- Adjustable Back:
The back of a garment, usually a bra, which has multiple settings to allow for individual sizing preferences.
Typically, adjustments are made with hook-and-eye closures.
- Adjustable Shoulder Straps:
Straps located on bras, shapewear, chemises, slips and other undergarments that allow for shortening or
lengthening that provide wearer with the desired fit.
- Air Bra:
Bra that contains air-filled pads in the cups for a fuller, natural shape.
- All Over Shaper:
Type of women's shapewear bodysuit designed to hold a woman's breast, stomach, buttocks etc. in a particular
position of an aesthetically pleasing silhouette.
- Arthritis Bra:
Bra designed especially for women with limited hand or upper body dexterity resulting from arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, fibromyalgia, torn rotator cuff, or other limiting conditions. The features of an Arthritis Bra may include
larger hook closures, Velcro or loop closures for easy dressing.
- Athletic Underwear:
Varied range of underwear that is generally worn for athletic pursuits: the gym, sports, running, biking etc.
Some features of athletic underwear may include wicking power (draws moisture away from your body), compression
(for energy conservation and muscle support), mesh (for ventilation), specific silhouettes (tank tops) and stretch
(for body-hugging security during athletic activity and a body-conscious look for fit men and women).
- Average-Figure Bra:
Bra that offers light to moderate support, with narrow straps, back and sides. Average-Figure Bras usually made
from slightly firmer material.
- Baby Doll:
Woman's short nightgown sometimes with lace, ruffles, bows and ribbons, optionally with spaghetti straps.
Sometimes Baby Dolls are made of sheer cloth, like chiffon.
- Back Closure:
Part of the bra that hooks together behind the back and consists of two or three rows of hook-and-eye clasps.
- Backless Bra:
Style of bra that usually fastens low on the back so it can be worn with backless gowns.
- Back Seams:
Stitched seam running from heel to buttock on the back of stockings or shapewear designed to give the leg a sexy line and lean appearance.
- Balconet or Balcony Bra:
Bra styled to create a lifted, fuller round look with push-up features, wide straps and a low-cut décolletage.
- Banded Underwire:
A bra with a Banded Underwire has an extra piece of fabric below the underwire to give extra control.
Band-less Underwire In a bra with a Band-less Underwire, the underwire is the bottom of the bra. This look is designed to be more natural.
- Bikini:
A women's panty or men's brief style cut in the shape of a swim bikini. They usually offer more coverage than a thong and
less than a standard brief. Typically, this brief sits far below the navel and low on the hips but is slightly higher than
a low-ride or hipster cut. The sides are usually high cut, occasionally with strings, or with thin widths of fabric that
connect the front to the back.
- Bodice:
The portion of a woman's garment that covers the upper part of a woman's body, including the breasts.
- Bodysuit:
Garment made from stretchy opaque fabric, similar to that of a leotard, which covers the entire body from neck to ankle.
- Boning:
Originally, corsets and bustiers were given their structured form by stitching whalebone, or similar bone, into the garment.
Today, similar yet less restrictive garments are structured with man-made "bones" as support. Boning creates a defined waistline
and shapely torso. Boning is also used in some bras to achieve a certain shape and support.
- Boot Length Sock:
Slightly longer men's sock style designed to be worn with boots.
- Bottom Shaper:
Type of shapewear designed to shape a woman's buttocks.
- Boxer Short or Boxer:
Underwear or sleepwear designed with an elastic waistband and open, loose-fitting legs. Men wear boxers as undergarments
and women typically as lounge or sleepwear. They are favored for their loose, relaxed fit.
- Boxer Brief:
A hybrid style of men's underwear that appeared late in the 20th-century. Boxer Briefs are made from knitted fabrics,
patterned like a brief with a pouch and often a fly opening in the front, but with a tubular leg design extending several
inches down the thigh.
- Boyshort:
Panty designed with higher cut leg holes and lower riding waistline. Legs usually rest just above or at the buttock-thigh
crease, with the waist on or below the hip. Also known as "Boylegs". Bra Size: A Bra Size is made up of a number (in inches),
determined by measuring around the body over the largest portion of the breasts (e.g. 34, 36, 38, etc.); and a letter, determined
by measuring under the breasts, then calculating the difference between the two numbers (e.g. B, C, D, etc.). Examples of bra sizes
would be 34B, 36C (the average size), 38D, etc.
- Brassiere:
Long form of Bra, a woman's undergarment worn to support and give contour to the breasts.
- Bra Cup:
The fabric that surrounds and supports the breasts.
- Bridal Lingerie:
Type of bras, bustiers, corsets etc. characterized by sensual attributes (sheer fabric, decorative flourish, racy silhouette)
that are worn on wedding nights or for similarly seductive situations.
- Brief:
Close fitting, knitted undergarment with an elastic waistband, with or without an overlapping fly front. Originally inspired
by the brief swimsuits worn in the South of France in the 1930s.
- Bustier:
A bustier is a one-piece garment that uses flexible boning to give a desired shape. Its length varies, going from the bust,
down to anywhere between the rib cage and the hips.
- Bust Shaper:
Type of shapewear designed to hold a woman's bust in particular form.
- Camisole:
A garment fashioned to wear under blouses, suits, etc. that covers from bust to waist. Usually sleeveless, camisoles
or camis traditionally offer little if any breast support, though some modern styles now incorporate a sewn-in bra for
additional support. Some contemporary styles are worn as outerwear.
- Camisole Straps:
Camisole straps are usually found on full-figure bras. This type of strap is actually an extension of the cup, and give a smooth shoulder line.
- Camouflage:
Inspired by military fatigues designed to help hide troupes in the jungle, camouflage is a random pattern usually consisting of
earth tones and is sometimes used as a print on trendy undergarments.
- Casual:
A broad hosiery term used to describe all women's sock and any men's socks with the exception of dress, athletic, and work styles.
- Chantilly Lace:
A delicate ornamental lace usually in black or white with an outlined design pattern. Typically floral, these designs are
sometimes used to embellish women's underwear.
- Charmeuse:
A shiny, opaque fabric.
- Chemise:
A woman's sleeveless undergarment or loose-fitting dress that hangs straight from the shoulder without a waist.
- Chest - Back Shaper:
Shapewear piece designed to hold a woman's chest and - or back in particular form.
- Chiffon:
An extremely light, thin and sheer fabric usually made of nylon, rayon or silk.
- Clear Straps:
Transparent straps on bras made from stretch synthetics, such as polyethtlene, meant to be worn with garments where strap
invisibility is desired. Clear straps can be at the shoulders and also between the cups in order to accommodate plunging necklines.
- Cleavage:
low visible between a woman's breasts when a low cut garment is worn.
- Combed Cotton:
Type of extra-soft cotton. When cotton or another fabric is "combed" the shortest, additional fibers of a batch are removed.
The result produces high-quality yarns with excellent strength and softness.
- Comfort Top:
A wide ribbed nylon band that holds sheer knee-highs up without cramping the calf.
- Comfort Straps:
Various types of bra straps that can be cushioned, made from gel or constructed wider for more comfort around the shoulder area.
- Compression Bra:
A bra designed to hold the breasts firmly against the body and restrict their movement. Compression Bras may be used for
minimizing or for athletic endeavors, such as running. Compression Underwear: Performance underwear that utilizes body-hugging
synthetic fabrics for muscle support during athletic endeavors.
- Contour Bra:
A bra designed to help create a shapely silhouette. Typically padded, contour bras usually have underwires and provide shape and
support. A Contour Bra also designed not to show, providing a natural look.
- Control Brief:
A panty shaped like a brief but designed to flatten the tummy and give support while providing a smooth silhouette.
- Control Panty:
A panty that is designed to provide support and enhance the shape of the tummy, bottom and waist. Control Top Pantyhose with
spandex in the top for soft girdle or "control" effect.
- Convertible Bra:
A bra that is designed with straps that may facilitate a variety of styles. The straps may be moved, removed and or adjusted to
create looks such as halter, strapless, crisscross or open back. A Convertible Bra is an innovation that gives women
flexibility with a single garment. The straps can be worn or detached, or can be crisscrossed in the back like a halter top.
- Coolmax:
Registered brand of synthetic performance fabric with wicking power. See Wicking.
- Corset:
Type of tight-fitting, body-enhancing undergarment used for centuries by women to create an hour glass-shaped silhouette.
Modern lingerie variations of the corset tend to be less restrictive and more comfortable.
- Cotton:
A unicellular, natural fiber that grows in the seedpod of the cotton plant. Fibers are typically 0.5 inch to 2 inches long.
The longest staple fibers, longer than 1.5 inch, including the Pima and Egyptian varieties, produce the highest quality cotton
fabrics. Underwear made from Pima cotton is known for its super-soft, luxurious qualities.
- Crew Neck:
Term that applies to a T shirt with a neckline that forms a round, collarless circle around the neck.
- Crew Socks:
A designator of length, synonymous with "mid-calf" in men's socks. One of the most popular men's styles, available in wide
ranges of colors and patterns.
- Cut and Sewn Cups:
Cut and sewn cups have seams because they're made of two or three pieces of material sewn together. The seams of Cut and Sewn
Cups will show through clothing.
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