I really only got this bra because it squishes my boobs flat enough to fit under some old tops that don't really fit me anymore. As a minimiser/binder thingo it's ok, but in real terms it's a horrible fit.
The good: The quality is great and the 28 band is nice and tight.
The bad: It's really shallow and wide. I'm really narrow and a bit projected. Thus I get about a 1-inch crease at the bottoms of the cups, as well as a little quad boob on the top.
The ugly: As a result I wouldn't wear it under anything tight. You can see the crease for miles. It's uncomfortable because when the wires get pushed down so far, they sit right on top of a rib and pinch the skin.
My shape is soft, narrow and short rooted, and low set.
This bra has been reviewed a thousand times and is discontinued, but I'm reviewing it and posting to the front page anyways. I once bought a used 30FF, which fit well but the lace was floppy (as I know is normal in this bra even when it fits), but the bra was in poor shape when I received it and the band was stretched out. Since my ribcage recently shrunk, I thought I'd give it a go in 28FF, and I got a good deal on this one through Amazon.ca (check out the ridiculous box/packaging picture though). This ...bra fits except I get some bubbling. When I move the lace out of the way it's more obvious. I don't mind a bit of bubbling, as I'd rather bubble than gape or have floppy lace. I marked it as fitting for that reason. There's not much room for centre fullness in this bra. I have less centre fullness now that my boobs shrunk, but even on me I can see that there's not quite enough room. The shape is nice and round, and it's actually fairly narrow for a UK bra. The straps are thin and wimpy, but the band is true to size for a 28. Finally, I feel supported! It was definitely time to try some 28" bands! Wings are too short for me. Aesthetically this bra does nothing for me. It's just a boring beige bra (sorry if you love it, but it's just one girl's opinion), but it offers a nice shape and good comfort, so it'll get well used I'm sure. Plus... beige bras are very practical. Yes... this is a very practical bra. Read more 180 more words
This looks good and is a great nude shade for you! I’ve always been interested to try it because I love my Cleo Hettie and the round shape Cleo is supposed to give, but I see you’re right it does have low wings (which I don’t like). I would also call myself short, soft and low (but average width not super narrow) and I recently fell in love with Freya 4-part half cups like Lauren - just curious have you tried those and what did you think? Hettie and Lucy have worked for me. I have a Piper im on the fence about, and soon to try an Atlanta...
Thanks Jolie0216 . I used to have a cleo Hettie and did like it also (I think it was too big or something... can't remember but I got rid of it), but the Lucy didn't work great for me. I'll have to check out Lauren. I've looked at the Piper and would probably try it if it was on sale. I have read on some reviews that it causes a lot of underarm/armpit chaffing? Is that true? And yeah, that new Atlanta is super cute!
Do you find it to be projected enough at the wire, or is it a bit shallow? The packaging is ridiculous. How are we supposed to fight for the environment and reduce our footprint when packing is excessive?
Calluna hhmm. I don't know. I'd say averagely projected. I wouldn't call it super projected, but it's not quite shallow either. And I know, that box is bigger in person than it looks in the picture too.
You don’t have to be an environmental activist to observe that packaging is excessive for a single bra! And it is...usually if I purchase a single bra from somewhere they send in an envelope style package not a box. Why the vitriol?
Calluna okay so I've worn it for a half day, and it slid down out of my IMF, so I'm thinking it must be at least moderately shallow at the underwire.
Thanks Wilderness1 ! I’ve thought about this one before just for a functional bra but always wondered if it would work.
josepha I didn’t ask for your opinion. Go troll elsewhere.
So, either the troll's comments were removed or they have me blocked lol! Wilderness1 despite their habit of calling all their bras of this period "balconnets" Cleo didn't cut them low--so contrary to what you might expect, this is a bra that I'd expect to be almost full-coverage on a person with shorter boobs, not almost-demi-cup coverage like what you are getting. I suspect that is why it's not staying put--it's a just a little too small and your boobs are able to climb out/push it down as you move during the day. I think a 28G would fit without bubbling and the wing height would be more to your liking.
Wilderness1 As for the Piper, I’ve worn it all day today and can say there is no underarm chafing. But I’m low set so I’ve never really met a wire too tall! In fact I wish they were higher in almost every bra I have! Piper fits well - when I tried it on I thought the cups a bit small, but maybe I’ve lost weight since then or was on a hormone high tide. Boobs they’re a mystery lol! So I’m definitely keeping. My Atlanta in 30F though was def small in the cup, quadding in both sides. Trying a 30FF tomorrow since I really liked the look a lot, nice low gore!! Usually I’m a pretty solid 30F in Cleo so maybe the Atlanta just runs small....I’ll measure it before I send it back! Piper seems to be cheap on Amazon right now so that’s the only reason I decided to give it a go...but I think 30F will be just fine with it.
wendybien they must have been removed because I don't see the comments either now. Yeah, I wondered if a 28G would fit better. I used to have the 30FF and I thought it fit a bit small in the cup. Maybe if I find a good price I'll give it a go in a bigger size. Jolie0216 I might have to finally give the piper a go then. I'm low set too never have a problem with wings coming up too high. I like the looks of it (though I wish it wasn't a longline, as I don't tent to reach for them as often). Thanks for the recommendations. I'll be interested to see what your Atlanta looks like. Hope it fits you!
Troll account is gone.
Wilderness1 yep I imagine the reason the sister size of 30FF appeared to be (more) OK is that the band was really loose. Now that you've shrunk in boob volume that cup volume is probably just about right. Jolie0216 I am not sure when the Atlanta came out but if it's newer the wings might be fine, if it's older I don't know. All the older Cleos tended to have quite low wings generally because they were cut to appeal to very young full-bust consumers who were assumed to be super paranoid about "matronly" bra construction features (high wings, traditional full cups design, wider straps, 3 or more hooks on the band, etc.) Piper uses sheer materials and colorway to look youthful but it has features that are reminiscent of the main line Panache (Superbra), which embraces that "full support" look. Wing height is no exception--It is hard to compare the Piper measurements to the stats for Cleo oldies since it is a longline, but if you examine the curve that goes from strap attachment to outer wire tip you'll see the difference.
This is a bra that is basically a 3 part balconette with an overlay. The inside cups are all firm mesh, no stretch at all. The overlay is a cheetah print, all stretch "lace". I found it to be deep and projected in the cups. So much so that I could not fill it out. Because of the overlay I had a hard time diagnosing where the fit issue was since I could not see. I think it would be best for projected, even breasts. I think it could be too closed on top for those who are FOT, as it does have an elastic band across the ...top. Likewise, if you are FOB, this may not be compatible since it does have quite a bit of fabric and coverage on top. It seems to have decent projection and fairly narrow wires. It reminded me of the Lily in terms of projection and shape, but that top elastic could pose an issue for some. The straps are only halfway adjustable, and I was unable to make them tight enough to have any support or a decent fit there. The wires were typical Cleo wires. Band was firm, as typical Cleos are. Read more 93 more words
When I first tried Lucy, I purchased 28D and 30D as my preferred size of 28DD wasn't available. I originally decided that 30D was a good fit, but after trying and fitting dozens more bras, I realized that I don't really love the fit as much as I thought.
Visually, Lucy's cups tend to look shorter and smaller than other balconnet bras (look at photos from other users of this size and you'll see what I mean), and the fullest point is lower in the cup and more projected than what I am used to. Because of this, I really fill out the bottom of the cup, ...but the top embroidered panel ends up being a little empty. This is fine on my larger side, but creates quite a bit of gapping on my smaller side when I move. I also feel that the main cup doesn't feel as supportive as I'd like, so I thought I would try sizing up to 30DD, with 28D being far too small for me.
30DD fit me the best in the lower cup (the mesh portion of the cup), and I feel much more secure and supported in the cup. However, it demands a lot more upper fullness than I have, so the embroidered portion is SUPER empty. Also, the band is definitely too big for me. Styling-wise, I like the soft mesh fabric and embroidery on Lucy. Both are very comfortable for everyday wear and feel very similar to Marcie.
Ultimately, I think Lucy's proportions aren't quite built for me. After initially not being a fan of Marcie, I feel that Marcie fits me better than Lucy after a minor wire reshaping. This seems odd as I was told Lucy is for FOB and Marcie for FOT, and I feel that I lean FOB, shallow on top. Good thing there are so many options in the world of bras to choose from! Read more 220 more words
Lexi is one of the few bras that technically fit me, but I just don't love enough to keep. While on paper this style has a lot of good qualities, it also comes with some issues.
The Lexi cut is very similar to the Maddie, which fits and flatters me very well. It's a wide balconnette shape with short cups and wide-set straps, and gives a very rounded appearance similar to a corset. Because of the short cups, it works for FOB and shallow on top folks because there's not much potential for gapping. However, if you are used to a standard demi cut, the ...cups will visually look quite short and small to you. I also find that the shadow stripe satin fabric visually contributes to this effect.
The main thing I dislike about this bra is the thick upper binding on the top edge of the cup. While Maddie also has an upper edge detail, it's a lot less noticeable under clothing. I found that under tight clothing, this gave me a very visible seam running across. Since I prefer unlined bras for everyday wear and would only wear a molded cup bra under tight fitting tops and dresses, this defeats the purpose. The cups are also on the shallow side, so the cups can border on quad-boob at times, but I have tried Maddie in 28E and it was far too big. I could use just a little more depth and height in this cup for a slightly better fit.
In addition, the wide-set straps sit on my body at an uncomfortable place, and it's tricky to adjust the straps in order to provide enough support to keep the cups from sitting too far away from the body, but not apply too much pressure to the muscles and ligaments at the top of my shoulder. However, I like the solid band that feels nice and supportive.
This would be a good style for FOB, shallow on top people who need the lift and support of a balconnette style but don't plan to wear very tight-fitting clothing over the bra. I also think it would suit people with a broader frame so that the wide straps fall on a more comfortable part of the body. Read more 277 more words
My shape: close set, center full, full on bottom, average/narrow width roots, tall shallow roots, semi soft tissue.
I have not worn this bra, this review is mostly from trying it on, not sure if I should keep this size, or size down one cup. However, I will say that this bra is such a surprise to me. I only ordered it because it was on sale and it had matching bottoms, so I figured why not! I also added measurements for the other two sizes I ordered: 30G - Cleo » Mimi Padded Balconnet Bra (8091) and 32F - Cleo ...» Mimi Padded Balconnet Bra (8091) . It seems to be an anomaly to me compared to all the other Panache and Cleo bras I have tried in the past because the wires don't hurt and the band is quite stretchy.
The cup is a halfcup with three vertical seams, these seams don't show under a shirt and lay flat, but the top portion (I don't know what that's called) does stick out and shows under thin shirts and tops, this is the only negative (might be too big?). The cup height is at its limit for me since my breasts are FOB (6.1'" or 15.6 cm), but it still sort of works. The width is little bit wider than what I'd like (at 5.5" or 14 cm, and I have some empty space on the sides), the depth seems small at 9.2" or 23.4 cm, but sometimes I get the feeling it's just a little bit big. The wires did not move down much during my try-on and stay put in my IMF which is a plus.
The gore height is tall, but surprisingly doesn't bother me. The band feels stretchy and feels very comfy on loosest hooks on me. The straps are okay, not fully adjustable, I'm almost at the end of their length, so they fit okay to me. They feel more wide set than other bras I have, but they're not a problem for me.
I like the polka dot pattern and the color, very playful and not at all serious. Big change from all the other bras I have. I ordered the bottoms in a size M/12 UK and they're okay, but a little bit loose so I wonder if I could size down. You can see the measurements of the bottom when you click the pictures.
Overall, I really love the shape this bra gives me, lots of oomph and very rounded and uplifted, looks great under a T-shirt. However, I do wonder if I size down to a 30F will I get an even better shape since this bra seems a little big when my breasts are at their smallest. Like it feels like my breasts "settle in" a bit and it there's gapping at the top. Do I try a smaller cup? Or will be a shape mismatch (too open up top for FOB breasts)? I appreciate any input you all might have since I'm very undecided about it! Read more 406 more words
I love this bra. I really want to get one and I passed on it when the price was good but I was really tight and frugal with my money. It’s still on my mind. I tried a 28GG in February knowing that the cups were going to be too big. But I wanted to get a better idea of the bra.
Thank you Calluna . I think this bra is pretty cute, but feel very undecided on it.
Are you thinking about sending it back?
It's hard to make up your mind when this bra gives you a great shape but you feel something is a little off, right? I have the same experience with the Cleo Lexi, which also has the same thick binding on the top of the cup and it shows through tight clothing. My Lexi is the exact same measurements as my Cleo Maddie, which does not have the same problem with gapping when I move or a thick visible binding. So, while Lexi technically fits me, I am not keeping it because I know I won't wear it due to the above issues. I feel like FOB folks do tend to have more issues with cups that technically fit but exhibit gapping when we move, since we just don't have as much tissue up there.
Do you think you will wear this bra with clothing where the above issues won't matter? Or do you think these problems will be a lot worse under clothing? I'd suggest thinking about that when you decide whether to keep the bra or size down. Good luck!
Calluna Yes I am since I could return it in store so it’s not a big deal. But I’m thinking of ordering the 30F maybe... I should order the 30F and try to compare both together side by side.
belleandblues Yes!! You totally get what I’m feeling, something feels off, but I guess I can’t quite put my finger on it...
After reading your comment and thinking a bit, I really think I should return it now. I can’t wear it with lighter colors or less “heavy” clothing/sweaters because it will definitely show the edge. I think that it’s bothering me also that it’s so open up top.
Thank you for your comment, I really think you nailed how I am feeling about this and I can definitely see what you mean about the Lexi vs. Maddie.
braluv I'm glad this was helpful! I am sitting on my B. Temp'td B. Sultry Balconette with the same consideration right now . . . it gives me a beautiful shape but I feel like something is just not quite right with it. It does fully disappear under clothing though so that's why I am still holding onto it, at least until the return window closes.
Btw, I took a look at your best fitting lined bra, the Comexim Celebration, and the measurements are really close to this Mimi. The Mimi 30F is roughly 15% smaller in cup volume than Mimi 30FF, so I would be pretty surprised if it ends up fitting better! What about giving Maddie a try? It has a top edge detail, but it's flat, so I didn't find it terribly visible under clothing. The cup height of Maddie is a little shorter, so there's not much room to gap at the top, and I think it would give you the same rounded shape you like from this bra.
belleandblues Hmm yes the Maddie looks nice. I haven’t tried that one yet. Thank you for the suggestion. I will look at the comparison stats between both. The Comexim Celebration is probably my best lined bra, gives off a great shape, has immediate projection AND is super comfy. I should really try out more Comexim lol
Thanks for the review, I am also FOB and looking for what might work for me. And the half cup style seems like it would resolve my lack of fullness at the top that often causes gapping. But then I worry that I would feel like my soft tissue might just not feel very secure, I guess? It definitely looks good on you though but go with your gut feeling.
Chaos You're welcome! Half cups can give a great profile/shape, but there's definitely more jiggling of the tissue I feel like. I also have a lack of top fullness and I love it when bras push me up to give the illusion of full-on-top, lol.
I've wanted one of these forever, so when I saw one for cheap on eBay in around my size, I had to try it. I didn't have high hopes for it seeing as it preceded the Lily, which never fit me at all, but supposedly they "improved" the fit with Lily, so it might be different in a way that fits me, right? Lol no. It's worse than Lily.
Besides just being too big, the shape is just weird on me. The top seam sticks out and makes an odd bulge, making it look kind of... square? I don't know how else to describe it. And on my right side, the smaller side, it just gapes ridiculously.
It's so cute that I considered just altering it to make it fit me. What's not to love about navy blue with birds and red trim? And there's even an adorable bird charm on the gore.
I don't know what my problem was with this bra, but it was almost like there wasn't enough room in the bottom of the cups, so my extremely soft tissue is just kinda squishing out of the top of the cups. The straps are also super thin, so they dig into my shoulders. Overall just the wrong shape for me.
I'll try and take pictures of it in a more natural light later or tomorrow, because these pictures really don't do it justice haha. But it really is super beautiful!
The bra looks really shallow and tall? Strange combination, nice print.
I'm not really sure. It measures pretty on par in terms of height with my Ewa's I have yet to update. I'll try and get measurements up, but I'd definitely say it is on the shallow end.
I think longlines just tend to be that way. It has to do with where the support is coming from, since the elastic isn't at the wire base but instead several inches lower, it tugs on the cups in an odd way giving the shallow illusion in fit feel. :-/
MamaPagan dang it. I love the look of longlines, but I can't do the shallowness of the cup :( rats.
MamaPagan I am glad you said this, as it is how I ALWAYS felt when trying on corsets in the past. The only exception is my Krisline corset, which has a band-like structure underneath. I have always been hesitant to try longlines out of fear that they would behave the same way. That, and, I find that my waist/torso is short and I don't like it when things that have elastic "hit" my waist and create muffin tops :/ Comexim makes some VERY beautiful ones though...
AGBras I feel like you should give Comexim longlines a try.. for science. I love Comexim bras but with my shape, they're a no-go. I would love to see how it looks on you! 😂 (No pressure 🧐🤣)
DerangedDragons19 LOL!!!! Maybe for Xmas to wear to the police party ;)
I add a strip of 1" elastic to the band on my Comexim longlines-(at the wire base level-sewn at wire channels thru the gore and at the hook and eyeloop sections with a few vertical stitches inbetween) and it does wonders for support distribution, correcting immediate depth distortion, and increasing comfort.
My first Cleo Hettie ❤️ It somewhat fit when I bought it, but I've gotten bigger and a 28F won't cut it anymore.
The fit has always been great, the stretch lace is amazing and while I do get quadboob when on my biggest in my cycle, I still don't fall out of the bra. The band and wires have always been comfortable.
I like the color of this one, it's my first Hettie so the color has grown on me over time. I'm becoming increasingly fond of light pastel-y bras and shirts so the colors are a little dark for my personal preference now, but it's ...by no means a deciding factor. I love how the lacy stuff that covers the pink makes the bra look nearly maroon or burgundy, and I looove the little holes that let the pink shine through.
For being a 28F it's absolutely true to size, and surprisingly sturdy considering how much boobage it needs to contain 😂
The bow at the gore could definitely be more colorful and/or bigger, but design wise I really have no complaints. I love how the strap adjusting things and the hooks are all hot like the inside of the bra. Read more 95 more words
It was too shallow for me so it caused side spillage/minor quadding. The gore was also way too wide for me, and so sat on breast tissue. Wish the cup had been just a smidge shorter. And I found the band to be extremely stretchy. I had to wear it on the last hook, and the straps started to dig into my shoulders a bit. Overall not the best fit. I think the cups were too small for my breasts as well.
Thanks Perpetua for sending me this! I still like the Marcie, though it never looks as good on me as it does on models. The band is fine on this one too. My nude 28F Marcie is way small for me, so I had hoped this would be a better fit, but it still gives me in-cup quadding and is too small. This bra being too small in the cup is what led me to my current line of thinking, that I'm like an FF and 1/2 cup. The in-cup quadding is also because I have very soft tissue, but I don't think my soft tissue is the only reason this doesn't fit. I guess next up is trying a 28G...I've heard that the nude version of the Marcie fits a little bigger than other colors, so maybe a 28G in another (slightly smaller) color could be the perfect in-between? In any case, I'm gonna leave this bra alone while I wait on my 3 Ewa bras and altered 60K Comexim Ingrid to come in the mail.
I am thinking that this may simply be a shape mis-match more than anything - i.e. there isn't enough room right at the apex in this bra, so you're getting the in-cup quadding while fitting well at the bottom and having ample space at the top of the cup. Of all the brands I have tried (Ewa Michalak, Comexim, Gaia, Kinga, Gorsenia, Ava etc), Kris Lines consistently have the most space at the apex. They also make 60 bands ;)
AprilGoulding hmm, that actually sounds like a much more accurate idea than mine. Thanks for the recommendation!
It looks like the cup width is too wide with the straps also too wide for your frame. You'll have to check if the band placement is a smidgen too low - may be pushed down by breast tissue not having enough space at the wire. I am with AprilGoulding in that I do not think that a different size will help you out with this bra model. Time to move on to a better fit for you!
Hi biflexual I am so sorry you weren't comfortable in this bra especially since you really wanted it to work! Visually based on pics it actually appears ok, or even generous in volume, although perhaps not ideal proportions for you (wider and shallower than your natural shape)--but perhaps there are further sensory or visible clues that make you think it's too small in one dimension or another? I am not sure this experience with Marcie should lead you towards an even bigger cup for other bras though--first, because there are many shape-mismatch bras where sizing up isn't going to fix anything anyway, and second, because in-cup quadding is not equivalent to quadding at the real cup edge, and is only rarely an indication that the cup itself is too small (it's actually more often another issue, like overtight straps, QC issue with that bra, bra being over-engineered for that size range, severe shape mismatch such that the person has sized up into a cup volume that is much too BIG, etc. ) My impression from your review is that you shouldn't worry too much about your size in this particular bra since a painful gore is usually a dealbreaker, but that often just means that the hard Panache/Cleo wires don't agree with you (I personally am not a fan for this reason, I have a very sensitive ribcage).
wendybien the reason my experience with Marcie leads me to consider a bigger cup is because when I take it off, I have red marks indicating that it’s been digging in a lot at the top of the cup and at the apex, especially on my bigger side — also because when I scoop and swoop while leaning over, I spill out a bit. Thanks for your help!
In cup quadding is most definitely common in seamed bras with soft tissue and not always a size issue. In addition, Marcie has been known to have a weird bubble at the seam in some productions which makes it easier for in cup quadding to happen. I’m a little surprised that you got 9.3” depth, as my two 30Fs are .5” deeper. I wonder how one of my Marcied would fit you.
*marcies
Calluna to be entirely honest, it could just be that I have bony/skinny knees, so it's really difficult to properly use the measuring tip of using my knee when measuring softcup bras because I don't have enough knee to fill the cup! Lol
biflexual too funny!! Lol My boobies ate bigger than my knees also!! I have often used one of my kid's mini soccer balls...it works perfectly. :P
I put mine over my knee and tug to full resistance with the tape measure between the bra and my knee, holding onto one side while letting the other slide as I pull. My knees are small and bony as well, but it works to get the max figure. To get a resting (unstretched or min) measurement, I just hover the bra between my knees by the wires with the cup hanging down, then put the tape measure in the cup. My theory with cup measurement is same as with bands-they are very subjective to the method of member and how agressive they are on any given measuring day. 😄
I measure on me and over my knee both inside and out and go with the average or 2 out of 3. I also do a flex/pull.
I am so jealous of everyone's delicate knees... but if any of you want to borrow my chubby ones to more easily measure a bra cup, you are very welcome to drop by ;-) biflexual it sounds like perhaps you've been relying on some misleading indicators for cup fit? Skin marks aren't actually a sign of an undersized cup. They often aren't even a sign of band size problems (unless they feel tender, or turn out to be bruises/abrasions). Lots of people get marks occasionally--or routinely!--from all kinds of elements: the seams, the straps, the boning, the cup edges, the wires etc. I sometimes even get the pattern from laces or embroidered elements temporarily stenciled on me ;-)
Overflow/quadding/spillage indicates a cup being too small/shallow BUT ONLY when you are upright --not leaning over. It is totally normal to spill out a bit, or even more than a bit depending on the bra design, when we bend over in a well-fitting cup! This is simply a matter of containment, not size per se. A sports bra or full-coverage design that's painfully small but still covers every inch of boob tissue can prevent spillage just by virtue of that coverage. But lower-cut cups that are well-sized, as well as loose, oversized or too-open cups, can allow variable degrees of overspill when we lean over. All this means really is that some portion of the upper boob tissue isn't inside the cup and can therefore move/hang more freely.
If you have a preference for super firm, secure containment, I am sure you can find that but typically it does require a lot of coverage. Cleo is not great in that regard--I can only think of 1 of hundreds of Cleo designs that is intended to contain all one's tissue, and it uses a decorative overlay to do so. The Cleo Piper does have somewhat more coverage than a lot of the others, similar to main line Panache full-cup styles.
wendybien oh no it’s not that I prefer super full coverage it’s just that I apparently have zero idea what a too-small cup looks like 😂
biflexual lol ok! well it happens for a lot of people so don't feel bad! I just mentioned that possibility cos didn't wanna make you feel like it was weird or unfashionable if you DID want something extra secure... some people are very particular about that! But being open to various different cuts will definitely make it easier to find a great fit, so it's good you're flexible on the amount of coverage ;-)
Do you have pics uploaded for most of your bras on this site or only a few?
wendybien I have pics uploaded for all the bras I pretty much ever wear. I have a random Intimissimi 32D, a couple Victoria’s Secret 32DDDs, a very random 32DD I got from Nordstrom Rack, and an Aerie 32DDD that I never wear that I didn’t upload pics of. I may upload more info for one of the VS bras because I just altered the band so that it actually fits pretty well, but I’m nervous to upload any of my VS bras because the tags are cut off so I can’t be absolutely positive of the styles.
biflexual oh wow ok well that ought to provide plenty of data. Would it help for us to take a look to help you troubleshoot stuff? I can see you joined just a few months ago, but I wasn't on Bratabase much recently... so I basically just blundered into this post at random but I suppose I don't really know the context. Are you just another one of us bra obsessives who has plenty of bras that feel comfortable and look good, and you're just wanting to venture further and try more styles for fun and bra science (and perhaps refine your cup fit assessment, also for science)? Or are you still really dealing with ongoing fit concerns meaning a lot of your bras aren't ideally comfy, or that you are still trying to find the right fit in certain styles?
wendybien definitely the second one! Here's my backstory...sorry this is probably boring...I am pretty young (still in my teens), and I went through basically what most people go through with bras growing up. In 7th grade I wore 32Bs, in 8th grade 32Cs, then I got on the pill and by 10th grade I was wearing 32DDDs. A year or so later, I decided to completely give up on wearing "real" (underwire) bras because they just felt really restrictive and uncomfortable. Cue ~8 months of wearing either no bra or poorly-fitting bralettes that I always had to safety-pin like 4 inches of in the back because they were way too big in the band -- think Urban Outfitters bralettes, so stuff designed for much smaller-busted people than I.
Then a couple months ago I made a reddit account, and from there it didn't take long until I found r/abrathatfits. Since then it's been trial and error, overwhelmingly error, working on finding my fit. I prefer increasingly snug bands -- I started out trying 30F's (Freya Patsy half cup, Bravissimo Esther which fit me just as badly as it later did in a 28FF, Freya Deco etc.), but I was still fastening them on the tightest hook.
Now I know somewhat more about my shape and am foraying into Polish bras, but I still only own one single bra that fits just about perfectly (28FF Cleo Breeze), and one that fits fairly well (28F Freya Deco). All my others have more serious fit issues. So to finally answer your question, I'm definitely still more in the "early stages" of bra fitting and trying to build up my collection of ones that fit. I also still have a lot to learn about bras and fitting, though I'm already working on helping out one of my friends (who is very petite and very busty) and my mother (very wide-rooted) with bras!
Oh wow ok so basically you are new to most of it but since you're very young your current size is quite literally a recent development! OK, well that explains why some things might still be a bit confusing. Most of us here have just had more years to get used to all this.
Can I just ask a few initial things? When people have ongoing fit issues despite trying many bras in many sizes it often means they aren't too sure which direction to pursue when troubleshooting. I'm hoping maybe it'll help to define some rough categories for your recent trial and error experiences. I'm going to focus a lot of these questions on comfort --our perception of what feels good/bad tends to be more consistent than our idea of what looks right, so it can offer more reliable clues about general trends.
1/ comfortable bras: when you say only one or two bras fit, I imagine your definition of fit is based on a mix of criteria or perhaps you are just relying on Bratabase's criteria--but does that also mean those 1-2 bras are the only ones that are even comfortable? If not, which of your bras are currently completely comfortable (even if the comfortable ones don't happen to be the ones you consider a truly correct fit)? Comfortable = no pain, no unpleasant or distracting sensations; you can easily forget the bra is there; feels good all day long, say 8am-10pm.
2/ Most uncomfortable bras- going to the other end of the spectrum, which were the most uncomfortable and why (including if some were only uncomfortable in a given size--what was the problem)? Are there any fit problems affecting comfort/wearability that seem to recur in every single bra, or in many of them?
3/ Preferences--you mentioned you have been choosing smaller and smaller bands as you tried more bras--is this comfort-related (I.e. the larger ones bands were uncomfortable for one or more reasons)? Or is there no huge difference in comfort per se? Perhaps you generally feel most 28/60 bands seem to at least bring you closer to technically good fit, for example by reducing cup gaping, increasing uplift and so on?
wendybien first, thanks so much for taking the time to help me out! You're very generous. 1. Comfortable bras -- my most comfortable bra is, I believe, actually the 28FF Cleo Breeze longline that's also my best fit. The only discomfort I get with that is annoyance at sometimes having to tug the longline down. I actually find a tight band more comfortable, because I notice the looseness of looser bands and it bothers me throughout the day. So other than the band, my 65G Corin Virginia (I believe this one is my most comfortable behind my Cleo Breeze), 70E Corin Jacqueline, and 30F Nikol Djumon Viktoria are decently comfortable. But like I said, a loose band is noticeable enough to me to make an otherwise-comfortable bra uncomfortable. 2. Uncomfortable bras -- hands down my 60J Comexim Basic Plunge. The cups dig into my armpits so badly and the lace edging (not sure what it's really called) is scratchy. It also digs into the top of my breast. My 28F Freya Deco is also pretty uncomfortable because it feels very stiff and doesn't really move with me. Other than those two, the rest of my uncomfortable bras are uncomfortable because they're too small (60HH Comexim Ingrid, 30FF pink Parfait Charlotte, 28F Cleo Marcie are all too small, 30FF brown Parfait Charlotte too big, and both the Parfait bras also feel similarly stiff to my Freya Deco). I had and returned a 30F Bravissimo Esther, which was comfortable but I was fastening it on the tightest hook, so I got a 28FF. Both bras are too wide and shallow for me, but I didn't notice the fit issues in the 30F because I wasn't looking for the right things. 3. Preferences -- Yep, you got it! Loose bands make bras feel much less comfortable because I'm constantly noticing the looseness throughout the day, and they make bras feel far less secure. I also do think 28 bands bring me closer to a good fit, since I had a 65HH Comexim Ingrid at one point and it gapped badly on top but fastening it tighter helped alleviate the gapping somewhat.
I'm sorry it took me so long to come back biflexual ! Darn work getting in the way of my bra discussions lol. So, based on your responses and what I saw in the photos/measurements for the bras you listed as good, bad, etc. I would suggest that you work on defining your exact ideal band length more precisely, IN INCHES, rather than relying on the size listed. Newbies tend to DRASTICALLY underestimate the way band length inconsistency changes cup fit and overall comfort--they've had a lifetime of too-loose bands to see how THAT screwed things up, but too-small or too-tight bands can be very deceptive as well and can be masked by other fit problems in ways that make them hard to recognize. So you notice "ok THIS bra doesn't work" but it will lead you in the wrong direction when you decide what to try next. I think a lot of your cup fit struggles are due to the fact you are trying on many different cup sizes and shapes, but since even restricting yourself to 28/60 bands will allow a lot of poorly-sized bands into the mix, this has still caused you to be unwittingly comparing apples and oranges a lot of the time-- due to this band length inconsistency that changes cup fit and overall comfort. You also have 2 band fit challenges to contend with in your size range: 1/ for bras at both extremes (smallest and largest bands) of the bra sizing matrix, there is a ridiculous level of inconsistency in how long bands are cut and how much give the materials have. So, in this regard you have to NOT trust the manufacturer or the label too much and look at reviews and measurements (or indeed your own measurements + troubleshooting approaches listed below). 2/ People with lean torsos and very little body fat on their ribcage are apt to suffer much higher levels of discomfort from poor band fit (too loose and you get the friction and wires roaming around stabbing you; too tight and you get to experience the joys of just 2mm of flesh being crushed between the hard wires/band elastic, and your equally hard ribs). And because your ribcage itself cannot compress, it's unforgiving to poorly-sized bands: if the band is not perfectly suited to you, your body can't squish down to adapt to it.
Obviously like most people you have more experience with loose bands so that is one issue you have been able to identify on your own--"cup OK, band too big" is a situation I think you can easily recognize, as is "cup too big/band too big." However there are several other configurations that newbies often have trouble spotting and that can lead to some confusion about which of the two (band vs. cup) is adequate, or neither. Due to the fact that many other posters also don't really know how to spot this, these errors often also get reinforced by other people's feedback.
The frequently-misinterpreted scenarios are:
* band is actually OK but cup is too big > this will feel loose, so wearer wrongly assumes the band itself is loose/runs loose (then gives up on this bra or else sizes down in band+cup or band only, resulting in an uncomfortable fit). To identify this problem: compare measurements with well-fitting bands/try bra on upside-down (cups pointing down). If you've been thinking "oh this band is huge!" yet it stays put when upside-down even without boobs in the cups... the band is not the problem! Keep that band size and reassess why the cups are not working.
* band is too small, or too tight (lack of stretch) but cup is too big > this is the most treacherous one... the wearer often thinks initially that the fit is good/acceptable, because the overtight band could be distorting the wires and cups enough to eliminate most of the cup gaping and creasing that would otherwise be visible. The wearer may even remove the tags and celebrate finding ABTF. However, over time, she starts to notice issues such as straps and cup corners/edges killing her armpits, apex/center seam of cups being much further out to the side than the natural apex of her breasts (sometimes accompanied by east-west orientation of cups themselves), pain or pressure at the gore or the base of the underwires, pain on sides, band creeping downwards on the body such that she needs to tighten the straps quite vigorously to keep it up where it belongs, etc. To identify: again, refer to measurements, and/or try on upside down. Or put on an extender and see what happens with the cup.
* band too small/tight, cup is a good volume and shape > wearer sees quadding and gore failing to tack and concludes the cup is too small (even though hmm, weird, on paper it seemed perfect cos the depth measurement and projection were consistent with what she thought she'd needed). What's really happening is that the excessive band tension is deforming the cup, making it fit much shallower all over and cut in at the edges. Using an extender can help determine whether a longer band would actually allow the cup to fit well, or not (for instance if you add 2" with the extender and the underwires are now cutting into your breast tissue on your sides, then the cup is definitely too small and/or narrow regardless of what's going on with the band).
And a word on measuring band length for BtB: so many people have trouble doing this...!
First, measure the unstretched band BEFORE you have put it on. If it's been worn at all beforehand even yesterday, ideally, wash it first before measuring. The residue of skin particles and skin oils on a worn bra works its way into the mesh structure and prevents the material from snapping back to its default starter length. A bra you have just taken off your body is even more stretched out since it is warm and still recovering from the tension of being worn. so that is even further away from an accurate "point zero" length.
For the stretched measurement: the idea is to pull gently, only up to the point where you start to feel a little bit more resistance. When you can feel any increase in the band's pullback, stop--this is the stretched length to record. An elasticated garment can be manually stretched quite a lot more than the tolerable degree of stretch that it would offer on the body, so the idea is NOT to stretch it way the F out to the next state :-D
So, this isn't necessarily something YOU have been doing wrong--I haven't checked--but it's something you should look out for in other user measurements. If you see entries where they are measuring new bras in pristine condition and recorded measurements of 22" unstretched, 31" stretched, either that brand sold them a bra with some seriously rotten quality elastic or they measured while pulling WAY harder than what would give an idea of how the band will perform when worn on the body. When in doubt go see the user's other entries--folks tend to be consistent in how they do things. Likewise you'll see the same overly timid band-measurer entering everything as 26" unstretched and 27.5" stretched!
wendybien wins the prize again for most bra-ducational comments. Made my day again. The best. 🙏🤓👙
Thank you AprilGoulding you are too kind! biflexual you are very welcome, I hope that gives you some pointers for reexamining the bras you currently own and thinking what other sizes or shapes could work and be truly comfortable. Feel free to send a personal message if I miss a tag in a later thread or bra review!
This bra would be very good for full on bottom shapes. It has lots of projection, but is very closed on top. I wasn't a fan of the torpedo shape it gave me. Or of the underwires that insistently poked my armpits. I hear if it fits well it gives a rounder shape. The materials were nice, though, with mesh on the bottom of the cups and lace on top.
I tried the Cleo Hettie first, but it was a shape mismatch. Too closed on top, giving me a torpedo shape. I had heard the Marcie needs a lot of top fullness, and I would have to agree. I can't quite fill the tops. BUT, it's close enough that I can fix it with a little tack. I'm quite happy with this Marcie in other respects. The material is a soft mesh and the cups are topped with a non-stretch lace. The polka dot pattern is subtle and cute, and the straps have ribbing on the tops for visual interest. The band seems to hold in place pretty ...well and there is still some, but less slippage out of my IMF.
The Marcie and Hettie are able to hoist my heavy boobs for good uplift. The Marcie gives a nice round shape. (Looks like a kidney in the dusky rose https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_neutral.gif" alt=":|" /> ) It gives almost too much vavoom for me - my boobs are higher than I'm used to for sure!
I will either keep this one or exchange it for a different colorway if I can find one in my size. Read more 90 more words
Unless you need the bra wires to be that wide, I bet you could size down one cup size and still be comfy. I find Marcie to be quite generous in the cup in this size range.
Oops! I didn't mean to submit this as an adventure. Seems to be no way to delete, so enjoy my bland review! :)
cupandahalf Thanks for the tip! I have free returns on this one from Amazon, so maybe I will try it a cup size down.
Love the style of this bra. Inner cups are a basic 3-part balcony shape with a sturdy but stretchy top section that accommodates for a small fluctuation in size or full-on-top shapes. Band felt very tight on the first wear but it eased in quickly and is now beyond comfortable. If you're between cup sizes I'd suggest going for the smaller one, not sure if I have one that's on the higher end of measurement tolerances but the cup does seem a little bit too deep - not obvious with the top overlay though and the stretch seems to help it sit nicely and comfortably despite a small wrinkle when I'm slouching. Feels like a really sturdy bra and has survived an accidental machine wash with zero issues! It does have only part-adjustable straps so bear that in mind if you have very long or short shoulders.
I have mixed feelings about this bra. I like the basic look of it, but I don't think it is working for me.
The band fits ok, but it feels like it will be too loose once it breaks in. This is a struggle I have with 34" bands (I think 33" would be perfect, but I obviously can only choose between 32 and 34.). The straps are set too wide for me. This causes two problems in this bra: 1) the strap/top of cup digs into my armpit uncomfortably, and 2) I think the wires go too far back for me - the underwire extends under my arm ...nearly to my back. However, the wire seems ok between my breasts (maybe tacks a touch hard) and the bra does have enough projection at the wire for me. I get some wrinkling in the lace over my smaller breast where the lace meats the fabric of the cup. The lace also gapes a bit when I move around. I was expecting it to move with me better, but it may do better for someone with more top fullness.
Finally, I feel like the cup gives me a slightly weird shape, but I can't put my finger on what I don't like about it. I think the set of the straps cause the bra to lift more from the sides which brings the tissue towards the front. That isn't necessarily a bad thing for some people, but it gives me a pointier shape than I want. Read more 145 more words
I don’t see the wires as too wide but I see the loose lace and the in cup quadding which is never flattering, though invisible under clothes. Sorry it’s not a love bra. I don’t think that it’s a size issue.
Like many seamed Cleos, the Hettie can sit rather oddly on the breast if the angle of the upper cup portion is not compatible with the slope of your breast from apex upwards, so i can't guarantee that it would work super well in any size. However one thing I do remember from other reviews is that this particular bra appears to run SUPER HUGE in the cups. I think at this size, it was probably a case of cups slightly too large masquerading as a bad cup shape. The excess room in cups can give the impression of a too-loose band too, and certainly this combo of fit issues would cause the straps to be too far apart for you, and the wires to end too far back on your sides. If you really loved this bra and wanted to try another size I would probably suggest trying a 34E since it is so atypically large in the cups.
28GG-H/30G-GG, projected, pendulous, bottom and center full.
I got the Cleo Piper bra in Soft Turquois a few months back in summer. I immediatly fell in love with how pretty it is, I absolutely love the color and the little yellow detail, I love how it looks on me, the matching panty is just as pretty. Sadly I don't wear it anymore. Mainly because I gained weight and spill out of it, but it also diggs into my sides like crazy, I'm pretty sure this is my first and last longline bra. Every time I decided to wear this bra for a day, my ribcage would literally hurt after a ...few hours and I'd have bright red indentations on the side of my ribcage. The band is definitally not too tight, it's the way it's constructed.
I really really like the material tho, it's nothing special but exactlly what I'm looking for in a basic everyday bra, it's quite soft. I'm pretty sure the digging issue is different for different body types, I might just have too much squishy fat on me. Read more 71 more words
I tried a cobalt Piper and although I needed a cup size up, the wires under my arms were really high and uncomfortable so I never bothered to find it in my proper size. I'd hoped that the new shorter ones would have fixed the problem but it sounds like it has not been.
Calluna Yep, if you had similar issues I would sadly not recommend this one. It's so disappointing when a bra is beautifull but ends up beeing really uncomfy.
Very beautiful bra! Please add the bra measurements when you get a chance. The data is helpful to so many of us during searches, and helps strengthen the database as a whole. Thank you!
I love the Piper and can't wait to try it out for myself! But don't let one bad experience with a longline keep you from trying others! Not all longlines and designed or created the same. Cleo has a very particular look and construction that just may not work with you when it comes to their longlines, but you very well may love others. I also believe this one has side boning in it and that may be whats bothering you. You could likely easily remove it or avoid buying others with boning.
LeProfessor Yes, that's exactly what I meant!! The side boning was a bit too aggressive for me, I'm not a native english speaker so I kinda struggled to find the right words. Also, I'm a little afraid the fabric will just roll up if I remove the boning :/
Added messurements + better pictures
Thank you@ juliaae :-)
I think you would be fine removing the boning from this, but from the rest of you review it seems (haha, seams) that it isn't the best fit for you anyways since your spilling out of it. No need to do bra surgery if the cups are too small anyway! But if that doesn't bother you and you still want to remove the boning you could do it easily. I can see there is some elastic at the bottom of the "longline." IDK why they call these longline bras instead of banded bras. I'm sorry but that only comes down like an inch off of the bottom of the cups! This is not a longline in my mind. But I do not think it would roll up without the boning there.
I first tried it in the middle of the night, after a very long intense day, and the band was painfully tight, so I left it and tried it on the next morning. I must have been very bloated, because the next morning it fit perfectly. The band is snug, but is never too tight, which I love. The straps were too tight, so I had to untighten them all the way. They were still supportive like this, but I think they might be a bit short for some people, especially if you have intense shoulder pain. I have moderate shoulder pain, so some days I have to ...wear my straps off or longer than usual. These straps I could definitely tighten a bit more if I didn't have shoulder pain. The cup fits fine after swooping and scooping, there's some gaping in the lace sometimes when I move, but it's only noticeable when moving my arms a lot and looking directly at the lace. I fill it after a few hours though, since my breasts swell a little. The gore is too high for me, not high enough to feel pain, but at the end of the day or if I spend a lot of time lounging, it bothers me a little, the wires end up digging in. It's okay though, since I can wear it for a few hours and then take it off or change it. Other than that it's extremely comfortable, super breathable, and it's soooooo pretty. It also gives me a pretty nice shape and lifts a lot more of my tissue than other projected bras. I doesn't show through most of my clothes (it's bright orange, so it does show through extremely thin shirts and white ones, but not through grey or other colours) and the embroidered hearts don't show either. I definitely love it, and if I find more in different colours, I'll get them. Read more 212 more words
I am petite (5'2"/157 cm) with narrow-rooted, projected, evenly full and close-set breasts. My most common problems with bras are wires that are too wide, gores that are too high and wide and stab me in the chest and sit on my breast tissue, and cups without enough projection.
I tried on the white colorway in 30F, which gave me quadboob, the white in 30FF, which was a bit big, the black colorway in 30FF, which seemed a little small, and the black colorway in 30G, which was a bit big. At the time I tried these on, the Panache Jasmine in 30F and Curvy Kate Lifestyle Plunge in ...30F fit me well, and I would say I was on the larger side of a 30F so would occasionally size up to 30FF.
I believe my problems with this bra were simply a shape mismatch. The wires were quite wide on the white 30FF, which can indicate a cup size that's too large, however, the 30F cut into my breast tissue at the top while giving me an "orange in a glass" effect at the bottom, leading me to believe that this bra didn't have enough projection and top fullness for me.
The gore was a good height and width though. It did sit on my breast tissue slightly, but since it wasn't high, it didn't cause me too much discomfort and didn't stab me.
The black colorway runs small, but not a full cup size small, as the black 30G is too large. I'd say it fits like a 30FF 1/2, so if you're a bit larger than a 30FF but not quite a true 30G, the black colorway in 30G might work for you. Read more 177 more words
I just received my parrot print Lily (thanks, Calluna), and it fits! It's super cute, too. It's the teensiest bit small on my larger side (minor quad boob), but if I were to size up, I would have gaping on my smaller size. The band is TTS, so I need to use the middle or tightest hook. I was worried it would be too open on top for my FOB boobs, but I have zero gaping.
This looks good and is a great nude shade for you! I’ve always been interested to try it because I love my Cleo Hettie and the round shape Cleo is supposed to give, but I see you’re right it does have low wings (which I don’t like). I would also call myself short, soft and low (but average width not super narrow) and I recently fell in love with Freya 4-part half cups like Lauren - just curious have you tried those and what did you think? Hettie and Lucy have worked for me. I have a Piper im on the fence about, and soon to try an Atlanta...