Basic Bra Terminology

Series Summary

For centuries the brassiere, or bra, has worked to cover, restrain, elevate and enhance women's breasts. Considered the foundation of undergarments, modern bras were originally developed in the late 19th century to replace the corset, and have since taken on great cultural significance. While some view bras as a symbol of feminine beauty and sexuality, others view them as oppressive symbols of societal pressure. Interestingly, bras are by no means popular throughout the world, and most women in non-Western cultures do not wear them at all. However, in the Western world it is thought that 90% of women wear a bra.

Finding a bra that fits correctly and looks good can be tough. For years women have dealt with uncomfortable and ugly bras and lingerie, but in this free video series, our expert will give you the information to find the perfect bra. She will give tips and advice on how to measure for a bra, how to find the right bra for different occasions, and even how to use bra enhancing accessories. If you are tired of bra straps digging into your shoulders, or dealing with plain, boring bra styles, this video will give you all the information you need to be really satisfied with your bra choice and fit.

Video Transcript

"I'm Alison from “ Faire Frou Frou” in Studio City on behalf of Expert Village and today I'm going to go over basic bra terminology. So I have a few bras here to demonstrate a couple of things you should know when selecting a basic t-shirt bra. Now what we have here is what we call a plunge bra and we know it is a plunge cause it plunges literally down to a V in the center and what this bra has is under wire. You can select a bra either with or without under wire. Here it is with and here it without under wire. Now some people prefer to have under wire because I think a little bit of extra support and shape however you can still get a wonderfully shape bra without under wire. Although sometimes the version without under wire are less common and it might be a little bit more difficult to find. So what we have here is a bra and this is actually a air pad bra and what it has is actually air pads in it. Now you can find a bra either with this type of padding, with a foam pad. It really doesn't matter it can be gel pads some bra manufactures put silicon pads in there and it is they are really are options for every need I believe. "