Most of what goes wrong here is fit, not taste. The band does the work, not the straps, so go down a band before you go up a cup — and for anything worn under a close-fitting layer, seams matter more than the label. The groups below run from the decision that matters most to the ones you make afterwards.

What decides this is band fit, cup construction and fabric. Everything else is preference. Two from the first group show the range: Carbon38's Rhinestone Bow Bra in Melt at $76, and Meshki's Amelie Tweed Bralette at $109. The first is the easy entry point; the second is buying a look as much as a fit. A higher price mostly buys materials and finishing, and occasionally it buys nothing at all.

Nude means nude to you, which is why the range matters. From the second group, Spanx's SPANXsculpt GoFigure Open-Bust Mid-Thigh Bodysuit ($98) is the one that earns its place, because it works under more than one silhouette without being restyled. The third group is smaller and deliberately narrower — mostly robes, for the part of the day when nothing has to fit at all. None of this needs the whole group. One piece from each is usually enough.

There are 20 pieces here from 13 brands, from $29.99 to $188. We would not buy all of them, and neither should you. Bare Necessities' All Yours Satin & Mesh Front-Close Bra at $29.99 is the low-risk way in, and its Heritage Robe at $188 only makes sense if this is a category you already live in. Nothing here is included because it is famous, and price is not used as a proxy for quality anywhere on this page. If you take one thing away: pay for the thing that touches your skin and economise on the thing that sits on top of it.