At Cháo Lingerie, we understand that navigating the world of luxury lingerie and intimate apparel can be confusing. From customers wondering about the difference between knickers and panties to those debating between corsets and bustiers, we receive countless questions about lingerie terminology.
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a significant other, understanding these key terms will enhance your lingerie shopping experience. Even seasoned lingerie enthusiasts may discover nuances they weren’t aware of in our comprehensive glossary.
Your Complete A-Z Lingerie Lexicon
A-B
Babydoll: A flirtatious lingerie piece that fits snugly at the bust and flows loosely to the upper thighs. Typically crafted from sheer or delicate materials like chiffon or lightweight lace, babydolls are perfect for those seeking a combination of coverage and allure.
Balconette/Balcony Bra: An underwire bra with cups cut straighter across the front, featuring a higher center gore and wider-set straps. This style lifts and shapes the breasts while creating a flattering open neckline.
Bandeau: A strapless, tube-like bra that spans across the chest without plunging in the center, like our Ophelia bralette.
Basque: A torso-smoothing garment that offers bust support while extending over the hips. Unlike true corsets, basques use stretch fabrics with plastic boning, designed to smooth rather than dramatically reshape the body.
Bias-Cut Gown: A body-hugging slip that drapes elegantly over the torso and upper legs. The diagonal fabric cutting technique creates natural stretch that complements various body shapes.
Bikini Briefs: Classic underwear with a waistband sitting at the hip bones, offering moderate front and back coverage. Low-rise versions remain popular for their comfort and versatility.
Bloomers: Historical loose, frilly underwear fitted at the waist with gathered leg openings. First popularized in the 1850s as a feminist fashion statement by Amelia Bloomer.
Bralette/Bralet: A soft, wireless bra designed for comfort or style. Also known as soft cup, wireless, wire-free, or comfort bras.
Brassiere/Bra: A garment designed to support and cover the breasts. The three main categories include bralettes (wireless with light support), underwire bras (structured with firm support), and sports bras (designed for physical activity).
Briefs: Underwear with the traditional brief shape, typically offering moderate to full coverage across the waist, abdomen, hips, and bottom.
Bodysuit: A one-piece stretch garment covering the bust, waist, and hips, similar to a leotard. Often crafted from sheer mesh and stretch lace, bodysuits may feature various necklines and leg cuts, sometimes with gusset closures for convenience.
Brazilian Knickers: Also called cheeky briefs or tangas, these feature full front coverage but reveal more of the derrière than traditional briefs, with a wider fabric band across the top of the bottom.
Bustier: A torso-shaping garment that smooths the silhouette and supports the bust. Like basques, bustiers use stretch fabrics with plastic boning to smooth rather than dramatically reshape. Usually strapless with underwires and back closures.
C-D
Camisole/Cami: A lightweight top with narrow or spaghetti straps that covers the torso. Perfect for layering under clothing or wearing as loungewear, especially when paired with tap pants.
Cheeky Knickers: Also known as tangas or Brazilian briefs, these offer full front coverage with a more revealing back design than traditional briefs, showcasing most of the derrière.
Corset: A meticulously crafted, structured garment made from non-stretch fabrics with multiple shaped panels designed to contour the bust and waist. Authentic corsets feature steel boning, front busks (metal closures), and back lacing with metal grommets. Unlike bustiers, corsets significantly reduce waist size and can be worn as lingerie, outerwear, or costume pieces.
Demi-Cup Bra: A revealing underwire bra with half-cup coverage, featuring a plunging neckline.
Dressing Gown: A decorative, full-coverage robe worn over loungewear while getting dressed or during morning routines.
F-G
French Knickers: Also called tap pants, these loose-fitting underwear resemble shorts with a fitted waist and flowing fabric over the legs without elastic. Ideal for sleeping, lounging, or wearing under fuller garments.
Full Slip: A dress-like undergarment covering the entire torso and upper legs, worn under clothing or as loungewear. Distinct from half slips that only cover the lower body.
Fully-Fashioned Stockings: Traditional legwear featuring the classic back seam, keyhole top welt, reinforced heel and toe, and picot lines from the knitting process.
Garters: Individual elasticated bands worn around the upper thigh for decoration or to hold up stockings, distinct from garter belts.
Garter Belt: Also called a suspender belt, this waistband features 4-6 straps that attach to stockings. Often part of a three-piece lingerie set, they blend practicality with sensuality.
Girdle: A vintage-inspired shapewear garment that smooths the abdomen and hips, made from firm stretch materials with hook-and-eye back closures. Traditional versions include suspender straps for stockings.
G-String: A minimal thong style with only a thin elastic “string” at the back.
Gusset: The crotch area of underwear, typically lined with natural fibers like cotton or silk.
H-L
Half Slip: A skirt-like undergarment covering the lower abdomen and thighs, worn under clothing or as loungewear. Different from full slips that also cover the chest.
High-Waisted Knickers: Underwear extending to around the navel at the natural waist (the smallest part of the midsection). Offers more coverage than mid-rise or low-rise styles.
Hosiery: A general term for legwear including tights, pantyhose, stockings, thigh-highs, and socks.
Knickers: Any style of underwear or panties.
Lingerie: From the French word for linen wear, this term encompasses all undergarments, not just seductive pieces. Includes bras, panties, shapewear, and boudoir accessories in various styles from practical to decorative.
Longline Bra: A brassiere extending below the underbust to cover part of the ribcage. May be wireless or structured with underwires and boning.
Loungewear: Comfortable garments for relaxation or sleep, including bralettes, tap pants, camisoles, slips, nightdresses, robes, and pajamas.
Low-Rise Knickers: Underwear cut lower across the abdomen, ideal for low-rise bottoms to prevent visible panty lines.
M-O
Molded Cup Bra: A seamless bra with cups formed from single foam pieces that create a rounded breast shape. Often called t-shirt bras for their smooth appearance under fitted tops.
Negligée: Decorative nightwear often featuring lace and trimmings, designed to be alluring. May include tops, bottoms, or sets, but always with aesthetic appeal.
Nightgown/Nightdress/Nightie: A loose-fitting, dress-like garment worn for sleeping or lounging.
Nursing Bra: A specialized brassiere for breastfeeding, featuring adjustable clasps above each cup for feeding access. Available in structured or soft-cup styles, prioritizing function, style, or both.
Nylons: Legwear made from nylon fabric, typically referring to separate pairs rather than one-piece pantyhose.
Ouvert Knickers: Revealing underwear with strategic openings through the derrière, gusset, and/or front. Some feature closures like buttons for a playful tease.
Overbust Corset: A structured corset covering the entire torso including the bust, waist, and upper hips. No additional bra required.
P-R
Panties: Any style of underwear or knickers.
Pantyhose: One-piece legwear combining both panty and stockings.
Pajamas/Pyjamas: Comfortable garments for relaxation or sleep, including various styles and combinations.
Pasties: Adhesive nipple covers worn either functionally when going braless or decoratively for performance.
Peignoir Set: A two-piece ensemble with a robe and nightgown in sheer, floaty fabrics. Named from the French word “to comb” as it was traditionally worn while styling hair.
Plunge Bra: A bra with a low center front neckline, revealing the sternum and enhancing cleavage.
Push-Up Bra: A structured bra designed to enhance cleavage by pushing breasts upward and together, featuring underwires, side boning, strong straps, and often padding.
Quarter-Cup Bra: A highly revealing style with minimal cup coverage that exposes the nipple and most breast tissue while providing minimal support.
Robe: An outer loungewear garment covering the arms and torso, available in various lengths and materials from silk to sheer tulle to terrycloth to velvet. Serves practical and aesthetic purposes.
Romper: One-piece loungewear covering the bust, abdomen, and bikini line in soft, loose fabric, sometimes with a cinched waist. Suitable for lounging, sleeping, or casual home activities.
S-T
Shapewear: Garments designed to compress, smooth, and shape the silhouette, including bustiers, corsets, girdles, control-top pantyhose, and waist cinchers in various materials from mesh to powermesh to latex.
Sleep Mask: A padded eye covering that blocks light during sleep, often crafted from luxurious materials like silk with decorative elements.
Slip: A dress-like undergarment covering the torso and upper legs, worn under clothing or as loungewear.
Soft Cup Bra: A wireless bra designed for comfort or style, also known as a bralette, wireless bra, or comfort bra.
Stay-Ups: Stockings with elastic bands and silicone grips at the thigh that remain in place without suspender straps.
Stockings: Individual leg coverings, typically made from nylon or silk. May feature elastic bands with silicone grips for independent wear or require garter belts for support.
String Briefs: Underwear with narrow elastic bands at the sides instead of full fabric coverage.
Suspender Belt: Same as a garter belt, featuring a waistband with straps to attach to stockings. Combines practicality with sensuality as part of a three-piece lingerie set.
Tanga: Also called cheeky or Brazilian briefs, these offer full front coverage with a revealing back that showcases most of the derrière while maintaining a wider top band.
Tap Pants: Loose-fitting, short-like underwear with a fitted waist and flowing fabric over the legs without elastic. Named after 1920s tap dancers who wore them to showcase their legs and footwork. Suitable for sleep, lounging, or wearing under fuller garments.
Teddy: One-piece lingerie covering the bust, abdomen, and bikini line, typically featuring low necklines and high leg cuts. Primarily designed for intimate occasions rather than everyday wear.
Thigh-Highs: Legwear reaching mid-thigh, available as stockings (requiring garter straps) or stay-ups (with elastic and silicone grip tops).
Thong: Underwear with a narrow back that sits between the cheeks, revealing most of the derrière. Available in high or low-waisted styles. G-strings are a variation with an even thinner back.
Triangle Bra: A wireless bralette with two triangle-shaped cups that create a deep plunge at the center front.
Trousseau: A collection of lingerie and undergarments specifically assembled for a wedding, including pieces for under the gown, the wedding night, and honeymoon. Historically included linens and household textiles.
T-Shirt Bra: A seamless, molded-cup brassiere that creates a smooth silhouette under fitted clothing, typically available in neutral colors for everyday wear.
U-W
Underbust Corset: A structured corset covering the abdomen from below the bust to the upper hips, typically worn with a bra since it doesn’t cover the chest.
Underwear/Undergarments/Undies: Any garments worn on the lower body, including various styles of briefs, or more broadly, any garments worn directly against the skin.
Waist Cincher/Waspie Corset: A short, structured corset specifically designed to cinch the waist. Often worn as part of a lingerie ensemble or over clothing for a vintage-inspired look.
Wedding Garter Set: Decorative elastic bands worn around the thigh as part of bridal attire, typically crafted from silk or lace. Traditionally includes a “toss garter” to be given away and a “keepsake garter” for the bride to retain.
Wireless Bra/Wire-Free Bra: A bra without underwires, designed for comfort or style, also known as a bralette or soft cup bra.
Shop Cháo Lingerie’s Exquisite Collection
Now that you’re familiar with the rich vocabulary of intimate apparel, explore our curated selection of luxury lingerie and adult products at Cháo Lingerie. Our expert team is always available to help you select the perfect pieces to enhance your personal collection or surprise someone special.
From everyday essentials to special occasion splurges, Cháo Lingerie offers premium quality and sophisticated designs for the discerning customer. Browse our collections today and discover the perfect expression of your intimate style.