Designed to lift the assets and provide moderate coverage for everyday wear, balcony bras are coveted by lingerie enthusiasts.
The delicate designs, also known as balconette bras, are typically reserved for those with a fuller bust. The pretty silhouette features widely set straps which join at the side of the cups and usually showcase a horizontal seam across the cups to give them a feminine shape.
The clue is in the name. Balcony bras provide support from underneath, elevating the bust and creating a voluminous look as if perched on a balcony. They are available in a range of sizes and styles, including dainty lace constructions to comfort-forward organic cotton blends.
Bigger-busted women such as Sydney Sweeney and Emily Ratajkowski have made a case for the balcony bra across the years (the latter owns several balconette corsets), yet this doesn’t mean smaller-chested women can't too. In fact, the relationship between balcony silhouettes and the itty bitty underwear community is flourishing at present.
Brands such as Cou Cou Intimates and Fruity Booty frequently showcase their must-have designs on smaller chests. Petite poster girls such as Nicola Peltz Beckham and Gigi Hadid have taken to social media in the sweetheart design. You don’t necessarily have to resemble Jamie Lee Curtis during her iconic lingerie scene featuring a black balcony set in True Lies, as much as we’d love to.
Balcony bras are also one of the rare examples of lingerie that tread the line between slouchy and sexy. Sheer lace renditions courtesy of Bluebella, La Perla and Intimissimi serve up a sultry date-night look, while cute ‘n’ cosy alternatives by Marks & Spencer guarantee comfort of the highest degree.
Discover the best balcony bras to add to your underwear arsenal and feel confident with a new supportive set.
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Zinnia Embroidery Wired Balcony Bra
Available in romantic shades of dusty rose and fern green, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley x M&S’ Zinnia balcony bra is a beautifully feminine piece.
Complete with a satin bust and a Swiss-designed floral lace trim, the comfortable, blossom-clad offering features signature rose gold hardware and a wireless construction.
Buy now £28.00, M&S
Bluebella Irena Wired Bra Purple Rose
Add a touch of whimsicality to your underwear drawer with Bluebella’s delicate designs. The Irena Wired Bra in fairy-like lilac features embellished fine embroidery, sheer cups and ample supports for all cup sizes. Choose from five tempting tones and add to your online shopping basket.
Buy now £18.00, Bluebella
Fruity Booty Gretel Balconette Bra
Designed for summertime frolicking in the fields of the South of France, Fruity Booty’s Gretel balconette bra is a sweet take on a sexy design. Strawberries and cream-coloured pinstripes adorn a poplin construction, providing comfort and support for stylish wearers.
Buy now £54.00, Fruity Booty
Intimissimi Vacanze Italiane Balconette Bra
When life gives you lemons, embroider them on a bra. Intimissimi’s Vacanze Italiane Balconette Bra conjures up images of summer spent in Italy, surrounded by citrus trees and dreamy countryside vistas. The non-padded piece is made from ethereal white tulle dotted with yellow lemons, trimmed with a lace flounce and features a crossover detail between the cups with a lemon charm.
Buy now £59.00, Intimissimi
Tezenis Paris Pink Candy Lace Balconette Bra
Exude girlish glamour in a candy pink bra replete with ruffles. Tezenis’ Paris Pink Candy Lace Balconette Bra is a flirtatious pick featuring embroidered tulle and a lace ruffle with a small rose in the middle.
Designed for bigger busts, the summer-ready bra further showcases adjustable shoulder straps and a four-position double hook-and-eye fastening.
Buy now £19.99, Tezenis
Savage Fenty Savage Not Sorry Unlined Lace Balconette Bra
Opt for a dose of gothic romance with Savage Fenty’s lace khaki number. The wired choice showcases leaf-like lace and adjustable, supportive straps for a wide range of bust sizes. Wear yours every day or on special occasions for a subtle confidence boost.
Buy now £60.00, Savage Fenty
Emilia Embroidered Wired Balcony Bra
Bras are typically pretty pricey, so we’re eternally grateful to M&S for offering up affordable options. The brand’s Emilia Embroidered Wired Balcony Bra comes in three colourways, but this nude-pink rendition caught our eye.
Delicate floral embroidery and scalloped trims inject this non-wired balconette with sartorial charm. Complete your new favourite set with the matching thong or knickers available here.
Buy now £16.00, M&S
Fleur du Mal Rose and Vine Balconette Bra
This alluring lingerie gem from New York label Fleur du Mal is an ode to the beauty of blossoming blooms. The balconette bra has been intricately and meticulously embroidered with the stunning floral design set on a sheer tulle backdrop. Cornflower blue straps and a nude design feature.
Buy now £150.00, Net-A-Porter
Cou Cou Intimates The Balconette
Cou Cou Intimates is an underwear brand to have firmly on your lingerie radar. Feminine pointelle designs are married with classic neutral colourways to create durable intimates to stand the test of time, like the brand’s ditsy print balconette which is etched into our brains.
Each adorable piece is finely crafted from 100 per cent certified organic cotton, which is kinder to your skin and the planet.
Buy now £58.00, Cou Cou Intimates
La Perla Midnight Botanica Balconette Bra
If there’s one thing that La Perla does well, it’s lingerie of the utmost quality. The brand is almost synonymous with timeless elegance and this Midnight Botanica is the cleavage-enhancing set you have been searching for, whether it’s for your wedding night in the classic white hue or for a flirtatious moment.
The underwear set was created in Bologna and is a play on tulle, floral details and a cotton-jersey fabric to make it equal parts sexy and soft.
Buy now £225.00, La Perla
