Trying things on for size: Cleo Juna

I made an ASOS order of three bras to celebrate my new job! I don’t know how full a review I can do of each since I just tried them on (I find more fit issues can appear after extended wear or several months).

The Cleo Juna is a continuity collection that always comes in beige and black.  There are also usually patterns based on the same shape: Darcy, Rihanna, Ellie, Sadie, and more. There’s often a fashion color each season: this March it’s strawberry.

I am not a pink person, but this is a hot pink I thought might work. I thought I would give this a model a try as I like padded bras, and seams offer extra support and shape.

Construction: Two-part padded cup with continuous band. Single vertical seam keeps the breasts from wandering east-west. Wire width seems about average to me. Straps are partly adjustable, so short torsos might have some issues without an alteration. Two hooks in the back.

Fit: Band felt on the stretchy side- I’d only be able to do an extended evaluation with wearing it for a month.  The cups fit in my ‘standard’ size 32G, but they are deep. Like the Masquerade Rhea, this seems best suited to full-on-top or full in the middle shapes (high and average profiles). I can get a good fit with my somewhat full-on-bottom shape, but if you have an extremely shallow profile I wouldn’t recommend this bra. Scooping and setting is necessary!

Looks: There was more lace than I thought there would be! I wonder what would happen if I removed it? Unfortunately, some of it attaches at the gore. I don’t like the lace pattern, but it does probably help smooth out the top line of the cup. Vertical seam was not visible under a tank top, but the top of the cup showed in some t-shirts. The bra is starched, so that might change after a few washes.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like the color with my skin tone. I liked the shape enough to buy, though, so I’m sending this back and purchased a Cleo Rihanna, which has a fun geometric print. As a software developer, I love the pixelated look!

Relocation present(s) to me!

I feel a bit odd about this, but I’m ordering bras from ASOS to essentially check the fit. If I turn out to love them I’ll keep them, but otherwise they’re getting returned. I wonder how retailers feel about this? I ordered a Cleo Maddie, a Masquerade Amor, and a Cleo Juna. Since ASOS has free shipping both ways the only risk is a package getting lost, and that’s a risk I’ve decided to take because I have a new job!

I’m moving to Seattle next month to be with my partner- I was unwilling to move before I found a job offer that I wanted there. I’m excited about my new coworkers and the city. I’ll recoup the moving costs very quickly, especially since I have over three weeks stored vacation which I’ll get an immediate payout for. So I decided to treat myself to some more bras! I’m not in need now, but four of my everyday bras are ten months old (the newest one I wear regularly is four months), so they are going to lose elasticity in the coming months. I’m curious about the fit of the abovementioned bras, so I’ll try them on and see how they work.

I’m most stoked about the Amor because of its clean design, but once I move I am going to try the Fauve Bronte. I’ve never worn a Fauve, and they stop at G in padded cups, and could be a tricky fit. But my favorite color is orange, so the padded longline will be mine if it fits. Oh yes. Lace, maybe, but the orange is so vibrant!

Freya Deco Strapless

I owned a Panache Porcelain Body until a good while ago- it was a 34FF, but I didn’t care for the fabric all over, as I dislike shapewear. I sometimes sadly need a strapless bra (being a bridesmaid, mostly), so I picked up a Freya Deco strapless a while ago.

Construction:

The cups are wider than the standard Deco and the gore is higher. Four-hook closure for stability. It’s a lot more bra than the Deco, but that seems necessary for a strapless. Lined with silicone for less slippage down. There are actually two positions one can hook the straps into front and back. Points for versatility and accommodating different shoulder widths and different multiway fits.

Fit:

Wow. This worked better than I expected. The cups are pretty full, and the band is quite firm, so a 32G (I wear a 30GG in the regular Deco) fits well. If I were between cup sizes I’d size down.

Comfort:

I’ve tried wearing this around for a full day with and without straps, although I haven’t had an occasion that needed a strapless yet. No sliding down (I wasn’t dancing or anything though).

Looks:

Nice rounded profile. No cleavage for me and my bottom-heavy breasts, since the cups are full. That’s fine by me. The ‘nude’ color is a lighter beige than my skin.

I don’t use a strapless bra often, and I’ve only worn this and the Porcelain body since I wore anything remotely resembling the correct size (I have tried on a Fantasie strapless in this size, and unfortunately I couldn’t fill out the apexes of those cups). This is more comfortable for me than the body, but is still a special occasion piece for me. I wouldn’t recommend extended strenuous activity in this bra, I imagine sweat and silicone don’t mix well over too many hours. If you like the Deco, chances are you’ll like this bra as well. If you think the Deco gives too pronounced a cleavage or plunges too much, it may still work as the center gore is higher. If you have trouble filling it, though, I’d give the Porcelain strapless a try.

Ewa Michalak CH Onyx review

I originally bought the CH Purple in 32GG from EM’s online store, and it came up way too large on me in the cup (the band fit well, though). A shame, since it was a beautiful bra- smart striping and sleek detailing. I tried a size down with the CH Onyx (32G) from a Bratabase user. I’m reviewing it after only trying it on because of immediate fit issues (and that I may resell it).

Construction:

The CH cut maximizes projection. The breasts are pushed forward and not very far up (contrasted with the HP, which gives less projection because it pushes the cups up). The side profile is pretty dramatic. They achieve this with a vertically-seamed half cup. The two seams are relatively close to the center gore in the bra I had (as opposed to the HP and CHP styles I tried). This is technically a multiway- the straps are detachable. There are actually two sets of straps: the padded partially adjustable comfort straps, and the fully adjustable standard ones. A rather useful feature!

The band in the back becomes quite thin, a radical difference from the wings of the bra. I haven’t seen a construction like this before and wonder why they don’t keep a taller band all the way around for support.

Fit:

The band seems pretty stretchy and I’m not sure how this would work with extended wear- maybe order a band size down if you’re between them? However, the cups are very full and I think I need to size down. Either that or it’s not a good bra for bottom-heavy soft breasts despite June’s findings. The cups gape a little at the top with the pads in the bra, and a bunch without them in. So if you’re bottom heavy, try ordering one cup size smaller to see if the shape can work for you.

Looks:

Glamorous shiny black cup edging on matte black fabric.  Seams are clearly delineated. Instead of the traditional bow, Ewa Michalak opted for two shiny black buttons down the front of the gore. Very classy! It looks great on from the side, but with some gaping even with the pads in I shouldn’t keep it.

Even though I feel like a dame with legs that won’t quit with this style, I’m relisting this exquisite bra because it’s just a bit too big or I have an incompatible shape. I may order a size down next time I order a CH (although I think EM is phasing the cut out in newer models). I adore the comfort straps- they’re pretty enough to show off!