Very comfortable bra! After putting it on, I didn't even notice it throughout the day (In a good way!). The fabric is soft and lovely, the support is firm and wonderful, and the uplift is nice and supportive. The bra feels very nice and lightweight, but does exactly what I need it to do. As a Marcie-based cut, the Blake is a little more closed on top--the white contrast stripe is not stretch lace, but it does have some give so it doesn't cut into my soft tissue.
This is my second attempt at a convertible bra since I remeasured; the first was the Freya Deco Delight Moulded Multiway Bra (1561) which, like all Decos, seems to be a shape mismatch for me (my review on that one is here: http://bra.pe/XQlT/ ) . I'd say I have wide roots of average height, self-supporting FOB, and the Koko Belle fits me beautifully whether worn conventionally or racerback.
(Note for anyone who had an eye on this bra and was confused as to whether or not it is actually multiway: It is. I went on a bunch of different websites before I purchased it trying ...to confirm this because some websites say it is and some don't mention anything about it being multiway at all, and for whatever reason none of the pictures on any sites show the clips on the straps that you can use to convert it, but they are there.)
This is a really beautiful bra. It's all red with deep purple hardware and a small purple bow on the gore. The gore and wings are both double layer: mesh on the inside that feels really nice and non-scratchy against your skin, and a pretty lace on the outside that doesn't snag shirts. The cups are satiny smooth, and the straps have these tiny, kind of shimmery embossed polka dots that are really cute.
This bra gives me decent lift and cleavage without squishing or flattening, and once I put it on and scoop everything in, I don't have to adjust it much during the day, which is a relief since I was constantly having to adjust the Deco. It's comfortable as well: the band is snug but not too tight, and the straps are fully adjustable. The gore sits where it's supposed to and doesn't rest on any tissue, and the underwire doesn't poke or rub anywhere (sometimes I'm conscious of it against my rib cage, but that's a problem I seem to have with all bras). It works under most cuts of shirts, including v-necks, although I did find that the inside edge of the cup at the top liked to peek out of my very lowest v-necks. It is a very bright red (they weren't playing any games when they named the colorway 'Poppy'), so I can't wear it under thin or very light colored shirts, but for the shirts that I can wear it with, it's amazing, and gives me a great shape overall, somewhat rounded but still natural-looking and not too projected. Of the many (many, many, many) bras I've tried over the past few months, this is definitely my favorite, along with the Cleo Maddie Moulded T-shirt Bra (7201) . Read more 344 more words
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!
The only thing that wasn't perfect about the 30C Cleo Minnie I got from runs_with_scissors was the fact that the band was loose. So I swapped my Cleo Lucy for this 28D Minnie from tealeaf_egg , expecting it to fit like Marcie.
On the one hand, it fits better than Lucy, but on the other hand, I'm somewhat disappointed. The band is true to size and fits me much better than the 30C Minnie. But the cups, which SHOULD be identical, since they're sister sizes of the same model, have a bigger lace section. For whatever reason, that makes the cups way more closed on top than the 30C version... which makes this an awkward fit for my tall-rooted boobs.
Going by the 30C Minnie, I can see why people say Minnie and Marcie are sister cuts, but it seems Cleo is inconsistent with their cup construction? :/ I guess I'll be altering the band on the 30C after all.
too bad! :/ the lace on top of the Cleo can really change the way a bra fits you :/
Yeah, I don't know if that 30C bra is just a snowflake, or what. The 28 band version has totally different cups. I was curious about the 28D so thanks for posting! It seems to be exactly like the 28DD that I have.
I have been wearing my 28DD as is, even though the lace is all weird. When I pinch the lace how I would alter it, it looks a lot like the 30C version. Oh, Cleo.
glad I saw your post - I was thinking about trying this one out but maybe not - I think I am a little bit FoT - I don't know I'm having trouble figuring that one out. but also a little bit FoB. Tall & wide roots, and shallow - do you think this bra is worth trying? It's so cute - I just want it to fit
I still have it listed for sale if you want to give it a shot. it could work
thanks! I just saw the comparison thing to bras that fit me - the natori feathers, and it looks like the cup on the minnie would fit someone with more projection than myself. I also noticed that it's wires are as wide as the Feathers too, so it prob won't be a good fit for me - thanks though!
I would say this bra runs true to size in the band and cups. (The band stretches to 34", but it feels plenty firm to me.)
I bought a 32FF, which has fully adjustable straps, and one layer of stretch lace at the top of the cups (larger sizes have half-adjustable straps and two layers of lace).
I'm narrow, projected, and mostly even, and this bra works fairly well for me. I have quite soft tissue, and I get some in-cup quad in this bra (I do with the Lily as well).
Some of the materials used do seem rather fragile. The lace is very soft and somewhat delicate, and I worry about it, and the thin fabric overlaying the cups, damaging easily.
Comparing it to another bra with stretch lace, this bra does seem to give a slightly rounder shape than the Panache Jasmine.
I'm really on the fence about this bra in this size. Overall it could pass, but on close inspection the fit could be better... a 28DD might be best. The band on this 30DD is not loose, but even on the middle hook it is "comfy" enough that it may become too big after a little wear. On the loosest hook it is definitely too big.
There is a similar problem with the cups. They enclose everything, but they feel ever so slightly big. They don't exactly gap, but looking closely reveals some wrinkling along where the lace joins the cup edge. I ...seem to find myself right between cup sizes with a lot of bras, and with this one I think the smaller cup volume would be better.
The straps on the Juna are excellent -- padded (in front) and still have some give. The shaping this bra gives is also excellent -- beautifully rounded and the top cup edges don't show under shirts. The foam is lightweight and on the thinner side; just enough to give great shaping and provide some modesty. The seams just barely show under thin shirts, but are faint and that doesn't bother me. On the whole this is a very nice looking, well shaping, comfortable bra for me and so there may be a 28DD Juna in my near future.
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. Read more 71 more words
I think that a lot of the Cleo bras that I've seen in this size (minnie, lucy, kali, izzy) seem to want more upper projection and center fullness then most of the people I've seen them on here at bratabase. My older daughter is very, very projected with fairly even fullness and she fills out the lace on the top of all of these styles. My other daughter, who is much more shallow on top and a more natural sloped shape, just can't wear these models. She fills out the bottom but has lots of wrinkling at the top lace section as well. Sorry that it's not the fit that you were hoping for. If you want to sell it, I'd be happy to buy it from you.
ColorFan is spot on with the Cleo analysis. Most of their bras put your boobs front and center, but to do so, they require boobs that cooperate (namely even-ish fullness, projection (BOTH bottom and top). While some models (Marcie, Lucy, Lily, but Marcie especially) are pretty forgiving with the top lace, other models (Zia I'm looking at you! But also the Minnie and the Meg to some degree) want a very specific boob-shape with top projection. A lot of people confuse top projection with FOT - they are not the same thing. You can be even or FOT while still being very shallow on top (thats me!). Likewise you can be FOB but still be projected enough on top to fill these out.
I have tried this bra in different sizes, and in one of them I had the same issue. For me, sizing down was the answer, a cup size smaller fits me perfectly. However, I think the wrinkling on top was more pronounced in my case, and since you've already tried the sister size with a smaller cup this may not be the answer. However, I would try a 28D if you can find one, because it seems like the cup construction varies quite a bit in smaller sizes of this bra.
This bra gives great projection but is not a very rounded shape. It looks great under t shirts that aren't super tight if you don't want a pointy look.
The pictures don't capture this well at all, but this bra looks like it was painted onto my bigger (left) side and wrinkles only very slightly on my smaller side. I love the way it fits, lifts, and gives a very flattering and attractive shape. I am so happy that I got this bra in a trade!
I forget what this bra is supposed to be diagnostic of but I think it is ideal for my shape. Full on bottom? Even? Hippogriff?
Also, the cups are less than a half inch wider than my tissue on the sides, so I call that a win.
Hippogriff, hahahaha. It's supposed to be for FOB boobs. You got some tall roots but you also look quite FOB so the tops of these cups don't seem to cut into your tall roots. Congrats on a bra win!
want another one? I'm selling mine. it's pink
Its perfect for you.
mercury if its still available after I get rid of some bras, I'll take it!
The band on this runs almost a full band size small, it will stretch to 30 but by then the wires are being pulled. It will get to 28.5 without really moving the wires, so if you need a 28 band this may be a good match for you. When I first tried this bra on I had yet to measure it and just put it on. I didn't think it felt ridiculously tight, but the cups were getting distorted. I had so many bras that came in that day I was kind of rushing trying everything on. I thought about it later ...as I measured and realized it might work decently with an extender. I tried it on again with an extender as loose as it would go since I measure closer to 31 loose. It was a better fit with the extender for sure, but the cups seem like they may be too tall. I'm not sure if maybe it's a cup size too big or if this bra just isn't going to work for me. If I were to try it again I would definitely go up to a 32, but not sure what cup size to try. Overall it is a cute bra and I like the subtle print. Read more 116 more words
yup, Cleo Neve/Koko feel like they are one full band size smaller than they should be. I can wear a 28 band in the Cleo Marcie/Maddie/Juna just fine, and I can't even put on a Cleo Neve in a 28 band.
I got it on and it didn't feel unbearably tight so I didn't even think the band could have caused my other issues. I decided to try it once more since it was kind of close to almost fitting well,before I decide if I was going to list it or not, and realized that the band being so small was the root of all the issues.
The cups do beautiful things for my breasts, and because of that I would LOVE to keep this bra. However, it might get sent back because its wide strap placement doesn't play nice with my narrow shoulders. For me, that caused puckering in the tops of the cups and digging in the armpits-- and it wasn't the underwire, it was the sides of the cups that were digging.
Also, as seems to be the tendency for Cleo, you might want to order up a band from your normal size. For instance, my snug underbust is 29", my tight underbust is 27.5", and I still could have done with either a 32 band or an extender in this bra.
Another good fit for me from Cleo. I like the shape this gives me, but the ribbon the the top of the cup doesn't have the same give as the rest of the material. The lace below the ribbon kind of balloons up a bit because of this. It's not a big deal though. Very comfy and uplifted. Not the prettiest pattern, but I will probably wear this a lot any way.
Very cute bra that fits great. I love the little hearts and the centre bow. The top lace is completely flat against my breast. The bottom portion is semi-sheer and the top is sheer. I also own the matching brief in size small. My hope is to keep collecting full sets and I'm looking forward to Cleo's autumn/winter 2015 designs and colours.
When I finally came to terms with my 30F Swan print Lily being about a half cup too small, I swapped for a size up in blue, unsure how it would fit.
So, this is pretty much my perfect bra. I was afraid of that, as I have too damn many bras and can't part with any of them! But seriously, this is made for my shape. The only minor complaint I have is slight gapping on my smaller side, which happens in every single bra ever. The band on this one is tighter than my swan band, which is great - it actually only ...stretches to just over 28" whereas I was closing my swan print band on the middle or tightest hooks. If I wanted to nitpick I could say the wires are 0.2" or so too wide, but I like the overall shape so much I think I can forgive that.
I like the blue and pink colorway, but miss my swan print. Somebody please confirm - does the swan print run large? I thought I'd heard that, and this blue one would seem to confirm. It's tighter in the band and the cups are not what I would think a full size larger would be. If I accidentally-on-purpose stumbled across a 30FF swan print somewhere *cough* eBay *cough* would it possibly be too big? Read more 127 more words
Love it, the color really pops on your skin tone too. Very flattering and summery.
This looks great on you! :) You're going to make me end up spending my money on trying one.
Thanks! Petite it's a great bra really. Tons of lift, narrow wires (wider than Comexim though), gives a great shape for even boobies. I love it so much if they're still around on eBay when I get some more dollars, I'll probably get a swan print one again. I love that print, it's so quirky & not too girly.
I do really love the swan print as well, I think it's a bit shallower and wider in my size than in yours though. Also, I'm a bit worried about the gore being too high and wide. But it's so tempting!! Ugh life if difficult when you want all the bras.
Tell me about it. Lily is probably slightly wider/shallower in your size but I doubt by much. The gore is high-ish but it's narrow, the wires touch at the top of it. Higher gores don't tend to bother me even though my boobs are close set at their upper roots (the roots touch actually). This one sits at an angle, on my right breast tissue, unless I reach in & reverse scoop & force my boobs farther apart. But it doesn't hurt. YMMV.
Oh I didn't realize they were that narrow! I wish Lily was scaled less because it's 5.3 wide in a 28F and about 5 is my max. I'll probably try it anyways because it's so cute and I would die for a round shape like that.
You might get along with Lulu Tout's unlined bras. I am waiting on delivery from figleaves, it'll probably be next week. I found a purple one on sale for $20 - I've never had a purple bra and it's my favorite color! The downside to Lulu Tout is the smallest band they go is 30, but they run really tight like a 28. The last figleaves bra I had was a 30FF Just Peachy that measured 4.9" wide. LOVE that, but it's too deep for me. So I'm trying a Lulu Tout because the few measurements on BTB suggest the LT unlined bras run just as narrow. I freaking hope so, I'll report back once it gets here.
I don't have any swan print Lily, but I can tell you that the Aqua 30G is smaller in cup than Magenta 30G. I regretted buying my Magenta 30G on ebay because it is unwearably too big, so much extra fabric on top of cup leads to poor support, and the underwires feel wider, while the 30G aqua is a perfect fit on me (what gives?! frustrating). This is consistent with what I've read from others: the Aqua runs small in band and cup compared to other colors (I don't know if I read about compared to swan specifically, but that's the gist.)
Other than the bands, Freya unlined plunges work fairly well. They also show up cheap all the time because they work for so few people in my size. It's odd, I have fairly small (by full bust standards) breasts that act like large ones in all the fitting issues and heaviness I have.
Thank you Jane, that's what I thought I had read. So frustrating! The 30F swan Lily was just barely too small, just enough to be annoying. I'm afraid a 30FF will be too big, & no 28Gs seem to exist anywhere anymore to see if that would be any better, plus it seems like the 28 band is what I'd need in other colors. As much as I adore the swan print there's no point in having one if its too big. Grrr.
I am the EXACT same way with 30FF magenta Lily - just barely too small, looks fine but a vague sensation that my boobs are fighting the bra? hard to explain. Anyway, I feel your pain.
There's a 28G on Amazon right now at the very bottom. It's sort of expensive though.
PetiteCollegiate ouch, $55, and it's the aqua one which I already have. I know that fits well in a 30FF. A 28G in swan print is a mythical unicorn these days. Oh, bras that fit... why couldn't I find you earlier before Lily was discontinued.
I'll keep my eye out for you! I'm sure it exists somewhere!
Squeee! Eesh, even $45 seems like a lot right now. I'm going to have to have a chat with my wallet and conscience.
Maybe they have an extra promo? A lot of places will give an extra 10% just for getting on their email list. But yeah, that's the story of my life. My boobs have expensive taste.
Aww! This is such a pretty bra. I wish I could just parade around in it for everyone to see. I think I'm getting pretty good at estimating how bras will fit based on measurements because this one is a pretty good fit. I have a bit of extra fabric in the top lace section, but not extremely. Definitely feel pushed up and forward in this one. The color and print is very nice and I like the embroidery on the lace. After wearing it for a day I noticed something interesting. This bra gives me very minimal red marks, which is new to me. My other bras always leave red marks that take a little while to go away. The marks this one gives me are very faint and I believe this wire sits directly on my IMF. Love this bra.
I purchased the bright blue colorway...I just couldn't resist that color! This is my first 30H in Cleo. All of my other Cleo's are 30GG (or sister sizes 32G/34FF). I ordered both the 30GG and the 30H in this model and decided to keep the 30H. I had a bit of "quadraboob" in the 30GG. I wasn't surprised because I quad a bit in the 30GG Lucy also. This gives me a slightly different shape than the erin/meg/marcie/natasha styles. A bit more minimized. Don't get me wrong, this is by no means a minimizer bra! It's just that the shape I get is a little bit wider than those other styles. I have projected, narrow roots, with even fullness and soft tissue.
I love this bra - got it in the electric blue colourway and it makes a real impact. The fit is really great which surprises me because this bra and the Lori (sister fit) are both in the full-on-bottom shape category that I've tended to avoid. I also wear the really projected Cleos (Melissa, Ellis). But I guess my breasts are changing shape (I'm 45) so the more full on bottom style - with lots of projection at the lower cup - is good. I'm half inclined to try the Lucy but I'm concerned that it's more closed on top and slightly more shallow and I wouldn't want ...anything shallower than this style (I have a lot of centre immediate projection). The fabric is much softer than in the really projected styles - much less industrial - though slightly less supportive. This bra is still quite supportive because its shape provides more pressure over the entire width of the cup. As such, it's less boobs on a plate and gives a slightly wider / flatter profile. It's still nicely projected though, with a low(ish) gore that works. The wires are firm. The straps are fairly narrow (but not too narrow). The band fits SNUG. Size up. I had to return the 32 (size I usually wear) for a 34. I thing I love: How the upper cup lace affixes to the side panel (it dips below where the strap meets the side cup) - this is what gives it a less projected top cup while the side cup continues to be high enough to capture side breast tissue and to be supportive. It's a hybrid of projection with an understated shape. Read more 173 more words
Thank you for your awesome review, I've been searching for a lower profile bra with a tighter band and this might be it. Thanks again!
I did not find that I had any difficulty with the Lucy. The cut is nearly identical, as are the measurements. I did size up on the band for the Lucy since the Kali was so tight, but I kept the cup size the same...so, Kali is a 36E and Lucy is a 38E. Other than the tightness of the band the Lucy is identical fit. No cutting in noted-not tight on top.
I have a 30DD in this, the 30 band I need on the tightest hook, and the cups had a little bit of quadding, and I had some side boob. Judging from that, I decided I needed a 28F and I was correct. When I first put this bra on, it felt great. The band is comfortable on the loosest hook, I fill out the cups properly, and the wires are a tiny bit wider than the DD which feels better.
Great review of the Cleo Koko Belle! Glad to know of a convertible bra working so well for breasts with your shape characteristics!