A bandeau bra is a kind of strapless bra or bikini top that looks like a band that goes all the way around the chest.
A bandeau bra is a bra without straps that sometimes ties around the neck like a halter top. The word bandeau comes from the French bandeaux, which means bands or strips. A bandeau bra resembles a tube top, but is shorter.
Most designs of the bandeaux bra are straight across and fit somewhat like a large elastic band, but it can be decorated with bows, lace, or other adornments and the edges could be scalloped or dipped up or down.
Bandeaux bra styles are great to wear under strapless clothing since there is nothing to show up under the outfit like in bras that have straps. This doesn't always work well for large busted women, as the bandeau bra is less supportive than a bra with straps.
A bandeau bra can fasten in either the back or the front, or just slip over the head. The bandeau was popular in the 1920s as a simple bra made of soft fabric and pretty trimming, but it didn't offer much in the way of support. Sometimes it actually was used to flatten the breasts, as the boy look was popular then. By the 1940s the bandeau bra became part of some of the first two-piece bathing suits and by the 1950s more structure was added to the bandeau bra.
In the 1980s the bandeau bra was brought back and was made of popular stretch blends of cloth such as Spandex. The bandeau bra also had new features such as v-wire in the front, o-rings, and a twisted top for different looks and more support. A bandeau is also related to some of the other women's undergarments such as a torsolette, corset and bustier.
There is also a style of bandeau bra that has straps that can be attached if desired to turn it into a convertible style of bra that can be used with different types of clothing. Some also have clear straps so they don't show.
The bandeau bra can be purchased in a multitude of colours and prints, as well in all of the normal fabrics that bras are made up such as nylon, cotton, lace, and more. Some can be washed in a washing machine, while the more intricate types must be washed and dried by hand.
