Basque

Researching Basque Berets, it is amazing how often I stumble upon pictures of scarcely dressed women in lingerie.

The term “basque” refers to a type of bodice or jacket, and in modern usage a long corset, characterized by a close, contoured fit and extending past the waistline over the hips. It is so called because the fashion was adopted from Basque traditional dress, initially by the French and then throughout Western fashion.

In Victorian fashion, basque refers to a closely fitted bodice or jacket extending past the waistline over the hips; depending on era, it may be worn over a hoopskirt (earlier Victorian era) or bustle (later Victorian era). 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.

In modern usage, basque may also refer to clothing details reminiscent of lingerie such as frilly lace and cutout, "peekaboo" designs.