Thursday 9 February 2012

Cleo "Sadie" Longline Review

The Cleo Sadie Longline has recently become available on Brastop.com and Amazon.co.uk at discounted prices so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I like the idea of a longline bra because it has more hooks, which helps prevent awkward lines under clothing. It also provides more overall support because there is more substance to the band, which is good for avoiding back pain.

Although the Sadie Longline actually comes in a 28 band, it only goes up to an H cup, so since I normally wear a 28HH or 28J, I decided to try a 30H (equivalent of 28HH). I figured even if it didn’t fit it could be useful for a review.



The 30 band actually was a pretty good fit on me! But that’s NOT because the band runs small—it’s because of my ribs. My ribs are stubborn buggers and they stick out right underneath where a regular bra band hits. Therefore, since the longline goes down far enough to have to wrap around that part of me, a 30 band was actually an appropriate fit for me in this style. It looks a little loose in the photo, but that is only due to the top layer wrinkling very slightly over the inner layer of fabric. 

I’m not saying I wouldn’t have preferred a 28 band if the cups went high enough, but this worked pretty well. If your ribs bulge out right under your bra band and you’d need to size up in the band to get the right cup size, you might end up with a workable fit despite sizing up.

The cups were a good fit on me too—I usually find with low-cut half-cups that are fairly open at the top, I can wear a 28HH instead of my “normal” 28J. The 30H (as the equivalent of the 28HH) fell into this category. I think most people, though, would do best sticking with their normal cup size.


The padded cups are made with vertical seams, a construction I like because it gives great uplift and shape. Normally I’ve seen these cups made with three sections, but the Sadie (like Cleo’s Juna and Poppy bras) has just two. I think it works well and is a little less minimizing in front than the three-section cups I’ve tried.

Overall I was actually pretty impressed by this bra. It was a fairly easy, non-fussy fit which gave nice shape and support. The back band hardly cut in at all and streamlined my silhouette (my darn ribs often look a bit bulgy/lumpy in normal bras). I think the back would still be visible under a thin shirt, especially where it cuts in at the narrow point of my waist, but it would not show under a sweater, as too-thin bands can. I also love that it’s plaid and that the plaid is continued all over the cups, front of the straps, and band.



The only thing I hate about this bra is that it’s orange. I know loads of people who love and covet orange clothing, and particularly orange lingerie, but it’s just not my personal favorite. I don’t know how long the longline trend will last, but here’s hoping that Cleo will someday make this one in a different color—and hopefully a few more cup sizes!

In unrelated news, check out my "Fairy Bra Mother" letter at Hourglassy! 

13 comments:

  1. Glad you wrote about this. I've considered buying it but haven't for 2 reasons: I never wear padded cuz I don't need the extra and I find the fit isn't clear and I've tried one other Cleo bra (it wasn't long line) and it was very flimsy. As I'm 41, and I've had a kid, my breasts are dense. They need something strong enough to give them uplift. Would you say it's a) structurally secure and b) doesn't increase natural size even though it's padded?

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  2. And one other question: How does it compare to the Freya Nieve? Have you tried that one?

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    1. Unfortunately I never got to try the Nieve, though it was cute as heck. As I recall it only went up to a G cup (I could be wrong there) meaning I wouldn't have really even been able to try it for reviewing purposes.

      This bra definitely doesn't add any bulk to my side view. It gives a fairly relaxed shape. I don't like most padded bras either, but this one is fine for me.

      As for structurally secure, it doesn't feel as secure to me as a non-stretchy non-padded bra, but the padding does add some substance to the cup's support. If you have tried Curvy Kate's Tease Me bra, it feels quite similar to that in terms of non-flimsiness. I wouldn't wear it to a dance or for yoga but I'm also not paranoid about mishaps while wearing it.

      Hope this helps!

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  3. Thank you for that feedback. I haven't tried the Tease Me. I just ordered the Criss Cross (not padded) and it was too small in my regular size so I have the new, larger size being shipped to me now. The Tease Me seems like the kind of cup that just wouldn't work on me (though I haven't tried it so what do I know). I'll continue to think on this one. I wonder if the Nieve (also padded) would be more supportive. The reviews on Figleaves seem resoundingly positive on that front.

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    1. If you fit in the Nieve longline's size range, give it a go! I've also heard very positive reviews about it.

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  4. Well, I just ordered on Figleaves and there's a 20% off promo code I found online (I always seek those out!): BASKET. Got the set for 42 pounds or 66 bucks CDN all in (including shipping). I say that's a good experiment. Thanks for kicking me into the long line adventure. I've really been mulling this over for some time.

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    1. Good luck--I hope the fit works out for you!

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  5. I was excited to read this post, because I don't fit into the size range for the Neive (wish they came in 28 bands)! I don't like the look of this one quite as much, but since it comes in my size, I may give it a try.

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    1. Yeah, I'm not sure why they chose this color, but at least it does have an okay size range.

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  6. I found the cups on this bra to be too small. I could only try the larger size in the non-longline version, but the cups on it were a much better fit and the construction looked similar to the longline if I remember correctly. As much as I want a longline bra, I really hate orange and pink so I knew I'd never wear this one if I bought it.
    I had a bit of a rant on my blog the other day when I discovered the Freya's third longline, to come out in the AW12 collection, will still not be available in a 28. Looks like they're adding this style to the ever-expanding 'no 28 backs club' along with triangle bikini tops, tankinis and far too many other styles. Letting us down yet again Freya!

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    1. Thanks for your comment, everyone's sizing experience is helpful to prospective shoppers! I was only able to size down in the cups because the cup is low-cut enough to not cover the fullest part of my boobs, but if my shape were turned upside down or sideways, for instance, I might have needed to size up.

      A THIRD longline without a 28 back??? Well now they are just mocking us!

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  7. I think the Cleo longline bra would be lovely for someone like me with a long torso. Thanks for sharing your review, I'll have to check it out!

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  8. Just got my purple plain version of this (I think). It's a bit smaller - went up a size - yet, the lace top section was nothing but gapping. One of the clearer examples of great on FOT, silly on FOB. But, I'll take it - modification to tighten the cup is probably way easier. I just cut the lace off. Then, cut the wires down. I now have a purple plaid bra.

    However, grr, Cleos are usually super cut on me. But those evil 2 hooks! My boobs are 9-12 inches larger than my underbust, what genius thinks that much weight will do good with two hooks? All my Cleos have pulled hooks, doesn't matter if it's a 30 (I'm 30.6 measured this week), a 32 or a 34 - the hooks each take 50% of the weight, they pull. A longline with 6 hooks means each hook only takes 16.67% of the weight, so the fabric doesn't get pulled from the hooks rioting.

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