Ask an Expert: What’s the Difference Between a Demi and Balconette Bra?
Having tested and reviewed our fair share of lingerie, we know demi and balconette bras aren’t as interchangeable as they may seem. They show up beside each other, promise a lot of the same things, and, depending on the brand, can look almost identical on the hanger. Same bra, different name? Not quite! There’s more to it than that.
There are a few reasons they get lumped together. Both sit lower on the breast than a full-coverage bra, show more of the upper bust, and tend to have wider-set straps. (They’re also both great when you don’t want a bra cup creeping out of a lower neckline.) But the cup shape isn’t quite the same. Demi bras usually cover around half to three-quarters of the breast and can have a slightly more curved neckline, while balconette bras tend to cut straighter across the bust, with straps sitting farther toward the shoulders.
Neither is automatically “better” than its counterpart, though. What works best really depends on your boobs, how much coverage you’re comfortable with, and what you’re wearing over the bra. Ahead, we spoke with lingerie design consultant and “How To Be A Lingerie Designer” author Laurie van Jonsson about the difference between demi and balconette bras, who each tends to work best for, and when to reach for one over the other.
Meet the Experts
Laurie van Jonsson is a lingerie design consultant and the author of “How To Be A Lingerie Designer” and “The Anatomy of a Bra,” among several other books. In 2012, she launched Van Jonsson Design, using her industry experience to help aspiring founders bring their own lingerie brands to life.
The Main Difference Between Demi and Balconette Bras
The easiest (and often most reliable) place to spot the difference is along the top of the cup. “The key differences between balconette and demi bras are the necklines,” van Jonsson explains. Balconettes tend to have a shallower cup that runs straighter across the bust, while the straps sit wide and attach toward the outer edge of the cup.
A demi bra is cut a little differently. “A demi cup is angled, and the strap attaches where the cup leads up into it,” she says. So while both styles show more of the upper breast than a full-coverage bra, a balconette usually looks more horizontal across the top, whereas a demi has a slightly more curved or angled neckline.
Who Demi and Balconette Bras Work Best For
The way your boobs are naturally shaped can make a big difference in which bra feels better. For athletic breasts (which Van Jonsson says “tend to be wide and muscular“), the lingerie design consultant specifically recommends balconette bras because “the wide-set straps allow cleavage to be formed,” which can help bring a little more definition through the center.
If you’re fuller on the bottom or your breasts sit wider apart, a demi or plunge-style cup may be worth trying instead. Van Jonsson notes that “plunge bras help prevent gaps at the top of the breast” for bottom-full breasts, while they can also “bring breasts closer together” for those whose bust falls into the east-to-west or wide-set category. For fuller-on-top breasts, she recommends “deeper cups with narrow wires” rather than shallow, wide ones, so the exact cup construction really does matter just as much as the name on the tag.
The Best Necklines for Demi and Balconette Bras
Balconette bras tend to pair really nicely with square necklines and off-the-shoulder tops, according to van Jonsson. She explains, “The necklines that work best are off-the-shoulder tops—so the strap is shown but not the top of the bra—or dresses or tops with square necklines.”
Demi bras, meanwhile, are a better match for plunging necklines. Their angled cups and lower center leave more room through the front, so you’re less likely to see the bra peeking above a low-cut top.
Choosing Between a Demi and Balconette Bra
As you can probably tell, you’ll learn a lot more from trying both on than you will from comparing the names. Van Jonsson recommends using the “swoop and scoop method,” which involves bending forward, reaching toward your armpit, and moving the breast tissue inward toward the center before checking the fit.
It’s also worth remembering that the bra that worked for you a few years ago may not fit the same way now. Van Jonsson notes that “a bra that fit you at one stage of life might not fit you later,” since brands often design around particular breast shapes or age groups. So if a bra suddenly isn’t fitting the way it used to, the bra itself may be the reason.
She adds, “The fit of a bra on a 40-year-old woman will differ from that on a 20-year-old woman. If the brand targets women in their 20s, the bra may not fit correctly if you are in your 40s.”
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