Basque (clothing)

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Basque' is a women's clothing term for a garment better known in America English as a Merrywidow.

The garment is reminiscent of a Victorian corset but kinder on the ribs. The modern day basque features lace-up or hook-and-eye fastening, as well as boning or vertical seams for structure and support. It usually - but not always - has cups, and is distinguished by its length: unlike the bustier, the basque goes all the way down to the hips and will sometimes feature detachable suspenders^[1].

In the Victorian fashion, a basque was a long, fitted jacket, or the skirts of such a jacket.

Nowadays the term basque is used for a piece of lingerie. Some would associate basques with fetishistic overtones, although basques have also entered mainstream fashion finding popularity with Betsey Johnson and La Perla among others. Basque may also refer to details reminiscent of lingerie such as frilly lace and cut out designs.

[edit] See also

• Corset

[edit] References

1. ^ Lingerie Definitions