Bustiers are like a corset with a bra, though other differences between the two remain. Corsets are heavy garments built for intense support and control. Bustiers, while also supportive, tend to have less heavy construction details. Thus they are a bit more lightweight than corsets. Bustiers also tend to be shorter than corsets, which stretch down to the hips. Bustiers, on the other hand, usually end at the waist.

Bustiers have also made the leap from hidden undergarment to flashy night wear. This is not such a new development, as feminine icons from Marilyn Monroe to Liza Minelli and Madonna have been demonstrating all these years. No matter how long they've been around, though, it is still hard to underestimate the sexual (and social) power of the bustier.

What Bustiers Can Emphasize

Most people, when they think about bustiers, consider its role in accentuating the bosom. This is true, as the bustier acts much in the same way as the corset, minimizing the waistline while emphasizing the bustline. Bustiers may also be constructed with or without straps--or, in an convenient option that gives you both, with removable straps.

However, bustiers can also play an important role in the leg realm, for they sometimes come with attached garter straps. The finished look of a bustier with garters and stockings is sexy and streamlined. Four or more long, sexy garter straps lead from where the bustier ends at the waistline to the tops of the stockings. This leaves more exposure of the upper legs, where a garter belt would normally cover.