Sticky bra, adhesive bra, silicone bra: what the names mean

Search for a bra with no straps and you get six names for what turns out to be three products. Here is what each word means, where the names overlap, and which product each dress wants.

The names

Sticky bra and adhesive bra are the same thing: a bra held on by adhesive, not by straps or a band. "Sticky bra" is what people say; "adhesive bra" is what packaging says.

Silicone bra is a sticky bra whose cups are made of silicone rather than fabric. Most good sticky bras are silicone, so in practice this is the same product too.

Invisible bra means a thin sticky bra made to disappear under fabric, as opposed to a padded one that adds shape.

Backless bra and strapless bra describe what the bra lets you wear, not how it is built. A sticky bra is both. A strapless bra with a band is strapless but not backless.

Bra inserts, silicone inserts and chicken cutlets are a different product: padded silicone shapes that go under the breast, inside a bra or on their own. They lift; they do not cover. What are chicken cutlets covers them.

The three products

Thin adhesive bra. Two silicone cups, a front clasp, no padding. Covers and shapes, disappears under anything. This is The Invisible Bra, and the same build in six colors is The Statement Bra.

Padded adhesive bra. Same build with push-up padding through the base of the cup. Adds about a cup of lift. This is The Sticky Bra.

Adhesive insert. A padded teardrop with adhesive on both faces. Lifts up to two cup sizes, has no clasp, and goes under a low neckline where a bra would show. This is The Sculpt and its thinner, smaller and heart-shaped versions in the inserts collection.

Which one for which dress

Neckline	What to wear
Strapless, normal front	Thin adhesive bra
Backless, normal front	Thin adhesive bra
Backless and low front	Inserts, plus tape
Deep plunge	Inserts, plus tape
Fitted top, want lift	Padded adhesive bra, or inserts inside your own bra
Sheer or white, no lift wanted	Nipple covers only
Halter	Thin adhesive bra, or inserts if the sides are open

Silicone versus fabric cups

Fabric sticky bras are lighter and cheaper and lose their grip fast, because the adhesive is a coating on cloth. Silicone cups are the adhesive, all the way through, so they wash and re-grip up to 50 times. Silicone also warms to the body and holds better the longer it is on. Every Sculpette bra and insert is silicone.

How sizing differs

A regular bra is sized by band and cup. A sticky bra has no band, so it is sized by cup volume only, and a 32DD and a 36C take the same cup. Some brands size sticky bras S to XL, which cannot account for that. Sculpette sizes AA to I by cup, and the size guide converts your usual size.

What none of them do

None of them give the all-day structure of a wired bra. They are for the dress that a regular bra ruins: an evening, a wedding, a photo, a top with nothing under it. Worn on clean dry skin and placed low, they hold for the night. How to wear a sticky bra so it stays on is the method.

Start here

If you are not sure which of the three you need, The Starter Duo is the insert plus tape, which covers the most necklines for the least money, and The Invisible Bra covers the rest.