Bra allows the wearer to use the tighter hooks as the bra stretches during its lifetime. Bras may be designed to enhance a woman's breast size, or to create cleavage, or for other aesthetic, fashion or more practical considerations. Nursing bras are designed to aid breast-feeding. Compression bras, such as sports bras, push against and minimize breast movement, whereas encapsulation bras have cups for support. Breast support may be built into some swimsuits, camisoles and dresses. Bras come in a variety of styles, including backless, balconette, convertible, shelf, full cup, demi-cup, minimizing, padded, plunge, posture, push-up, racerback, sheer, strapless, T-shirt, underwire,
Bandeau of the 20th century, a "bandeau" was a narrow band worn by women to bind the hair, or as part of a head-dress. The bandeau emerged as the top part of a two-piece swimsuit during the 1940s. In the 1950s the bandeau incorporated foundation so as to structure (or improve) the contours of the body, while still retaining a relatively simple circle or band shape, emphasizing the bare midriff. Its popularity in swimwear declined during the string bikini era, but it reappeared in the 1980s, especially with Spandex and other stretch fabric blends. Side stays, v-wire in the center front,