The Pixie is one of the rare Cleo bras where the contrasting colors don’t clash and I actually like the pattern. Better yet, it fits me like a glove. I feel as though the Marcie sisters cuts have the narrowest wires in this size, and this particular model has lots of projection, as well as center fullness. It also gives a perfectly rounded and uplifted shape. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about it!
My pics are from early 2014 when the bra still fit quite well, now it's quite small.
First of all, the band is too tight now. If you go by the +2 or +0 method the band should be fine but my skin is very sensitive to too tight bands and bulky seams. I can get away with wearing the lovely flamingo-y Darcy in the first half of the cycle when my boobs are smaller but coming closer to PMS-boobs I get massive quadroboobing and the wire will get too narrow on the bigger side. In comparison with Juna this Darcy is slightly bigger in the cups and due to ...the more sturdy padding (not comparable with a moulded Maddie though) the shape is a tad different. An issue I usually have with Cleo bras is that I have to extend the straps almost to their maximum length. It's ok but I'd like some more leeway. The design is adorable, I love the yellow with just a tinge of green and the pink flamingos.
When my skin wasn't really upset with bulgy or itchy seams I really liked wearing Darcy even though it wasn't my most comfortable bra. Now I can get away with Darcy for a working day but when I come home I want to take of my bra first thing after taking of shoes an jacket because the band hurts and also the underwire hurts on the ribcage on the smaller side. However, Darcy is going to stay because I did not give up hope on losing the weight I put one in the course of a year.
If you're fine with Cleo Juna, just get Darcy in the same size. Even if you're not faring that well with Juna due to slightly too shallow cups, the flamingo-Darcy might be worth a try. The band of course runs looser than with unpadded Cleo bras, so I'd always size down from your Marcie/Kali/Lucy/Hettie/Ellis/Meg [...] bandsize. In my opinion the cups run between half and quarter of a size smaller than the unpadded styles as well. Read more 234 more words
Finally the stars aligned and I had Amazon credit when a 28e black Marcie was actually available. Hurrah! Except not hurrah! It's actually bigger and/or cut differently than the pink 28f I have. The band is looser, the apex seems to be a lot higher (or deeper?) and maybe the cup is less open on top? It did not dig into my sternum for once, which was nice, but the rest was a mess. The pink Marcie is not perfect (a little big, but not terrible). I'm not sure where it all fell apart, but this was kind of the issue I had with the raspberry one as ...well.
I think maybe the Marcie really doesn't fit me, but the earlier styles are more forgiving. The yellow 28dd is incredibly tight and too shallow for me, but the shape is roughly good for me and my high roots, close setness, etc., like the pink one. This could also be a short person problem, since I am 4'10", but I did think the Marcie is low cut. Sad, so sad. Returning this one. Back to the drawing board, and one bra forever. Read more 84 more words
I found the yellow Marcie a tiny bit larger in the cup than the pink one in the same size. They are not my best fitting Cleos though, seem shallower than Meg, Lily or Maya.
I am full on top with average projection, and I often use this bra's cup structure as a baseline to determine if cups will cut into my top-half tissue. The 28 band is nice and snug, which I love because my underbust measures below 28 inches. The lace is not itchy. It is also smooth enough (if filled out) to be worn under some of my tightest shirts. My only complaint is that it feels heavy duty but doesn't do as much heavy-duty lifting as my padded bras.
November 2015 Update: I don't know why I never posted pictures of me wearing this, it fit me perfectly with an extender (except the short wire problem), but I've definitely outgrown it a long time ago.
Original 2014 Review: This bra fits really well in the cups and makes me think that my Cleo: George is too small. The color is bright and awesome and the fabric is very comfortable.
The minor problem? I need an extender. I never thought I would say this, but the band is actually painfully tight and just barely stretches to my comfortable full-breath circumference.
The major problem? The underwires are almost an inch shorter ...than the channels. Combined with the tight band, OUCH!!! They dig in to my ribs on my sides and leave very deep, bright red dents in my skin! Because the wires stop short on the sides, the fabric directly above stands away from my skin due to the tension and allows some tissue to escape out the sides.
The good thing is that this bra definitely works for full-on-top shapes, which I am, so yay! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> I will buy an extender and hopefully it will fit perfectly in no time! Read more 95 more words
November 2015: Not sure why I never uploaded pictures of me wearing this... Darn. But so far, the Maddie has been my tried and true bra and I now wear it in 28FF and it fits perfectly. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
Original Review: When I first bought this bra, it fit almost perfectly. The straps were really wide in the front, so if I wasn't standing perfectly erect, my armpits press the cups forward and they gap a tiny bit next to my arms. But other than that, the band was nice and firm, I filled the cups well, and they encased my tissue on the ...sides well.
Now, the same gaping occurs, but I quadboob at the center of the cups. When I first swoop and scoop, I am exploding out of the cups, but due to the band stretching out and the before mentioned gaping due to too-wide straps, my breasts end up slipped into my armpits. I have remeasured my breasts, and retried on my bras, and they definitely do fit differently. Curvy Kate Tempt Me in 28E used to be too big, and now it just fits. The Kensie Corselette bra used to gap a tiny bit and now it doesn't. Cleo Marcie is a bit too small. Freya Ashlee half-cup in 30DD (with an altered band) is too small.
I'm not quite sure where to go from here. After looking at other bra measurements, I don't know if I need to upgrade to a 28F or stay a 28E. Cleo bras seem a bit smaller than other brands, so maybe I'll size up in Cleo but stay a 28E for now in other bras. I haven't had much success outside Cleo Maddie and Marcie with my shape, so I'm still searching for other bras that fit well from other brands. Read more 197 more words
November 2015: Still doesn't fit. Definitely would be too small in the cups now.
Original 2014 Review: (Pictures soon, then maybe this review can be a bit shorter!)
In good news, I finally tried on a 28E!!!! It only took, like, over a year! To start, I absolutely love wearing a 28 band. The cups are the right width and the band keeps the wires in place under my arms.
In bad news, sadly, I don't think I can keep this bra. It's not the right shape and hurts a bit after wearing it only twice. Maybe it's because I'm not used to a 28 band, maybe it's because the ...band only connects at the sides rather than goes under the wires, maybe because I finally am wearing it at the correct height, maybe because I slouch. Any way, the wires dig into my ribs after several hours. I don't think they're sitting on breast tissue, but the cups don't fit right so maybe.
From reading the measurements online, I figured that the cup volume would be a little big, but I should have believed the reviews. (I've never worn a 28E before so I didn't even know if it was my true, recommended size.) It's definitely not the correct shape. I'm not sure if it's the right size or if I need a 28F because it fit perfectly in the underarms but cut in. It wasn't quite quadboob, it was more like the cup curved back in too fast. There is a slight bubble not firmly filled directly above my apex, yet the top of the cup cuts in, so again I think it could be the right size but definitely not the right shape.
I have wide roots with tissue that goes up really high on my chest, shallow/medium projection with a slight conical shape, and I think somewhere balanced and full-on-top. My root tissue touches at my sternum, but my breasts are still wide, so they "east-west." This cup seems better fit for medium width tissue (not really narrow or wide) that doesn't travel very far up the chest, and is more full-on-bottom so that the cups won't cut in in the top.
I really like the look of this bra. It has a tiny gore with close together wires (which I really like and need) and although the wires don't go up too high in the armpits, it's tight so my tissue doesn't slide out. The lace trim and bow are really cute, and I like that the straps are scallop-edged and match the color of the lace details.
One of the bad things appearance-wise is that the bra makes my breasts look a bit ski-slope-ish, (again, not a good shape on me). I also have an issue with the band. The material is not nearly as supportive as the elastics that border the edges, so the elastics dig in and there's a very unattractive bulge between the elastics where the fabric stretches more. The straps are a bit too wide so I have to tighten them to keep them from slipping off, which causes them to dig into the front of my armpits after a couple of hours.
I'll probably have to put it back in the listings because after only 2 short wears, it's a bit uncomfortable. Hopefully it will find its home soon and I can actually buy a bra that fits!! Read more 455 more words
I want to love this bra because it is widely available and comes in many color options. Unfortunately the gore is stabby and the straps fall down. Story of my (bra)life.
This bra surprisingly fit. Very few 28E bras fit me (the only one besides this is the 28E - Curvy Kate » Desire (SG1801) ). The Cleo Jude fits very few people but it fits me for some reason.
Cleo Jude was the only bra that I could find to fit my youngest daughter. The Neve and Maddie both gapped along the front edge. I went around frantically snapping up all of the Jude 28D's I could find. I hope she doesn't outgrow them anytime soon. I just recently found one other bra that fits very like the Cleo Jude and is a great fit for her. The Tatiana Cotton T-Shirt Bra from Boux Avenue (http://www.bouxavenue.com/tatiana-cotton-t_shirt-bra-blue-marl/100151-70by). It comes in white, black, and lilac (I got her the lilac in 28D). The band runs small (21" unstretched, 27.5" max stretch). This is great news for her as she's really a 26DD, but might mean sizing up in the band for others. The cups are very wide and shallow and have the same shape as the Cleo Jude, at least in the smaller size range. If you don't live in the UK, you have to call their customer service number and order over the phone with a credit card. They also charge a flat shipping fee of 10 pounds sterling, so it's more economical to buy several bras at a time in order to justify the high shipping charge.
ColorFan if you are looking or more bras for her you might try Breakout Bras, they have a tendency to put Jude in their grab bags. I think they are trying to get rid of them. US shipping is free, you could try ordering a grab bag from them 4 bras for $60, there is a 2 bra option but i'ts not as good of a value. In the notes you could put that Jude and the Tatiana work best, and they usually try to give at least a couple bras you request or similar styles to them.
Thanks amandafire I already got her about 9 Cleo Jude bras, 5 of which came from BreakOut Bras. She's set for now, but I'm crossing my fingers that she won't grow out of them anytime soon!
This bra is going to be a keeper for me. It gives me very slight quad boob. And I think it gives me some sort of back fat as well as underarm fat, that I don't have with any other bra. The underarm fat goes away when I swoop and scoop, but then I get serious quad boob. I like the way this bra fits, it's very comfortable. As with all moulded bras I have a little space between my breasts and the wire. The only issue I feel I really have with this bra is the straps. I can't seem to get them to where they feel right, it's either a little too loose, or a little too tight. And there's very little space between being tight (digging in) and loose.
Update: after wearing this bra more than once, I can say the sides of the cup come up kind of high. And although I didn't adjust the steals from when I first got this, they didn't bother me when I wore the bra.
This bra is half a cup volume too big, which is a shame because the 28DD Cleo Maddie is half a cup volume too small. The bra is designed for someone with horizontally oriented breasts and mine are vertically oriented. There is empty space at the upper outer edges of the cups. Go for this bra if you are in between 28DD and 28E.
This bra is almost too big for me. The wires are broad enough for my broad roots, the cups are shallow, but I wish that the underwires didn't go up so high at the center gore. I also don't like how the lace wrinkles at the top edges of the cups.
So, I was always told by Juna fans that the lace on top is supposed to kind of wrinkle a bit. I know that sounds weird, but that's what they all said when it came out. lol
In terms of the fit I think it is a shape mismatch, that is why neither size really works perfectly... In terms of horizontally measured depth per se, the DD is probably OK, but the apex of the cup is really too low compared to your natural shape, so that depth isn't quite as high as you need it, if that makes sense. In the E cup, the apex and greatest depth are higher up, which works better for you, but it has more volume than you need overall.
I have decided that the Juna is for horizontal breasts. I have vertical breasts.
This bra mostly fits and is cuter than anything. However I think I need a cup size up in this model. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":-(" /> there is just to much quadboobage to justify keeping it. I am wide rooted, shallow, average height roots.
A lot of people have been saying that Juna, Maddie, and their respective clones run small in the cups. The best thing about Cleo is that they make different styles for different shapes (unlike some other brands, who only make styles for the same shape). The worst thing about Cleo is their size inconsistency. Juna, Maddie, and their respective clones run small in the cup. Lucy, Marcie, and their respective clones run true to size. Neve Strapless and Koko Icon run small in the band. Regular Neve and Koko run small in the band and cup.
grrrrrr
Ordering a 28F looks like a great idea since this is way too small - however, I would not even rule out a 28FF completely. Looking at the pictures and comparing to my own fitting experience with the Darcy, this might as well be 2 cup sizes too small.
I'd love to find another one but they're so hard to find these days! A 28FF sounds impossible! Until about...8-9 months ago I thought I was a 32b! But you're right, trying one on might just work.
I always see the Lily mentioned as being the most narrow and projected bra from a UK brand, as well as having both even and center fullness. That sounds like it ought to be great for my shape, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.
I didn’t find it to be narrower than other Cleo bras – if anything it seemed a bit wider, probably because the wires on the swan print Lily are extremely soft, to the point that they were distorted even by a correctly fitting band. It does have a lot of projection and center fullness, but the projection is pretty much all at the ...apex and the center; not only does it not allow for any fullness on the sides, but it is also surprisingly lacking in immediate projection at the underwires, more so than many FOT bras I’ve tried.
My main problem with it though was the fact that there was a vertical indentation running from the straps down to the underwires, even when I loosened the straps to the point that they were falling off. The indentation was not visible, but it made the bra feel too tight on the sides. I don’t know whether this was due to a lack of outer fullness, or if it is just a design flaw, but it was too uncomfortable for me to want to wear it on a regular basis. Read more 125 more words
This bra runs small in the cups (at least in the pink spot colorway). The 28E fits more like a 28DD, or maybe halfway between a 28DD and a 28E. Major quadboob on my larger side, slight quadboob on the smaller. As far as I can tell considering that it doesn’t have enough volume for me, the wires are fairly narrow, it is somewhat projected, and the top edge of the cup curves in sharply. I do think the shape would work for me if it were the right size, so I’ll have to see if I can find another Marcie sister cut that isn’t hideous. While I’m never going to love the Cleo aesthetic, I don’t totally hate this one, which is more than I can say for most Cleo bras. I do like the charm at the center which is a cut-out of a rose, and I like the color combination as well.
(I have this bra in two colorways, and will make the reviews match.)
Very cute bra. The mesh panel across the top of the cup is gorgeous! In this size range, it is accommodating to tall roots moderately well.
I wish the side panel were a bit higher, as I see a ever-so-slight bulge above the end of the wire--almost as if the underwires are slightly too narrow, but I do not think they are.
With significant wear, the thread on the sides of the mesh panel start to get fuzzy.
(I have this bra in two colorways, and will make the reviews match.)
Very cute bra. The mesh panel across the top of the cup is gorgeous! In this size range, it is accommodating to tall roots moderately well.
I wish the side panel were a bit higher, as I see a ever-so-slight bulge above the end of the wire--almost as if the underwires are slightly too narrow, but I do not think they are.
With significant wear, the thread on the sides of the mesh panel start to get fuzzy.
Thank you for that assessment. I've looked at this model a number of times, but I have tall roots as well, so it's good information for me to know. I always thought the upper cup closed off too low for me.
I'm generally not a flower or pink girl, but I really do enjoy this print. The band is tight (typical of Cleo). The cup is open on top, which causes some wrinkling for me (but not to terrible I wouldn't wear).
The Bonnie is a sister cut of the Lucy, and as such the fit is very similar to that of the Lucy. What that means in this size (28E): FOB, very narrow wires, wide gore, average or slightly above average projection. I did notice a few small differences, however, which actually made the Bonnie work a bit better for me than the Lucy. First of all, the gore is slightly lower on the Bonnie, meaning the width is less of a problem (although it’s still not great for close-set breasts). Also, I don’t experience the same gaping in the Bonnie as I do in the Lucy, probably because ...the embroidery on top doesn’t have any stretch to it. The Bonnie is also maybe a tiny bit deeper in the cup than the Lucy.
I’m generally not too fond of pink, or of the obnoxiously loud color combinations found in the Cleo brand, but the Bonnie is more understated than some, and I actually rather like the appearance of the bra, especially the geometric embroidery that looks like a spirograph. On the less positive side, the fabric is scratchy, more so than the Lucy, and not all that comfortable on the skin.
Unfortunately, as with the Lucy, the shape of the wires does not match the shape of my IMF and digs in to my ribs painfully on the bottom outside corners, so ultimately I can’t wear it. Read more 127 more words
I found the yellow Marcie a tiny bit larger in the cup than the pink one in the same size. They are not my best fitting Cleos though, seem shallower than Meg, Lily or Maya.