It's my go-to bra right now as my body is changing so rapidly. Sure, it's too shallow, sure it's way too wide, but it doesn't hurt me. So pah!!

Nude colorway

Updated on Jul 09, 2018 Flag this

The band on this is waaaaay too loose, it fits like a 30 band. Band runs more true to size in the black colorway. Cups were too small for me, so there were some in-cup quadding despite the stretch lace, the wires were too short on the sides, and the cups weren't tall enough. This also causes wrinkles on the outer fabric of the cup. Because of its stretch lace it works well for fuller-on-top breasts or breasts with tall roots. The gore was too high and wide for my super close-set boobs so it was rather uncomfortable. Not a fan of the appearance - don't really like polka dots and the color combination isn't exactly very appealing. But functionally speaking it's good quality.

Blue/Teal colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 21, 2017 Flag this

Very tight band (typical of Cleo lol). I think I lack the upper fullness to fill out the top of the cups, and there is a strange bulge, especially where the lace part connects to the rest of the cup.

The detailing/embroidery on the lace is actually really cute and I didn't notice as much in pictures! It definitely adds to my opinion of the bra.

I think this could be more of a FoT bra (I'm pretty even), or maybe I just need to try a size down, I'm not sure! My tall roots are definitely affecting the fit at the top, but even if my ... breast tissue were concentrated lower I don't think I would have enough tissue to fill out the top. I will update review later.

Edit: removed the following because it was simply due to the underwires being pushed to the other end of the wire channels:
"I think the gore was bent outward and is the reason why it doesn't sit perfectly flush on my skin, but it's also migrating sideways as if it were too wide. I've never had a problem with wide gores, so I think that it may just be because the gore is bent too far. I will try to bend it back some and see if it helps."
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Aug 21, 2017 Flag this

Ohh I hate it this painful thing. the wire at the gore sit on top of my tissue and I get orange in a glass effect, there's bunched-up unfilled fabric below the top edge of the cup. On one breast I get pain in my outer side because I think this bra is forcing my boobs too much inward. Cups too short for my tall roots and I feel like I'm spilling out and unsupported.

Me: tall roots reaching collarbone, very close-set (touching), average to narrow width, shallow, splayed east-west, FOT or even (unsure), centre-full horizontally (for this reason I don't usually wear plunges), high set, short torso, broad shoulders, size asymmetry. Measurements: 26" snug UB and 34" leaning bust.

Navy colorway

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Updated on Aug 12, 2017 Flag this

This bra fits me quite well. The band is TTS, so a smidge loose on me, but not too bad since the boning gives it stability. The cups are also TTS and a great fit for my short roots. The fabric on top wrinkles a tad, but not much.

I know some people have found the side wings to be annoyingly tall, but I didn't have an issue with them. I'm very low-set, though, so I may be the outlier, who knows. The color and the lace pattern are lovely.

Acid Coral colorway

Updated on Jul 07, 2017 Flag this

Unexpectedly cute, very colorful, and pretty comfy. It's a bit more projected than Hettie, but also needs more upper fullness than I have.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 05, 2016 Flag this

This bra is brilliant for my shallow, wide rooted breasts and is one of only a few bras that can give me a decent cleavage and has a low enough gore to go under any low cut tops/dresses. It's sits really well and encloses me completely and I feel supported and does give a good rounded smooth shape under clothes but it is still a shallow shape. Therefore, I usually wear it with fairly low plunging necklines but would sometimes rather wear my Bravissimo Satine with a medium shallow plunge or my Cleo Maddie for a low but rounded/square neckline for a little more of a projected shape as I am already pretty shallow, but is till looks good under a tight fitting top of any neckline.

Nude colorway

Updated on Aug 28, 2016 Flag this

This bra's most important feature is that it is very closed on top, which makes it very nice for someone with short roots. The wires are narrow -- just a smidge too wide for me, but not a dealbreaker. I'm going to alter the gore to make it narrower. It's not overly wide, I'm just very close set!

Good quality, fun color, overall a bra I'm pleased with. This is probably the closest to a Polish fit that you'll find in a British bra, especially for those who are a true 26. It runs quite tight in the band, tighter than Lucy despite being a sister cut, so size up. I'm a small 26 so I found this band a bit loose still, but it's a great choice for those who are too small for a Freya or CK 28.

Neon Lime colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on May 21, 2016 Flag this

- 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.
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white colorway

Updated on Feb 13, 2016 Flag this

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.
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Heart print colorway

Updated on Feb 08, 2016 Flag this

This bra is super cute! It gives a nice rounded shape, although with the one seam it can be slightly pointy depending on the angle you look at it. The top is slightly gape-y on me, so it could probably fit full on top boobs fairly well. The straps are somewhat short in my opinion, they fit me fine as long as I loosen them almost all the way, so if you are tall or have low set boobs that could be an issue. The band is nice and snug which I love!

Updated on Nov 11, 2015 Flag this

I have wide, even breast with tall (and shallow) roots.

I have the Cleo Marcie itself in candy pink, and now the babydoll in rasperry. I have heard that the pink Marcie runs small, and now I believe that to be the case! The raspberry babydoll gaps at the top, especially on my right side. Shortening the strap made little difference.

Off the body, the bodice seems very, very short. On the body, it does not seem as short (though it honestly will still probably be shorter than you are expecting it to be!). There is elastic along the bottom of the skirt, and the whole skirt is stretchy which ... is interesting. The skirt does not meet in the back.

It has been a long time since I have written a review, and thus I am not sure what else to say, lol.

I got this babydoll off of Amazon for 35USD (it shipped from England, however), so if you are really wanting to try this, go get it while it is on sale (as it is something that rarely goes on sale)!
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raspberry colorway

Updated on Aug 24, 2015 Flag this

I have even to slightly FoT breasts but they are super squishy and slightly splayed. This bra works pretty well for me, being a bit too small but not enough to cause problems. The cups have a little bit of puckering and a little bit of quading as well as being slightly too far apart from each other. The gore width doesn't hurt, only leaves marks that last for days (as per all of Cleo's bras) so that's how I know it's slightly too wide.
The colorway I got is super pretty even though I'm not very girly and it being coral and deep, saturated pink. It looks feminine without being high maintenance looking, princess-ey or childish. I still want to try the Lilly in 28F though because the Swan print is super pretty!

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 24, 2015 Flag this

I have reason to believe this is actually the Olivia, but it DOES say Alexa on the tag as pointed out by the user who sent me this bra.
It's super cute, I love the polkadots. The band felt tight the first time I wore it, but after wearing it for a while it felt more comfortable. I'm not used to wearing bands that I don't have to wear on the tightest hook and racer back them so they don't ride up a bunch https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" />
The wires were a good length, they didn't dig in or anything. While I believe the cup fit me, it did wrinkle a bit (I'm going to pretend it was supposed to do that because it actually looks really cute wrinkled >.> Am I nuts?) I think my breasts are too shallow for this bra, and it would be good for someone who's more FoT.
Also, the straps tend to fall down on me, which isn't the hugest issue. I can always make it racerback.

Updated on Jan 30, 2015 Flag this

I'm so on the fence about this bra. There are a lot of things I like about it, and it hits all the 'fit' checkmarks. It was the best out of a pile of bras (Juna, Rhea, and the Aqua Maddie) I ordered in various sizes to try from Breakout, and my husband convinced me to keep it.

I love orange, and I love that the bra is smooth with minimal details. The band is characteristic of Panache/Cleo - tightish for a 28, and fits me ok (I feel best in tight 28s and 26s)

The thing I'm on the fence about is the shape, ... and the way the top of the cups looks under shirts. The top edge of the bra, while not quadding, definitely shows under snug shirts. The overall shape seems to push out wide and has a general flattening effect on me.

I wore the Freya Deco Half cup in a few sizes over a year or so? Aside from the band being too big, It always gaped in the center, near the gore, which puzzled me. Maddie fits great around the center gore, but tends to gape occasionally around the strap / opposite edge of the cup, near the wire.

If I weren't dabbling in 55-band bras from Ewa and Comexim, this would probably be my best-fitting bra, but now I don't think the shape is right for me.

Keeping it for now because it hits all the fit checkmarks, and ..orange. (=
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 07, 2014 Flag this

The Cleo Jude (5846) is a great plunge bra, especially once broken in. When new the cups can feel a little stiff but they aren't thick and have no extraneous padding, which is wonderful! It's impossible to find a plunge bra with this style, in this size range, without bump pads, which I can't stand.

Even with no padding this bra manages to give a really nice rounded and lifted shape. The band is probably true to size. On me, this particular one is very tight but I shouldn't have ordered a 28 -- in Cleo bras I seem to have better luck ... with 30 bands. With this bra I use an extender and I will definitely be purchasing a 30DD in the future if I can find one.

The texture of the lace on the cups doesn't show through shirts but the color of the lace may show through thin or sheer material, as may the contrast-color straps.

All in all, this is actually one of my favorite bras and I'm NOT happy that it's discontinued! (Apparently, I'm the only person in the whole wide world who actually liked it, haha.) Fortunately, it has been succeeded by the Cleo Neve Plunge T-shirt Bra (7196) , which I also love.

*** When I first bought this bra I was nursing and so in the pictures the cups look about 1/2 cup too small. I've since stopped nursing, and the cups fit normally now. Incidentally, this bra has held up amazingly well!! It still looks like it did the day I bought it and the band hasn't even stretched out -- I still need the extender. Great quality from Cleo!
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 08, 2014 Flag this

Hello, all! School is back with a vengeance, and it's been snowing like it's nobody's business outside for the last few days. That and the fact that parking lot has transformed into a skating rink ...

http://allsfairinloveandlingerie.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/reviewed-cleo-melis...

Updated on Apr 07, 2014 Flag this

MEB

217 reputation

35 bras

Wow. I never thought I would be able to wear a soft cup bra. Of course, in the past I was always trying the wrong size, so they were always way too loose, way too narrow, and way too deep for me.

This bra is not only beautiful and unique in color, it actually fits.

Technically, this shape is too full-on-bottom for me. (Would be good for FOB, maybe even-fullness as well) The top lace slides down the top of my breasts and creates a slight ridge. If I pull it up all the way, it cuts in a slight bit and then slides back down again. I ... could very easily hand tack it down and no one would be able to tell, and everything else fits absolutely perfectly. Thank you so much nufin for altering the band, it seems like it was made just for me. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> (You did a really good job too, it looks so professional!) It's really firm and comfortably tight and doesn't slide around during the day at all.

Since this is my first unlined bra, maybe it isn't right, maybe I'm just crazy. But it's comfortable and doesn't cause my pain in any way! (Except the very first breaking-in wearing, of course.) There MIGHT be slight pulling lines in the bottom half of the cups, so maybe the cups are too small? Whatever the tightness, the cups surprisingly push my breasts up and they look superbly round. (I had feared a soft cup would make me look pointy.) The cups have two layers of mesh, so they're very supporting and there's only slight show-through while nipping. The seams and embroidery would should through t-shirts, so I recommend this for medium-weight fabrics and/or fabrics with texture.

The color is absolutely gorgeous; a beautiful seafoam green. There are so many appliqués that make the bra so cute and elegant. It reminds me of a sun-dress and a grassy field of flowers! ^.^

Currently, my breasts are a bit swelled due to PMS and bloating, so the cups fit a bit tighter than they did two days ago, but it's hardly noticeable.
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This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered band,

Updated on Feb 27, 2014 Flag this

Moulded T-Shirt-bra in a halfcup/balconnette style. It has shallow cups and relatively wide wires, so it fits well on wide root shallow boobs.

In the correct size, this bra gives good uplift, a rounded shape, and it goes well under tight clothing and tank tops.

It's very comfortable to wear. I often have problems with pokey wires (I'm looking at you, Cleo Juna (6461) and Cleo Marcie (6831)) but the wires of the Karen are comfy because they end up lower on my sternum.
Also, unlike other 'fitted' bras, the cups do not have too much coverage and the thin straps work well with any kind of tank top.

The only "con" I found is that the band is on the stretchier side, so if you are between band sizes or prefer a tight fit, you probably have to sister-size down.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 12, 2013 Flag this

The material is sheer but also quite stiff, so I wouldn't worry about wearing it under a thin shirt unless it were white. It's an older model so the hooks are rounded instead of squared like newer Cleos, and I like that it's unique in my collection. The embroidery is very intricate along the top of the cups and the middle of the band. I'm not a fan of the flowery embellishments along the band, but they were easily removed without leaving a hole or anything. The band is quite firm, comparable to the band of the Cleo Marcie (6831) (28E, I'm not sure how comparable ... they are in bigger bands). It produces a round, lifted shape. It's made for projected shapes, so on my tall/shallow boobs, it cuts in at the top and wrinkles along the diagonal seam, producing the notorious "George fold."

I made it fit by sewing down the fold to make the cups more open on top. This reduced the depth at the top of the cup. The rest fits great. I would recommend this alteration to any shallow ladies out there. It reshapes the cups to fit like Cleo Juna (6461).
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Updated on Aug 09, 2013 Flag this