Trendlet: Bralettes

Scoop-neck tanks with deep armholes. Maxi dresses with halter tops. Sheer blouses. Crisp, white button-down shirts. None of these pieces are - how do you say? - bra-friendly.

But with the bralette, lingerie's newest specialty item, they certainly can be. Part camisole, part brassiere, bralettes - with their often lacy details and sometimes scalloped cups - were made to be seen. And they also give a girl some needed support.

Bralettes are reincarnations of the early bra. In 1910, New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob saw that her corset was showing through her sheer gown, so she fashioned herself a bra from handkerchiefs.

In 1914, Jacob was issued the first U.S. patent for a modern bra - then called a backless brassiere - a light piece of fabric with straps. The 1930s brought with it curvier looks and brassieres with padded cups.

The latest term entered the fashion lexicon in 1995, when women's lingerie company Vanity Fair introduced a seamless panty and matching soft-cupped top that it named the bralette. Like the earliest bras, this was a flimsy yet comfy bra.

Donna Karan Intimates added a bralette to its intimate apparel collection in 2004. And in 2010, designers such as Halston, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Phillip Lim used bralettes to add a touch of sport.

Lady Gaga sported a white bralette and long skirt ensemble to the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, and the underwear officially became a piece of outerwear.

Since then, with each passing music festival season, companies from Victoria's Secret to Spanx have added bralettes to their assortments.

Both the voluptuous Ariel Winter of Modern Family fame and Kendall Jenner wore bralettes as tops during this year's Coachella festival. And Beyoncé revealed a flash of underboob - that seems to be the next emerging trend - in a leather bralette courtesy of the Yeezy collection.

Uh, yeah. My favorite "All I Need is Coffee and Yoga" tank is cut super low, so showing off a little lacy bralette is so much more tasteful than a boring bra strap.

Know your limits. Please refrain from wearing your bralette as a shirt unless you are at a music festival. Also, women larger than a C cup shouldn't rely on a bralette as their only means of support. Try wearing a regular bra underneath said bralette for an of-the-minute look that's both layered and lifted.

ewellington@phillynews.com
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