Beautiful, sexy bra. I've always wanted a longline but could never find one with a small enough band. The band fits well, though I wouldn't mind if it were a little tighter. The cup may be too small, I think I need a second opinion on that. Either way, I will keep this bra even if I have to order a bigger cup size.
What a beautiful bra and it looks great on you! You may need a cup size up but maybe not. Looks like it might quad a teensy bit on your one side but it's really not that bad. Did you try under a shirt?
Thank you Roxanne. It is such a lovely bra, I do want to keep it! I did try it under my knit top and I thought it looked great. I've been over-analyzing the fit of it and can't make up my mind if the cup is too small or if I'm just not sure how it's supposed to look. I would hate to have to go through the trouble of exchanging it for an F cup and that turns to be too large!
Ooh I love that bold floral print! I agree with your suspicion that it is small for you. It's a balconnet not a plunge, and your boobs aren't meant to be smooshed together like that, so this means you could use more room in the cup! Hopefully it will fit just right at 1 cup size larger.
Yes, wendybien, I do think it may be too small a cup. I think that I will exchange it for the 28F. I love the floral print too in this longline style, so pretty! I will do a picture update when I receive the new bra.
[I bought this bra in both 28E and 30D, because I saw a review saying it was too big so I thought I would try two volumes, though I normally wear a 28E/30DD. The 28E mostly fit while the 30D was too small in the cup. Ordering my usual size would have been no problem; I do not recommend going down a cup size.]
I know there are a lot of people interested in this bra and how it compares to the Marcie so I will try to make this thorough. Happy to answer any questions OR even provide more pictures. I can even retake old pictures of my ...pink Cleo Marcie being worn, just to rule out the possibility of breast shape changes on my end over the past 6 years when comparing how they fit lol
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PREFACE: MY BREAST SHAPE I have even breasts, with average roots (I never have an issue with wires being too wide or narrow; the ~5" wire widths in most Cleo bras generally work for me) but slightly tall roots. The slope of my tall roots on top is almost always the deciding factor on in a bra will fit or not, as it extends up somewhat high. Cup tops will either match the slope there or they will cut into it.
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PRODUCT PICTURE VS IN-PERSON First off--I think this bra is very different than what I expected based on pictures. As another reviewer said, the color in person is a darker tan than I thought it would be. It is a bit too dark to be a good match for my pale skin tone, but this is probably good news for some people who find most "nude" bras a couple shades too light.
(edit: I uploaded a picture to compare the color of the latte Cleo Asher with the beige Panache Emily: https://www.bratabase.com/picture/dpqbk/. The Emily works great with my skin tone under white shirts, while the Asher is much notably darker. Based on product photos I expected a bra that was more the color of the Emily)
There's also a weird extra piece of fabric where the cup connects to the band, almost like a piping, that's darker than the rest of the cup... I am sure it is just decorative but I do not think it does anything for the bra so I wish it had been excluded!
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FIT VS. THE CLEO MARCIE This is probably the important info a lot of y'all will want!
Preface: Since I am somewhat small-chested, FoT vs FoB vs even matters less in my range than in larger size ranges, and I managed to find a great fit in both the pink Cleo Marcie and Cleo Lily in multiple colorways, even though people say the Lily is usually even while Marcie is THE FoT bra, just as an example.
My first thought was that it fit very differently than the Marcie, but I went to my (6 year old!) review of the pink Marcie (https://www.bratabase.com/picture/did9t/) and the raspberry Marcie babydoll (https://www.bratabase.com/bra/dlylt/), and rediscovered that the pink colorway of the Marcie actually runs a hair small in the cup. The pink Marcie fit me and the slope of my tall roots perfectly, while the raspberry Marcie babydoll gapped slightly on top as I don't quite have enough upper fullness to fill it out. I don't have the raspberry babydoll with me at the moment to be able to see if it still fits the same after all these years, but the Asher does not gap on me. However, it doesn't QUITE fit the slope of my roots, causing me to not quiiiiite fill out the upper half of the cup as well as I would like, and causing some wrinkles under shirts that I am not super satisfied with.
It's hard to compare the fit of each, especially years apart and with variances in colorways, but I definitely don't think they fit quite the same. Some people have had success with both while some people have only had success with one, it's definitely hard to say. For whatever it is worth, I find the pink Cleo Marcie, the raspberry Marcie babydoll, and the latte Cleo Asher to each fit distinctly different from each other, even though they are all "the same."
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SHAPE Gives a beautiful rounded shape--I love 3 part cups with side support panels!!
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UNDER CLOTHES As mentioned in the beginning, the color isn't what I expected and as such does not quite work for my skin tone for white shirts.
I was worried about the upper cup design showing through shirts, but it is not as textured as I worried and I don't think that it would pose too much of an issue.
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CONCLUDING STATEMENTS I would be interested to try this bra in black if it goes on sale, to see if it fits like the pink (specifically!) Cleo Marcie does. Overall it fits differently than my two different versions of the Cleo Marcie; I wouldn't be afraid to give this a try regardless of how the Marcie specifically fit you, especially if you have had success with this style of 3 part cup in other models. In general, I would order your regular size, I think it is true to size. Read more 760 more words
This bra is absolutely a new favorite! I contacted Amazon about the sizing weirdness, and they confirmed that it was mis-tagged. Luckily, 28FF is the perfect size for me after some growth so it worked out beautifully. Kayla should fit those who fit well in Lily, but it's a bit more open on top and center projected. The band runs quite large, so be aware of that. I miss the old tight Cleo bands!
Full review on the blog! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
I think this size looks a lot like the lily parrots 30F except the wires are narrower which I'm a big fan of! I'm excited to see this review. I'd love to try one.
I love it so much! I do think it's a fairly similar fit to Lily, other than the more open top (which may wrinkle and gape on people with less upper fullness).
I like openness at the top as long as it's not on a molded bra. I can never get those to get along with me
This bra fits well and is comfortable, both in the band and cups. It has a decent amount of forward projection and doesn't dig in anywhere. I am accustomed to more substantial bras that are moulded or padded, and while I usually prefer the feeling of being 'locked and loaded', this Kali feels so light and free. It almost feels like being braless, but with some support. I don't feel it gives a lot of support, though. Things are definitely bouncing around and jiggling more than usual. I have very soft breast tissue and the cups are super thin and kind of stretchy. I'm not a huge fan of the heart design as it feels a bit juvenile.
This bra definitely runs a full cup large! That was always my favorite colorway.
Just another quick comment after checking the measurements you added. I have this bra in a 28F and the cups are definitely not 5.5" wide. Are you sure that's accurate?
I just double checked and changed it from 14 to 13 cm. It is definitely closer to 13 cm when I measure the between the inner edges of the underwire. Thanks!
Wow, you're right, Sonya ! That is some impressive projection right above the wire. Glad you found this gorgeous bra.
Thanks! :) I am so happy to be learning what to look for in order to find a bra that fits properly. I wish it was easier to find tiny band sizes though. My ribs are only 25". This bra in still slightly loose on the tightest hooks.
Overall cup is too small for me. This bra is shallow for me-although other reviews say otherwise. I'm so used to wearing Polish bras that the wings seem extra short.
I found this print too shallow, also. I suspicion there was a pattern change for the floral pattern.
Love4Pollinators I remember asking if there were any differences from the leopard print and floral, and it seemed no one really had an answer. I have the floral version on the way, so I'm hoping it fits.
I just checked the floral price on Amazon: I'm eager to know, definitively, if there is a pattern change. Looking forward to your review....always :-) :-)
Prettyncharmeuse, my experience with the blue animal print Mimi is similar to yours, with the added "benefit" of it being the most uncomfortable bra I own. I never understood what people meant when they complained about Panache wires, until I met Mimi.
My hypothesis is that the Darcy/Juna has softer, flexible cups which allow for projection at the expense of shape; while Mimis rigid cups force the wires below the IMF on projected folk. On me, this means it jams into the bottom of my rib cage (rib flare?) and is only kept from going further by the straps.
I also have the straps at their maximum (I'm only 5'4" and have 1.5-2" overlap on my other bras) and they're uncomfortable after time, again probably due to the bra being pushed down.
I was really excited to see the floral and dot colorways of Mimi, and bought the blue to test it out. Sadly, I'm pretty sure Mimi and I are done.
acee how did the blue Mimi fit? I don't think I've seen it yet (in not interested in buying that color, just interested in seeing it) I definitely get what you mean about the differences between Mimi and Juna. I really wish Cleo came out with more Juna sister cuts. I actually ordered the Juna in 34D because I wanted it that bad.
Love4Pollinators the floral Mimi just went up in price on Amazon a few days ago. In my size it was $43 now it's like $55. I got the floral one from bare necessities because it was $19.99, but I don't think they have a lot left. There's a lot of cheap bras at bare necessities right now. When I was on a laptop a 15% coupon popped up, so I got it for $16.
I also thought the wings were very short! If only I could find a bra with narrowly placed straps but tall wings. Then my armpits would be happy.
I thought it fit, until I moved. It looked nice, maybe a little empty at the straps due to my short roots and non-existent side tissue. The band was loose, and needed to be on the tightest hook (in my usual 28FF) for support. I also found the thick (relative to Darcy and Comexim 3HC) top of the cup to be very visible under clothes.
I never tried another colorway, so can't compare the fit. The pictures on this site are representative of the blue animal, though.
Darcy in 28FF is my sleep bra, but I quad too much to wear it during the day. Juna in 28G "fit", but the straps were too wide to be comfortable.
I hope floral works for you! It's a very cute bra.
Prettyncharmeuse Will you be listing this bra or did you send it back? I tried this in 30DD, and it was so close, but not quite right and definitely big in the band for me. I'm sending it back and have a blue leopard 28E on the way. If it works, I'll probably want the orange one too, but everyone is out of it.
So far it is the best bra fit I've found after many tries. I really like wearing it but it does have that one unfortunate problem of being very thick at the top of the cup. I really don't care about seams showing but this is actually a ridge and is much too visible.
musica_476 I still have the bra. I bought it from large cup lingerie, which is a UK company. I'm not going to return it, because it would probably cost more than the bra was. I initially was going to buy the 28F, but it's sold out now. I saw your fit reuqest, and thought about you. I'll definitely be listing this bra, since it doesnt fit me. avakatz the visible ridge is what kept me from spending a lot on the floral Mimi, but since I just paid $17, I don't think that's too bad.
Wait, this is not a Juna clone is it?
renemy no, it's not. I wish thehave still made Juna clones.
Yeah me too. Do you know if they have plans for any more? I can't find this info anywhere
I also got this Mimi from LGL recently. Mine is a 28ff and can say it fits me better than the floral 30f. The floral feels larger due to the band being looser. I haven't measured them yet, but it is possible there is a difference in cup volume also. The 10£ price with free shipping was just an offer I couldn't ignore. :)
I love the Panache Porcelain model and I'm pretty sure Maddie draws much inspiration from that iconic t-shirt bra. Maddie is indeed very, very much like the Panache Porcelain Viva; with a a few small differences in shaping and details. First of all, typical to Cleo, the band is stretchier. After my experience with Juna's incredibly unstable band, I ordered 28 in Maddie, instead of my usual 30. Maddie's cups are, again, quite like Porcelain Viva, but Maddie's cups are "open" (similar to Juna only in this respect). Also, Maddie's cups are definitely "padded". If they were even the slightest bit thicker they would feel bulky to me. (I prefer the very lightly lined Porcelain cups). It's highly likely that I will buy more Maddies, but I think the 30DD size will be work better at keeping my boobs from migrating out the sides of the cups. Maddie's band is firmer an tighter than Juna's and overall it feels more supportive.
Pros: Plush and comfortable material Cups conform to the tops of my breasts well. No gaping, unlike the Deco or many other popular plunges
Neutral: The band of the coral version is VERY firm; I almost couldn't wear it at first. Thankfully, it also stretched within the first week of wear. It's still a pretty firm 28. The black version is not quite as firm, though! The cups are wide and shallow, so you might consider going up a cup size.
Cons: The straps are typical Cleo, too wide-set and can irritate my armpits The cups are a little too tall
With good scooping & scooping, I can get some pretty impressive cleavage with this bra. My bigger left side quads a little, but a 28F would probably be too tall for my frame and in this case I'd rather have the cleavage https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
This is a pretty looking and mostly comfortable bra. This Cleo by Panache Della Balconnet reminds me of one of my 34DD Unlined Victoria Secret Balconnet, only this has a smaller band and slightly less wide cups because it is smaller in size. The wires also feel a little less harsh/firm. That bra was black and see through fine "mesh" This bras material feels similar only it's a (Navy?) With a nice floral print. It feels feminine but not too youthfully girly. I liked the Victoria Secret bra, and I do like this though neither fit me perfectly.
The bra cups are a little small on me, especially ...on my larger breast. I wish it were an F or FF cup. I do like the 28 band, it originally measured firm but this feels like it has a good amount of stretch to it, which could be good or bad depending. It really brings my breast forward, but still seems to cause them to be lifted weirdly. Like they are supported but without giving me that cleavage boost look that I like. The wires are not too wide and for once the wires go under my IMF enough on both breasts and do not have a lot of (if any) empty space outside of the cups, which is surprising and probably in part due to sizing down in the cups. They arent too narrow but if they were any more narrow or if my breasts were much fuller they would maybe be too narrow and not enclose all my breast tissue. Most of my bra cups are usually 6 to 8 inches wide, fitting better on the smaller end of that range. The bra straps are almost too far away, probably just because it is a balconnet bra, but they not rubbing in and are fine. I am just glad they arent farther apart. They are thinner than my preference, as is the band because it only has 2 hooks per row. The band being supportive and firm enough makes up for it though. The material is mostly comfortable and not itchy but the cups feel a little tight on my nipples which may be because they are lifted to where a seam exists. I prefer bras that give me a better cleavage boost sometimes unlined bras that are a little small do kind of give me that look but something about this bra doesn't. Maybe it's the gore not being overlapping wires, or the cups somehow being kind of closed at the top for a Balconnet bra. I do like my Cleo bras, the wires seem to be on the more narrow side, which I think I need. 28F or 28FF would have fit better, my padded cleo fits in a size 28FF. My boyfriend thinks this one looks quite small on me, and when I scoop and swoop I can get a lot of boob popping out on my larger side. My breasts are now smaller and less full than they were before. They seem to be functionally FOB and usually have a lot of inner fullness and are close set when supported. They use to be much larger and rounder and more full everywhere. They are softer on top now and a bit more pointy instead of round and my nipples are slightly east west when not supported. I am short and petite so compared to some my shoulders are more narrow and I need more narrow wires. One breast is larger then the other and they have different root origins so it can be hard to get it right. I plan to trade and unload some bras and get some more Polish bras soon. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 517 more words
I wanted so desperately to fit into this bra! I have tried all sizes that might fit me but this bra just isn't for me. It's well made and beautiful but is not going to fit on my body comfortably.
This is the first of my fitting bras, and I do love it to this day even though it in no way fits me anymore.
Excellent quality! And out of all the bras I've tried on, this is the most comfortable one. The gores were bothersome at first, but with wearing over time the fabric softened. Gives the best of support! The bra has a sturdy feel. I kinda like the design, the pink/orange color combo is cute. The bow in the middle is sort of sideways because the cup separation is so small, but I like the frillyness of the edges. The gores are the perfect width, my boobs are squishable and my roots so narrow that the wires have to be sort of rounded and smallish to be properly snug, and the Cleo Lily does this well.
Cleo is aimed at much younger women, hence the tacky patterns and colors. Too bad they are the best fit for so many less-young women (or less in to bright colors and weird pattern women)
Cleo Lily is sadly long discontinued, so if you find another in your size, you may want to snatch it up sooner rather than later. I personally love the "ugly" swan and parrot prints, but I agree that more options would be nice.
dbmamaz Ahh well that makes sense. Yeah, perhaps I can mail Panache and ask them if they can make some new Cleo Lilys but with a different appearance..? Hmm. I'll look into this.
kohakuriver (ohh my gosh your username!!) Will do! Hahah naww, it's nice to hear that someone enjoys them :D It's a cute pattern but far from what I would prefer. Then again, I have a dream of becoming a lingerie model, so my tastes are a bit more lacy and decorative x)
I normally wear a 30D, and based on reviews went one band size down and one cup size up with the Maddie. The cups are STILL too small, which is incredible to me. The band fits comfortably even if it seems to be riding up a bit in the photo (that's from me desperately yanking on the straps trying to give more space to the top of the cups so I could lie to myself about it fitting), and the cups are incredibly soft, so I'd be willing to try a 28F if not for the fact the gore is too wide as well. It sits flat, but has to push my breast tissue out of the way to do so, which only serves to cause even more quadboob toward the center of the cup. All of this is a shame, because the bra is VERY comfortable otherwise, looks quite well constructed to last a long time, and I am still on a quest for a skin-tone t-shirt bra that fits just right.
Like you, the gore was too wide for me also. If you are open to wireless options, Wacoal How Perfect wireless has space for center projection, rounds beautifully, and is surprisingly supportive. Its band, however, runs small. And, if you have projected breasts, sizing up in the band helps, too.
The Maddie's way too shallow for you to fit in this size I think. Do you have breast tissue UNDER the gore? If not, sizing up to 28F could still work. I have a Simone Perele foam cup (caresse 3D, in case you're interested, but it is much pricier than Cleos unfortunately) in which I shamelessly sized up to a cup volume that's technically way too big, but it works to get the projection I need at the center. The sides of the cup are empty but since it's foam that's not visible and causes no discomfort.
wendybien , when I first started trying on bras at the beginning of my proper fit journey, I tried on a Simone Perele foam cup and it felt absolutely amazing and looked great, but the 30 band was loose and that was on the tightest hook. The lack of band support just isn't worth the price point. I'd rather save up for a 65F or 70E Comexim.
oh, sorry, I just ended up going off on a tangent there to give an example of how I had sized up to fit into a bra that is technically more shallow than my shape calls for. I didn't mean that I wanted to recommend the SP for you. What I was suggesting was trying a 28F in this Cleo Maddie, because it looked to me like the main problem was a lack of space on the inner upper quadrant rather than a wide gore. The Maddie's gore isn't very wide at all.
My breasts are quite close together. Any gore wider than .5" is sitting on my breast tissue if it is taller than a plunge.
Maddie has a strange shape as far as I'm concerned. The cups are very wide and shallow, yet the sides are short, so it seems to be designed to push everything out the sides. 28DD - Cleo » Maddie Moulded T-shirt Bra (7201) In addition to the wide, shallow cups, the center gore is SO wide and the straps are ridiculously far apart. It must be designed for larger rib cages.
The band fits nice and comfy on the loosest hook, No pressure, no digging in. The wires don't dig in either. The cups are filled perfectly when I stand up straight, no gaps or overspill. The ONLY issue is when I lean over or slouch the cups gape a lot in the sides which is weird but. It's a super molded cup and doesn't really bother me as it isn't even visible in a shirt. I purchased this bra new with tags and I didn't even need to adjust the straps! and I normally do.
The wires are wider in this cup than the 28DD Marcie, so it goes back a little bit too far for me personally, but it's not uncomfortable, especially because the fabric is thicker along the wire channels.
This is NOT the same shape as the Marcie, I have now determined. It's still not bad for even breasts but it genuinely fits a lot more like the Cleo Meg Balconnet (6751) due to the fabric on the top being firmer and more closed on top.
The wires are a tad wide on me, but not uncomfortably so. It's most noticeable right after I scoop & swoop, but my breast tissue soon "settles" into the sides of the cups. Because of that, I'm going to say that it fits. I initially thought I had a wider root, but this bra has led me to believe that I actually have an average, somewhat narrow root (for reference, the wires on the Freya Deco are perfect on me.) The lace on top is a bit loose, but not enough to warrant sizing down (the 28DD would definitely be too small.) Other than that, the cups fit ...wonderfully, and the gore tacks. The best thing about this bra is how tight the band is. My underbust measurement is about 26-27" and this bra has a wonderfully snug band. One thing I must add is that the gore is a bit uncomfortable. It digs in, but not in a painful way. It just makes my sternum really itchy. I might try bending the gore outwards a bit and see what happens.
The bra itself is gorgeous. I'm not huge on pink, but I love the pastel color and the floral print. I realized after getting this bra that half of my bras are now floral prints... I might have a problem. Read more 112 more words
The gore is too high and wide for me (I have close-set breasts) and cuts a bit into my breast tissue and sternum. On my smaller side, the cup wrinkles slightly because my breast doesn’t completely fill the cup, and the wrinkles (and seams in general) are very visible under t-shirts. The material the cups are made of is also itchy.
Decided to try this bra out since I discovered Marci was my unicorn bra right as it got discontinued. I would say overall they're pretty comparable for me with a few exceptions. The most noticeable difference for me is that the Asher cups aren't as deep. Wearing my normal 28E size, I get what I can only describe as "box boob" - not quite the infamous quad boob but definitely clearly recognizable as an unnatural boob shape. The Asher seems a little more open at the top of the cup than Marcie and I get a little more gaping when leaning forward or moving my arms. From a ...neutral position though the top of the cup still lays flat against my skin so this is minor, just slightly different from my Marcie. I plan to try a larger size to see if this works better for me as I like everything else about the bra and was really excited to see a Cleo bra in more neutral tones!
Update: I tried the Asher in 28F and no more "box boob" and gives a really nice rounded, uplifted shape (very similar to my 28E Marci). I stand by my comment about the Asher cups being more open on the top compared to Marci. For reference I have even and center-full boobs. Asher may be a good option for those with a similar shape/or who are slightly more full on top. Read more 130 more words
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.
The underwires on this bra are wide, and the cups are shallow, both of which made it a good fit for me. It also produces a noticeably lifted and rounded shape, which I was thrilled by!
Even though it's marketed as a T-shirt bra, the combination of thick padding and the lacy detail on the upper edge of the cups means that it doesn't really give a smooth appearance under thin or form-fitting tops, but works well under thicker or more structured tops. The only feature that I wasn't entirely happy with were the straps, which are very wide set.
What a beautiful bra and it looks great on you! You may need a cup size up but maybe not. Looks like it might quad a teensy bit on your one side but it's really not that bad. Did you try under a shirt?