Oh, how badly I wanted this bra to work, but the upper lace is just too stretchy for my soft tissue basooms, which really make the most of the leniency. Aside from that, I think the shape works well for me, and am interested to find bras that have a similar design (but use different fabrics).
You may be having some in cup quad? May need to go up a cup size to allow for the padding. Looking at your side profile it looks like there is ever so slight fold back on your tissue. Did the cups feel like they were squishing your tissue? There is some bulge at the seams where the lace is which suggests too small cup as well.
Definitely in cup quadding to the extreme. I've only had one bra that fits, and only for a week, and am beginning to think it's too small (posting soon to follow), so I'm really not at all sure what the difference between a well-fitting and tissue-squishing bra would feel like. I've recently had some bad luck with sizing up in the cup and ending up swimming in fabric. Also, I think my breast tissue is just too soft for stretch lace. I've tried CK Ellace, Princess, Gia, all with a horizontal seam between two differently-tensioned fabrics, and all gave me in cup quadboob--even the ones in too big a cup. I just don't think stretch lace can work for me.
I'm glad to have finally tried a Mimi. It looks and feels a lot like my Polish bras. The band is TTS for a 28, so just a little big on me. The cups are a good depth, but are a bit wider and taller than I need. I would love a bra with shorter cups, depth of about 9.5" and width about 4.7". Does anyone have any recommendations? Anyhow, this bra is a pretty good fit, supportive and quite comfy. It gives a great rounded and uplifted shape through clothes. I wish this (and all bras) came with cookie pockets, because I get a bit of gaping ...on my smaller side unless my back is straight. This bra can accommodate lots of centre fullness. The seams are almost perfectly flat, so I don't think they will show at all. The straps are not irritating and easily adjustable half way. The straps are wider set than I need, but I don't notice any irritation in my armpit. While animal prints aren't my favourite, I don't really mind it and I got it for a decent price on Amazon. I do like the orange accent stitching and bow. My breasts are narrow and short rooted, very soft and pendulous, bottom and centre full with lots of immediate projection. Read more 109 more words
So you don’t find this one to be shallow and wide? I have always heard that the spot and rose prints were narrow and deep like Polish bras but the animal print was not.
Wow Sonya, this is gorgeous! I haven't seen this print before - it is really lovely. It is the perfect animal print for animal print sceptics
I've always wanted to try this bra. This looks good on you! Do the straps adjust very long then? I have to have long straps for my tall frame.
Thanks, guys. I like this bra enough that I check Amazon regularly hoping for it to be on sale in another print. Calluna- Nope, I don't find it to be shallow and wide. It has a depth of 9.5" and the width is 5.3, so actually narrower and deeper than my new Comexim 3HCs. Wilderness- I still have about and inch or so of strap left, so not a ton. And I'm only 5'5" with a shorter torso. My breasts aren't high on my chest, though. If it worked, I bet you'd need them fully extended. If you try it, I'd suggest Amazon for the free returns.
I agree on this one! I had some quadding when I was a bit larger, and the cups are a bit wider than I need and the straps a bit wide, now that I lost weight it's one of my better fitting bras but not perfect, still a little wide. I dislike the print Mines in though. It's the blue wirh Polka dots, it feels kind of Juvenile, I'd trade this for a grey floral with anyone in a heart beat lol
This Cleo classic has become a go to bra for me as it achieves a round and smooth look totally without padding or moulding. I like to wear it with both revealing and more covered up tops.
At first the Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) is always a bit on the snugger side. After breaking in it deals surprisingly well with light upward size fluctuations.
This beautiful red colourway comes with a little leo print bow between the cups and white hardware.
As a self-confessed fan of the Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) I had to try this nude version. I'm always on the lookout for non padded options to wear with lightweight and light coloured summer tops https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
Sadly the shade is too pink and too cold for my yellow skin undertone. Otherwise the bra fitted as expected.
Some of the best projection I've found, but the straps are set too wide and rub my armpit fat way too much to be able to wear all day. Also, the gore is too tall and too wide for my close-set, firm tissue. I wore this bra for all of 2 minutes and had a big red spot at the gore. Otherwise, the fit is great (might size up the band for comfort), but just not for me.
Short roots, full on bottom and center full . This is supposed to be the same cut as Hettie. It is close but the fit and feel is a little different.I think it could be the difference in fabrics. The wires are pretty good for the tons of immediate projection I need and also pretty good for my center fullness. Wires stay in my IMF although they don't feel quite as comfortable as the Hettie. The Hettie's wires feel almost a little padded. I think perhaps because the fabric is a little heavier than on the Kayla. The band is very stretchy and I can easily fasten it in the innermost hook. Very unusual for a Cleo. I have touching breasts in a bra, so very little room for gore . This fits like almost all bras I've tried, sits very slightly on breast tissue at the gore.
I have average-width, even breasts with tallish roots.
There is a very flexible plastic boning in each side seam of the band to help it stay in place and not scrunch up. Seems to work well because I do not recall any problems with the band riding up on my first wear!
Interestingly, the underwires are softer and more flexible than virtually all other underwire bras I have tried. Might replace them with firmer wires one day, if nothing else to see how the fit changes.
For some reason, the left cup gapes at the top while I have no trouble filling the right cup. I have never had fit issues with one breast being larger than the other, nor have I ever noticed that one might be larger, so I wonder if the cups weren't sewn evenly/some other manufacturing error. It drives me insane but this bra is too cute to give up, I love it so much!
This bra fits great. I love the rounded shape it gives. I think the mesh lace feels a little bit more flimsy than some of my other unlined cleo bras. Also the strap color is very very bright, which isn't my favorite. But I love how it fits.
I like the fabric, lace, and look of this bra. I'm not a big fan of the vertical seams, because they'll show under a t-shirt. Straps are on the wide side, but haven't slipped off yet. Overall, I really like the fit of this bra. I tried the bra in 28DD, 28E, 28F, 30D, and 30DD. A size in between 28E/F would be ideal. I had already bought this one though before buying the 28's. I own another fitting bra in 30D, so it could be that the cups of this bra run small. I wore this one day to work and the top part of the gore ...poked my sternum, which really hurts, even a few days later. For my shape it the gore was too high and rigid. I've now replaced the wires with BravoBella wires (size 34). It was a little difficult to put them in the bra, and I had to cut a tiny part off the plastic tip from the BravoBella wires, but it did fit in the end. I bent the wires in the gore a little outwards and the bra is more comfy now https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 89 more words
My shape: Projected, narrow, shorter roots, even/functionally full on bottom, soft tissue. Cleo Lily fits me best.
Oof this Navy colorway has a tight band. I was able to stretch it to 30", but it's definitely a tight fit for me. Cups are true to size.
I've tried Marcie's in the past, and I always had an issue with the straps not being long enough. I wanted to revisit the Marcie since I really like the Navy colorway, and I was hoping they'd made the straps longer in newer colorways. Unfortunately, the straps are still too short. I have them ...as long as they will go, and they're still painfully short. Why, Cleo?? I don't have this problem with any other Cleo's (that I can remember). It's so frustrating. Please keep in mind that I am low set, and often have to adjust the straps as long as they will go. But still, I don't usually have the problem of straps being too short. I guess Marcie and I aren't meant to be. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
The other issue I have with this bra is the back rings where the straps attach squeak. Not necessarily a dealbreaker, but still annoying. Read more 107 more words
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. Read more 263 more words
I know what you mean about the 37 band, I'd be lining up right behind you for 31 bands!
Saphiro Ugh, the worst part is that even with a 40lb weight fluctuation, my underbust measurement is exactly the same as it's always been! I'm determined to be wide and uncomfortable in 36 bands, lol.
This bra fits just like 38J - Panache » Thea Balconnet Bra (9261). It's slightly softer and has narrower straps but, in general, the fit is the same: average width wires, firm uplift, high apex, firm lace for no in cup quadding.
Much nicer feel but similar fit to Jasmine as well.
I now have enough experience with this type of Panache bra to know why I'm having a fit issue that gives me rocket boobs (torpedo, but pointing up). The bra's apex is too high for my short rooted full on top breasts. I get lots of lift but my ...nipples are way lower than the apex, so everything is squared off because the top of my breast tissue is forced into the apex.
Besides that, it's a beautiful bra. The elastic top and the bra are double lined. The inside of the bra is very soft. The band is likewise double- bagged and feels firm like a true 38 although it does stretch to 40. I doubt it would wear out quickly because it's a fine mesh. It almost feels like swimsuit material. Although there are only two hooks the band was supportive.
The only uncomfortable part was the straps which are narrower than most in this size. They were also a bit too wide, cutting into my armpit fat.
All in all a lovely bra for someone with slightly wider, taller breast roots. A cheaper Thea, but not cheaper made. Great bra for the price if you are the right shape or don't mind a little pointy action. Read more 174 more words
This is the black and pink/red colourway in 30F. I have narrow, short rooted, projected shape with softness. I've been waiting to find this on sale so I could try it. Cup depth is just about right for me, and cup width is a tad wide. Wires, like all cleo's I've tried, come out in a swoosh on the sides also instead of more straight up in a U shape. The material is fairly soft, and the shape is fairly rounded and quite uplifted. Looks nice under a shift. More rounded than panache jasmine and a similar shape/fit to cleo Minnie. Edit to add: the gore is a bit stabby at the top, so I plan on gently tiltling it out. Stretch lace on the top is a bit stretchier than cleo minnie and cleo Marcie, and nicely accomodating. Cups are pink inside, with a black mesh overlay. This bra accomodates projection and depth at the wire quite well.
My breast are full-on-bottom, close-set and I have short-ish roots. I have this bra in the floral print, so pretty! The bra is very elegant looking with the floral print, the blue 'bow' at the gore and the thin black straps. The band is sheer black at the back.
The wires of this bra are quite long and strong, like most Panache and Cleo bras. The wires are average to narrow width. The gore is a little high, but relatively narrow, which makes it comfortable even for close-set breast.
The cups are deep and made of a very strong, thick and non-stretch mesh. It migh need a couple more ...washes to soften and become more comfortable. Because of the thick mesh, the seams are a little bit visible. The shape of the cup fit well for full on bottom breast, or even with short roots. The top of the cup will definetly cut for FOT boobs or tall roots. This bra is not the best for asymetrical breast. For me there is a hint of wrinkles on the left side, and a hint of quad-boob on the right. However this is not visible under clothing. In my opinion this bra compares to Cleo Lily Balconnet Bra (7351)](model:9865) in terms of depth and room at the gore.
This bra has a full band, which is a bit tight for a 30. It fits me well, but the elastic at the bottom of the band curls inwards and digs in my skin. I guess it will soften with wearing and washing it.
This bra gives me a very rounded shape. Not as round as Cleo Lily, but not as pointy as Cleo Hettie Balconnet Bra (9011) . The structure of the cup brings the breast in front. Read more 190 more words
First of all, I wish all bras were made with such strong fabric! I loved how firm the band fabric was.....except it runs small. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> I could barely get it fastened. It doesn't come any bigger, so I'm sized out.
The cup is projected for a half cup, tall, open on top and has room for center fullness. I gape and would probably risk trying a size down if this came in a 40 band.
The straps are pretty skinny for a full bust bra. It's so gorgeous, I wish it fit.
EDIT: Forgot to add..the gore from top to bottom of underwire is 4.5"
Goddamnit Cleo. 32GG stretches over 34 inches, 30H stretches to 31.3 inches. I can't win, can I? All I want is this bra in a true to size band, is that REALLY too much to ask? I can fasten it (my tight UB is 30.5") but it doesn't feel comfortable. There is wire distortion that is pulling the cup shallower and it's also giving the cup a pointy shape that it doesn't normally have.
Partially adjustable padded straps. Cups narrow, deep. Cups made of two layers, bottom layer is a sturdy mesh, top layer is a geometric stretch lace. Side wing is a single layer of sturdy power ...mesh. Definitely doesn't allow as much room for top fullness as Marcie. Has a good amount of room at the bottom of the cup, but not as much as Lily/Hettie. Average amount of room at the center gore (it might be pulled more flat, will try again with extender and revisit this). Side seam but not side boning, two hook closure. Okay, with an extender the shape isn't as pointy and there seems to be a little more room at the center gore. Note - unlike previous Cleos I own this one has hooks with wide vertical spacing! My extenders don't fit well.
I bought this bra for the looks, no doubt about it. It's been described as a Bond girl bra and I do get that vibe. Cerise and light peach is a striking combination, the only decoration is a dainty leopard print bow which is just kooky enough for Cleo. The geometrical stretch lace top layer is tasteful and stylish. Hardware is a matching light peach. Read more 169 more words
I normally wear a 30D, and based on reviews went one band size down and one cup size up with the Maddie. The cups are STILL too small, which is incredible to me. The band fits comfortably even if it seems to be riding up a bit in the photo (that's from me desperately yanking on the straps trying to give more space to the top of the cups so I could lie to myself about it fitting), and the cups are incredibly soft, so I'd be willing to try a 28F if not for the fact the gore is too wide as well. It sits flat, but has to push my breast tissue out of the way to do so, which only serves to cause even more quadboob toward the center of the cup. All of this is a shame, because the bra is VERY comfortable otherwise, looks quite well constructed to last a long time, and I am still on a quest for a skin-tone t-shirt bra that fits just right.
Like you, the gore was too wide for me also. If you are open to wireless options, Wacoal How Perfect wireless has space for center projection, rounds beautifully, and is surprisingly supportive. Its band, however, runs small. And, if you have projected breasts, sizing up in the band helps, too.
The Maddie's way too shallow for you to fit in this size I think. Do you have breast tissue UNDER the gore? If not, sizing up to 28F could still work. I have a Simone Perele foam cup (caresse 3D, in case you're interested, but it is much pricier than Cleos unfortunately) in which I shamelessly sized up to a cup volume that's technically way too big, but it works to get the projection I need at the center. The sides of the cup are empty but since it's foam that's not visible and causes no discomfort.
wendybien , when I first started trying on bras at the beginning of my proper fit journey, I tried on a Simone Perele foam cup and it felt absolutely amazing and looked great, but the 30 band was loose and that was on the tightest hook. The lack of band support just isn't worth the price point. I'd rather save up for a 65F or 70E Comexim.
oh, sorry, I just ended up going off on a tangent there to give an example of how I had sized up to fit into a bra that is technically more shallow than my shape calls for. I didn't mean that I wanted to recommend the SP for you. What I was suggesting was trying a 28F in this Cleo Maddie, because it looked to me like the main problem was a lack of space on the inner upper quadrant rather than a wide gore. The Maddie's gore isn't very wide at all.
My breasts are quite close together. Any gore wider than .5" is sitting on my breast tissue if it is taller than a plunge.
Maddie has a strange shape as far as I'm concerned. The cups are very wide and shallow, yet the sides are short, so it seems to be designed to push everything out the sides. 28DD - Cleo » Maddie Moulded T-shirt Bra (7201) In addition to the wide, shallow cups, the center gore is SO wide and the straps are ridiculously far apart. It must be designed for larger rib cages.
I tried a 30E in this bra, liked it, but decided to be picky about the band.
The band on this 28F is great for my 29-30" underbust.. but the cups are definitely wider on the 28F (5.45" vs 5.2"). And the cups slightly deeper (9.45" vs 9"). Sigh. Just enough to make it not fit the best on me. I find the material is more prone to wrinkling than others, so I don't think I can make it work.
One observation is that this bra hurts a lot when I do wear it tight. Painful wires like no other. Could that be why the bands run loose? As is I prefer it with at least one row of extenders.
THE TAKEAWAY: A lightly-padded 3HC (three-part/two-seamed half cup). The shape and construction are definitely similar to the 32HH - Wellfitting » Liftsational Classic Demi (aka, a Comexim 3HC). One big difference is the lack of a top section, which probably makes this bra friendlier to true FOT shapes. Good for even or center fullness, and at least moderate projection. The outer material is soft to the touch, and the seams are nicely subtle, but unfortunately on me the lip of the bra is pretty noticeable under thinner t-shirts, which stops this from being a true t-shirt bra for me. ...One word of caution is that the straps are quite wide. This bra is a rare Cleo that's comfortable on me in a 30, so you may want to consider sizing down from your usual, especially if you're between bands.
Edited to add: My 32, at least, does not stretch to 36". It definitely only hard-stretches as far as 34". But without distorting the wires? 31.5 is about the limit. This is my problem -- bras that _hard-stretch_ to 31.5" are about my size, but bras aren't categorized by their hard-stretch...
THE DETAILS: I went ahead and tried the blue leopard print because that's what was on sale in my size on Amazon; my plan was definitely to buy the AW16 rose print if it worked for me. Unfortunately...
I don't think this bra provides enough projection for me. In the 32FF, I get pretty major quadding, but in the 30GG - Cleo » Mimi Padded Balconnet Bra (8091) (bought because of 100percentawesome's spot-on advice to size down) the bra shows its true colors, quickly sliding down out of my IMF when left unattended. (I'm wearing it right now, and I keep glancing down to see that it looks like the GG suddenly fits, only to tug it up back into my IMF and see the return of the gaping.) This makes me think that the 32FF is giving me orange-in-a-glass, which is well-disguised by the firm padded cups.
This bra would work better for me in 30GG if I were more FOT or had more outer-fullness (which would fill out the outer gaping in the 30GG; it looks pretty perfect in the center, but the rest of the bra casts a wide shadow on my tissue), but I think ideally I would also be less projected. Still, that this works on me at all makes me think it can definitely handle at least SOME projection. The gore is also a smidge wider than my ideal, but gores so rarely bother me that I didn't even notice until I _really_ started inspecting the fit.
But the biggest dealbreaker might actually be the strap wideness. When I wore a 34, I frequently had problems with straps being too wide, but on smaller bands it's usually less of an issue. Yet in the 30GG (and maybe even especially in the 30GG, versus the 32FF), the straps are basically in my armpits, and I think it would definitely get uncomfortable over time. Read more 409 more words
Nuts, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! I wish there was some good way to quantify depth at the wire, since it seems this bra has worked out well for some of us who are projected, and others not. It's particularly a head-scratcher in this case because I think our shapes are a close match, you're just in a larger cup size. Maybe the scaling is a little wonky? You mention how wide set the straps are as well as feeling like you need more outer fullness - how would you say the wire width is for you?
100percentawesome It could totally be a scaling problem, or it could be me being between cup sizes in this particular bra; there's a pretty dramatic difference on me between the 32FF and the 30GG. (Apparently I hadn't added the pictures yet, which... annoys me, because I thought I'd waited to review this bra until they'd been approved, but apparently I got this one confused with the 70HH - Comexim » Small Quail Plunge Bra (454) and the 32GG - Anna Pardal For Comexim » Florence Nuance Plunge. Nuts.
I wish I had tried the rose print, though, so I could be sure it wasn't also somehow a colorway issue.
The wire width in my size is completely fine. The 30GG is markedly taller than the 32FF, though; about half an inch taller. (Also interestingly the 30GG has thicker straps; I don't think I've noticed that before between sizes that are so close together.)
Ah, you experienced the GG divide with this one, then. If I recall correctly the construction of Cleo & Panache bras changes beginning with GG cups. That's actual super useful info (taller cups, thicker straps after the divide) and might be worth highlighting in the review of the 30GG.
As for the wire width, I was thinking some of the issue with the cups could be due to it, but it looks like it could be the combo of the cup shifting due to not enough protection (or OiG, if not wide enough) and being a bit too tall (at least in the 30GG).
That's a really good point, and I will do this. :) It's been a while since I ordered a GG cup (lost some boob when I went off hormonal BC), and I don't think I was often comparing it directly to a non-GG cup when I was!
Yeah, the wire width in this case is fine, but that was a good question. I do wish I was more confident in my cup volume measurements but I find them so tricky. I wish we could measure depth the same way we measure cup height (that is, by running a tape measure down the inside of the center of the cup from top to bottom, rather than trying to find the deepest horizontal part of it), because I just don't know where to put the tape measure and fiddling with it makes me increasingly lose confidence in the accuracy of the measurement.
I think I'm like, in a properly measured ~5.5" cup I would want just a smidge over 10" of depth, but the shape of the cup has such a big impact on how it fits me that the same depth in one 5.5" cup can quad in another... le sigh.
rainbrasspetals I feel you! I always doubt my depth measurement and it is SO dependent on cup shape that it's sort of useless anyway. By the depth measurement the Mimi *shouldn't* actually work on me, as it's not nearly as deep as my best fitting bras, but there's something about the shape that makes it work. It remains a mystery. All I have to say is if Amazon Prime goes away (with all the free shipping and returns!) I would have a dreadful time finding bras that fit.
100percentawesome Gosh, so very agreed. Without Amazon Prime, I wouldn't have ordered a Cleo Hettie today. Knowing that I can try it on, and return it for free, is a huge boon. I've never actually tried a Lily or a Lucy or a Minnie, I don't _think,_ but Amazon Prime makes it very easy to fix that. :)
You may be having some in cup quad? May need to go up a cup size to allow for the padding. Looking at your side profile it looks like there is ever so slight fold back on your tissue. Did the cups feel like they were squishing your tissue? There is some bulge at the seams where the lace is which suggests too small cup as well.