Lingerie Glossary

A working lingerie glossary from Gloria Store — the cut names Amazon uses, what they actually mean on a body, and where to shop them. Tap a highlighted term for the matching aisle.

Start here, then measure: Size Guide · Honest Reviews · Guides · Bras · Panties · Shapewear · Nursing

A

• Adhesive Bra — A backless, strapless bra that sticks to the skin. For open-back dresses, not a twelve-hour commute.
• Applique — Lace or embroidery stitched onto a base fabric. Pretty in stills; can print under a thin knit.

B

• Balconette — Wide-set straps and a horizontal cup line. Lift and a rounded shape, not a deep V.
• Bandeau — A tube-style bra or top with little structure. Layering, not a full bust’s everyday hold.
• Bikini — Low-rise panty with moderate back coverage. The default Amazon panty, not a swimsuit unless the aisle says swim.
• Body / Bodysuit — One piece covering the torso, usually snapping at the gusset. Shapewear or lingerie depending on the knit.
• Boyshort — Panty with a short inseam. More coverage than a bikini; not mid-thigh shapewear unless it compresses.
• Bralette — Soft, usually wire-free. Comfort and a lighter hold — not a minimizer, not a sports bra.
• Brief — Higher waist and more seat than a bikini or thong. The coverage panty.
• Bustier — Fitted top toward the waist, often with boning. Occasion structure, not a T-shirt bra.

C

• Camisole — Lightweight top with slim straps. Layering, sleep, or a shelf bra — read the listing.
• Chemise — Short, fluid nightdress or slip-style piece. Not a pumping garment.
• Cincher — A waist-only shaper, often with hooks. Hours, not all day. See also waist cincher.
• Convertible — Straps that reconfigure (halter, racerback, strapless). Also used for pumping bras that claim a nursing clip. Two different jobs — check the stills.
• Corset — Boning and lacing or hooks to define the waist. Vintage hold, not a seamless short.
• Crotchless — Open gusset. A look, not everyday coverage.

D

• Demi Cup — Covers roughly half to three-quarters of the bust. Open neckline, not full coverage.

E

• Extender — Extra hook rows that lengthen a bra band. A temporary fix for a tight band or a changing ribcage — not a substitute for the right size.

F

• Front Closure — Zip or clasp at the centre front. Access without twisting — useful after surgery, with limited shoulder reach, or for a deep V look. Not automatically a nursing bra.
• Full Coverage — Cups that enclose more of the bust. A T-shirt and minimizer job, not a plunge.

G

• Garter Belt — Worn at the waist or high hip; straps clip onto stockings. Hardware is the product — cheap clips pop.
• G-String — Narrow back string, almost no rear coverage. More extreme than a thong.
• Gusset — Inner crotch panel, often cotton-lined. Hygiene and comfort, not decoration.

H

• High-Waist — Rise that sits at or above the navel, often to the bra band on shapewear. Coverage and smoothing — can roll if the knit is weak.
• Hipster — Lower rise, wider sides, sits on the hips. Everyday panty, not a control brief unless the listing says so.

I

• Inseam — Leg length on shorts, slimmers, and slipshorts. Brief (none), boyshort, mid-thigh, long-leg. The dress length decides this, not the brand slogan.

L

• Lace Bralette — Stretch lace, comfort, a look. Not a T-shirt cup unless it is lined.
• Longline Bra — Band that continues down the ribcage. Smoothing and a vintage line; can feel hot.
• Low-Back / Plunge Back — Shapewear or a bra cut for open-back dresses. A different job from a high-waist short — see InvisiPlunge-style shorts.

M

• Mastectomy Bra — Pockets for a prosthesis, often a front zip. A medical cut, not a lounge bralette with a health word in the title.
• Mesh — Sheer knit with holes. Heat and a look. Does not replace a lined T-shirt bra.
• Mid-Thigh — Shapewear inseam that stops halfway down the thigh. The default “short” in SPANX and SHAPERMINT aisles.
• Minimizer — Redistributes bust tissue to reduce projection under blouses. Usually a full-coverage underwire — not a wireless gel bra that borrowed the word.
• Moulded Cup — Heat- or foam-shaped cup that stays rounded under clothes. T-shirt job.

N

• Nursing Bra — Cups that drop or pull aside, usually with clips. Feeding, not pumping. See our nursing jobs guide.
• Nipper — Short waist-cincher, often Maidenform Ultra Firm. Waist only, drugstore hooks.

O

• Open-Bottom Girdle — Vintage-style shaper with no closed crotch, often with garters. Made to live in for hours — not a seamless Amazon short.

P

• Period Underwear — Absorbent panty for light-to-moderate flow. A leak job, not shapewear. We reviewed Hanes period bikinis.
• Plunge Bra — Deep V at the gore for low necklines. Not the same as a wireless “deep V” bralette.
• Pumping Bra — Openings or a wrap that hold pump flanges hands-free. A tool. Not a clip-down nursing bra unless the stills show both.
• Push-Up — Padding or cup engineering for lift and cleavage. Foam is not a cup size.

R

• Racerback — Straps that meet between the shoulder blades. Sports and tank dresses; can show under a wide-neck blouse.

S

• Seamless / No-Show — Laser or bonded edges meant to disappear under clothes. Still a hem; pale knits tell on texture.
• Shapewear — Compression to smooth or sculpt under clothes. Brief, short, tank, slip, cincher — the cut is the product. See cuts explained.
• Slip — Underdress (full) or waist-down (half). Static control and a smooth line, not always compression.
• Slipshort — Short with an inseam, often light smoothing and anti-chafe. Jockey Seamfree is the drugstore version; SPANX is the firmer one.
• Sports Bra — Encapsulation or compression for movement. High-impact is a different garment from an everyday racerback bralette.
• Strapless — Stays up without shoulder straps. Band grip and a rigid cup do the work — or it does not.

T

• Tanga — More coverage than a thong, less than a bikini. High-cut hip. b.tempt’d and Simone Pérèle live here.
• Teddy — One-piece combining a camisole look with a panty. Often sheer.
• Thong — Minimal rear coverage to reduce panty lines. Not a G-string unless the back is a string.
• T-Shirt Bra — Smooth, often moulded, meant to disappear under knits. Not unlined lace.

U

• Underwire — Curved wire in the lower cup for shape and lift. Unlined underwire is still a wire bra — not a T-shirt bra.

W

• Waist Cincher — Wide belt or corset-style piece for the midsection. Hooks, hours, a waist — not a mid-thigh short.
• Wireless — No underwire. Softer support. A full bust still needs a band that fits; wireless is not “one size.”