The balconette (also called balcony bra) has a distinctive horizontal or gently scooped upper edge that cuts the cup roughly halfway up the breast — as if the breast is resting on a balcony. The straps attach at the outer edges of the cups, set wide apart, creating a square-ish neckline rather than a rounded one.
Balconettes are popular under square and off-shoulder necklines and are common in European lingerie traditions (particularly French and Italian). The style dates to the 1950s but saw a major revival in the 2000s.
How to Identify
- Horizontal (not curved) upper cup edge
- Cups cover roughly the lower half to two-thirds of the breast
- Wide-set straps at the outer cup corners
- Usually underwired
- Square-ish neckline when viewed from the front
