About Bras: Bra and Cup Designs (in alphabetical order):

• Balconette bras, a half-cup bra style which provides push-up support, with wide-set straps and horizontal bust line. Often seamed or boned, it gives great cleavage and a frame-like effect.

• Built-in bras are a supportive structure on the inside of another garment, such as a swimsuit or tank top, which provides support for the bust without the need for a separate bra. In most such garments, these consist of a horizontal elastic strip, although some do have cups and underwires as with other bra types.

• Bullet bras are a type of full-support bra with cups in the shape of a paraboloid of revolution with its axis perpendicular to the breast. Bullet bras were invented in the late-1940’s.

• Convertible bras have straps which may be detached and rearranged in different ways (traditional, criss-cross, halter, strapless) depending on the outfit. Alternatives to regular straps for strapless bras are beaded bra straps or clear plastic bra straps that provide support and style.

• Demi bras have lower cut cups, covering approximately 3/4 to half the breasts. These offer less support, but enable low cut garments to be worn without the bra being seen. Demi bras may be designed to provide lift as a push-up bra does.

• Full support bras are a type of bra designed to offer good support for the whole of the breasts and, as such, are a typical, practical bra for everyday wear.

• Mastectomy bras are designed so that a prosthesis may be held in place and are intended for women who have lost one or both breasts in mastectomy treatment for breast cancer.

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• Maternity bras are slightly different from nursing bras, though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Maternity bras are designed such that they can be expanded to adjust as the breasts increase in size over the course of a pregnancy.

• Minimizer bras are designed to de-emphasize the bust, in particular of large-breasted women. Minimizers, by compressing and shaping the breasts, help to create the illusion of being a cup size or two smaller.

• Nursing bras are designed to help make breastfeeding simpler by allowing for easy access to the nipple.

  Be sure to always pay close attention to your breast health, but while you are nursing your baby, be aware of signs of mastitis.  Wearing a tight-fitting bra or an underwire bra at bedtime can constrict the breast and cause either blocked ducts or mastitis.  Consult with your healthcare professional or lactation consultant if you have any concerns.

• Padded bras are simply bras with padding inside the lining. They are designed to provide a fuller shape for small breasts. Unlike push-up bras, however, most padded bras support the breasts but do not significantly lift them.

• Push-up bras are structured so that the breasts are lifted to enhance cleavage and shape. Many push-up bras contain padding, typically made of foam or rubber, but some contain gel-filled pads.

• Shelf bras essentially a rigid band (or underwired) along the inframammary line, that pushes up without actually covering any, or only a thin strip of the breast.

• Sports bras or “jogging bras” are constructed to protect the breasts during exercise or sports activities.

• Strapless bras, with no shoulder straps, are designed for wearing with clothes that reveal the shoulders.

• T-shirt bras are designed without raised seams and to blend flawlessly with the form, so that a tight-fitting tee shirt (or t-shirt) may be worn without the bra being visible.

• Training bras are designed for girls, very small women or teens who have begun to develop breasts but have yet to develop enough to allow for a standard-sized bra to fit properly.

• Water bras are padded with a water gel or similar substance to add size to breasts.