Cleo Cassie Longline Bikini Top

In an effort to ensure that I had a bathing suit for my vacation, I frantically searched the internet for something cute that would get here in time. I was afraid my Comexim order might either be late or not fit, so I was really feeling the crunch. Luckily, I found one that I really liked, happened to be a longline and fits quite well - the Cassie Longline from Cleo.

32F Cleo Cassie Longline Bikini Top

I first ordered this in a 32G because it was the closest to my size that Breakout Bras had left in stock and I thought it should fit reasonably well. It was pretty good in the band, but the cups were way too big for me. I ended up sending that one back and reordering a 32F from Figleaves which arrived much faster than I expected since it was coming from the UK.

I really like the fabric they chose for this because it's sturdy, silky and attractive. It's so smooth and feels nice against the skin. Admittedly, it's much higher quality than my Comexim bikini, but for something that retails closer to $70 instead of $40, I would hope that to be the case!

There's one main quirk about the fit of this thing. The gore tacks at the top but the wires sit away from my body at the bottom of the cups. This was an issue that was reported with the Comexim Joy longline and I think it has something to do with the tension in the band being uneven. It could just not be compatible with my rib shape as my underbust and waist measurements are almost identical and it seems to want a bit more of a V shape because the bottom tapers a bit in the wrong spot on me. You can see a lump where the underwire is angling away from my chest above the bottom of the band.
I'll be taking the gore in between the cups to see if it can't be corrected because I intended for this to be the secure option for more vigorous activity and the support is severely compromised in this state. My boobs bounce up and down on my ribcage with the slightest movement which I don't find acceptable.

The wires/wings are a bit high, but at least when trying it on, it's still very comfortable. I think the silkiness of the fabric coupled with the narrow wires can be thanked for that.

One place where I think the quality could be improved is the plastic Cleo used. I was impressed by the Comexim bikini because they use metal instead of plastic. I'm always paranoid I'll snap plastic clasps and if this one were also metal, I'd feel better. It's not a big deal though, because the plastic on Cassie is pretty thick.
The straps sit on my shoulder blades, which is mildly annoying while wearing it briefly. Hopefully it doesn't chafe with long periods of wear.

All in all, I'm happy with Cassie. I'll be ecstatic if I can fix the underwire/band issue with a simple alteration because it's a markedly more comfortable and attractive top than last year's Freya. It matches pretty well with two of my bikini bottoms as well, so it's a pretty big win in my book.
I'm debating on writing up a short post about mixing and matching bra sized tops with bottoms from your standard retailers, but it's not like that's a special or complicated idea, so we'll see if anything comes of that.

Added tidbit, the upcoming Breeze longline bra from Cleo looks like it might be a variation of this with similar cup construction. I'm interested in giving it a shot, because I quite like the shape this gives me but I wonder if it'll have the same underwire issue...

UPDATE: Taking in the gore has improved the fit significantly! The underwires sit almost completely flush against my ribs now. I'll probably try bending the wires so they turn in at the center of the bottom, but if it doesn't change much, it's still safe to say I'm happy with this purchase. Admittedly, I probably should have tried a little harder at sewing in a straight line as now there are wrinkles in the fabric on the band itself, right below the wires. Oh well. Can always try again later.

UPDATE August 1, 2015: Since my last update, I've worn Cassie to the beach and swam with it in the ocean. I gotta say, It doesn't fare much better than the Comexim bikini in terms of containing the boobs while swimming. Because it's so open on top, water has no trouble lifting my boobs up and out of the cups. Granted, the waves weren't helping, but I had to do a lot of adjusting. If you have a similar shape to me, be sure to double check the boob situation before you get out of the water. It might even be better to go a little small in the cup to get a snug fit to prevent escape.
Another note, the longline portion of the band tended to wiggle it's way up under the underwires while I wore it all day, essentially creating the look of a regular band.

I recently read a promising review of a Panache bandeau bikini top that I'm interested in giving a try. The way it's constructed (probably due to the nature of being strapless), the top of the cups come in at quite an angle. It would probably cut in a lot on someone with tall(er) roots or is just FOT, but with short roots, it might just work. I'll be sure to post if I get my hands on one.