Here is the Glossary Lingerie A-C on buy-lingerie which lists some common and not so common lingerie terms. Be sure to check out Glossary Lingerie D-F after.
Glossary Lingerie Definitions A-Cglo
Adhesive Bra
- A bra with medical grade adhesive on the inside to stick to your body. These bras give some breast enhancement and are a backless alternative.
Applique
- Embellishment on a garment where decoration is made by cutting pieces of one fabric and applying them to the surface of another.
Babydoll
- A babydoll is a woman’s short nightgown sometimes with lace, ruffles, bows and ribbons, optionally with spaghetti straps. Sometimes they are made of sheer cloth like chiffon. It is said the name comes from the 1956 movie “Baby Doll” starring Carroll Baker in the title role.
Back Closure
- This term is used when describing how a bra closes. Traditionally, a back closure bra has two rows of hook and eye closures and three adjustments. Full figure and strapless bras usually have three rows of hook and eye closures as well as three adjustments.
Back Fat
- A term giving to the look of flesh bulging out around the band and straps when wearing a bra. This symptom can be caused by your bra’s band size being too small. But it is also an unfortunate reality for women with soft tissue on their back. This lumpiness can sometimes be eliminated with the right size and style of bra. For example, several manufacturers claim a leotard back styled bra reduces back fat. A wider bra back along with wide straps can also help reduce the severity of the lumpiness. Shapewear camisoles worn over a bra are also a solution.
Back Wings
- Fabric strips that start at the outer edge of the bra cups, go under the arms and then attach in the back.
Backless
- A bra designed with a low cut adjustable back band.
Balconette
- This is another name for a demi cup bra. A balconette bra has more of a horizontal line going across the top of the bustline. Most of the time, the cups are seamed for an upward boost to give the breasts the look as if corseted. A balconette bra can also have push-up pads as well. The name balconette comes from men in the balcony of a theater looking down upon women. A balconette bra could not be seen from above.
- Full busted brands like Fantasie, Freya and Elomi use the name balconette to describe a different bra style. These brands define balconette as a bra with a sweetheart neckline and a lower center front.
Balcony
- This bra style includes wide-set straps, multiple seams in the cups, usually a plunging center, a sweetheart neckline and is not full coverage. A common term used in Europe, this style name is mostly associated with DD+ cup sizes. Works well under scoop-neck, low v-neck and boat-neck tops, and is suitable for most breast types.
Bamboo
- Bamboo fabric is made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. It is light and strong, and has excellent wicking properties. The use of bamboo fiber for clothing was a 20th century development, pioneered by several Chinese corporations.
- Bamboo is highly water absorbent, able to take up three times its weight in water. In bamboo fabric, this translates to an excellent wicking ability that will pull moisture away from the skin so that it can evaporate. In addition, bamboo fabric has insulating properties and will keep the wearer cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Bandeau Bra
- A strapless knit, wide band worn around the bust line. This type of bra is best for the young and self-supporting.
Bar Tack
- Sewing reinforcement at the end of a slit with short stitching rows perpendicular to the seam.
Basque
- A long-line cupped bra extending to the hips with garter hooks attached along the lower edge. A Merry Widow is a form of basque. Basques are frequently incorrectly called a bustier or corset.
Bed Jacket
- A short waisted jacket meant to be worn in bed to keep one’s shoulders warm and for modesty if receiving visitors while sitting in bed.
Bikini
- A panty style whose waistband rests below the navel, and on the hips. Usually has a high-cut leg line. The sides can be anything from a string to a thicker side panel. Back coverage depends on the style of the bikini. Bikini panties are a super comfortable, medium coverage silhouette that won’t show thru under heavier fabrics like denim or wool. Surprisingly, a bikini panty can be more flattering on a woman with a tummy.
Boarding
- The process applied to hosiery to improve the final presentation. When the hosiery is still damp from dying it is pulled over a metal form and subject to pressure and heat. This sets the garment to its familiar leg and foot profile. (used only with non-stretch or polyamide products).
Body Briefer
- A shapewear style that looks like a one-piece bathing suit. It has a snap crotch (also called gusset closure) and a control panel at the tummy for support.
Boning
- Can be made out of steel, metal spirals (mini springs) and various types of plastic. Boning is usually incorporated into a vertical seam line in order to give more support, structure and body contouring to a garment. The name comes from the fact that actual bones were originally used in undergarments to give support.
Boy Leg Brief
- Reminiscent of hot pants, this style brief has legs that come to the top of the thigh. Waist sits low on the hips, and the back has full coverage. It is usually seamed in the center front and back for definition. Worn under hip-hugger style bottoms or short skirts to give a smooth line from waist to hip.
Boyshort
- Resembling a short, this panty is sometimes also called a culotte, shorty or hot pant. Offering full coverage in a modern silhouette, boyshorts are a perfect everyday alternative and offer comfortable coverage under skirts. They are also popular teamed up with a camisole and worn around as loungewear. A boyshort has a lower leg cut and thus an inseam that is usually around 1/2″ to 1″ long. Many women claim this panty style eliminates panty lines under tight-fitting clothing.
Bra-2-Part Cup
- A 2-part cup is where the cup is made with 2 panels of fabric that are sewn together. Bra cups with seams such as this are always more supportive than bra cups without seams.
Bra-3-Part Cup
- A 3-part cup is a where the cup of a bra is made in 3 panels of fabric sewn together with seams. This style of bra cup is the most supportive.
Bra-4-Part Cup
- A 4-part cup is made up of 4 panels of fabric sewn together with seams. Also called a cut & sew bra. Many times, one of the panels will be along the outer sides of the cup to help center and contain the breast tissue. 4-part cups are found more often in the larger cup sizes because they can provide additional cup depth, support and shaping.
Bralet
- This is an alternate spelling for a bralette. A bralette is generally a less structured bra that comes in t-shirt sizing (S,M, L, etc) rather than bra sizing. Popular for lounging, sleeping or as an underpinning.
Bralette
- Generally a less structured bra that comes in t-shirt sizing (S,M, L, etc) rather than bra sizing. Popular for lounging, sleeping or as an underpinning.
Brazilian Panty
- A Brazilian panty covers more in back than a thong but less than a full panty. Has a full crotch, but the back is cut back to follow the apex of your cheeks in a V-shape.
Breathability
- The term breathability is associated with fabric and its ability to allow airflow. Generally, if a fabric has breathability, the garment will not hold in moisture. A simple test to see if a fabric has breathability is to hold it up to your mouth and see if air can pass through it. If it can, the fabric has breathability.
Brief
- A panty whose waistband rests at or just below the navel, provides full back and side coverage. Variation to a brief is a hi-cut brief which has a hi-cut leg.
Bullet-Proof
- HerRoom uses the term “bullet-proof” to describe a bra that has enough padding in the cups to prevent the nipples from showing through.
Bump Pad
- A pad that is built into the bottom of the cup to push the breast up and out to create more cleavage.
Busk
- Thin strip of wood, whalebone or steel used for stiffening corsets.
Bustier
- A bosom-to-hip corset-style garment, usually trimmed in lavish lace. Additional features may include detachable garters, flexible boning, optional shoulder straps, and a lace-up closing. This garment is usually worn by a woman for the visual enjoyment of the man in her life. The bustier has also become the garment to be worn with formal clothes. Bustiers are sometimes incorrectly called corsets.
Butterfly Slide Closure
- A butterfly slide closure has two pieces that slide together and snap into place, to close a swimsuit or bra.
Cami Top
- Made of microfiber, this camisole-looking shapewear gives a seamless, toned look under knits. It gives very light control and is a perfect solution for sheer, form-fitting tops in order to reveal the least amount of lines or seams.
Camisole
- A bosom-to-hip corset-style garment, usually trimmed in lavish lace. Additional features may include detachable garters, flexible boning, optional shoulder straps, and a lace-up closing. This garment is usually worn by a woman for the visual enjoyment of the man in her life. The bustier has also become the garment to be worn with formal clothes. Bustiers are sometimes incorrectly called corsets.
Camisole Strap
- Bra straps that are traditionally wider and look like an extension of the bra cup. They can either not adjust, or adjust in back. Their purpose is to reduce “digging in” at your shoulders.
Carbon
- A carbon fabrication blends carbon-infused fibers by the burning of bamboo. And blends them with poly-tech fiber to create a durable, tech fabrication that is beneficial to your body. Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, deodorizing, breathable, and moisture wicking.
Catsuit
- A full-body stocking. Generally long sleeved and made out of stretchy material. Was made popular in the 1960’s Avengers television series by actress Diana Rigg.
Center Gore
- The center gore or center panel is that piece of fabric in the center of your bra that connects your two cups together. Size of this center piece helps to determine a bra’s support. A supportive bra will have a center gore that comes up the the nipple line. A lower center gore works best for plunging necklines.
Center Panel
- A piece of fabric, which connects the cups of a bra at the center front. The center panel may also be called the bridge, center connector, center gore, and centerpiece.
Chemise
- Name given to the first undergarments ever worn by women. Designed originally to protect the skin from outer garments, Today a chemise may be defined as a short or long flowing gown/slip without sleeves and having an A-line silhouette. It is most often an underpinning or a sleepwear item.
Circular Knit
- Process in which modern seamless hosiery is made, which results in a tapered tube, which is then sewn closed at the toe.
Cleavage
- This is the vertical line created between a woman’s breasts. Not the bulging breast tissue caused by a push-up bra. Cleavage comes from the word “cleave” to separate or divide in two.
Comfort Straps
- Comfort bra straps have a wider than normal strap and usually have additional padding. They help to more evenly distribute the weight of the breast, and thus increase the comfort of the wearer. Comfort straps give helpful relief to a woman who experiences shoulder pain caused by her bra straps.
Compression
- The way a bra cup is constructed. A bra with compression cups redistributes breast tissue to evenly press the breast against a woman’s chest to limit or reduce their motion.
Contour
- A contour bra has cups that hold their shape, even when not being worn. The cups are molded and shaped with a foam. Contour bras are similar to a molded bra, except molded bras may not have cups with padding. Contour bras are always molded. They are a perfect choice for any woman seeking a sculpted silhouette, as they offer a significant amount of coverage and control. A contour bra can also add definition to the breast, a smooth shape, and elimination of nipple contours. Contour bras are a good choice for in-between bra sizes, or a woman with uneven breasts.
Contour Bra
- A contour bra is another name for a t-shirt bra. It has cups that hold their shape, even when not being worn. The cups are seamless, molded and shaped with a foam to prevent nipple show-through. Contour bras are similar to a molded bra, except molded bras generally do not have any cup padding. Contour bras are always molded.
Contoured
- A contour bra has cups that hold their shape, even when not being worn. The cups are molded and shaped with a foam. Contour bras are similar to a molded bra, except molded bras may not have cups with padding.
Control Brief
- A panty shaped like a brief but designed to flatten the tummy and give support while providing a smooth silhouette.
Control Top
- Pantyhose or tights produced with the body section composed of a heavier lycra content and weight to act as a light control garment.
Convertible
- A convertible bra has straps, which can be worn in up to six different configurations. Conventional, halter, one-shoulder, off-the-shoulder, criss-crossed, and strapless. Some convertible bras have straps that are attached to the cups. These convertible bras can not be worn in all six configurations. Be sure to look at our images to see if the front of the strap is removable. Realistically, a convertible bra over a cup size D may not work as effectively as smaller cup sizes.
Cookie
- A padded insert in the cup of a bra. Though usually made of fiberfill, a cookie can also be made with water, oil or a gel. Cookies help to change the shape of the breast. They also help when one breast is smaller than the other. Placing a cookie in the bra cup of the smaller breast will give you a more even look.
Corselet
- Also spelled corselette, it is a woman’s support undergarment that combines a girdle with a bra.
Corset
- A woman’s support undergarment that is boned and close fitting. It is almost always hooked and laced. It begins either above or just below the bust and extends down to the waist or below the hips. Usually garters are attached at its base. A corset supports the breasts from underneath and usually pushes them up and over the neckline edge. A corset is similar to a waist cincher that stops below the breasts.
Crinoline
- Originally, it was the name given to coarse horsehair fabric used in early petticoats to give a very full skirt volume. Later, the word crinoline came to be the name for a hoop skirt.
Crop Top/Cami
- A lightly-constructed no-wire bra that is a cross between a camisole and a bra.
Crossover
- A wire-free bra that creates an “X” in the center front for support and comfort.
Cuban Heel
- A rectangular designed reinforced heel, usually with a reinforced foot and backseam. Most Cuban heel stockings are also “Full Fashioned”.
Culotte
- A wide-leg version of a boyshort. Also called a tap pant.
Cut & Sew Bra
- A bra with seams in the cups is a cut and sew bra. Most lace cups are cut and sew. The more seams there are in the cups, the greater the support.