A cupless bra, sometimes known as a shelf, open tip, open nipple or open cup bra, is a brassiere

Brassiere

A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....

 design

Brassiere designs

There are a great many brassiere designs that are suitable for a wide variety of business and social settings and suitable to wear with a variety of outer clothing. The bra's shape, coverage, functionality, fit, fashion, fabric, and colour can vary widely...

 composed of a rigid, under-wired frame along the inframammary

Inframammary fold

Inframammary fold , inframammary crease or inframammary line is the feature of human anatomy which is a natural boundary of a breast from below, the place where the breast and the chest meet. The choice of the term depends on the prominence of the feature. It is also sometimes called inframammary...

 line, that supports or lifts a woman's breasts, without enclosing the breast in a bra cup.

A cupless bra is regarded as a topless garment

Toplessness

Toplessness is the state in which a female's breasts are uncovered, with the areolae and nipples visible, usually in a public space. It can also refer to a female not wearing any clothing above the waist, which is the female equivalent to a male barechestedness.The history and even the present-day...

, as the nipple

Nipple

In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...

s and areola

Areola

This article is about the breast tissue. For the entomology term, see the glossary of Lepidopteran terms. For an artistic cloud motif, see aureola. For the cactus feature, see Areole....

e are uncovered. The garment can be regarded as erotic and seductive negligee

Negligee

The negligee is a form of women's clothing consisting of a sheer usually long dressing gown. It is a form of nightgown intended for wear at night and in the bedroom...

, which can accentuate an aspect of a woman's physical attractiveness

Physical attractiveness

Physical attractiveness refers to a person's physical traits which are perceived to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from the two; for example, humans may regard the young as attractive for various...

 by lifting and displaying her breasts. Variants of the cupless bra are cupless corsets, miniskirts, dresses or swimsuits. There is no set terminology, but an "open nipple" refers to a garment with a cut-out circle to expose the nipples, while a shelf bra is one that merely lifts the breasts.

A cupless bra may be worn under an outer garment to provide support or lift for the breasts, while giving the impression that a woman is braless, because her nipples may be evident even through the outer garment. Open nipple and open cup bras may be used by nursing mothers for breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from female human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is recommended that mothers breastfeed for six months or...

. (see nursing bra

Nursing bra

A nursing bra is a specialized brassiere that provides additional support to women's milk-filled breasts and permits comfortable breastfeeding without the need to remove the bra. This is accomplished by specially designed bra cups that include flaps which can be opened with one hand to expose the...

s)