A form fitting strapless garment for women traditionally worn as lingerie, the bustier has had a long and enduring history and has survived down the ages for its functionality as well as its ability to enhance the look of a woman.
Primarily used to push up the bust by tightening the chest and forcing the breasts up, the bustier is very similar to the corset but differs in the fact that it need not be tightened to cinch at the waist and is made of an elastic material.
Sometimes called a merry widow or long-line bra, the bustier is generally worn as a brassier under a low back dress or as a camisole for outer wear. It can also be worn as a half-slip under a see-through upper garment if a woman doesn't want to expose her midriff. Most often, the bustier is worn as a piece of lingerie and gives the wearer a beautiful silhouette.
There are many different styles of bustiers available and there are certain facts that need to be kept in mind when wearing them.
1. Wearing the correct cup size is most important - This is because it helps in giving the woman's chest a definitive shape and ensures that the rest of the bustier can be adjusted to fit the woman's frame.
2. Achieving the desired effect - The bustier helps emphasise what a woman is already endowed with and that's why if it compresses or flattens the chest, it isn't the right fit. Full-figured women will need extra boning in the bodice and cup of the bustier while for the others mesh panels work adequately.
3. They are generally strapless - At least the ones that are generally found. But there may be various versions of this, some of which might actually include straps, whether removable, spaghetti, off-shoulder etc.
4. They are fitted with closures - very similar to the corset, the closure for the bustier's are located at the back where they are tightened. These include zig-zag lacing, hook and eye closures or zippers. Nowadays, they even come with front closures.
Bustiers are ideally worn under strapless garments or gowns, making for the perfect underwear. They help support the chest as well as slim the waist and which most women don't notice, prevent unsightly sections of fat from spilling over at the waist or hip line of a garment.
Those men who still wonder about the secret of pleasing their women, can gift her a wonderful bustier, something that she can feel close to herself that will remind her of you!
