J's Woman-Centered Erotica

J's Woman-Centered Erotica Resource Pages

Guide to Bra Types
(and other wear for pierced people)

(plus a bit on thongs, at very bottom)

As promised on the main page, a guide to the various styles of exposed bras enjoyed by us body jewelry wearers and other racy-minded gals, going from most coverage to least; note that use of terms and descriptions can vary a lot between sources (note, as I do several times below, that any of these terms may be interpreted quite differently by different sources):

Split or slit cup: full cup with a vertical slit, often with a tie, usually on lingerie too flimsy and frilly and uncomfortable to be of much real use (resembling the first picture, above, explained next) - and remember that ties and such may "show" undesirably if you wear them under something.
Peek-a-boo (first picture, above): full cup, exposing just a small circle of an inch or two about the size of the aureola; unfortunately, as I've found personally, the small hole does not fall in the right place on all women, so it's not a good bet to get mail order (try a store like a Frederick's retail outlet). High support, if it's properly made. Watch out for some models, usually rubber, that have a molded-on pink tip that can look like a peek-a-boo in a catalog, but doesn't actually expose any of the wearer's real parts.
Open cupped (second picture, above), open tipped: triangular cups, with a medium to large opening in the center. (Not to be confused with an "open" bustier, which has no cups at all, just underwires). Moderate to high support, depending on the size of the opening. Sometimes this effect, and better comfort and support, can be had by buying certain styles of nursing bra and cutting off the closure flaps.
Demi: the traditional version of a demi is the lowest cup that just barely cuts above the brown of the aureola, with straps at the outside of the cups just under the armpits; the racy version - more like a half-cup - cuts just a bit below the peak of the bustline, exposing most or all of the aureola, though some interpretions cut it even closer to a quarter-cup. Fitting to the individual is key to both traditional and racy types, and a traditional style may provide racy exposure if bought a cup size too small (and perhaps with some padding or an insert). Moderate support, maybe even very good if you're lucky enough to be very firm.
Modifiable demi (third picture, above): this is the class the Fredericks's "deluxe demi" and the Jezebel (at Spiegel) "shelf" style fall into; a flap at the top of the cup makes them a traditional demi when it's up, and a racy demi - or half-cup - for exposure when it's tucked away.
Partial cup and shelf bras (fourth picture, above). Terms like half-, third-, and quarter-cup bras, and shelf bra are used too variably to have much reliable meaning. A shelf bra may mean something like a half- or third-cup, cutting just below the peak of the bustline or a bit lower; or something more like a quarter-cup, a token lip of fabric (usually with underwire) an inch or two - or less - wide that provides only minimal support for the very firm, and nothing but a bit of pretty useless underwire lift for the rest of us.

My personal suggestion is that if you need or want an exposed bra at all, the "racy" demi and half-cup are the most practical balance of exposure and support, with the advantage that you may be able to get "racy" exposure with a slightly undersized demi bra (perhaps with the help of some padding or an insert) from a regular local store. And a final suggestion: before so much was available mail order, I got very good results from taking satin and silk satin bras to my very understanding (more like co-conspiring) seamstress, and having them opened up or cut down to suit my desires and fit me exactly.

Other items for pierced ladies: If you have piercings in the pubic area, another obvious piece of erotic lingerie is the split-crotch panty. Once again, as with split cups, they're mostly made as a budoir accessory to be worn briefly at home and taken off, and are too uncomfortable and flimsy to really be worn out. There are, however, some interesting benefits to wearing items that will, say, allow decorations attached to a piercing (like a dangly earring, just for fun) to hang free - the effect can be quite, well, exciting, especially with piercings like hoods or triangles that that may be placed to create some additional stimulation to begin with. You can of course wear nothing at all, but there is that certain fun to items of clothing that are worn just for the sake of wearing something enticing; and I for one am hesitant to go out in a short skirt (or any skirt on a very windy day) without something underneath that would provide me some coverage in the most embarassing of situations. You may luck out and find something wearable, but I have had to resort to modifying what I could buy, doing everything from putting more secure ties on split-crotch panties to adding splits to regular panties. Mens' silk boxers, the type with elastic wastebands and a fly, may also provide the desired effect. If you are going to wear nylons then there are of course open-crotch nylons, but to my mind that's yet another reason to resort to one of my favorite items, stockings with a real garter (or an undergarment that has garters).

On the theme of modified off-the-shelf clothing, my co-conspiring seamstress has helped me with a number of items. My favorite is one of those dressy sort of belly-dancer type bra tops covered with fake coins, braid and chain, with inconspicuous flap-covered slits cut so that some of the visible chains connect to my (hidden) piercing rings.

Guide to Lingerie

Thongs: I thought I ought to add these to the area for women interested in switching to more revealing lingerie to actually wear out (as versus budoir items meant to be worn briefly at home and then taken off). When I first started wearing them, or perhaps more accurately looking for them, ten to fifteen years ago, they were an unusual item mostly limited to erotic wear and "adult" stores. They since have become so widespread that perhaps few need any guidance anymore, but I'll throw in my experience. The problem I had in finding ones practical and comfortable to actually wear was that they were made of material that was too rough, or had stitching that was too rough. Even silk ones had seams sewn with rough thread, or synthetics, that chafed too much against very tender tissues. When they finally started to be widely used at least under tight excercise outfits, 100% cotton ones that were truly designed and manufactured for prolonged wear appeared in both the exercise stores and even some lingerie stores. I was so excited that I bought a dozen and haven't needed to get any more since, so I don't know what is available these days, but I'm sure it must be better than ever, and suggest that you look carefully and try again if necessary until you find something that works for you. As with other things you might wear out, I suggest you try wearing them around the house for a day just to be sure they're comfortable enough and you don't get stuck out and about with something you can't stand to have on a moment longer.

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