Pasties

Pasties (sing. 'pastie' or 'pasty') are patches that cover a woman's nipples and areolae which are affixed with adhesive. Though pasties are commonly associated with burlesque and erotic entertainment, they are also at times worn as an undergarment and occasionally as beachwear.

Some women wear pasties when wearing a strapless or backless dress. Some women who choose to be braless may at times wear pasties. They may wear pasties so that their nipples and areolae are not visible through sheer clothing or lingerie, or in case they experience a nipple erection. Some women wear pasties to avoid irritation of the nipples by rubbing against the fabric of the outer garment. When worn under clothing pasties are sometimes called breast petals. In the annual "Go Topless Day" protests, otherwise topless female demonstrators wear imitation nipple pasties over their own nipples, in case they are prosecuted.

Pasties come in a variety of colors, diameters, and shapes. Though pasties come in a variety of sizes, they usually are not much larger than the areola. Pasties are usually applied with a special tape or glue fixative, often gum arabic. However, in some situations keeping pasties from falling off can be an issue, as can be their removal. Some women are allergic to some adhesives. Some pasties are for single-use, while others are washable and can be reused.

Pasties are occasionally worn on beaches to maximize a sun tan, short of being topless or nude, and avoid the strap lines which bikinis produce.

A sideless bikini bottom is sometimes worn to complement a pasties top outfit, this can be a C-string held by an internal flexible frame or other pasties sustained with adhesive, commonly known as a merkin. These pasties for the genitalia are known as maebari (前貼り) in Japanese.