As you all might know, my favorite bra ever is the Cleo Melissa. The Melissa lit a fire in me I never knew would be lit: a love for unpadded bras (particularly unpadded Cleo bras, which are known for...

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Updated on May 09, 2013 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

39 bras

I'm a former Josie fan, as I used to buy most of my bras from them. I no longer do because they don't carry anything lower than a 32 band, which I now know is not my correct size. However, bias aside, it's alright, if you fit in their tiny 32-36 B-DD size range.

-I love longlines, so I was very excited to see one in [what I thought was] my size that was affordable (about $45). However, once I tried it on, I realized it's not a full longline: there are only two rows of hooks in the back, and the longline look comes from the front being ... a few inches longer than the back. Not only does this make it roll up a lot, but it lacks the longline shape I was so excited for.

-I don't really like the shape this bra gives me. This is probably because of it being at least a band size too big, but I think it's also because the bra is made from very soft and flexible moulded foam. It conforms to your shape, rather than shaping you. This may seem like a great feature, but I find that it fails to support me at all. I've noticed this with a lot of Natori bras, and I suspect it has something to do with their inadequate size range.

-Another thing I've noticed about Josie that's shown well in this bra is that the wires are very wide, but the cups are not very deep, but they're round.

-The cups are also pretty separate. It's a plunge style, but the wires start to curve up into a low center gore when they're still about 2 inches apart.

-One good thing about the bra is the comfort. Since the cup fabric is so soft, it doesn't irritate your skin too much. I wouldn't wear this for running errands or shopping as it isn't supportive enough, but maybe for watching movies or something else where you just want to sit around and be cozy.

-Another good thing is that the actual appearance (other than being a fake longline) is pretty cute and comes in lots of cool colors.

I wouldn't recommend this bra for close together boobs, boobs that project a lot, soft boobs, sub-32 bands, DD+ cups, or people who want a real longline.
I would recommend it to separate, wide root, flat boobs that fit in the lucky size range.
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Updated on Jul 24, 2012 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

39 bras

Some people think the deco is the most amazing bra in the world, and I'm going to admit that I'm biased a little that way. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> It's definitely the bra I wear most, and I hope to get at least one more. However, I realize it may not work as well for others as it does for me, maybe because of the style, maybe because of the shape it gives (it's a characteristic one!). So I'll write what I think.

-The band runs a little large, like many Freya bras. I can wear the 30F on the tightest hook, but the cups gap ... a little because of it. I wish I had gotten a 28FF, but I bought this at Nordstrom, after they stopped selling 28 bands. I would recommend anyone between sizes to size down in the band.

-The cup also seems to run large, but only slightly. If you're at the smaller end of a cup size, I would size down in the cup. If you're at the bigger end, this will probably fit you well.

-When I tried this on, it seemed pretty snug on the loosest hook, but after wearing it for a few days it was clear a 28 band would fit better. It's not because of the fabric stretching, it's because the wires bent to fit my ribcage better (with some help from me). I have a pretty round ribcage, so the flat wires were a bit uncomfortable. I think it's awesome that they can do that, I just wish I knew it would affect the band so much.

-My favorite thing about the deco is the characteristic shape it gives! It lifts and rounds me out like I've never seen another bra do. I don't have cleavage in it, probably because my breast tissue connects in a way it's not supposed to, but I definitely get an "oomph" shape-wise from it. People who like a more natural shape (ie non-showgirl Curvy Kate) may not like the up-front, smoothed out shape. However, this is a shape I prefer, so it's great for me.

I think this bra will fit most shapes pretty well, but I would recommend it for full-on-top and close-together boobs especially.
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Updated on Jul 24, 2012 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

39 bras

This bra is super cute, but unfortunately it's too small for me! It was the first bra I bought after realizing I'd been incorrectly fitted using the +4 method for years, so it was a close estimate, off by one cup size. Unfortunately, I couldn't return it or exchange for a different size because I ripped it a little on accident. Anyway, here's what I think about it.

-The print is SUPER CUTE! Before my current bra fitting knowledge, the only colors I ever found in my [wrong 32DD] size [in America] were nude, white, and maybe black or ugly light greyish pink if I was lucky. I was ... thrilled that the Ellie had such a cute, colorful, and most important to me, youthful print.

-The center gore comes up too high for my shape. Although this particular bra was the wrong size, I still suspect the correct size wouldn't help much with this. My boobs are very close together, to the point of there being literally no space at all between them, so the high center gore gave me some bruising (and I doubt that level of irritation would improve by going up a cup size).

-The overall shape is great. It's nice and rounded, with a moderate amount of lift (as in lifting the boobs off the ribcage!). It's also very front-facing, none of the dreaded east-west effect happening.

I would probably try buying this bra again just for the shape and print if it wasn't for the high center gore. I wish I could buy it, but I just don't see it being comfortable for the middle of my chest. I wouldn't recommend this bra for close-together boobs, but I would recommend it for full-on-top because the top hardly cut in at all despite it being a cup size too small for my full-on-top boobs.
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Updated on Jul 24, 2012 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

39 bras

Overall, I think this is a really cute and overall comfy bra, but unfortunately it doesn't really suit my shape.

My favorite part about it is the print, especially on the straps. I like wearing it with tank tops and camisoles because my straps are so cute, and not an ugly nude/black/white. I also like the way the half-cup looks. Overall, a very cute bra.

Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to have to give up anything that isn't a plunge, because no matter what I do the center gore digs into me. I think it's because my boobs are so close together that I literally don't have any ... space between them, just a skin web with some breast tissue under it. This bra, like most half-cups, doesn't work well for close-together boobs.

One thing I noticed is that this bra has pretty wide wires for a Freya. This would work well for someone with far apart boobs. Unfortunately, this also means the straps are pretty far apart. They slide off my shoulders a lot. Not good for narrow shoulders.

I rated it down a little on quality because the inside fabric/light padding on mine is slightly bigger than the outside fabric, and this causes a minor wrinkle. Luckily, it's hardly noticeable, especially with a shirt over it.

Even with the shape problems, it's still a bra I wear regularly--it's comfortable otherwise and the cuteness makes up for it!
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Updated on Aug 29, 2012 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

39 bras

This bra is gorgeous, I've been wanting it since it popped up in the "coming soon" section of the Freya website! I really like the taiga biome and its dark green plants (my favorite color!) and red and white winter berries, so this was perfect for me. I also love longlines, and plan to wear this under a lacy black shirt!

That said, I was a tiny bit disappointed with the shape. It's a very neutral shape, not too natural, and not too round. I like a round shape, so I was kind of hoping for something with a little more "oomph."

However, the band runs pretty large, and I ... feel that if it came in a 28 band, I could perhaps get a better shape from it. Right now it sort of feels like the wires are floating a bit, rather than holding my boobs in. I think I'm going to try and get it altered down to a 28 band, because I think it'll improve the shape drastically. I'll update this when/if it happens!

A quick note about the "longline" aspect of it: I wish the bottom of the band didn't roll up so much! It feels like I'm rolling it back down every five minutes. I feel like some boning would help with this, although I worry that it would make the bra too expensive.
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Updated on Dec 25, 2012 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

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39 bras

I had already owned a black Deco in 30F (see my other review), but the band was a little too big. (Needs to be fastened on the tightest hook.) One day while browsing Ebay, by a stroke of luck a 28FF in nude popped up and was only $20! So of course I had to buy it.

The good news is that the smaller band size helped a lot with how far apart the straps were. The ones on the 30 were a little too far apart and dug into my armpits. It's still a problem on the 28, but not nearly as bad.

The bad news is that it ... seems the nude color runs tight in the band! It seems like a size and a half smaller than the 30. I can fasten it on the loosest hook, but I feel most comfortable in an extender. (And this is not a new bra... it was used when I bought it.) This may be because the Deco isn't as stretchy as other Freya bras; normally a 28 band would stretch enough to be comfortable for 29-inch-ribcage me, but this one doesn't.

Another thing that changed with the smaller band was the width of the wires. The 30F wires didn't bother me, but for some reason the 28FF's wires dig in and bother me. This may be because the band is so tight.

Overall though, still a huge Deco fan. So it still gets great ratings! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
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Updated on Aug 29, 2012 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

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This is a fantastic strapless bra. I had my doubts at first: the bra is pretty low-cut, and I'd never had a strapless bra that worked. One day, I decided to wear it while taking pictures of shirts I was going to sell, and discovered that it didn't budge ONCE even through trying on so many old shirts. I wore it for the rest of the night and found that not only did it stay in place perfectly, it was really comfortable (something I was worried about since the band in lined with a clear, rubbery material to help it stay put) and gave a great shape in ... my opinion. I'd almost wear it just as a normal t-shirt bra. I'd say it's a bit more shallow than the other Ewa I've tried, but I didn't find the wires to be particularly wide. I'd say it's maybe closer to an HP shape than any other shape. Another thing I loved (and what convinced me to buy it) is the lace detailing on the cups: I cannot stand nude bras sometimes (even though I know they're a wardrobe staple), and the lace added a very charming, subtle, unique touch.

Two notes about the fit: Since EM 28 bands are non-returnable custom order, I decided to try a 30 first to determine my cup size. The 30 ended up fitting fine on my 28" underbust, as it came up pretty tight--if you're in between band sizes, I'd definitely suggest picking the larger band size. The cups also seemed to run about 1.5 sizes small, but this may be due to one of these reasons:

-My breasts are full-on-top, and the bra was pretty low-cut, so I needed the coverage from the larger cup size.

-Slightly related to the last reason: the bottom of the cup is very shallow, and the material in the cups is very stiff, so I could NOT get my boobs to fill the bottom not matter what. It doesn't seem to affect its ability to stay in place or give great shape; in fact it almost seems like this was done on purpose because I have yet to see anyone fill in the bottom, yet it still looks great on those people.

-This may just be the way Ewa bras are sized. The other Ewa I tried (a CH lato) also seemed to be about 1.5 sizes small.

Anyway, overall I found this bra to be pretty awesome, I'm always recommending it!
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Updated on Feb 18, 2013 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

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I really like this bra, it was one of my first bras in (or at least close to) the right size. It doesn't quite agree with my shape, but it's still comfortable and is a bra I like to wear. Also, it's super cute! It comes in a lot of fun colors and the lace is a happy medium between a sheer bra and a padded one. A few issues I have:

-Not a great choice for full-on-top/wide and flat boobs, but it works better than most. The quadraboob is hardly noticable, and the bottom of the cups are filled fine. I also have some slight puckering in the ... middle, as it is slightly too deep for me.

-It's a balconette, so it's not great for close together boobs either, but if you bend the wires out a bit it'll work okay.

-The band is very tight, more true to a 28 band (or maybe smaller). I suspect this would work well for people who need 26 bands. I haven't totally figured out how certain brands size up to each other, as other 30s I've tried on/owned (including the Cleo Jude and some Freya bras) are too big for me but this Cleo 28 is too small. I have to wear an extender on the last hook, even though most 30s ride up and don't support me even on the tightest hook. It could be the color/fabric, too: this one is in the Bravissimo exclusive 'Lime" color (which truthfully is more like highlighter yellow). I'm not sure, but I think a 30F would work better for me!

-As I said above, the "Lime" color does not look at all like the pictures, which show it as a dainty light green. It looks highlighter yellow, or maybe spring green. I still think it's cute, but I imagine it would put some people off, who expected a pastel rather than a neon.

That all being said, I still like it a lot and plan on keeping it for a while, although I don't think I'll buy this style again at least until I grow out of this one!
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 24, 2012 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

39 bras

Unfortunately, this bra is an extremely poor fit on me. I need a 28 band in this style (which isn't made), and the cup is just a little bit too small, even when the band is tightened. I really need to sell it because it really doesn't fit, but I keep convincing myself that I can get my sewing machine out and save it by taking in the band. I just hate getting rid of a bra that's SO CUTE. This is literally one of the prettiest bras I've ever seen. This is the bra I was longing for back when all I could find in my size ... were ugly nude tents.

I do know that these longlines run very large in the band. I have other longlines in a 30 band, and they just float away from me (even though I can wear Masquerade and Ewa Michalak 30 bands on the middle or tightest hook). Since the bra really doesn't fit, I feel that I can't comment on the specific cup shape; however I'm not terribly impressed with the shape on any of my Freya longlines, which is disappointing because I've wanted a longline forever and I don't really like the prints on the Cleo Sadie. I think that the shape would be improved if I tried a 28 band, but I feel like it still wouldn't be mind-blowing. That said, I definitely don't think the shape is anywhere near awful, and I'm willing to wear something that's not perfect when the appearance is so excellent otherwise.

I will update this review if/when I alter it. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
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Updated on Feb 18, 2013 Flag this

thatbradoesnotfither

380 reputation

39 bras