BUSTIER

noun (Lifestyle and Leisure) A short, close-fitting bodice (usually without straps), worn by women as a fashion top. Etymology: A direct borrowing from French bustier 'bodice'. The garment helps to define the bust, and so makes its wearer appear bustier, but this is a popular misunderstanding of the origin of the word. History and Usage: The bustier came into fashion in the early eighties; one of its most famous devotees is the rock star Madonna, who has probably done much to keep the fashion going by regularly making public appearances in a bustier. Delicately edged suede jackets and bustiers in scarlet and black sat atop wafts of brightly coloured chiffon skirts for evening. London Evening News 17 Mar. 1987, p. 18