Open cup lingerie in every shape we make

The appeal of being half dressed

There is a particular tension in a piece that covers almost everything and then stops. Open cup lingerie plays on it: the waist is cinched, the hips are dressed in lace, the straps are in place, and the bust is simply left out of the arrangement. It is less about nudity than about framing, the way a keyhole makes a room more interesting than an open door.

From a bra to a full body piece

How much of the body you dress around the open cups changes the whole look.

• A bra alone is the most flexible. The Cachette Quarter Cup Bra ($72) goes with any bottom you own.
• A set matches the open top to its own brief. The Soupir Open Cup Set ($119) is soft lace, the Lien Noir Strappy Set ($129) is graphic elastic.
• A bodysuit joins everything in one line. The Serrure Open Cup Bodysuit ($118) is open at the bust and at the gusset.
• A body stocking is the most dramatic. The Fenetre Cutout Body Stocking ($48) is sheer nylon with windows cut exactly where you would expect.

Support when the cup is gone

Without fabric over the breast, the lift comes from the frame underneath. Quarter cups and longlines carry real support and suit fuller busts; strappy frames like the Nue Cupless Bra ($58) shape more than they hold. Bodysuits and body stockings rely on stretch, so they flatter smaller to medium busts most. If you need the most support in an open cut, the Fente Open Cup Longline ($92) is cut up to 4X with a deep band.

For a closer look at the bras alone, with sizing advice for each shape, see our page on the open cup bra.

Sizing an open cup piece

Measure your underbust and your fullest bust and compare them on our size guide. With bras and sets, trust the underbust: the frame must sit flat on the ribs. With bodysuits, check your torso length as well, because a short torso in a long bodysuit lets the open frame slide below the breast. Body stockings come in One Size and stretch a long way.

Open cup styles by body type

Every open cut can work on every body, but some combinations are easier. A smaller bust looks striking in strappy frames and body stockings, where the outline does the work and there is no weight to support. A medium bust has the widest choice and suits quarter cups and bodysuits equally well. A fuller bust looks best in longlines and quarter cups with a firm band, because the lift from below keeps the shape high and comfortable through an evening.

Torso length matters for one piece styles. Long torsos should size up in bodysuits; petite frames often prefer a bra or a set, which adjusts more easily.

What completes the look

Open cups invite pasties for the moment before, and our nipple pasties in noir and gold cost $18. Add crotchless panties for a fully open line, or keep the bottom elegant and closed if you prefer contrast. Bras in this edit can be exchanged once for another size within 30 days of delivery if unworn and tagged; bodysuits, body stockings and sets are final sale for hygiene.