A babydoll is a short, sometimes sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown or negligee intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed cups called a bralette for cleavage with an attached, loose-fitting skirt falling in length usually between the upper thigh and the belly button. The garment is often trimmed with lace, ruffles, appliques, marabou fur, bows, and ribbons, optionally with spaghetti straps. Sometimes it is made of sheer or translucent fabric such as nylon or chiffon or silk.
A basque is an item of women's clothing. The term, of French origin, refers to a type of bodice or jacket, and in modern usage a long corset, characterized by a close, contoured fit and extending past the waistline over the hips. It is so called because the fashion was adopted from Basque traditional dress, initially by the French and then throughout Western fashion.
Bloomers are divided women's garments for the lower body.
A bodystocking is a one-piece skin-tight garment that covers the torso, legs and sometimes the arms of the wearer. It is a foundation garment or an article of lingerie usually made from a sheer fabric similar to that used for stockings or pantyhose, or from fishnet, lace or an opaque material, or a variation of these materials. A bodystocking differs from a unitard, which is worn as an outfit or article of clothing, and a leotard, which is used as a practice garment or performance costume for acrobats, gymnasts and other similar performers. Designed to be revealed, but not to be too revealing, bodystockings may be worn as undergarments by performers such as belly dancers and exotic dancers.
A bodysuit or shorthand body is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the crotch. The bodysuit often has sleeves and varying collars. A bodysuit is distinguished from the similar leotard by the use of snaps or hooks at the crotch. A bodysuit may be worn as a top for the smooth line it gives or because it cannot become untucked from trousers or a skirt. They may also be worn generally by women as underwear, activewear, or foundation garments. Unlike a leotard, a bodysuit is not usually considered a form of athletic wear.
Boy shorts, also known as boy short panties, boys' cut, booty shorts, shorties, tap panties or boyleg briefs are a kind of women's underwear that goes all the way down the hips, named for their similarity in looks to men's knit boxer shorts, which themselves are a variation on traditional boxer shorts. Some even resemble men's briefs, complete with fly and contrast trim. Unlike men's briefs, however, this style is usually lower cut, and is designed to fit and flatter a woman's figure. Boy shorts often cover most of the buttocks area, therefore keeping privacy at maximum while still having comfort.
A handy guide for measuring bra sizes and cup sizes
A brassiere, commonly referred to as a bra, is a woman's undergarment that supports her breasts. Bras are typically form-fitting and perform a variety of functions; not only do women usually wear them to support their breasts, but they have also evolved into a fashion item.
A bustier (alternately bustiere) is a form-fitting garment for women, which is traditionally worn as lingerie. Its primary purpose is to push up the bust by tightening against the upper midriff and forcing the breasts up, while gently shaping the waist. Nowadays, it might also be worn as a push-up bra under a low-backed dress, or as a camisole for outer wear. The bustier can also be worn as a half-slip under sheer upper garments if a bold display of the midriff is not desired.
A camisole is a sleeveless undergarment for women, normally extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of satin, nylon, or cotton.
Tips on how to properly care for lingerie.
The term chemise or shift can refer to the classic smock, or else can refer to certain modern types of women's undergarments and dresses. In the classical use it is a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils, the precursor to the modern shirts commonly worn in Western nations.
Compression stockings are a specialized hosiery, designed to help prevent the occurrence of, and guard against further progression of venous disorders such as oedema, phlebitis and thrombosis. Compression stockings are elastic garments worn around the leg, compressing the limb. This reduces the diameter of distended veins and causes an increase in venous blood flow velocity and valve effectiveness. Compression therapy helps decrease venous pressure, prevents venous stasis and impairments of venous walls, and relieves heavy and aching legs.
Corsage refers to the bodice of a dress. In the 19th century, corsage was a common term for a woman's bodice or jacket. Its origin is French.
A corselet, or corselette, is a type of foundation garment, sharing elements of both brassieres and girdles. It may incorporate lace in front or in back. The term originated by the addition of the diminutive suffix "-ette" to the word corset.
A corset is a garment worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effect). Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though women more commonly do. In recent years, the fashion industry has also borrowed the term "corset" to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without actually acting as them. While these modern corsets and corset tops often feature lacing or boning and generally imitate a historical style of corsets, they have very little, if any, effect on the shape of the wearer's body. Genuine corsets are usually made by a corsetmaker and are frequently fitted to the individual wearer.
In the field of textiles, fishnet is hosiery with an open, diamond-shaped knit; it is most often used as a material for stockings, tights or bodystockings. Fishnet is available in a multitude of colours, although it is most often sported in traditional matte black. Fishnet is commonly worn on the legs and arms by practitioners of goth and punk fashion, but is also commonly worn by the mainstream as a fashion statement. Generally considered to be a sexy garment, it may serve as a component of sexual fetishism. Fishnets are used mostly as a type of undergarment, and inasmuch as it defines curves by applying a grid close to the body it generally accentuates the wearer's muscular definition.
A G-string (alternatively gee-string or gee string) is a type of thong, a narrow piece of cloth, leather, or plastic, that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips. A G-string is most commonly worn by women as underwear, but may also be worn by men. It may also be worn in swimwear, where it may serve as a bikini bottom, but may be worn alone as a monokini or topless swimsuit. G-strings may also be worn by exotic or go-go dancers. As underwear, a G-string may be worn in preference to panties to avoid creation of a visible panty line.
Garters (or suspenders) are articles of clothing: narrow bands of fabric fastened about the leg, used to keep up stockings, and sometimes socks. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking from slipping. The advent of elastic has made them less necessary from this functional standpoint, although they are still often worn for fashion. Garters have been widely worn by men and women, depending on fashion trends.
A girdle is an undergarment made of elasticized fabric and worn mainly by women. It is a form-fitting foundation garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often to shape or for support. It may be worn for aesthetic or medical reasons. In sports or medical treatment, a girdle may be worn as a compression garment. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity, and which was in turn to a large extent surpassed by the pantyhose in the 1960s.
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose. The term is also used for all types of knitted fabric, and its thickness and weight is defined by denier or opacity. Lower denier measurements of 5 to 15 describe a hose which may be sheer in appearance, whereas styles of 40 and above are dense, with little to no light able to come through on 100 denier items.
Knee highs are hosiery that cover the feet and legs up to the knee. A fashion accessory for a casual and classic cool or warm weather apparel. Typically worn by women in many societies, they are sometimes worn with modern semi-formal attire. Unlike ordinary socks, they are generally made of nylon or other stocking materials. There were also different types and uses of knee highs for men.
A leotard is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso but leaves the legs free. It was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Leotard (1838–1870). Leotards are worn by acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, figure skaters, athletes, actors, and circus performers both as practice garments and performance costumes. They are often worn together with ballet skirts on top and tights or sometimes bike shorts as underwear. There are sleeveless, short-sleeved and long-sleeved leotards. A variation is the unitard, which also covers the legs. As a casual garment, a leotard can be worn with a belt, it can also more commonly worn under overalls or short skirts.
Lingerie are women's undergarments, and may imply their being fashionable and alluring. Lingerie undergarments use flexible, stretchy, sheer, or decorative materials like Lycra, nylon (nylon tricot), polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric. Certain cotton or synthetic undergarments are also lingerie.
A Guide to Lingerie Terminology
long underwear, thermal underwear, long johns
The negligee or negligee, from the French: negligee, literally meaning "neglected", is a form of see-through women's clothing consisting of a sheer usually long dressing gown. It is a form of nightgown intended for wear at night and in the bedroom. It was introduced in France in the 18th-century, where it mimicked the heavy head-to-toe style of women's day dresses of the time.
A nightshirt is a garment intended for wear while sleeping. It is somewhat longer than most regular shirts, reaching down to the thighs or below the knees,[ leaving some of the legs uncovered. It is generally loose-fitting to avoid restricting the wearer's movement while sleeping.
Panties in American English (typically called knickers in British English) are a form of underwear worn by women. Panties are most often form-fitting, but may also be loose. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genital area (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, are often made of elastic. Various materials are used, but are usually chosen to be breathable.
Pantyhose (called tights in the United Kingdom and a few other countries) are sheer hosiery. They are close-fitting legwear, which cover the wearer's body from the waist to the feet. Mostly considered to be a woman's and girl's garment, pantyhose appeared in the 1960s as a convenient alternative to stockings and/or control panties (which, in turn, replaced girdles).
A peignoir is a long outer garment for women which is frequently sheer and made of chiffon or another translucent fabric. The word comes from French peigner, to comb the hair (from Latin pectināre, from pecten, pectin-, comb) describing a garment worn while brushing one's hair, originally referring to a dressing gown or bathrobe
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt or a dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist (unlike the chemise).
Pettipants are a type of lingerie worn by women. The name is a portmanteau of petticoat (ultimately from French petit, "small") and pants. Pettipants are similar to long shorts, though they may be made from material such as cotton and lace, and usually have ruffles down each leg. They are available in different lengths up to knee length.
A slip is a woman's undergarment worn beneath a dress or skirt to help it hang smoothly and to prevent chafing of the skin from coarse fabrics such as wool. Slips are also worn for warmth, and to protect fine fabrics from perspiration. A full slip hangs from the shoulders, usually by means of narrow straps, and extends from the breast to the fashionable skirt length. A half slip hangs from the waist. It may also be called a waist slip or more rarely a petticoat.
A stocking (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment covering the foot and some part of the thigh. Stockings vary in colour, design and transparency. By analogy, the term is also used to describe a type of horse marking in which the white colouring extends from the horse's hoof to just above the knee.
Tap pants are a form of lingerie designed for women, also known as side-cut shorts or dance shorts, and are similar to French knickers in appearance. As the name implies, they are a type of shorts, in that they cover the pelvic area and the upper part of the upper legs.
A teddy, also called a camiknicker, is a garment which covers the torso and crotch in the one garment. It is a similar style of garment to a one-piece swimsuit or bodysuit, but is typically looser and more sheer. The garment is put on by stepping into the leg holes and pulling the garment up to cover the torso. It may cover the whole of the torso or partially and may also cover the arms. They may open at the crotch for visits to the toilet, without the need to remove all clothing. As an undergarment, it combines the functions of a camisole and panties, and may be preferred to avoid a visible panty line. It is also found as lingerie.
Hold-ups or stay-ups (in the United States also referred to as thigh highs) are stockings with an elasticized band at the top, designed to hold the stockings up when worn, without the use of a garter belt or garters. Thigh highs are held up by one or more bands sewn to the top that is backed with silicone on its inner surface. This ensures the thigh highs stay in position because of the elastic and the friction of the silicone against the skin.
The thong is a garment generally worn as either underwear or as a swimsuit in some countries. It may also be worn for traditional ceremonies or competitions, such as sumo wrestling.
Viewed from the front, the thong typically resembles a bikini bottom, but at the back the material is reduced to a minimum. Thongs are almost always designed to cover the genitals, pubic hair, anus, and perineum, and leave part or most of the buttocks uncovered. The back of the garment typically consists of a thin waistband and a thin strip of material, designed to be worn between the buttocks, that connects the middle of the waistband with the bottom front of the garment. It is also used as a descriptive term in other types of garment, such as a bodysuit, bodystocking, leotard, or one-piece swimsuit in the context, "thong backed."
One type of thong is the G-string, the back of which consists only of a (typically elasticized) string. The two terms G-string and thong are often used interchangeably; however, they can refer to distinct pieces of clothing. Thongs come in a variety of styles depending on the thickness, material, or type of the rear portion of fabric and are available for both men and women throughout most of the world.
Tights are a kind of cloth garment, most often sheathing the body from the waist to the toe tips with a tight fit, hence the name. They come in absolute opaque, opaque, sheer and fishnet styles or a combination of them. Such as the original concept of the American term pantyhose with sheer legs and opaque panty. Wearing of tights has a history going back several centuries, when they were worn by men. Today, they are worn primarily by women and girls. However, some men and boys wear them too. In recent years, they have been sometimes offered as men's fashion. Athletic tights are already considered unisex.
Underpants are a man's undergarment covering the body from the waist or hips to the top of the thighs or knees.
Undergarments are clothes worn under other clothes, often directly next to the skin, but may comprise more than one layer. They keep outer garments from being soiled by bodily secretions and discharges, shape the body, and provide support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional warmth. Special types of undergarments have religious significance. Some items of clothing are designed as undergarments, while others, such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts, are appropriate both as undergarments and as outer clothing. If made of suitable material, some undergarments can serve as nightwear or swimsuits, and some are intended for erotic effect.
A unitard is a skin-tight one-piece garment with long legs and sometimes long sleeves, usually stopping at the wrists and ankles. It differs from a leotard in that a leotard does not have long legs. The garment can be considered to be a combination of a leotard and tights. The unitard is basically the wrestling singlet minus the tights, although some wrestlers do prefer to wear the tights in order to further accentuate their uniform and codpiece.
