The glossary.

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Apex

The fullest or most forward-projecting area of a cup, not a mandatory position every body must meet.

Babydoll

A short garment commonly combining a defined bust area with fabric falling loosely below it; retail names overlap.

Balconette

A bra family commonly featuring an open upper neckline and outward-set straps; overlaps with demi.

Band

The part of a conventional bra that circles the torso and provides its stable foundation.

Basque

A bust-and-torso lingerie term, often used for a longer structured piece and sometimes garter attachments; usage varies.

Bikini

A lingerie bottom commonly featuring a lower rise and relatively shallow sides; the name does not establish swim suitability.

Bodystocking

A body-covering garment using hosiery-like construction; leg, foot and coverage arrangements vary.

Bodysuit

A joined upper and lower garment used in lingerie, fashion or other specialist roles; function depends on construction.

Boning

A reinforcing strip inserted into a channel or seam; its presence alone does not make a corset.

Boyshort

A short-like underwear silhouette with relatively deep sides and a lower leg line; not a guaranteed leg length.

Bra sized body

A body offered through bra sizing, commonly with dedicated cup construction; torso and lower fit still need consideration.

Bralette

An often softer, lighter bra family; its distinction from wireless bra is not standardized.

Brazilian

A retail description commonly used for a reduced-coverage back; it does not determine rise.

Brief

Either a broad retail word for underwear bottoms or a fuller-cut silhouette, depending on context.

Bustier

A garment commonly combining bust support and an extended torso section; construction overlaps with other retail names.

Camisole

A sleeveless torso garment, often with narrow straps, which may serve as underwear, sleepwear or clothing.

Centre gore

The centre connection between the cups, also called the bridge or centre panel.

Cheeky

A relative rear-coverage description that can appear across multiple bottom silhouettes.

Chemise

A dress-like intimate garment, often following a more continuous line than a flared babydoll.

Compression

Support construction that holds breast tissue closer toward the chest.

Corset

A structured torso garment whose panels, reinforcement and closure should be examined rather than inferred from the name.

Cotton

A cellulose-based natural fibre used in many different knitted and woven constructions.

Cup

The three-dimensional part of a bra that contains and shapes the breast.

Demi

A lower-coverage cup description that can overlap with balconette or half-cup terminology.

Denier

A linear-density measure: the mass in grams of 9,000 metres of yarn or fibre, not a guarantee of opacity or strength.

Elastane

A generic stretch-fibre name, also called spandex; brand names and finished performance are separate information.

Elastic

A component designed for controlled extension and recovery, found in many garment edges and panels.

Embroidery

Decorative threadwork applied to a foundation; may be machine-made or hand-worked.

Encapsulation

Support construction that contains breasts individually in shaped cups or areas.

Fishnet

An open net textile whose hole scale and stretch change its visual coverage.

Frame

The fabric structure supporting and surrounding the cups; also called a cradle in some constructions.

French knickers

Loose, draped, short-like lingerie bottoms, also commonly called tap pants.

Full cup

A bra with greater upper-breast coverage than lower-cut styles, independent of padding.

G string

A particularly minimal thong-style construction, usually with a very narrow rear connection.

Garter belt

A waist- or hip-worn garment with suspension straps attaching to stockings; also called a suspender belt.

Gusset

An inserted panel, often at a garment’s crotch, whose lining, width and placement differ between designs.

Hipster

A hip-level silhouette commonly offering more side depth than a bikini; rear coverage varies.

Hold ups

Thigh-high hosiery designed with a grip band to remain in position independently, also called stay-ups.

Lace

An open patterned textile family; fibre, stretch, production method and finish vary.

Leg cut

The path and height of the leg opening, distinct from waistband rise.

Lingerie

A broad family of intimate garments, including functional, decorative and overlapping designs.

Lining

An additional material layer used for purposes such as opacity, reinforcement or comfort.

Longline

A bra with a band that extends farther down the torso than a conventional band.

Mesh

An open textile structure that can be soft, firm, stretchy, layered or reinforced.

Microfibre

A description of very fine fibres, not the name of one particular fibre chemistry or universal fabric performance.

Moulded

Formed into a shape, rather than relying exclusively on seams; not necessarily heavily padded.

Negligee

A variable historical and retail term for delicate or relaxed intimate dressing, not one standardized cut.

One piece

A joined garment; in these Chapters it connects an upper section with a lower section through the crotch.

Opacity

How much a material blocks visibility through it, distinct from support or shaping function.

Open gusset

An intentional opening at the gusset, distinct from minimal coverage or a closed snap fastening.

Overbust

A garment extending over the bust, in contrast to an underbust design.

Padding

Additional material that may provide contour or reposition volume; not synonymous with lining.

Peignoir

A historical dressing-gown term sometimes applied to coordinated light robe and gown sets.

Playsuit

A retail term often used for a short one-piece; it may overlap with romper or teddy.

Plunge

A bra shape with a lower centre and neckline descending toward it.

Projection

Forward depth of a cup or breast shape, distinct from a size label.

Rear coverage

The amount and placement of fabric across the back of a bottom.

Recovery

The extent to which a stretched textile or elastic returns towards its prior dimensions.

Rise

The vertical position or reach of a bottom's waistband on the wearer; low, mid and high are comparative descriptions.

Robe

An openable outer layer worn around the body or over lingerie and other garments.

Romper

A one-piece often featuring a short-like lower section; lingerie naming can overlap with teddy.

Satin

A weave structure associated with a smooth face, not the name of one particular fibre.

Seam

A join between textile panels that may also contribute to the garment’s shape.

Silhouette

The outline created by a garment and its relationship with the body.

Silk

A natural fibre that can be made into multiple fabric constructions, including satin.

Slider

Hardware used to adjust strap length.

Slip

A layer worn beneath clothing to influence drape, friction or transparency; some slips are also designed for visible wear.

Stockings

Legwear ending around the thigh; traditional suspension stockings require a belt rather than a built-in grip band.

Strap

The shoulder component helping to stabilize and position the upper garment.

Tanga

An overlapping retail term for a reduced-coverage bottom; confirm the actual pattern rather than assigning a fixed coverage percentage.

Tap pants

A name often used for the draped short-like French-knicker silhouette.

Teddy

An intimate one-piece label that can overlap with lingerie bodysuit, playsuit or romper.

Thong

A bottom joining front and waistband through a narrow rear section, leaving most of the buttocks uncovered.

Tights

Hosiery extending through the waist; usage of tights and pantyhose varies by market.

Underband

The lower supporting band or elastic of a bra; terminology varies by construction.

Underbust

The area below the breasts, or a garment ending below the bust rather than covering it.

Underwire

A curved structural component around the lower cup boundary, normally enclosed in a fabric channel.

Waist cincher

A waist-focused garment name that may describe elastic shapewear, decorative lingerie or more reinforced construction.

Wing

The section extending around the side of the torso toward the back band and closure.

Wire channel

The casing that contains and positions an underwire.