Recently I've lost weight and found my 28Hs gaping so I bought some new bras in a smaller size. I really like this bra, it suits my even shape. Lily is a Cleo shape that works well for me, but I really liked the Bella model I owned in 30HH and Cleo didn't offer a similar model in past seasons. I find this bra fits a lot like both the lily and Bella on me. The fabric is light and supportive and the photos online do not do it justice. Unlike most Cleo bras the straps and band are plain on this bra which is very sleek and a nice change of pace.
I HAVE FOUND MY FIRST ABTF! The Riley is the solution to my only problem with the Maddie, which is that the Maddie gaps at the top of the cups if I slouch at all. The Riley is closed at the top and it's a smooth cup (no lace detailing at the top with the Maddie), which makes it a perfect t-shirt bra.
I wish it came in black and nude colorways!
P.S. I'm new to this (32A-->28D/DD, could even go down to 26). What breast shape would I described as if the Riley (and Maddie for the most part) fits me perfectly?
I have the same (and only) problem with Maddie. I'm glad you posted this, I was wondering if it was more closed at the top based on the stock photo but I couldn't tell. I'm going to have to try this one out if I can get my hands on it!
I would say you are likely to be more shallow, probably full on bottom (especially since you have upper gapping in Maddie), and possibly broad-rooted. It's hard to say for sure, though, without more info. :)
Sorry, I also meant to ask: do you find the Riley to run smaller or larger in the cup than Maddie (or are there any other notable differences)? I noticed you tried Maddie in 28DD but Riley in 28D.
river_wilde Definitely try it out if you get the chance! I ordered a 2nd bra off Amazon, but one of the cups was bigger/off than the other and at the time, it was the last one in stock but it looks like there's 2 in stock. Unfortunately, you still won't be able to control which you get but know that there's a faulty bra floating around.
The Riley runs about the same in the cup as the Maddie. I tried both 28D & 28DD in the Maddie. Hope this helped!
nimblemomonga Thanks for the info! Very helpful, and good to know about the faulty bra.
I really should save more money before I buy any more bras, but I have a feeling Riley in 28D has been discontinued (not sure about that though), so I will probably just grab it while they still have a couple left.
The Riley's cup is a bit taller too. I was in between 28D and 28DD with the Maddie because of that gaping issue; the Riley came up higher and didn't gape... if that makes sense. Good luck!
nimblemomonga Very good to know, thank you. :) Maddie gaps for me probably because of where the edge of the cup stops, in addition to the cup curling out a tad (I have the old animal print one, not the one with the embroidered edge). So taller but more closed on top might make it perfect!
This is the first Cleo in my rotation, and so far its great! Wires are narrow enough, breasts projected forward yet not smooshed together, and they feel held in place without being full coverage.
I've had this bra for while, not sure why I hadn't added/reviewed it! The bra is beautiful.. delicate and lacy, very feminine. I found this at the beginning of my "bra journey" on sale on Amazon for a great price. The quality is good, comfort is okay, but the fit is not ideal. My boobs are round and FOT.. this bra has more of a pointy shape which doesn't work well for me... this also causes the top of the cup to dig in a bit (slight quad-boob effect). The band is a little tight, but not unbearable. This isn't the type of bra that I'd wear regularly... for me it's more of a "date night" bra... a little something sexy that doesn't have to necessarily stay on for prolong periods of time lol.
If you're FOT, you may do better in Cleo Marcie, Panache Jasmine, or Panache Floris, all of which are unlined, lacy, delicate, and FOT-friendly.
imabratinfluence I do have the Cleo Marcie and it most definitely fits better.. will have to check out Panache Jasmine and Floris, thanks for the recommendations!!! =)
I don't know about Floris but Jasmine may not work if you're sub 28. I've been eyeing it for a while but the band only goes down to a 30. I wish that Panache/Cleo would take a bigger risk and offer more for us 28ers.
Just got this in the mail today and so far am pleasantly surprised! Someone had suggested looking into the strapless one, and when I came across the regular version saw it was discounted to $49! Figured what the heck, it's worth a try! 28GG fits perfectly... a little snug but I don't mind, gives a little extra push up effect, and there's no nip slip which is a problem I had with my Freya Deco Plunge 28G. The bra itself appears to be well made.. doesn't feel as "heavy duty" to me as the Freya Deco... but as of now that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's light, comfortable, and affordable. My only complaint if any, is that the shoulder straps are a set rather wide (i have very narrow shoulders). Haven't worn it for a full day yet.... but first impressions, so far so good!
Looks good! The extra push up is always nice for certain effects! And sales just mean deal, gotta buy...makes sense to me!
Ok honey, I have to chime in here. Of course, it's your body and your prerogative to wear whatever you want so don't get me wrong and feel free to ignore me if you like :) But this does not fit. It's not even close. It's far too shallow for you - do you see how the cups are wrinkling and folding at the underwire? It's also far too small. So is the Deco strapless. These bras are at least 2-3 cup sizes too small. Sure it's okay to want cleavage, but generally this kind of cleavage results from too small cups - you're actually very close to literally falling over the tops of these cups. I express my concern not only for your back and shoulders, but for your implants. They need proper support to prevent bottoming out.
With your shape, I think Ewa Michalak and Comexim could be fantastic on you. I'm tagging Tanzilove for more ideas and advice, as she's similar to you.
Tanzilove since my first comment didn't tag her and apparently I can't edit it.
I will check out Ewa Michalak and Comexim as well. Personally, I prefer cups that fit a little on the snug side. I may order in a larger cup size just to compare! As far as my back and shoulders go, I get checked out by my dr. regularly.. and work out every day... my frame may be small but i have enough muscle to hold up the girls, no back problems or shoulder issues at all. What causes implants to bottom out is unrelated to how bras fit... it's a problem generally caused by the over dissection of the implant pocket. I've had mine for over 12 years... no issues with bottoming out or any other complications for that matter. I do appreciate your feedback and concern though!
I think Comexim might be a good bra for you too with your upper roundness. I'm short rooted and I did a lot of swoop and scoop to get into mine. They customize things like strap placement from what I hear. Prices aren't too bad either :)
Well I don't have implants & you know your body & preferences better than me of course. Regardless of bottoming out, I do know you can achieve the look you want in a bra that fits better than this. Ewa has some gorgeous designs & she includes cookies & cookie pockets in her padded bras, which act like little push up pads to give you some extra lift & oomph. Based on how this bra looks on you id say you're more like a 28HH & in Ewa that would be a 60HH or 65H, but some need to size up another cup in her padded bras so maybe 60J or 65HH. Her S cut is fabulous on your size & shape & can keep you in a padded bra, with some nice shapely cleavage, but with a better fit & much more support.
I agree on the S cut recommendation! I love the lift I get with them (just for reference, I'm short rooted and FOB). I put up pics for an S Colette in a 75HH and an S Granatowa Pantera in a 70J if you want to see the shape they create on me. They'll probably give you an even more lifted shape because you look like you have much more upper fullness than I do
I don't have shape advice. I just bought this bra as well and sized up in band and cup based on someone with similar measurements to me on here and it fit perfect but I got it on Amazon for 17 dollars. In different sizes on there certain colors are cheaper. I got mine for 17 in hot pink and my daughter a 32F (sized up in cup not in band for her) for just 8 dollars in the floral. Just thought I'd let you know you might be able to get a better price in whatever size you choose :)
If you're aiming for the best fit, seek a cup size with underwires that hug your every curve (your infra-mammary fold) and a gore that tacks completely against your breastbone. For me, when I don't get this, the bra squishes my boobs down and against my chest as the day goes on, instead of up & perky. The underwire also will slide down and press on your upper tummy too, which blows. When you take it off, see where the wires left marks on your body. If it doesn't follow the line where your boobs meet your chest wall, you know it's not giving you the support you need.
I can sympathize with the straps-too-wide issue, as I have this too. A lot of bra brands just make the straps further apart as they go up in the cup because it's cheaper than re-grading the cups for each size. However, bigger boobs=/= wider shoulders obvi! -_-
I agree,it's probably two cup sizes too small. It's the angle shot view that really shows it, so much uncovered breast at that view that isn't cleavage. I second or third the rec of Comexim or area, but in at least two cup sizes bigger. And I just wanted to say that you are an amazingly strong person to overcome your cancer!
This is my favorite bra! It is my best fitting bra for my slightly shallow breasts with short roots. It gives a nice round shape and is very comfortable. The gore is just narrow enough for me, most of my bras are a bit to wide for my close set breast altough that's not uncomfortable for me it is nice to have a few bras with narrower gores. It is not completely smooth under clothes, you can see the seams under tight or thin shirts. I own this bra in black and ivory.
I bought this bra for 20€ via Ebay after trying out the Lucy in a shop once, knowing they fit similarly. It fits almost perfectly on my FoB, short-rooted, projected breasts. The volume is spot-on, the band could be a tiny bit tighter (it stretches to 32.3 inches).
The gore is the perfect width and it tacks. It could tack a bit harder but I fear going up to a 32FF will cause gaping. The straps are fully adjustable but rather wide set. I am thinking about moving them a bit. Wire width is good - neither too wide nor too narrow.
Only the appearance is a bit of a bummer. It is very neon. I find the writing on the wires, "Crafted for fit. Styled for fun." a bit childish. And I cut off the bow at the gore.
common problem with cleo bras - wonderful fit, colored for children
This comes in a few other colors most of which are more subdued. The purple us pretty but I felt like it ran a half cup smaller. I have the pink one. It's kind of a coral color.
I now used marine-blue fabric dye on it which makes it a lot easier on the eye.
I for one, am happy with the "childish" colored bras in large sizes.
There are plenty of other bras that are muted or run-of-the mill florals, in my opinion.
Hallelujah! The 3rd time is the charm for this bra. I'm glad I listened to everyone's advice to size down! Now there's no gaping up top and I have that smooth, round look. Now that I have this bra in the right size, I can see it's very closed on top! Unfortunately, this style is not for the FOT among us, the black trim will definitely cut in. However, it closes just perfectly on my FOB self. There's a tiny diagonal wrinkle on my smaller side, but I can definitely deal with it. The immediate projection seems good and it seems to be staying in my IMF. The wire length is also a bit narrower than typical Panache. The gore is a bit more separated but it's low enough to not bother me. Again, the band runs a size large, stretching to 32. I would recommend this bra for those who are FOB, narrow to average, and projected.
Bra description: Sunshine yellow, with subtle feminine details. I typically wear 30 bands, but size up to a 32 in Cleo to avoid stretching the wires and altering the cup fit. I've noticed that sizing up in the band also makes that weird in-cup-quadding disappear. The Marcie is shallower than I expected (shallower than the Cleo Lily and any of my unlined Freya), but still creates that classic cleo round shape. This bra is a little too big on me, so the top lace always gaped. The 32E fits like a dream though, so please check out that review for fit.
I will post pictures when I have a chance, but for now.... This is my second Cleo bra and will most likely be my last. This bra introduces all sorts of issues that I've either never encountered before or never encountered to this extent. The first issue is the gore. It is both fairly tall and fairly wide. I do generally prefer wider and taller gores, and generally my issue is that they're too short. This bra has a combination of width and height that is too much for me however. My next issue is with the straps. For the first time ever, I have found a bra where the ...straps don't adjust long enough for me. As a result, the band rides up pretty substantially. Since the band rides up so much (and also due to the underwire setup which makes it hard to try the bra on backwards) I can't really evaluate the fit of the band. But it doesn't feel tight despite the fact that it isn't level, so it may be just a little bit big. The biggest issue however is with the cups. They underwires are quite tall and would probably poke me in the armpit if it weren't for the fact that the wires are so wide that they go all the way to the back of my ribcage (which makes armpit poking a nonissue). The fabric of the cup however does rub at my armpits because the wings are fairly tall. The cup itself has a little bit of gaping at the top on the left side and a lot on the right side in a neutral position. When I pull my shoulders back, the left side lays pretty flat while the right side still has a bit of gaping. It's really hard to say if this is due to a size or shape issue though simply because of how many issues I have with the shape. Read more 213 more words
It's probably a shape issue. Lucy and Kali are odd ones in our size. They only seem to work if you alter the gore, otherwise the gore is too wide and the cups are too wide and shallow. I (and many others) have had success with other Cleo cuts like Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) and Cleo Lily. I wear mostly only Polish bras (narrow, deep cups, narrow gore) with the exception of the 3 Marcies and 2 Lilys I have. I like their fit and shape better than unpadded Ewa Michalak bras.
Another success with a "Complete Assurance" recommendation from Bratabase. Cool! I'd usually never try a 30F..
So, based on the complete failure 30Fs I've tried before, I'd say this runs small in the cup. The band fits tighter - nice and firm.
The design isn't my cup of tea - the frills on the panties are so dainty! But you know I love my matching sets .. The pink + the ruffles is super feminine, wouldn't be my first color choice .. but it was a great price!
I'd say I still prefer my Cleo Lucy in 30E - the wires seem narrower, the shape and lift seems slightly more pleasing, and the design is less frilly.
This is a nice bra, but its like a balconett so it doesn't work all that well. I am already on the last set of hooks because the band is too big (and its black!!), yet I must constantly pull it down. Funny though that I would have to do that considering my boobs "punch" lol this bra down due to them not having enough room at the bottom of the cup, so the front of the band is constantly folding under. The wires are still too wide 😔. I was hoping they wouldn't be since Cleo is supposed to be narrower. Oh well, I have a comexim on the way so we'll see how that goes, maybe then I can sell or exchange this for a 34GG deco that strangely seems to fit despite the surgery I will have to do to the band.
Bra fits well but runs a bit small in the cup. Went up a cup size. Band is very comfortable. Could downsize to a 28 band but wasnt available at time of purchase in 28GG so wear it on middle hook. Not an upfront shape more wide but beautifully smooth under form fitting tops and dresses.
- I always hear people talk about the Cleo Lucy as a wider bra, but in this size (28E) it's actually pretty narrow. There's only slightly more width at the sides than other Cleo models have, and that's only because the gore is so wide. If the gore were altered to be narrower, it would be a narrow bra. Speaking of which...
- The Lucy has an extremely wide gore. For me, the width causes it to sit on breast tissue and prevents it from fully tacking.
- I experience some slight gaping at the top, not enough that it shows through clothing, and not enough that I would mind ...if it weren’t for the other fit issues, but I do find it odd as Lucy is recommended for FOB shapes. I have an even shape myself, but you would think someone FOB would then experience more gaping, right? Maybe my root is slightly too short or something? I honestly don’t know, and I don’t get this issue in any other bra except the Parfait Casey. Edit: After more experience, I suspect this is probably due to the bra being slightly too shallow for me. It has about average projection, and I need more than that.
- I have a lot of center fullness, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say the Lucy is lacking in center fullness (it’s still wearable), it’s not one of the best bras I have tried for this shape either.
- I have issues with wires whose shape does not match the shape of my IMF, and the Lucy is one of the worst offenders in this regard. The curve is too c shaped and digs into my ribs at the outside bottom corners. This is the main problem I have with this bra as it becomes extremely painful to wear after a few hours.
- I can’t comment on whether the band runs large, small or true to size, but I found it comfortable on my 26 inch ribcage. I stopped wearing it after about a week due to other issues, so I don’t know how it would wear over time. Read more 247 more words
Mr. Darcy with hearts all over him used to be a lot more comfy when he used to fit in 28DD. The wires are shorter than Juna's in 28E so they poke my sternum a lot more. I love the design and I know that after some more wear Darcy will become more comfy, but something is severely wrong with those wires.
The shape is great and apart form the wire issue you can this review would be identical with Juna's in 28E. So I'm not rewriting it https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />
But Darcy is a tad smaller in the cup than Juna. And Juna is already on the smaller ...side compared to Freya-Halfcups with only vertical seams. Also with my bras (I still own the 28DD one) the left cups is sewn slightly differently than the right one. so Despite my left boob being the smaller one quadroboobing in 28DD started on the left side.
I really dote on the design even tho I ususally try to go for black and even better black lace.
In Feb 2016 the heat-print Darcy is really tight and the cups don't even fit anymore in the first half of the menstrual cyle. The pictures I have are from early 2014 when Darcy still used to fit me, just if you're wondering why the description and the pics are clashing. Read more 113 more words
I love this bra. I recently tried the Cleo Maddie bras, and they are so comfortable! I only regret I didn't try them earlier.
The shape is just perfect for wide, shallow breast. The band is tight which is really nice for my 26 band. I quite like the orange animal print, and the fact that the straps are not too wide (good with a nice summer top).
The cups are too shallow though, even for me! So will have to try the 28H.
Best fitting bra I own, though it needs more bottom projection. The cups are soft and molded. They give an extremely round shape, which isn't my favorite but looks great when I want to turn my tshirts into a trampoline. I've been told to try the Cleo Marcie for a more FOB shape, so that's something.
The lack of bottom projection forces the bra to slip down over the hours.
got this to try, been wearing it all day so far. doesn't hurt, gaps a little but that is such a nice contrast to always feeling like my breast are being smashed down when i do find an underwire bra that "fits". as always, my right breast fits it almost perfectly, but my left more projected and higher up breast, doesn't fill the bottom, but it's not noticeable and makes for a nice silhouette under clothing, which is nice to have from time to time https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> the top of the cups cut in a tad and slightly curl inward when i put my arms together and such. but all in all, i think it would be nice to have at least one more padded underwire bra that doesn't press on tissue, etc.
update: tried this in the floral and the cups curl outward from the print fabric cup overlay. i would stick to just the solid colors if you want more of a smooth look.
Really pretty bra happy😀 That you could find an underwire bra that is comfy enough for you to wear.
thanks! i think i might buy the floral as the one i got is boring beige ;) excuses excuses to buy more bras, haha.
I'm just sorry it does not come in my size. 😥
bummer :( that sucks. that's how it goes for me also but on the other end. i always see all these great looking wireless "plus size" bras and they don't come in my size either. manufacturers need to get with it! haha
The Cleo Neve looks really nice in the picture. A nice "go to" bra for you. So l would not get too bummed with the selection of wireless bras. Maybe I will try one.
the pic is not of me, just in case u wondered.... but i hope the floral looks just as good in person, we shall see in a couple weeks, i have to wait for international delivery, ugh...
Did not think it was you. Does not look like a D or a DD.
well the pic that comes up for the 32DD floral Neve, is someone wearing a 32DD, and i'm pretty small looking myself. it's kinda of bummer because i've gone into bra stores and have had fitters say they have nothing that will fit me and then when i finally take my shirt off and they try to put me in a bra that is 3 cups smaller than what i wear, they are the funniest looking confused, i have to have a sense of humor about it.
An optical illusion. However, your picture of the OnGossamer looks great and is not "small-looking" by any stretch.
I had wanted to try the Marcie after reading about it so much, and when I saw the images of the AW15 burgundy colorway, I knew I needed it! Burgundy is pretty much my favorite color, but I didn’t yet have such colored bra. In natural lighting, it seems more like a dark purple to me, but it’s beautiful anyway. I also love the cute and unique lace pattern. Lookswise, it’s a killer! Also, the shape is amazingly rounded for an unlined bra. I rarely actually wear unpadded bras because a) I’m shy about nipples and b) the shape I get is often a bit droopy. Marcie might ...get much more use, if it wasn’t for the comfort issues. The band seemed perfectly tight enough, but now I just realized that it had ridden up a bit after a long day (then again I’m 26"). Wires are quite wide, and for me there is about 1 cm extra space towards the armpits. For me the wires don’t really cause much discomfort at the sides, but they do press into my ribs under the bust. There is something very strange happening with the center gore: it sort of tacks (or one wire does), but it is constantly twisted towards the other breast. I guess this is because of my close-set breasts; I often have problems with high gores. At least this way the wires don’t completely sit on my breast tissue (as in Cleo Juna), but the gore is still uncomfortable and digs into my sternum too hard. There is also some wrinkling/gaping in the left cup, towards which the gore is turned (which is my bigger breast actually). The right cup seems to fit fine. I have some fullness at the top, and this is the only unpadded bra I have tried that doesn’t close in at the top too much. I think that Marcie might fit me be better in 28F since the gore would be lower, wires narrower, and the open cups would still probably still accommodate me. However, I’m starting to think I’ll just have to give up on Cleo balconettes, as lovely as they are otherwise – I just cannot deal with the wires. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> Read more 266 more words
FWIW, it looks beautiful on you :) It's a gorgeous color. This is how the Cleo Lily tacks on me. Panache wires are very firm unfortunately and you're not the only one to think they tack uncomfortably.
Thank you lcl0706 ! :) That's interesting about the Lily. They are beautiful as well, glad it seems to be working for you!
The gore dug into me at first as well, I'm wide set and have a bony sternum, but found with enough persuasion, I was able to bend the very end of the wires outward and it's much more comfortable now. :) I think I wrote about it in my review of the same bra, the newer Marcies have more true to size bands, unlike the older models that ran several inches smaller. That could be why it's too big for your 26" underbust. Hopefully you can make it work, it really is a beautiful bra and its you well! :)
Thank you Slava-Zone ! :) That would make make sense about the band, it's not as supertight as I assumed. Bending the wires might be a good idea (I should do that on my Juna as well). Then again I'm bothered by the twisted gore, it feels like it doesn't really fit in between my boobs. Not quite sure what to do with this one. But it is a beautiful bra indeed!
Nml817 You're welcome, glad I could help. :) I've seen tutorials before about being able to make a gore narrower. I think that with close set breasts, you'd be better off with overlapping wires, which Marcie doesn't have sadly. By the picture, it just looks like the wire casing is just too wide for the space, so like you said one is trying to twist out of the way, which I don't think is a bad thing. It's such a small area of the bra, as long as the rest of the bra is staying in place, I don't think one small area of the bra being twisted will compromise the fit. :) If both wire casings sat flat, they'd probably be cutting into your breasts, which would be ouch!
I have the same (and only) problem with Maddie. I'm glad you posted this, I was wondering if it was more closed at the top based on the stock photo but I couldn't tell. I'm going to have to try this one out if I can get my hands on it!
I would say you are likely to be more shallow, probably full on bottom (especially since you have upper gapping in Maddie), and possibly broad-rooted. It's hard to say for sure, though, without more info. :)