SUPERMODEL Eva Herzigova stopped traffic with her Wonderbra ad campaign in 1994, but love for the push-up bra has taken a plunge.
These days women are looking for more lift and less squish when it comes to their lingerie — and Hollywood actresses are leading the way.
Last week Kate Winslet, 48, posed in a black lace balconette bra in a sexy photoshoot for glossy movie mag Variety — and she looked incredible.
A balcony or balconette bra has a low-cut, horizontal neckline that creates a square-like shape, but still gives the bust a rounded appearance.
The cups cover three quarters of the breast and typically have wide-set straps that come from the bottom of the bra, creating the key effect — lift.
Soozie Jenkinson, head of lingerie design at M&S says: “A balcony bra is designed with a more cutaway neck line and wider positioned straps which then lift and create a squarer silhouette than a plunge or full cup.”
A-listers including Nicola Peltz Beckham, Sydney Sweeney, and Sofia Vergara, are big fans of the style.
And according to Freemans, they’ve given its popularity a huge boost, driving up sales by 61 per cent this year.
M&S says that the Zinnia balcony bra from its Rosie Huntington-Whiteley collection is the best-selling style within its lingerie sub-brands.
Balconettes first emerged in America in 1938, but didn’t become popular until the Fifties when they were embraced by busty screen sirens including Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.
And who could forget that much-seen photo of Sophia Loren giving fellow actress Jayne Mansfield’s voluminous bust an envious sideways glance?
But this post-war pin-up style became outdated as liberated women ditched bra constraints in the spirit of the swinging Sixties.
Comfy satins and silk bras followed. Then came the revival of the cone bra from the early 1950s.
The naughty Nineties saw the arrival of the push-up bra, with women across the world desperate to emulate supermodel Eva’s eye-popping Wonderbra look.
For years, we were fed images of DD models with plunging cleavage and boobs tightly pushed together.
The tops of their breasts were hoisted so high, they were almost touching their chins.
And it wasn’t just Wonderbra who was in on the act. Big-name brands like Victoria’s Secret, La Senza and Ann Summers churned out boob-bolstering styles in bright colours and garish prints.
Often embellished with diamanté, they had enough padding to protect an American football player from injury.
Women even fumbled about with water bras and chicken fillet-style silicone inserts.
Abby McHale, Fabulous’ Deputy Fashion Editor, commented: “From the outset, sustainability was important to us.
“Considering that 30 percent of products globally are destined for landfill before they’ve even left a warehouse, we’ve decided to only start making our clothes once orders have been placed.
“This means your order will take a little longer than what you’re used to (four to six weeks), but we’re hoping you think, like we do, it’s worth the wait.
“We also ensure factory workers are paid bonuses from the collection, plus we work with the charity, Pratham, in India to fund education centres for kids in migrant areas.
“Buying a dress can support a child’s education for two months.”
At the same time, we were bombarded by images of big-boobed models in lads mags like Loaded and FHM.
Pop stars such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Geri Halliwell flaunted the push-up look.
Even girls decked out in casual Juicy Couture tracksuits would strategically unzip them to the middle of their chests to show off a whopping cleavage.
But then in 2020 Covid dramatically changed our shopping habits and affected what bras we chose — and shunned.
Sales of super-sexy push-ups started to sag as women moved towards more comfy, soft cups with no padding or wiring.
Today we’ve come full circle — and we’re all the better for it.
Balcony is the most elegant of all bra shapes.
Its lifting effect boosts the upper part of the breast and the three-quarter cup helps add a fuller look.
In short, they allow you to show off what you’ve got, but without being tacky or too in your face.
What’s more, they’re perfect for mature women.
Skin naturally sags as we age and gravity does its thing, but a supportive and well-made balconette will help make the top of your chest look fuller.
Demi Moore, 61, looked incredible in a black style beneath a sheer dress at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion party in April.
Sarah Jessica Parker, 59, looked incredible teaming one with a square-neck dress, on the set of the new season of And Just Like That.
Square necklines have dominated trends this year with celeb fans including Michelle Keegan, 37, and Maya Jama, 29.
They work perfectly with a balcony bra — other styles would show.
The balconette has been around for a long time and much like the demure look it gives, it’s been modestly hiding behind the ostentatious push-up.
But thankfully, after some much-needed celeb support, it has had a boost — good news for us and our busts.
64% of women with a size DD+ chest struggle to buy clothes. We recruited 2,500 fuller-busted women to help us design a range just for them. The result? Clothes that finally flatter your bust!
