Lingerie

Choosing Between Seamless and Stitched Edges

A seamless edge is bonded or cut rather than sewn, so there is no seam ridge to print through a fitted skirt or thin jersey. That is the whole advantage, and it comes with a trade off. A bonded edge has less give than an elasticated one, so if you are between sizes the larger is usually the safer choice. A stitched edge sits more securely and tends to hold its shape through more washes, which matters more when a piece is in weekly rotation rather than kept for close fitting outfits.

Why the Gusset Matters more than the Fabric Name

The gusset is the panel sewn into the lining, and it is often made of a different fibre from the rest of the garment. Cotton absorbs moisture and lets air move through it; polyester and elastane do neither, which is why they hold warmth against the skin. A polyester elastane brief with a cotton gusset is therefore a different product from one without, even where the label, the price and the photograph look identical. When two pieces look interchangeable, that single line in the specification is usually the one worth reading.

Sizing Through Pregnancy and Nursing

Bands and cups rarely change on the same schedule during pregnancy, which is why a bra that fitted last month can feel wrong in two different ways at once. A wire free nursing bra with drop down cups is generally chosen on the band at its loosest hook, leaving room to tighten as things settle rather than needing replacement. Support bands work on a different principle: they are designed to sit under the bump rather than around it, and a band that keeps riding up is usually a size too small rather than being worn incorrectly. Postpartum recovery pieces are graded by compression level, so the number to compare is not the dress size.

Because these pieces sit under everything else, they are worth choosing alongside the outfit rather than separately. A seam that shows through a dress is a fit problem before it is a fabric problem, so it helps to compare against what you actually wear over them in Apparel. If you are shopping through pregnancy or the months after, the fuller range of bras, bands and recovery pieces sits in Maternity & Nursing.