A little lost among all the technical terms used in the world of lingerie?
This glossary will help you
Babydoll: Short nightie, often with underwired cups.
Balconette bra: Partially interlocking bra, often in 3 parts for better support. Clears the neckline and is suitable for a wide range of bust shapes.
Bandeau : Straight, horizontal bra, usually strapless.
Basque: Underwired bustier with suspenders.
Bodysuit: A piece of lingerie that buttons between the legs and covers the bust, with or without underwire. Can be worn as lingerie or as a top.
Bra: A piece of lingerie that wraps around the bust to support it, consisting of straps, 2 cups with or without underwiring and a band at the back. Comes in many forms, from sports bras to open bras, known as « topless ».
Bralette: Comfortable bra without underwires. Very popular in its sports bra version.
Brief: Low-cut, low-waisted panties.
Bustier: Lingerie covering the bust, often underwired and whalebone, with or without straps.
Camisole: Top with slightly floating straps.
Corset: Lingerie covering the bust, often with stays and laces to refine the waist and often with garters to be worn with stockings.
Cup: Part of the bra which envelops the breasts to support them. Their size is based on the letters of the alphabet.
Demi-cup bra: Shape of bra similar to balconnette bra, but with more cleavage and a shaping effect.
Denier: Unit measuring the fineness of tights and stockings; the smaller the denier, the finer and more transparent the tights; the larger the denier, the more opaque the tights.
Full-cup bra: Covering bra shape, providing stability and support for generous breasts.
Garter: Elastic band holding the stocking to the thigh, now generally reserved for wedding finery.
Girdle: Lingerie piece designed to slim and sculpt the body, often in the form of panties or a bodysuit.
Hipster (or Boyshort): Panties in the shape of very short shorts. Boxer shorts provide slightly more coverage.
Kimono: Indoor jacket with floating sleeves and a belt at the waist, inspired by Japanese clothing.
Minimizer bra: Full-cup bra that slightly flattens the bust to visually reduce its volume.
Negligee: Elegant indoor jacket, often matched with nightwear.
Padded cup: Shape of a cup, made from a fine foam that provides shaping and discretion under clothing.
Panties: Lingerie covering the bottom, between the legs and hips, with many variations (sculpting, floating, high waisted, etc.)
Plunge : Very low-cut, bias-cut bra suitable for deep necklines.
Push-Up bra: A plunging, padded push-up bra that adds volume to the bust. Similar to a plunge, but while all push-ups are plungers, not all plungers are push-ups.
Stockings: Knitted garments that rise above the knee and cover the leg. Can be worn with a garter belt or on their own if they are self-fastening with a silicone band.
Suspender: Adjustable elastic strap with a clip to hold stockings in place. Can be found on a corset, garter belt, panties or suspender belt.
Suspender belt: A piece of lingerie worn around the waist with suspenders to hold stockings.
Tanga: A piece of lingerie halfway between a low-cut brief and a thong in terms of coverage.
Teddy (or Combi-Short): Piece of nightwear combining a camisole and shorts.
Thong: Lingerie piece that leave the bottom completely uncovered, discreet under tight clothing.
Tights: Knitted garment covering the legs and between the legs.
Triangle bra: Fancy bra, providing slight support to the bust.
T-shirt bra: Bra with preformed, seamless cups, invisible under clothing.
Underwire: Metal half-circles integrated into the base of the cups to support and separate the breasts.
Waist cincher : A piece of lingerie that covers and slims the waist thanks to whalebones, often with suspenders.
Whalebone: Metal or plastic rod added to the sides of bras to reinforce support or to bustiers, corsets and basque to sculpt the silhouette.
