The Bra Adventures: Cleo Meg and Cleo Melissa (and some links to demystify breast shape)

I've got a bunch of exciting things to talk about but I've opted to start with a bit more on bras.

For starters, a number of you have expressed intrigue, or confusion, over certain terms breast shape terms I've used lately i.e., wide or narrow root, shallow or deep bust and I'm sure the list goes on. There are some very comprehensive posts out there that clarify these somewhat complex concepts so please do read these (a brief smattering of the great info that's out there):

• Shallow breasts with a broad base
• Examples of shallow breasts (photos included so perhaps NSFW)
• Clarifying breast shape
• How to figure out the shape of your boobs
• The (potential) merits of +2 bra bands on frames with little padding
• A gallery of breast shapes (these are illustrations, not photos)
• Getting to the root of the problem

Having said this, the whole breast shape thing is pretty complicated! I mean, it's hard enough to find a shirt that fits - and it doesn't need to fit particularly perfectly or to provide you with optimal structural support. Don't be too fussed if these concepts and terms seem alien for a while. The more you think on them - the more you aim to apply them to your own shape - the sooner you'll begin to understand. One day, you'll look at someone on the streetcar and think: Wow, that woman has very deep bust and that bra she's wearing would be much better suited to someone with a wider, flatter breast profile. And the band's too big! (Of course, you'll think it very scientifically and with compassion.)

OK, moving along, I do have a fun Bra Adventure to share - or is it 2 bra adventures?!

Cleo is a brand I didn't have much use for when first I tried it a couple of years ago. I bought the Frances, which was lovely, but which fit quite small and not very supportively. I really had written off the brand till I started reading all the bra bloggers and many of them have great things to say about it.

Then, when I started using Bratabase recently (having determined my own breast depth and shape) I was able to review the stats on the Cleo bras I like (along with the reviews) to predict if they will work.

A couple of weeks ago I tried the Melissa at a bra boutique in TO. It was in my "regular" size and it was too small, but I did like the shape - and I loved the pattern. Alas, the shop didn't have a size up in stock.

I LOVE the design:

Image from A Sophisticated Pair

It's so whimsical. So playful! Look at the cloud motif in the lace!

You may notice that the cups on this bra are quite substantial for a balconette. See how high they run? You may also be able to tell (though pictures don't show the full story) that this is a fairly deep cup. Observe how the profile of the breast from the gore to the nipple is longer than that from the nipple to outer breast. And, if that means nothing, take my word for it: The cup is far deeper than it was on the Frances I tried years ago. Mind you, it's still small in the cup - hence my need to size up.

I'll also say that this bra is quite supportive with firm fabric, snug band (you might want to go up a band size) and good coverage (but it's in no way frumpy, I should add).

You know, there's an argument to be made that I'm too old for this design but I'm not hearing it, thank you very much :-)

Then there's another Cleo offering I'm really into, the Meg:

Photo from Bras I Hate

Note the similar construction to the Melissa. It's a high balconette with a rounded upper cup - good for a full on top bust (but with no stretch on the top cup - so the fit has got to be right or there will be some pillowing!) I think it's even more apparent, with this bra, that the cup is deep. It too has a band that runs tight so consider sizing up.

The pattern is whimsical, but elegant - a bird motif in navy with white and grey, accented in red ribbon.

The shape it provides - like the Melissa - is what I call "boobs on a plate" (albeit, boobs on a plate that are well supported). More on this concept when one of my next orders arrives, but the gist is that the shape is front and centre - and high.

Originally I purchased this at a great price, on sale, from LCL and it just arrived a couple of days ago. Honestly, I can't believe it's still available on the site, given the discount and the quality of the bra. Alas, I ordered it in my regular size - which Bratabase led me to believe would yield good fit - and it's just the teensiest bit too snug. I debated whether to just keep and wear it but I'm on a mission. If the fit's not perfect, I'm moving on. Empreinte has ruined me in this way!

So, I went onto eBay and found a vendor selling both of these (with the matching undies) and I purchased each in the size up that was no longer available (in the case of the Meg, on LCL, and in the case of the Melissa, at the Toronto boutique).

I'd already bought the Meg undies via LCL at this point (when I bought the bra) - they're darling. But to give you a reference point - 2 bras and a pair of matching undies cost me @50 bucks (including shipping) from the UK. That's freakin' awesome given that I a) know the quality of what I'm getting and b) have a pretty good sense that the fit will work - having tried on both bras in another size. By contrast, the Melissa bra alone, which  I tried on in store, would have cost @90 bucks once the tax was added in.

I've even decided to keep the Meg I bought (the one that doesn't fit perfectly), with all of its original tags, to sell at a later date if I so choose (or to wear if my shape warrants it).

At any rate, that's my thesis du jour.

So, today's questions are: Have you tried the Cleo Meg or Cleo Melissa and, if yes, what do you think? Do you like this brand? These styles? Are the bra-shape links useful to you? Let's talk!