CLEO ~ Lucy White/Neon Orange 28F

I've just received my first Lucy today. It's the the new AW 2013 White/Neon Orange color. Only there isn't any white to be seen! It's a very pale peachy color. Not a problem for me (it's pretty!) but I do wonder why they called it "white". 

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The neon is really bright. You won't be able to wear this bra under a white shirt. It's a cute print though (probably too cute for my age but I just couldn't resist). Very fresh and summer-like. Why is this part the Autumn/Winter collection?

I'd heard so many great things about the fit of the Lucy and the nicely rounded shape it gave. I can safely say that it deserves all the praises it got.

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The band is nice and firm. I'm wearing it on the first hook and it feels very comfortable. It feels great to be able to start a bra on the first hook: plenty of room left to tighten it when it starts to stretch.

The straps are well-positioned for my narrowish shoulders. They stay in place and never threaten to fall.

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The gore lies nice and flat against my sternum and the cups are perfectly filled. The gore itself is narrow but the bra still works for my separate breasts. The fabric of the cups seems pretty light and flimsy when you see it but once the bra is on, it gives great support when you're standing, sitting or just walking. However, there was a bit of bounce going on when I tried running and jumping a bit. No biggie. I wasn't asking the Lucy to support my boobs the way the incredible Panache Sport bra does. 

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The top of the cup is very soft and there would be room for breasts that are a bit more top heavy than mine without causing too much of a quadboob effect. When looking at a side shot of my largest breast, there does seem to be a bit of quadboobing going on but the cup isn't too small, it's because my breast tissue is very (too!) soft. It's unoticeable under clothing.

The wires are of a perfect width for me but maybe slightly too tall on the outside. They make the bra come a bit too high under my arms toward the front but it's not really uncomfortable.

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The Bottoms

I wouldn't recommend sizing down. I bought the shorts in a size 12 and I couldn't have fit comfortably in a 10. To be honest, these shorts aren't the best. They don't offer much coverage and dig in all my soft spots (muffin top effect in action! Quadbutt!). And the fact that they're 100% mesh doesn't endear them to me either. I own much more flattering bottoms. I'm only keeping these because I've become obsessive about having matching sets.

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Verdict

My favorite shape is the very rounded and uplifted one (Marie-Antoine or 2 cakes on a plate) padded half-cups give me. So the vast majority of my bras are padded half-cups. However, it's really nice to have a couple of unpadded balcony bras to simply stay at home or when I'm wearing a tight blouse that requires  "non enhanced" breasts to prevent it from gaping at the bust.

So the Lucy is perfect for me. I can have my unpadded balcony without sacrificing the rounded, uplifted look. It's my first unpadded balcony in the right size and I'll need a second one to replace my too-big-in-the-band Cleo Zia which I have to wear with a Rixie clip.

The only downside for me is the fabric. I'm not a fan of mesh in general (I find it a bit cheap looking, too stretchy and not as confortable as silkier, softer fabrics) and the Lucy is 100% mesh except for the straps. It's not really a problem but I think it will prevent me from buying it in another color to replace the Zia. I'll choose an unpadded bra in another fabric. Tough I wouldn't say no to a yellow Lucy if I can ever find one in 28F. I've been lusting after that particular color but, alas, it's from an older collection and there doesn't seem to be any left in that size.