Brassiere in the context of Hook-and-eye closure

Caresse Crosby (born Mary Phelps Jacob; April 20, 1892 – January 24, 1970) was an American publisher and writer. Time called her the "literary godmother to the Lost Generation of expatriate writers in Paris." As an American patron of the arts, she and her second husband, Harry Crosby, founded the Black Sun Press, which was instrumental in publishing some of the early works of many authors who would later become famous, among them Anaïs Nin, Kay Boyle, Ernest Hemingway, Archibald MacLeish, Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski, Hart Crane, and Robert Duncan. She was also the recipient of a patent for the first successful modern bra.

Lingerie (UK: /ˈlæ̃ʒəri, ˈlɒn-/, US: /ˌlɒnʒəˈreɪ, ˌlænʒəˈriː/, French: [lɛ̃ʒʁi] ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashionable, or both. In a 2015 US survey, 75% of women reported having worn "sexy lingerie" in their lifetime.

Lingerie is made of lightweight, stretchy, smooth, sheer or decorative fabrics such as silk, satin, Lycra, charmeuse, chiffon, or (especially and traditionally) lace. These fabrics can be made of various natural fibres like silk, cotton or of various synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon.

A form-fitting garment is an article of clothing that tightly follows the contours of the part of the body being covered. A feature of Modern Western societies is the popularity of form-fitting clothing worn by women, compared to equivalent male garments. These include T-shirts, sweaters, shorts, and jeans. Some cultures and religious communities disapprove of form-fitting clothing, especially outerwear, which they consider to be immodest.

There are numerous types of clothing which typically are or which can be made form-fitting. For example, stockings, leggings, tights, and socks are usually form-fitting. Clothing used in dance and in exercise, such as leotards, unitard, and swimsuits, are usually form-fitting. Undergarments or foundation garments such as corsets, girdles, bodysuits, brassieres, and underpants are form-fitting to give a smooth line to the outer clothing.

A nursing bra is a specialized brassiere that provides additional support to women who are lactating and permits comfortable breastfeeding without the need to remove the bra. This is accomplished by specially designed bra cups that include flaps which can be opened with one hand to expose the nipple. The flap is usually held closed with a simple clasp or hook.

Bralessness is the state of not wearing a brassiere as part of a woman's underwear. Women may choose to not wear a bra due to discomfort, health-related issues, their cost, or for social and cultural reasons.

As of 2006, about 10% of Australian women did not wear a bra. Surveys have reported that 5–25% of Western women do not wear a bra.