5 Ways to Style a Lace Bralette, According to a Lingerie Designer

We’ve wondered how to wear a lace bralette more than once, despite spending a considerable amount of time writing about lingerie. You might have a beautiful lace number with scalloped edges and delicate straps that you’d love to wear outside the bedroom, but figuring out what to pair it with is another matter.

We’re talking really beautiful lace, the sort that seems almost a shame to keep hidden beneath your clothes. Some bralettes are quite sheer, too, which can make wearing one as a top a little more complicated. A button-down left partly open can show a glimpse of lace, while a sheer blouse puts considerably more on display. Add a blazer or cardigan, and you have another way to wear your bralette without necessarily treating it as a top (although that’s certainly an option).

And then we thought, why stop at just one way of wearing it? We have no doubt you’ve stood in front of your closet with a bralette you love, trying everything from jeans and trousers to cardigans and sheer tops. And with so many ways to wear lingerie beyond the bedroom, there’s no reason to save your favorite lace pieces for special occasions.

With that in mind, we spoke with a designer who shared different ways to wear a lace bralette, from showing a little lace at your neckline to wearing one as a top.

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Meet the Expert

Igor Pacemski-Jones is the founder of Noblesse Oblige, a lingerie label creating silk and lace underwear made in Europe. Before relaunching the brand in 2024, he worked at Calvin Klein as an e-commerce buyer.

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Under a Button-Down Shirt

A lace bralette looks lovely beneath a button-down, whether you leave a few buttons undone or wear the shirt almost completely open. A white shirt with scalloped lace peeking out at the neckline is one way to go, while leaving a blouse completely unbuttoned puts more of your lingerie on display. Pacemski-Jones is a fan of “that fabulous, natural cleavage that doesn’t feel overly enhanced,” particularly when the shirt reveals just enough of the bralette underneath.

He’s fond of the late-’80s and early-’90s approach, when close-cut shirts with undone buttons were practically an invitation to show a little lingerie. But he’s equally enthusiastic about “a very cool, dressy blouse worn open.” We love the idea of either with jeans or trousers, especially if you have a lace bralette that’s almost too pretty to keep under wraps. “Anything goes in this particular case,” Pacemski-Jones explains. “It’s really about what makes you feel sexy and wearing it that way.”

Under a Sheer Top

Sheer tops and visible bras have been going steady for years, but Pacemski-Jones thinks the combination could use a little reinvention. “We’ve seen so much of the strappy look underneath sheer tops over the years that the world is probably a little bored with it by now,” he admits. Not that we’re suggesting you retire your favorite lace bralette and mesh blouse (we certainly wouldn’t). There’s simply another way to wear the two together that you may not have considered.

Instead of putting the bralette underneath your sheer top, try wearing it over the top. Yes, the other way around! A sheer long-sleeve shirt, for example, can become the base for a lace bralette, allowing you to show off the design without covering any of it with another layer of fabric.

With a Low-Cut Top

A little lace peeking out above a low neckline can be just as lovely as the top itself, especially when the bralette has beautiful detailing around the edges. Pacemski-Jones is “a sucker for eyelash lace and for a really decorative galoon,” both of which can bring intricate patterns to an otherwise simple top. Eyelash lace, in case you’re wondering, gets its name from the fine, fringe-like threads along its edges. And when you find a design you love, why hide all of it?

Under a Blazer

The oversized blazer and lace bralette have practically become a fashion uniform, although Pacemski-Jones is ready to see something different. He considers the oversized suit with a lace top underneath “quite dated” and would much rather experiment with an exaggerated ’80s shoulder, a cropped blazer, and skinny cigarette trousers. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, take inspiration from Rick Owens and wear an “incredibly ornate, hyper-feminine bralette” underneath. We’re not opposed to either.

As for the bralette itself, Pacemski-Jones suggests everything from “double-edge, double-galoon lace” to digital prints and even something “deliberately cheeky, like a polka dot.” A relatively simple lace design can be beautiful beneath a cropped blazer, but we’re equally fond of the idea of pairing a more elaborate bralette with dramatic shoulders. “This is something to celebrate,” he says. And considering how much beautiful lingerie gets hidden beneath our clothes, our editors are inclined to agree.

As a Top on Its Own

A lace bralette can absolutely take the place of a regular top, provided you’re comfortable with how much it reveals. We’d wear one with high-waisted jeans, wide-leg trousers, or even a maxi skirt, depending on how dressed up we wanted to be. A bralette with scalloped edges or elaborate lace can look beautiful without another layer over it (and if you’ve spent good money on the lingerie, why not enjoy showing it off?).

Of course, some bralettes are practically transparent, while others have lined cups and wider bands that offer more coverage. We’d check how yours looks in natural light before heading out, especially if you don’t intend to wear anything underneath. And if showing a little more skin feels right to you, Pacemski-Jones isn’t one to discourage it. His advice on wearing lingerie outside is to embrace “what makes you feel sexy and wearing it that way.”