Open cup bra designs that frame instead of cover

Quarter cup, cupless and longline

Open cup is a family, not one shape. A quarter cup keeps a small lace shelf under the breast, which gives real lift and a soft edge. A cupless bra keeps only the frame and the straps, so the breast sits inside an outline. A longline open cup extends the band down the ribcage and turns the bra into something closer to a bustier.

Which one suits your shape

For a fuller bust, the Fente longline is the best choice: the deep band spreads the support, and it comes in plus sizes up to 4X. The Cachette quarter cup suits most shapes and gives the most lift. The Nue cupless bra works best on smaller to medium busts, where the frame sits flush. If baring everything feels like too much for a first step, the Voile plunge covers with transparent tulle and reveals almost as much.

Fit with no cup to rely on

Because an open cup offers little coverage, the band does all the work. It should sit level around your ribs and hold firmly on the loosest hook when new. The underwire or frame should rest on the ribcage, never on breast tissue. Measure your underbust and bust and match both on our size guide; if the frame cuts across the breast, go up one band size.

Bras are the one intimate we will exchange. If an unworn bra still has its tags, you can swap it once for another size within 30 days of delivery.

Pairing your open cup bra

Open cups ask for an equally bold bottom. Our crotchless panties match the Cachette in lace and color. If you would rather buy the top and bottom as one, the erotic lingerie sets include an open cup set in lace and a strappy one. For every open cut we make in one place, including bodysuits and body stockings, see open cup lingerie.

Wearing an open cup bra for the first time

Open cups feel unusual at first, mostly because there is nothing between the breast and the air. Try yours at home for an hour before the evening it is meant for. Move, sit, raise your arms; a good fit stays put through all of it. If the frame lifts away from the ribs when you raise your arms, tighten the band by one hook.

The first reveal is easier with a layer on top. A loose shirt, a silk camisole or a robe left half open gives you control over the moment, and many people find that the slow unbuttoning becomes the best part of wearing an open cup. Pasties under the frame are another gentle way in: you can remove them later in the evening, or not at all.

Finally, choose your first color by mood. Noir is the most composed, bordeaux the warmest and rouge the boldest. The Cachette and the Fente come in noir and bordeaux, the Nue in noir and rouge, so every style has a quiet option.

Care

Hand wash with the hooks fastened, press out the water in a towel and dry flat. Never hang an underwire bra by its straps while wet, because the weight stretches the elastic. Stored flat in a drawer, the frame keeps its curve.