'm sure this contributes to why it feels so tight on me.

Updated on May 16, 2017 Flag this

The Cleo Minnie is the best fitting bra that I own. The Minnie's shape is front and center, which is compatible with my own. It gives a more rounded shape than my Freya plunges, but less than the Cleo Lily. I think it's well made, and the pictures give an accurate representation of its appearance IRL.

I have short, narrow roots, and am even FOT/FOB with lots of inner fullness and average projection. My biggest problem with bras in my size is that the wires tend to be too tall and stabby under my arms, and cups tend to be too tall at the strap ... and the wings. Although the Minnie's cups are still technically too wide, the wires, wings and cup height are low enough to be comfortable. Because my breast tissue does not extend to the outer sides of the cup, the 10" cup depth is just about perfect for my 9" breast depth. The embroidered mesh at the top of the cup angles in perfectly for me. I did need to bend the wires at the gore for comfort when I first wore the bra, but it's been comfortable since. Oh, and it's very supportive, too.

I own this bra in 2 colors. The Sky Blue fit TTS from the beginning. I wore the Navy with an extender for the first few weeks but it now fits TTS.
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Sky Blue Spot colorway

Updated on Nov 14, 2015 Flag this

Okay well, I suppose this one is meant for people who are definitively FOT? Because even though I'm filling the bottoms okay, there's so much extra fabric it piles up under shirts, and I have to tug it flat. While the 36E - Cleo » Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) seems to work out alright and that is supposed to also be a FOT style, I believe I'm closer to even than truly FOT, which I'm sort of assuming is the problem here. In terms of look, I love how it looks. I tried a blue and orange colorway, which looked great with my skin tone, and I love the dot pattern on the mesh. I also actually like the stiffer fabric used for the bottoms of the cups compared to the all-mesh styles. It seemed a bit more comfortable to me. Though I did notice straight after a swoop-and-scoop, I'd sometimes find it to be very tight across the dot pattern and cut into the breast tissue a little.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 11, 2015 Flag this

I first tried the 32G, which was way too big in the cups for me (see pictures, they are all for the 32G version. I'll try to add the pictures of the as well 32FF later). I swapped it for a 32FF, and we have lift off! Now the fit is very similar to my red Minnie in 32G, so I suppose the blue color way is just a bit bigger than the red version, I'd say it's almost a full cup difference, as the blue Minnie in 32FF is only a smidgen smaller than the red Minnie in 32G. I'd suggest everyone who wants to try this style to order two sizes per color.

If you want to know what I think about this bra in terms of fit, lift, comfort and so on, look at my review for the red Minnie!

Updated on Sep 03, 2015 Flag this

I love this bra. Seriously. I bought it in every color. If only it came in nude! It does put the boobs "front and center", but that is how my boobs are on my torso anyway. I do not like the girls going east-west, rather leading the way. My bra journey is evolving and narrowing down sizes and brands.... I find that I must have a "V" shaped torso since most web sites suggest a 32 band when a 34 is so much nicer. So, Cleo Minnie size 34G is perfect.

Updated on Aug 06, 2015 Flag this

This was my very first unpadded bra, and I'm extremely glad it was.

Being a busty, tiny girl I figured I'd never be able to wear an unpadded bra, but I was wrong. Guess we all learn a lot of things once we figure out our right size and try some things! This bra was really comfortable compared to all other padded bras I've ever worn and almost made me never want to go back.

I'm a personal fan of thick straps for support because my shoulders often ache after a day of wearing a bra or running. This bra has very thick straps conpared to other bras I've ... had in the past, but it's also a durable and cute design on them. There is a soft/fuzzy layer on the bottom of the straps to prevent any chafing and add extra comfort.

I'm not a massive fan of the two hooks, as I prefer three with three rows, but it doesnt make much of a noticable difference.

The band is quite stretchy on this bra, a lot more stretchy than I'm used to. If you like a stiff band, this isn't a good choice haha. It's not that big of a deal, but some may have to start on the second hook or size down in band.

With this bra, I get a bit of wrinkles on the top of the cup, nearing the center. I would say this is a more FoT bra than anything, as i wouldn't describe myself particularly shallow.

The gore tacks perfectly and is low enough to my liking.

Also, don't spray this with perfume. I made that mistake when I was in a rush and it seemed to take the color out of the straps and band in some spots.
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Blue colorway

Updated on Jul 28, 2015 Flag this