The Cleo Marcie has become a favorite ever since I got my first one, a Scarlet Red 28FF from Bravissimo in London. Sadly this older model doesn't have the same proportions, as the cup edge is lower and doens't seem to have the same cup depth despite being a sister size. The cups seem too small in general.
Quality wise it's excellent as I always expect from Panache. The band is firm, the cups are firm, nothing seems out of place and all the seams are where they should be.
When it comes to looks the Cleo Marcie is adorable, and this pink one is no exception. I prefer ...the newer styles but this one is still nice. The button in the middle of the gore isn't my thing, it's cute but not as stylish as the slim leopard bow on my red Marcie.
All in all, since this bra doesn't fit it's hard to give a very thorough review, but it's got all the Panache qualities I love. Which includes great quality, looks, design and feel. The fit isn't quite right but ah well. Read more 76 more words
Too bad they're so inconsistent with sizing though. I have two that fit differently too, and Calluna recently posted that her new Marcie fits differently than the other one she has too. When you get a good fitting one, it's totally worth it though for the shape it gives.
Do you prefer the taller and deeper cup then? I prefer the lower cup myself.
Wilderness1 Thanks for bringing that to my attention! I have now read the two posts, and I can see the difference. This older model is much shorter in cup height and seemingly depth too compared to my 28FF newer model, like I said. For some reason :P I have yet to completely understand the reasons why there's so many instances of differing fit in the same model. I know the colorway can be a contributing factor as certain fabrics in certain colors behave differently (as I have heard about bras, but I don't know for sure, in bras or otherwise).
Calluna I do indeed! The taller and deeper the cup the better. My breasts are so incredibly round and even in vertical and horizontal perimeter that I need a high apex to contain the breast tissue. When my breasts are on the bigger side I sometimes quad a little in bras like the Cleo Lily and Erin, because of the cup style and height. Therefore, the Panache Jasmine, Freya Soiree high apex and the newer Marcie are my perfect matches. I have one 28G bra and it's the Panache Eclipse from the elusive Panache Black line, and it's got about the same idea of a Cleo Blake but more fabric and a taller cup edge. That's the only bra I have where I don't quad, even just a little bit, no quadding at all! That's when I'm on my bigger size though.
I'd happily swap my black one but the pink's stretched band measurement looks far too small for my 28" (ish) under bust. I need at least 29" stretched.
Although my black is fitting better at the moment a week before my period is due. And I did manage to wear it for a few hours the other night without wanting to rip it off...
Although my black is fitting better at the moment a week before my period is due. And I did manage to wear it for a few hours the other night without wanting to rip it off...
Me: Tall, vertically shallow roots, not narrow. Center full/close set when supported. Soft tissue, relatively even.
This bra: A perfect fit except that the cup cuts in on both sides! It's common for me to have a bra that cuts in on my larger side for a mild quad-boob effect, but unusual that it's both. May be due to my root height or something about the elastic they used on the cup edge. I like the magnetic clasp back piece - it feels like it adds a touch more support. My shoulders are probably about average to slightly on the narrow side relative to my frame and boobs (god, ...isn't trying to objectively say facts about your body relative to the average hard??).
I also love the front-adjusting straps. The straps feel nice, not too stretchy. The interior of the bra has the side sling, plus that same soft mesh-type material on most of the cup and the band is comfortable as well.
Basically a great-looking bra, probably best for people who are about even tissue-wise. Not ideal for tall roots due to the elastic band thing along the edge of the cup. Might also not work for very FoT.
Edit: I'm considering buying this bra again and seeing if it would be a good candidate for removing the elastic on the cup edge (saw this trick on /r/abrathatfits), after checking the overall fit more closely. Read more 125 more words
Did you ever end up repurchasing and removing the elastic along the cup edge? I'm really curious how it would fit with that mod as I'm FOT and center full but this bra is soooo cute.
Kayla is one of those bras that I’ve wanted to try for over a year now, however, I heard that it was similar to the construction of Jasmine which, up until recently, was a terrible fit. But my weight gain over the fall last year added some new growth and upper fullness, which makes Jasmine/Envy and clones fit better than earlier in the year. The other problem was trying to decide what size go with, since it’s reputation is of a very deep bra. With little upper fullness, I was asking for a shape mismatch with pointy boobs.
Earlier this year, I got a Freya Pop Art bra ...as a giveaway, and ended up listing it as a giveaway again. Much to my surprise, I got relatively quick contact. The seller offered her listings for trade, and this bras was one of them. I sort of felt like I probably need a 30E in this cut, but I said, why not?! I was initially expecting to just give the Freya away, and this would a swap. If it didn’t work, no harm done, and I at least get a bit of research on the bra to know if I needed a smaller size or if it would be worth trying a different size. Well, after about 3 weeks, I finally got the bra.
The pattern or print on the bra is quite unique, and exactly what I expect from Cleo. Bright colours and a fun abstract print. Sadly, it doesn’t extend completely around the whole band. The cups are lightweight and quite silky feeling. The upper stretch lace is robins egg blue with yellow threads. It almost has a mint green appearance. Straps and the rest of the band are the same robins egg blue mint green shade. At the gore is a bright pinky red bow, and the strap sliders and rings to match. Nothing subtle about this bra AT ALL!
The fit of this bra has great immediate depth, and the stretch lace is an asset, however, I have a bit of loose lace. I’m unsure if it’s a size issue or if it’s just been stretched out from prior use. I’m sort of ok with the lace resting on my tissue, and under my work shirts, it’s invisible. The band feels great. Wire width is acceptable...I’m narrowish. I think my biggest issue with this bra is the armpit curve. It’s an armpit eater for sure. Is it a size issue? I don’t know if a 30E would be better. Standing up, it’s not too bad, but it’s seriously painful if I wanna have a nap or relax on the couch on my side.
There are a few things that suggest that I can do a 30E, however, I’m close to in cup quadding, due to my soft tissue. Would it be worse? Would the stretch lace be firmer than this? I’m not sure if I will keep it or list it yet. There’s a lot I like about it. While I’m not mad about the weight gain, I’m glad that it’s rounded out my boobs some to fit bras better. I think when you have soft, deflated, fob and center full pendulous breasts, it can be a challenge. Adding a bit of fullness is definitely a help, though it’s not a huge amount of fullness.
I do love the fun colours and quirky print of the bra, and the silky soft and lightweight feeling of the bra. I do wish it fit a bit better. Read more 481 more words
My breasts are slightly FOT, and while I've seen reviews saying that this is a great bra for similar breasts, it fit me terribly.
The band runs small, and so, it would seem, do the cups. I fit comfortably in a 28FF Freya Deco, but the Koko felt like a 26F in comparison. Of course, the band tightness could be due to the bra being a strapless, but I was surprised at how snug it was.
The shape is hard to speak about as my breasts were far too large for the cups. However, it seemed to want my breasts flat and spread out towards my armpits. I have fairly immediate projection, but the cups were a bit empty at the bottom which is why I think this would be better for someone FOB.
Overall, a terrible bra for me. At this point I wouldn't recommend it to anyone as the sizing was so off, but the construction did seem sturdy.
For me Freya never required the same cup size as Panache/Cleo so I'm not surprised that the two didn't fit the same. Personally, I've found Panache to be unreliable in sizing as a whole *but* I also never paid full price for one so that could be why (possible slight seconds etc.)
This bra is very comfortable (and super cute!). I'll be trying a 28 to see if the fit of the band would be better. This is currently my best fitting bra!
So glad this is comfortable! Marcie creates an awesome shape.
I’m considering this in this same size. I’m concerned that I might still be a little bit too FOB for it though, but the 32E I tried wasn’t too bad, just too large of a band. What’s your shape like ?
Calluna Go for it! Seriously! I'm *very* FoB and while the top of the lace in mine is a smidge loose, the bottom fits extremely well!
Scarl3tt3 to me you look evenly full in this bra. I wouldn’t call you *very* FOB. Regardless, I made Marcie work for me as well and I am even with the shortest roots on the planet lol. So I tend to disagree with the widespread notion that Marcie only works for FOT shapes. I wore Marcie in a size down from my average size, until I got tired of its killer wires and elastics.
Scarl3tt3 thanks! I think that I am borderline evenly full but with the tendency to be more fob than fot, though as I have fairly soft and malleable tissue, sometimes my boobs act differently depending on the bra. They’re tricky little bastard boobs sometimes. Which makers me feel like I should go for it in the 30F instead of 30E. Agree with lcl0706 that perhaps it’s not quite the fob/fot diagnostic bra that it’s reputation says it is.
It looks very nice on you! Stupid question: is it the black version? I just order the black one in a band size larger since I was expecting it to fit tighter then the other colorways.
aboobaccount Not at all! This one was actually the navy color. The black doesn't have any color accents IIRC. :)
I'm actually looking at the navy one too. Though I love the bluebell.
I have just posted new review. It's Cleo's Kali in burnt orange, and it's a great bra – perfect for summer. Head over to my blog for full review https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
omg I freaking LOVE an orange bra! thanks for reviewing this.The Kali doesn't work for me but it reminds me I need to look for one that does ;-)
I love this colorway. It makes me want to try the bra, but I just can't bring myself to get Lucy or Kali because I don't like the bandless front design. :/
wendybien I just realized there are very few orange bras on the market.
letstalkaboutbras I know a lot of people don't like bandless bras in general. Bandless can look weird sometimes like, for example, my Cleo Koko Muse which gives impression of wires sitting too low on chest while everything fits perfectly.
Gorgeous color on you!!!
WelshCorgiPembroke it is pretty rare yes. I had a burnt orange Lejaby that I kept for almost a DECADE wearing it only 5-6 times a year! Had to make it last because they were even harder to find back when I was young (aka when rocks were soft, when Moses was a pup etc.)
I have quite close-set breasts with only one finger space in between them, and have never had a bra tack on me until this one. Unfortunately, as I am quite petite (5'1"/155 cm) it digs in ever so slightly on my sternum, although I still need to confirm whether this is an issue with the shape or the band size. The cup fits perfectly, with the wire perfectly hugging my IMF and the cup itself being filled in all the right places by my breast, but the lace on top gaps slightly, even more so when moving around. I will be ordering a 30E and 32DD and E ...to see if these fit better. Some further information about my breast size and shape. My 5 measurements according to the calculator from r/abrathatfits are ~28.75 snug underbust, 26.25 tight, 35 standing bust, 36 leaning bust, and 34.25 lying bust. I am fairly projected, my shape is evenly full, and I believe I have average roots. In terms of appearance, this is a really cute bra. It might be a bit flashy for some, but after years of granny bras, I welcome the loud pattern. It's a really pretty turquoise blue with a floral print and magenta lace/mesh trim on top, and is perfect for people who've always wanted those cutesy polka dot and floral bras when walking past the bra section at stores but were disappointed when they only went up to a D cup.
Ive been wanting this summery bra since I saw it months ago online - but £30 for Cleo bra? naaah . Only EM and Comexim are worth paying that much and even more. Then couple of days ago I was in central london for a meeting and after that Ive decided to visit Bravissimo as I was wondering what stock they carry inside the shop - and im not very impressed actually. Theres few pieces of clothes - divided by colours, few clothes on poor sale (white shirt on sale for over £30 - really? no, thank you - i prefer my M&S for £12). Further we can ...find department with underwear... also divided by colours, looks nice, tidy but the stock isnt good enough as well - i mean its not bad but they could definietly do better! I started by looking at navy and purple shades.. only bravissimo satine took my attention from that side.. then opposite I have noticed bright bras and that was the moment when I falled in love with Skye. I didnt mind paying the full price for it anymore. It was just staring at me and unfortunately on 32E left on the rack and even no luck with sister sizes to 30E in the store room. I still had to try it on, but this was all over too big! wires too wide, cups too large and band loose as hell like in Blake! such disappointment So, ive found online 30F and 28FF for slightly cheaper (YAY!!) with matching bottoms. The band 30 feels actually good, but the feeling of snugger band in other brand than EM and Comexim doesnt feel really good, its like I still feel them after some time ( I am wearing it now about 30 min), while in polish bras the feeling is gone after few minutes. The 32 was very large and 28 is not very bad, definietly looser than Marcie. Recently I started wearing Marcies in 30F as they are just perfect, no wrinkles on the lace, making such lovely shape (definietly they looks better than 34D). Unfortunately, the skye is like 1/3 cup too big on the bigger side and 1/2 on smaller side. Its not really noticeable under tops, but im gonna ask my mom to fix that by sewing the bra on the sides somehow. Im not so sure if 30E would work.. Im still tempted to try when Ill have a chance! Overall, very weird, 32E was really big, 30F is not bad and its wearable, and 28FF was too big with more wrinkling than 30F (but not as big as 32E). I dont know if its my boobs or just my poor luck. The wires are neither narrow nor wide, but around 0.3-0.5 cm too wide - 30E would definietly have perfect wires. But I can live with them, theyre kind of soft, softer than marcie. Did anyone try to bend Cleos wires? is that possible like in Comexim? I dont know what Cleo did with the design of this bra, but the sides from cups and straps are wide and theyre little bothering my armpits. I dont know if this is caused by little too large cup or its the Skye itself. I really need to put my hands on 30E/32DD to check it out!
As I said, I got panties with this bra, size 10UK (S). I think cleo started to produce snugger bottoms, as before I could easily wear size 10 and now I feel way better in 12. They look so cute but I need bigger size: ( Read more 491 more words
I've never fit a 32E before (30FF/G typically), but this bra defied everything I knew about Cleo. It was even comfortable ;-) Glad you liked it despite the differences :-) :-)
I love it. And im going to keep it and use it even with these minor issues. Not many bras I could accept in such situation :)
Long overdue review of a bra I've had for more than 3 months. Loved this colorway since it first came out and it's very classy in person! Shape is great, the Cleo-basketballs. Top section of the lace is empty and flopping in the wind, and it's only gotten worse since I took these pictures back in May. Oh well. Its band is slightly loose on me as it's more TTS than my 28-band yellow one, but because Cleo's elastics are so thin and high-tension yet the band's mesh fabric is... well, mesh... that 28-posing-as-a-26 yellow band is really uncomfortable. I still wear this bra to death despite very likely being able to size down to a 28F/30E at this point.
This color on your skin is gorgeous!! If you hadn't pulled the lace up, I wouldn't have known it was unfilled. Impressive. I'm accustomed to wrinkles there ;-)
Well, I wanted this bra as soon as I saw it on the Moda previews maybe at the end of last year as I love the bright and fresh pattern. It's been a long time since I tried any unpadded Cleos - at the beginning of my bra journey (approx. 2 years ago) I tried a far-too-deep Meg and learnt from that experience and from other's reviews that Cleo just are not an ideal partner for my wide rooted, shallowish, FOB boobs.
I did however try a cobalt Marcie in Bravissimo at the end of last year and this was a gloriously perfect fit (should have bought it ...really, tsk...) as I've filled out a fair bit (for me, ha!) on the top of my FOB boobs, to the point where I rarely get gaping in new bras I try any more. I did think post-Marcie success that maybe my shape could now be described more as even, hence why I was keen to give Kira a go despite knowing things might not work out.
Well, one quick try on of this knocked my poor FOB boobs back down to size - this bra is FAR TOO FOT for me - there is so much gaping on the pink lacy stuff that it makes me feel very flat and ski-slopey. It's as if the last few months of me feeling comparatively cleavagey and buxom have vanished in the blink of an eye! Sob.
As well as being designed for those with quite a lot up top, I think this bra is also fairly open. Wires were perfect on me so I know downsizing to a 30E would be a futile mission (I suspect it would very much feel too small in the lower cup). I fill the bottom of the cups perfectly and the band was surprisingly just right on me (I also ordered a 32E as I expected the band would be really tight, but it's actually not at all, a very standard 30 methinks). The pink colour is quite different in person from how it appears in pictures - in person it's pretty luminous - super bright and shocking. I'm actually not as in love with the look of it as I was previously, so not too devastated about the poor fit. This one is going straight back to Figleaves...
##Edit: Just added pics (unfort quantity rather than quality - my usual photographer is not about today so had to take pics on my phone) after a slightly more substantial trying on session - argh realised I could really love this bra if it fitted. The material is actually really soft (I know some Cleos have quite harsh thick fabrics) and quite lightweight so would be great for summer with the really bright straps on display. Looks almost ok in fit until I start wiggling around to show how much space there is in the top of the cups, bah... Read more 388 more words
Edit Aug. 22: I had the opportunity to try the Lucy again in a 30FF and 30G in a shop. The 30F I reviewed here was definitely too small for me. I was thrown by the fact that the quadraboob manifested in the softer lace section rather than over the top of the cups. Watch out for that!
Sadly, I didn't walk away with a new Lucy. I have about half a cup size difference between my breasts, and I found that this bra really exacerbated the unevenness in a way that no amount of strap fiddling could banish. I think this ...is because I'm between sizes, and because of the low point of attachment of the lace to the cup.
Original review: This is a beautiful bra, but unfortunately it doesn't work for me. The deal breaker for me is the way in which the lace section joins the cup. My breasts - on both sides - bulge into the lace, creating a peculiar quad-boob style effect that is quite visible under clothing. I will be (reluctantly) returning it.
The band is tighter than most 30's I've tried, but as I'm a small 30, it's still very comfortable for me. The cup is a touch small; it fits my smaller side perfectly but there's just the slightest bulge over the lace on my larger side. The overall shape is lovely; rounded but not minimized, and it doesn't look wide at all from the front. Read more 148 more words
First of all, I really like the design on this model! I do love most of my bras but this is one I've come to really like over time. I have 1 30E and 1 30F, for low tide and high tide, so I can wear the Erin regardless of my breast size. The 30F is really comfortable, when fastened on the middle hook the band always stays in place and is comfortable throughout the day. The band is nice and snug and even though I received this bra used it's in excellent condition.
As for design it's similar to the Cleo Lily and the Marcie in ...cup shape, but the cup is not as tall as the newer Marcie. It resembles the Lily more closely with the pink diagonal band across the cups and the ruffled edge. The Lily was my first ever fitting bra and while it is too small for me now, the Erin fills its place just as well. The cloudy dark blue actually goes well with the hot pink straps and accents, and the little white blotches with pink and green centers make for some decent flowers. I usually prefer my bras to have a more "sophisticated" or eye catching pattern, but this is cute and definitely not bad. I really like the little blue charm in the gore, gore charms are probably my favorite thing!
Structure wise this is a fairly standard 3-part balconette from Panache with underwires, 3 rows of 2 hooks and fully adjustable straps. The fabric on the inside of the cups is the same cloudy dark blue as the outside, but lacks the flower patterns. The fabric continues up for about 13 cm until the top cup seam that stitches the outer cup fabric together with the inner fabric. 5 mm from that seam, the stitching for the pink diagonal band has been done. Above that is the cup edge with the ruffles. Ruffles and lace seem to be sort of a trademark for the Cleo styles of bras, and as far as I've gathered this is because Cleo is marketed towards younger women.
This bra is overall a really good fit. The gore is on the wider side for me so it doesn't tack, but this doesn't make any sort of significant impact on the fit. The ruffles in the cup edge don't actually really touch my breasts unless I push the gore in so it tacks, but ruffles always point outwards anyway. Read more 308 more words
The Cleo Lyzy is cute, but not super stylish, and this size was too small so naturally it wasn't that comfortable or looked particularly good. I think i wrote a more detailed review of this on the 30FF Lyzy i got.
I loved the cuteness and wanted this to work for me for a lounge bra, but like most lounge bras that are plunge it duh badly into my center fullness no matter the size :(
If you can get it cheap and it’s the right size, an easy way to fix that is to just stitch the cups together from the band up to make it less plunging and higher cut. It typically helps round the cups a bit as well.
confused Yeah I feel you :/ This bralette ends up working like a hammock instead of a bra - the boobs are just hanging there instead of being lifted. Which is sorta the goal? But not like this x)
cupandahalf That was a good idea! I like the cup separation because it makes less boob sweat though.
The Cleo Lily is an old classic and an old favorite, but this bra is a little tired now. It looks cute as ever and I wish I had this in Brand New condition with some matching briefs!
The band sometimes rides up a bit and the gore doesn't tack, and I have some quadboob so I'd say the band is too big and the cups aren't big or deep enough.
The aquamarine/pink colorway is really sweet and definitely a clear sign of that the Cleo line is marketed towards younger women. The classic Cleo bow in the middle is cute and the frills at the top of the cup and the straps are nice little details.
This Cleo classic has become a go to bra for me as it achieves a round and smooth look totally without padding or moulding. I like to wear it with both revealing and more covered up tops.
At first the Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) is always a bit on the snugger side. After breaking in it deals surprisingly well with light upward size fluctuations.
This beautiful red colourway comes with a little leo print bow between the cups and white hardware.
As a self-confessed fan of the Cleo Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) I had to try this nude version. I'm always on the lookout for non padded options to wear with lightweight and light coloured summer tops https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
Sadly the shade is too pink and too cold for my yellow skin undertone. Otherwise the bra fitted as expected.
This is the black and pink/red colourway in 30F. I have narrow, short rooted, projected shape with softness. I've been waiting to find this on sale so I could try it. Cup depth is just about right for me, and cup width is a tad wide. Wires, like all cleo's I've tried, come out in a swoosh on the sides also instead of more straight up in a U shape. The material is fairly soft, and the shape is fairly rounded and quite uplifted. Looks nice under a shift. More rounded than panache jasmine and a similar shape/fit to cleo Minnie. Edit to add: the gore is a bit stabby at the top, so I plan on gently tiltling it out. Stretch lace on the top is a bit stretchier than cleo minnie and cleo Marcie, and nicely accomodating. Cups are pink inside, with a black mesh overlay. This bra accomodates projection and depth at the wire quite well.
This bra is the closest well-fitting bra I've tried yet. It is an unlined 30F, red polka dot balconette, with nice uplift. I never could have believed that an unlined bra could actually give me as much lift as my old push ups, but this one comes close. It brings my boobs forward and up to the centre. Not like basketballs, but pretty rounded. The cup width is a touch wide, only because the wires angle outward instead of straighter up on the side, but it doesn't affect comfort for me. The depth is great in this bra, and I only have very slight quad boob on my ...larger size. The straps adjust well and are comfortable, and the band fits how I'd expect a 30 band to fit, not too stretchy and not 'undersized', and considering I got it used, it's still pretty good. The pattern doesn't rock my boat, but that's just personal preference. The only fit issue for me is that the gore doesn't lay flat, but I don't find it uncomfortable. I think I can overlap this gore and it should be fine. Read more 79 more words
It looks great! One thing I noticed is that the straps look like they might be digging into your shoulders a little, but it might just be your pose. I know some of my bras look pretty rough in the shoulders but that's just #narrowshoulderslife. :)
triumphof, they were actually! Good eye. I didn't notice it yesterday (when I took the pictures), until I took it off last night and noticed red marks. I adjusted them today and they do feel better, and still a good fit.
narrowshoulders? bra-clips to hhok in those straps!
1zora216 , I actually am pretty broad (or I think so anyways)... but straps seems to love that one spot on my shoulders, and I also find the bottom of straps cut into my tail of spence too, so a bra-clip might actually be a good idea!
Too bad they're so inconsistent with sizing though. I have two that fit differently too, and Calluna recently posted that her new Marcie fits differently than the other one she has too. When you get a good fitting one, it's totally worth it though for the shape it gives.