I got this bra in a swap for my Jasmine. It’s a decent fit, but a bit too snug in the band. It’s also really pressing on my sternum even though I have an extender on it. Hard Cleo/Panache wires.

The design is a bit weird with the polka dot cups and rose/floral print on the lace. The previous owner snipped the elastic strip to make it more fot friendly. I have no problem with that. It’s maybe a teensy but loose in top, and would likely have dug into my soft tissue had it been there.

The material the cups are made from is soft and smooth and kind of thick feeling. I feel like something is restricting the band from stretching more.

It’s not a bad fit, but it’s not my favourite bra or fit so I’m probably going to list it. I have to measure it first.

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Updated on Jul 20, 2019 Flag this

This one feels like it might run a touch small all over. The cups are a bit too narrow for my wide-set, broad-rooted breasts. The embroidered section at the top is very strange, as well... The top of it cuts in disproportionately, while the majority of that section is too loose/wrinkly. I also found the straps to be too short, but my breasts also lay somewhat low on my chest. My shape is not very compatible with this bra, so you may find it lays better for you. If the vertical seams were further away from the gore and the lacey stuff wasn't there, this might have fit ... me better. If you have more even fullness (I am full on bottom and on the outsides, but very shallow on top and in the center), you will probably have better luck with Zia than I did.

The material is weird for me, but it is impressive. It is polyester. It seems very durable and tough, but the cups do not stretch (the band does). It is unlined, but it's definitely thicker than sheer/lace bras.
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yellow spot colorway

Updated on Jun 26, 2016 Flag this

One month update: I've been wearing the Zia for a month now. The band is stretched out to where I now wear it on the tightest set of hooks. I've noticed this in the past with Panache bras. Ideally I'd like my bands to not to stretch out so fast. In addition I have since gone up 1-2 cup sizes so the cups no longer fit me. As mentioned in my original review the style doesn't suit me. Overall I'm not a fan of this bra, but someone with broader shoulders and shallow and wide set breasts would probably love it.

Original review: The Zia is absolutely beautiful with ... its large polka dot design and embroidered upper panel. Traditional three part construction balconette bra. I have heard that cleo bras have narrow wires. For me they were on the wider side as I prefer the wires on Polish bras. The cups are great for projected breasts. Bra is smooth under thin fabrics. The bra almost gives a more conical shape; it's not very rounded. If you prefer a less rounded shape this is a good fit.

In addition to the underwire being too wide for my preference I would prefer it have three hook and eye closers instead of two. The band is nice and supportive but I think it would have better support for anyone above a UK G cup with three hooks. The gore is also too high for me. I'd prefer it be 3". As someone with full on top breasts I prefer stretch lace for the upper panel, and also prefer a full cup style over a Balconette style. I do get a bit of overflow, but not enough to justify going up a cup.

Zia (and Cleo in general) is good for people who find Polish wires too narrow, but British wires too wide, wants a smooth look under clothes, has wider shoulders, is full all over/full on bottom, likes a Balconette style, and prefer a less rounded shape.
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Pink Spot colorway

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Updated on Apr 06, 2018 Flag this

I was a bit nervous to try this bra because I have so far only found freya bras that fit my shape but was happy to find this one is also a keeper!

bra review:
The shape works for me. I am close set and full on bottom. While I would say this bra would is built a bit more for even fullness and not super close set, It still works great for me. I notice that there is a tiny bit of fabric underneath (maybe 1/2 cm) so if you are looking for something with a lot of immediate projection this probably won't give it to you. At the ... top it tends to come in a bit to really hold you in there, unlike my freya pansy. I like this in someways as I feel more secure but if my boobs grow, it will probably cause quad boob. The straps are not too far apart, and sit perfectly on my shoulders, never falling off.

As for the quality, it seems very sturdy. The material is a bit more stiff than I expected but it is not at all uncomfortable. I really like that the solid material covers the nipples. I also love the polka dots. While I normally tend to stay away from them as I feel like I am wearing a 15 year old's bra, this one has a very mature and sexy look to it still and the rose detailing on the top is beautiful.

For a 28 I would say it is definitely on the tighter side. But being a person of small band size, I would rather buy a tighter band and get an extender than have a band stretch out and be too big after a couple months.

Overall: I love this bra and will definitely keep it in my regular cycle. To people wanting to purchase it, I would go for the bigger band size of sister sizes as the band runs small.
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Updated on Oct 06, 2016 Flag this

I bought this bra because Bravissimo said it would appeal to people who liked the Alexa. I liked the Alexa. I wasn't sure about the crazy print on this one, but I decided it's like having party hats under my shirt and that's kind of fun, especially since the majority of my other bras are on the plain side. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but some bra diversity is good too.

When I got the bra out of the box, I could see that the band was not as long as the band on the Alexa. I wondered if there was a mislabeling ... incident and I'd been given a smaller bra by mistake. I couldn't even hook it at all. There were inches between the ends when I tried to put it on. I had to wear it with an extender. By the second time I wore it, the band had stretched to the point that the extender became unnecessary. I used to live in bras with too-tight bands, telling myself I'd lose weight and they'd fit. They never stretched out to the point that they'd be comfortable. This did. I actually worried that it might keep stretching to the point of being unwearable but that has not happened at all. A 34HH might have fit better, but I still have some weight to lose so I didn't want to exchange it.

The shape of the cups is not like the cups on the Alexa. I think the Zia is a little bit less round, with a slight pointy shape that is more pronounced at first but quickly softens up to become more round (but still never as round as the Alexa). I had a hard time keeping the straps up at first but that was probably due to the extender.

As with the Alexa, I haven't had any underwires poking under the arms. I had the same gap at the top of the cups at first that quickly filled in as my boobs settled. I have the same lack of quadboob, and I have the same lack of cleavage. This is not a bra to be worn with a boob shirt. I only wear it with t-shirts. Worth noting: Even though it has a little fancy frilly thing at the top of the cups, it is totally fine with t-shirts. That lays flat and does not show through, unlike the fancy frilly thing at the top of the cups on the Ewa Carmen, which I ended up cutting off because it was so stupid.

In short, it's second best after the Alexa in terms of fit. I think the print is far better looking, although it's not really the sort of thing I'd ever seek out. It's festive and doesn't look like the stereotypical bra for big boobs that your grandma would wear. Huge points for that.
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Updated on Oct 17, 2012 Flag this

Style
The dots are cool but they are also somewhat visible through most of my tops (even the darker ones). I even like that most of the time but for some color combinations it looks a bit weird.

Sizing / Fit
This is my most supportive bra. As others have mentioned, the band runs more like a 26/27. Not only is it quite short, it's also extremely hard to stretch. Even the fabric on cups is very sturdy and thick unlike my other Cleo bras. I always ask my boyfriend to strap me into this thing because it's such a struggle to put on. But once it's one the support ... is amazing, almost like my shock absorber sports bra but with a very nice round shape. But like my sports bra it can also feel very constricting after several hours so I only wear it (without an extender) when I really want tons of support.

Quality
I have it for over 5 month now and it didn't stretch much. The hooks were pulling out a bit. But I could fix that by pushing them back in and bending them a little wider at the base.
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Updated on Jan 16, 2018 Flag this

It's not the perfect fit, but the bra is quite comfy and I like polka dot design so much. The band is closer to 28 and the cups are quite closed on top but true to size. I have some wrinkling at the apex on my smaller side, but it's not visible under clothes. Breasts have very front and center position, but the bra gives not perfectly round shape.
Upd. I've cut out the lining from the upper section of the cup. Zia became more FOT friendly( and sexy, to my mind) and I have more room for my fully days

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Updated on Oct 27, 2017 Flag this

My shape: center-set teardrop with very wide and very tall roots, very close-set tissue in the middle, and firm tissue that doesn't take compression well.

I just received this bra in a swap. The print is pretty cute, and although the combination with the lace seems a little strange, I could probably grow to like it. Unfortunately, this is just a big shape mismatch for me. First, the cups: There's definitely not enough immediate projection at the bottom, and even though the cup isn't molded or even padded, it still slips down to try and seat the breast in the most ample part. On the other hand, there is ... way too much projection on the top, which means that this sits like a bullet bra on my super tall and shallow-esque roots. The very top edge is actually almost the right size, but there is a lot of extra fabric between there and the apex, which just means that I don't think this is very good for tall-roots (maybe not FOT either? Not sure, because I am not FOT).

The fact that the cups ride down also makes the wires dig into my center tissue. I think they would be a little more comfortable if I could get them to sit half an inch higher, even though at that point they would be solidly on top of my boobs, but no luck. The gore is also a little too wide, but that happens with lots of bras for me, so not necessarily a mark against this one. Either way, after 20 minutes it's pretty irritating, if not exactly the painful bruising I have experienced with other problem gores.

The wires are strange. I don't think they take up the whole channel because the top edge of the band under my arm is distorted by the breast tissue pushing on it, but I can't seem to shift them along inside the channel, either. As is typical with almost all bras, they are also slightly too steep of a curve for my roots, but as is also typical, it doesn't bother me much. What does bother me is the end of the wire poking me there because it's too short, and if it could just reach the top edge it wouldn't be.

The fabric feels a little cheap, I think, but it is smooth and soft enough that there is no scratching or itching.

The band might be a little too tight on me, actually, but aside from the slight bulging of the fabric on the wings, it's comfortable and I can still pull it away from my back enough for 2 fingers. A 32 on the second or tightest might have fixed this, but I can't find my extender to check, and I probably won't be ordering a different size because of the aforementioned issues.

The straps adjust long enough for me. There is a slight dig at the front of my armpit when I go to reach across myself, but that is more likely the edge of the cup, and also would probably be aided by loosening it another hook or two.
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Updated on Jan 05, 2016 Flag this

After my success with 30C - Cleo » Minnie Balconnet Bra (7431), was really looking forward to getting my hands on a Zia. I have a soft spot for... well, spots.

Unfortunately this bra did not work for me in 28D or 28DD. For this 28DD, I would be tempted to alter the baggy lace at the top... IF the straps weren't in my armpits or if the sides of the cups weren't and inch beyond my breasts. It is such a cute bra. I am sad that it didn't work for me.

Pink spot colorway

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Updated on May 17, 2015 Flag this

(The "How It Fits" is based on how it used to fit before my size changed.)

Among the Marcie cuts I've tried (Marcie, Bella, Natasha, Ellis, Zia), this is definitely the most FOB-friendly of the bunch. The top lace is stiff, which is part of it, but the cut also seems different from the others' somehow. It also (in my experience) gives the most rounded, lifted shape.

The band is quite tight, and the straps are JUST on the verge of not being long enough.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on May 20, 2014 Flag this