Handy Lingerie Style Glossary
With so many different styles of bras, lingerie and swimwear available, knowing every style's features and applications is not easy. To make the process of selecting the right style for your shape or the occasion easier, we have compiled a list of styles available right now at Brafit Direct.
Once you've found the style you're looking for, simply click on the products link and there will be a list of available products in the style you have selected. It couldn't be simpler!
Balcony
The balcony bra is neither padded, nor moulded, but has enough support to be worn everyday. The cups give adequate coverage but with a low neckline, making this style of bra perfect for a square or low neckline.
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Bandeau
A bandeau bra is a strapless fabric band that goes around the bust, and can offer additional support with built-in cups. They are comfortable as they are usually made from stretchy fabric.
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Bikini
An underwear brief with a waist band that sits on the hip and has a high-cut leg line and offers everyday comfort.
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Boyleg
Popular with young women, this style of brief sits low on the hip with legs that come to the top of the thigh. It gives more coverage than the hipster or bikini brief.
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Brazilian
This style of brief is designed to show more skin, especially at the back, as it sits on the lower hip, with less bottom coverage than the usual bikini or hipster brief.
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Brief
A common style of brief that is designed for no-fuss wear, with the top of the brief sitting high on the waistline and a high-leg cut.
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Bikini Top
A common style of swimwear which is similar to a bra. Bikini tops provide coverage of the bust and can feature straps, underwire or moulded cups.
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Camisole
A camisole is a fitted singlet with thin straps and cups. Some have underwire to provide additional shape and support. A convenient lingerie option, the camisole can be worn with or without a bra depending on the wearer's preference.
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Contour
Also known as a 'moulded' bra, a contour bra has lightly padded or lined cups that hold their shape and create a rounded cup look for the wearer. They also include an underwire for greater support.
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Convertible
A great practical bra, the convertible bra (also known as the 'multiway') has removable and adjustable straps that can be worn a number of different ways, including conventional, halter, one-shoulder, criss-crossed at the back, and strapless.
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Crop Top
Designed for younger girls with growing busts or active females, the crop top is wirefree to allow for movement, comfort and growth. Made from stretchy fabric, the crop top looks similar to a tight fitting tank top that is cut from the bottom of the bust.
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DD+
Specifically designed for women with a larger bust, DD+ bras are designed to provide optimal comfort and support for the wearer.
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French Knicker
The French knicker is a style of underwear designed for modesty and comfort. They cover the hip, the upper thigh and all of the back bottom and feature a loose fitting leg, like shorts.
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Full Brief
For a more modest feel, the full brief sits high on the torso for tummy support and security and has a high-leg cut.
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Full Cup
The full cup bra completely covers most of the breast, and offers more coverage, modesty and support than other bras. It is usually designed for women of a larger bust to help them feel comfortable on a daily basis.
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G-String
A tiny brief designed to prevent lines from showing under tight-fitting clothes. The front features a small inverted triangle-shape of fabric held to the body with strings. There is virtually no back coverage.
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Half Cup
Also known as a balconette bra, the half cup bra incorporates a contoured, underwire design with the upper half of the cup cut away to expose the upper breast and cleavage. The shoulder straps are usually set farther apart to create the look of a larger bust.
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Hipster
As the name suggests, the hipster sits low on the hip and has a low-leg cut. They are perfect to wear with hipster-style jeans.
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Kimono
A stylish flowing top usually made from lightweight or swimwear material, the kimono is often worn over swimwear to provide more modesty or to transform swimwear to everyday wear.
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Magnetic Closure
To provide ease of access during nursing, a magnetic closure cup is an innovative feature of nursing bras. The small magnets mean opening and closing the cup is easier even if you have your hands full.
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Maternity
Designed for the pregnant woman, maternity bras offer comfort through all stages of pregnancy, and as the breasts grow. They feature soft, stretchy fabric, large cups for growing breasts and a number of back clasps to adjust as you develop.
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Minimising
A minimising bra is designed to lessen the look of a woman?s bust and cleavage. Women who are large in bust usually wear a minimising bra to create modesty, reduce their size and give a natural look.
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Non-Contour
Non-Contour bras are bras featuring limited moulding to provide the wearer with a more natural shape. This style is often a favourite with larger busted women who either don't like the feel of moulded bras or prefer thinner cup material to reduce additional projection.
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Nursing
A nursing bra features specially designed cups that drop down to allow access to the nipple for breastfeeding. The bra itself is usually soft, stretchy and comfortable so as to keep the new mother comfortable.
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Plunge
The plunge bra allows you to wear their more low-cut tops due to a specially-designed deep plunge centre join and angled cups. Due to this design they also help create cleavage.
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Push-Up
A push-up bra incorporates built in 'booster' pads at the bottom of the cup to lift the breasts and create shape, size and cleavage. The booster pads are sometimes removable.
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Racerback
Also known as the 'T-back' or 'crossback', the racerback features straps at the back that meet in a V-style shape between the shoulder blades. It is featured in many sports bras to aid arm movement.
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Reversible
Two pieces of swimwear in one is the flexibility reversible swimwear offers the wearer as both sides of the fabric can be worn on the outside.
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Seamless
The seamless bra is designed for wear under tight-fitting or revealing tops as they appear transparent and show no lines. The cups are moulded into the fabric and give a perfectly smooth shape.
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Soft Cup
A soft cup containing no constricting underwire or padding, meaning it gives ultimate comfort.
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Strapless
A strapless bra is an underwire bra with no shoulder straps, or removable ones. The wide sides feature gel strips to keep it secure on the body so it won't ride or fall. It is designed for wear with strapless tops and dresses when you don't want your bra's shoulder straps to be seen.
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Suspender
A suspender is a specially-designed belt worn around the waist and usually along with briefs, that features four hanging clips that keep thigh-high stockings held up.
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Swimsuit
The 'swimsuit' is a traditional one-piece swimwear with shoulder straps and medium-cut leg line. Some feature built in cups, while others do not.
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Tankini
A tankini is between a bikini and a tank top. It features built-in cups, in the style of a regular bikini top, with fabric around the torso that extends down to the waist line for modesty.
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Triangle
Designed for smaller busted women, the triangle style bra or swimwear top offers just the right amount of coverage on the breast and also features thin straps.
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T-Shirt
The T-shirt bra is a great basic bra that is designed for wear under tight-fitting tops and shirts. The T-shirt bra features contour cups for a perfect rounded shape and looks invisible under clothes due to the lack of decoration on the outer cups.
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U-Shape
Similar to a plunge bra, the U-shape bra features a distinct centre join in the shape of a 'U', creating cleavage and allowing you to wear low-cut tops with ease.
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Underwired
The underwired bra features wiring sewn into the bottom of each cup to help lift and support the bust. The underwire itself can be made from metal, plastic or wire.
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