Bra & Pant Glossary
Use our bra & pant glossary to inform your intimates shopping experience and get exactly what you want.
I. Bras
II. Pants
III. Fabrics
I. BRAS
Balconette:
Also known as a shelf bra, a balconette has a lower, more revealing cut than a demi-cup and offers dramatic lift.
Balcony:
Essentially a demi-cup bra — only with wider-set shoulder straps. Perfect for tops and dresses with wide and plunging necklines.
Bustier:
A more holistic approach to shaping and lift, bustiers address the whole torso. Built-in bra support and boning throughout. May come with removable straps.
Convertible:
All about convenience and adaptability. Straps can be worn many different ways — racerback, single-shoulder, criss-cross, halter, or strapless — making it easy to transition from one season to the next. Wear with a variety of tops, from strapless to boat-neck to halter.
Demi-Cup:
An alluring, “half-cup” bra with less coverage than a full-cup, but more than a balconette. A great choice for women with petite to average figures who don’t need a lot of support.
Full-Cup:
A basic, everyday bra offering full coverage and support.
Molded Contour (a.k.a. Molded-Cup):
For shape and full support. Filled with a thin layer of foam, cups mirror women’s natural curves. Molded bras may be either soft cup or underwire.
Net Wings:
Located at the sides of some bra styles for a more streamlined fit and added support. Also allow for greater breathability.
Plunge:
Cups are angled to provide more coverage on the side and less in the center, allowing you to avoid a major fashion faux pas — showing your bra at the neckline of a low-cut top. Another benefit: plunge bras amplify your natural assets without the bulk of a push-up.
Push-Up:
Different from traditional padded bras, which offer only modest size enhancement, push-ups have a more revealing cut with extra padding lower on the cup to lift and substantially enhance your bustline. Often with underwire support.
Racerback:
A sportier style with straps that join at the center of the back for a no-show fit under racerback tops.
Soft-Cup:
Simply stated: bras without underwire and subsequently less support. Lightly padded or lined.
Sports:
Specially designed to minimize bounce and provide enhanced support during workouts.
Strapless:
A staple in any bra collection — and a must for many special-occasion pieces. With removable straps or none at all.
T-Shirt:
Seamless, contoured bras that offer ultimate body-hugging coverage and full support. Invisible, even under the thinnest, form-fitting tops. Generally made of microfiber.
II. PANTS
Bikini:
A little more revealing than a full brief but still a lot more coverage than a thong. String bikinis offer slightly less coverage with only a string connecting the front and back. Variations include: low-rise and high-cut.
Boyshort/Boyleg:
A more recent borrowed-from-the-boys style that continues to grow in popularity. Full front and back coverage and a lower rise.
Full-Brief:
A traditional mid- to high-rise pant with conservative front and back coverage.
High-Cut/French-Cut:
Long, beautiful…legs! This moderate to full-coverage pant sits higher on the thigh for a nice lengthening effect. High waist.
Hipster:
No peeking…This super-cute style sits low on the waist , the perfect choice for your favorite low-rise pants. Full back coverage and low- to medium-cut legs. More revealing than a boyshort.
Thong:
Bye, bye panty lines. This popular pant silhouette is defined by a small triangle front and thin, no-show Y-back.
III. FABRICS:
Stretch Lace:
This softer, more form-fitting variety of lace moves with you and won’t bunch.
Mercerized Cotton:
Specially treated to be softer, stronger and more lustrous than its traditional counterpart.
Microfiber:
Amazingly light! Woven of synthetic fibers that weigh less than 1 denier (measurement of linear density). Note: 9,000 meters of 1-denier fiber weighs only 1 gram (453.59 grams = 1 pound).
Moisture-Wicking:
Natural and/or synthetic fibers that work to keep you cool and comfortable by channeling moisture away from the body.