Brazilian

The Brazilian brief takes its name and its cut from Brazilian beachwear. Its sides are narrow, sitting at or just below the hip bone, and the back is cut higher on the leg than a bikini brief so part of each cheek shows. Rear coverage is moderate: more than a tanga, less than a bikini or full brief. The rise is low to mid.

It suits wearers who want less fabric at the back without going to a thong, and it reads well under fitted clothes because the back leg line sits high and angled rather than across the middle of the buttocks. Swimwear and lingerie use the term almost interchangeably.

No designer or date is attached to it. The name follows the reduced bikini bottoms that came out of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, but in lingerie Brazilian is a description of a cut, and each brand sets the proportions differently. Some use Brazilian and tanga for the same garment; this taxonomy treats the Brazilian as the fuller of the two.

Against a tanga, the Brazilian covers more of the rear and usually has a slightly wider side. Against a cheeky, both show some cheek, but the cheeky has a wider side band and a rounded scoop at the back, while the Brazilian is narrower at the hip and more angular. A bikini brief covers the whole seat.

Check a Brazilian from behind, in the trousers you plan to wear over it. The cut lives or dies on where its back leg line falls. If it sits right, nothing shows; if it is off by an inch, you get a crease across the seat or a brief that creeps inward by midday.

Rise, hips and seat

A Brazilian sits low. Hunkemoller describes its own as low enough to wear under hip-skimming trousers, which makes the cut a good partner for low and mid-rise jeans that would expose the waistband of a full brief.

It suits most hip shapes, with a few adjustments:

• Defined hips and a flat lower stomach. The standard cut works as sold, and the narrow sides stay invisible.
• A soft lower stomach. A low waistband can fold over when you sit. Look for a high-leg Brazilian, which raises the sides; Hunkemoller's Olivia Highleg Brazilian is one example.
• A full, rounded seat. Moderate back coverage can get pulled toward the center. Go up a size, or move to a cheeky, whose rounder scoop covers more; the Brazilian vs cheeky comparison shows the difference.
• A flat or narrow seat. The back may bag. A size down, or a tanga with less fabric, sits flatter. See the tanga vs Brazilian comparison.

Getting the size right

Brazilians are sized by letter, and Hunkemoller runs from 2XS to 3XL. Measure round the fullest part of your hips, usually 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 cm) below the waist, and use the brand's chart rather than your dress size.

Three faults tell you the size is wrong. Narrow side straps that dig in and push up a ridge mean too small. A back that rides inward through the day means too small, or leg elastic that is too tight for you. A waistband that gaps at the back when you bend means too big. Sit, squat and walk in the fitting room; standing still hides all three.

Under trousers, skirts and dresses

Because the back leg line runs at an angle high on the cheek, it usually sits above the fullest point of the seat. A bikini brief draws its line straight across the middle. Under fitted trousers that is the difference between a visible line and none.

Match the edge finish to the outer fabric:

• Leggings, jersey dresses and thin knit trousers. Choose bonded or laser-cut edges with no elastic. Hunkemoller's Invisible Brazilian Micro is built that way.
• Denim, wool suiting and lined skirts. Lace and elastic edges are fine, since heavier cloth hides texture.
• Satin slip skirts and bias-cut dresses. Avoid lace and any raised trim, which print through the shine. A smooth, flat microfiber is the safe choice.

Fabric and care

Most Brazilians come in three families. Microfiber, usually a nylon and elastane blend, is smooth and quick to dry. Lace is pretty but pills against denim. Cotton jersey breathes but loses shape at the narrow sides sooner. Whatever the outer fabric, look for a cotton-lined gusset.

Wash lace and bonded styles in a mesh bag on a cool cycle and dry them in the air. Tumble-drying weakens the glue on bonded edges, and once an edge lifts it shows through clothes worse than ordinary elastic would. The narrow sides take the most strain, so when they start to curl, the pair is finished.