Basque (clothing)

It is so called because the original French fashion for long women's jackets was adopted from Basque traditional dress.

In contemporary usage it refers only to a long item of lingerie, in effect a brassiere that continues down, stopping around the waist or the top of the hips.

A basque bodice (i.e., when considered as a dress component, to be worn with a specific skirt) could also be referred to as a "corset waist", because of its close fit.

Instead the modern basque usually emphasizes allure, with details such as frilly lace and cutout, "peekaboo" designs, and sometimes garters (suspenders in British English) to join to stockings.

The modern-day torsolette features lace-up or hook-and-eye fastening, as well as boning or vertical seams for structure and support.