Sunday 12 May 2013

Cleo "Meg" Review

Cleo by Panache has come out with a lot of new shapes lately, and I haven't really had time to keep up with them all. I decided to play catch-up and try out the Meg. It came in this bird print last season:


This season's coral/fuschia with white polka dots really appealed to me as it's so summery and cheerful, and I like polka dots.


I decided to brave ASOS US's confusing sizing system (which I've explained here) and ordered this bra in what they call a 30K, which is a 30H in normal UK sizing. 30H is the size I wear in most Cleo bras (Lucy, Marcie, Juna, Sadie, Molly, Olivia/Alexa/Sasha).




As you can see, the bra is beautiful but the shape just doesn't work for me. There's too much space right along the diagonal seam, but then the top section curves back in towards the body very tightly.

Too much space here...

Not enough space in the very top.
While a lot of top sections curve back in at an angle to the body, this one is practically perpendicular, designed to serve as the almost-flat top of a very rounded breast shape.  This shape clearly doesn't work for me because I have too much very firm tissue on the top that can't settle in with such a tight top edge.

HOWEVER, if you have soft boobs or less volume in the top, this bra will work brilliantly to provide the classic super-round Cleo shape. Think of it like a version of the Bravissimo Alana, designed to support the boobs from everywhere, even the top--except the Alana gives the perky, lifted green shape


while the Cleo Meg gives the super-rounded purple shape.


Unfortunately, this Cleo shape is a no-go for me, but I really think it has potential to serve other shapes very well. It's nice to see Cleo diversifying the cuts of their bras so different ones can work for different people.

18 comments:

  1. Haha what good timing! I just bought this in the bird print on ebay in a 30J, so hopefully that works out! This review makes me feel like it will work pretty well for my shape, because I'm definitely not as full on top as you are, but I'm fuller than some others that have reviewed it and found the top a little loose.

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  2. I really wanted this bra to work but the sizing between the FF and G is huge. Either the G I got was a mislabeled H or the difference is more like 2 sizes up. The FF is too small. BTW, have you got the Melissa? Man, that bra is awesome. Amazing shape and great lift.

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  3. I have soft-ish full-on-bottom boobs, and I found this to work excellent on me, so I can confirm your advice on this! Though I agree that it seems to have a little too much space at the seam, but I assumed it was just a bit of sewing error: Many (myself included) have found that the red Marcie seems to have the oppesite problem - the seam is too tight. So I figured this was over-compensation for that small error :b

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  5. Why don't you try this in a cup up? I have same issues with newer cleo models, with meg and especially natasha, and I found it works much better in a cup up and straps adjusted to take in the gapping if there's any.

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  6. I have a really shallow shape and ordered this after seeing Cleo George and sister cuts on an earlier list of great bras for shallow shapes (it's been revised since then). I ran into the same problem you did, but ended up altering the cups (like your tutorial http://brasihate.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-make-pointy-bra-round.html) since everything but the top edge fit. It took out some in-cup volume, but now it's one of my best fitting bras. =D

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  7. This sadly did not work for me either. I have full all over, but leaning toward full on the bottom boobs and the top section plus that seam was just a disaster. It was loose in the area between the seam and the top edge, but the top edge still kind of cut in (this was after swooping and scooping). Major disappointment because the patterns it comes in are adorable and it looked fine on the bottom half.

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  8. I love the Meg, I've got soft tissue so it sits just right. I have it in the bird print and was thinking of getting it in the crazy neon print that Bravissimo have at the moment, though I might buy the spot one instead first. Just a warning that this bra comes up big though! I need a 28HH in it even though I am a 28J in the Cleo Lucy, Brooke, Melissa, Bella...

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  9. I love the Meg, I've got soft tissue so it sits just right. I have it in the bird print and was thinking of getting it in the crazy neon print that Bravissimo have at the moment, though I might buy the spot one instead first. Just a warning that this bra comes up big though! I need a 28HH in it even though I am a 28J in the Cleo Lucy, Brooke, Melissa, Bella...

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  10. I love the Meg. It's based on the Alexa and fits similarly, so if you like the Alexa, try the Meg. It comes up big though so even though I am a 28J in the Lucy, Brooke, Melissa, Bella, etc, I am a 28HH in the Meg. I got it in bird print last season from Figleaves and I adore it. I was thinking of getting the crazy neon print Meg at Bravissimo but I might go for the spot one instead because it's just less...retro. I have soft boobs so they sit nicely in the cups, but I wish they were a bit firmer so Marcie would work. I just get a weird double-boob effect because my boobs aren't firm enough to shape that part of the cup.

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  11. This is exactly how the Lucy in white fit me - I was even tempted to take in the center seam, just to get rid of the extra space. Other Lucy colors worked better.

    Even though we have quite different types of breasts, I do seem to have many of the same fit issues with the same bras as you do, so I always look forward to seeing new reviews on your blog. I had a feeling Meg would not work for me, and I feel more strongly about it now.

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  12. I don't mean to be presumptuous but I would really like some advice. I have always coveted that round, close to the chest shape that you seem to look for. I think that my boobs are pretty much the same shape as yours and I also wear a similar size although slightly bigger in the back. My question is, which of your bras would you say give you the 'best' shape for roundness like your Panache confetti?

    Thank you for you help if you can recommend some of the styles that worked for you, but if you can't help then thank you for the advice that I have gained from your blog.

    x

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  13. WHY aren't you writing new posts?! I'm addicted to your blog and I'm getting anxious when nothing happens!

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  14. I'm firm and even in shape and the Meg still does this to me. Though to be fair, most 3 part balconettes do it to some extent - some round like this, some much more pointy.

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  15. i just got this bra and i always aim for the purple shape but in this one i get an extreme green shape. i love the design but it feels kinda stiff and itchy...and that green shape freaks me out lol.

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  16. I loved the swallow print Meg. LOVED but after trying multiple sizes I had to give up. I have largish shallow breast that are pretty firm and the whole thing was a mess. If the cups were shallow enough my boobs were escaping from the top, bottom, and sides of the bra. If the cup was big enough for my whole breast then I had so much empty space in the front. Great bra but it's everything I don't need.

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  17. I loved the swallow print Meg. LOVE. But it was a complete disaster with my boobs. 30G with firm shallow breast and if the cup was shallow enough it was crushing breast tissue on the sides, top, and bottom. If the cup was wide enough then I had so much space in the front of the cups. Beautiful bra that looks great in a lot of reviews but it was everything I don't need.

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  18. Maybe you should try a bigger back size - you seem to have an awfully red line around where the band sits

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