U.S. patent application number 12/062608 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-09 for apparel with built-in undergarment.
Invention is credited to Bonita D. Griffin.
Application Number | 20080244805 12/062608 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39825622 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080244805 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Griffin; Bonita D. |
October 9, 2008 |
Apparel with Built-in Undergarment
Abstract
An article of apparel includes an outer garment which is
provided with built-in inner garment. The inner garment, which
serves as a foundation garment, may be made of SPANDEX material.
The inner garment is secured to the inside of the outer garment at
the waist.
Inventors: |
Griffin; Bonita D.;
(Simpsonville, SC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NEXSEN PRUET, LLC
P.O. BOX 10648
GREENVILLE
SC
29603
US
|
Family ID: |
39825622 |
Appl. No.: |
12/062608 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60921763 |
Apr 4, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/74 ; 2/105;
2/69; 450/95 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 1/14 20130101; A41D
2400/38 20130101; A41C 1/00 20130101; A41D 27/02 20130101; A41D
1/22 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/74 ; 2/105;
450/95; 2/69 |
International
Class: |
A41D 1/22 20060101
A41D001/22; A41C 1/00 20060101 A41C001/00; A41D 1/00 20060101
A41D001/00 |
Claims
1. An item of personal apparel comprising: an outer garment and an
inner garment connected to said outer garment including a layer of
material that provides support and/or retention qualities to those
wearing the personal apparel.
2. An item of personal apparel according to claim 1 wherein said
outer garment is a dress and wherein said inner garment is attached
to said outer garment only at the waist.
3. An item of personal apparel according to claim 2 wherein said
inner garment extends only from the waist down.
4. An item of personal apparel according to claim 1 wherein said
inner garment extends from the waist up.
5. An item of personal apparel comprising: an outer garment; and an
elastic girdle attached to said outer garment at the waist and
extending above and outside said outer garment toward the
chest.
6. An item of personal apparel according to claim 1 wherein said
inner garment has different thicknesses at different locations
corresponding to different support qualities.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] In the modern world most ladies want to appear trim and thus
the advent of various figure enhancing undergarments. The typical
woman has various styles of dresses, skirts and pants, some of
which are designed to be tighter fitting than others. A tight
fitting outer garment may require a different undergarment than a
more loosely fitting dress. Thus a lady must take the time to
choose an appropriate undergarment and the time to sequentially fit
the undergarment and the outer garment. While adjustable corsets
have been used, such require excessive time and effort to adjust
and fit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention provides apparel with a built-in form-shaping
undergarment. The undergarment includes a relatively wide band
encircling its attachment location made from an elasticized
material such as SPANDEX which will not roll and which retains it
shape after multiple cleanings. The undergarment has downwardly or
upwardly extending (or both) contoured shaping layers of SPANDEX
type material, which minimally forms an undergarment that provides
the desired fit for the lady and may affect the shape of the outer
garment to which it is attached.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0004] FIG. 1A is a front view of the undergarment within an outer
garment according to one embodiment of the present invention with
parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0005] FIG. 1B is a front view of the undergarment according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 2A is a front view of the undergarment within an outer
garment according to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention with parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0007] FIG. 2B is a front view of the undergarment according to an
alternative embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 3A is a front view of the undergarment within an outer
garment according to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention with parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0009] FIG. 3B is a front view of the undergarment according to an
alternative embodiment of the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a front view of the undergarment within an outer
garment according to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention with parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a front view of the undergarment within an outer
garment according to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention with parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a front view of the undergarment within an outer
garment according to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention with parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0013] FIG. 7A is a front view of the undergarment within an outer
garment according to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention with parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0014] FIG. 7B is a front view of the undergarment according to an
alternative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1-7B, an undergarment is formed by sewing
a layer of SPANDEX material along portions of the interior of an
outer garment. As shown in Figures, the undergarment can underlie
both partial interior sections of the outer garment, as well as the
entire interior section of the outer garment. Additionally, the
undergarment can be applied to both women's and men's apparel. The
women's apparel can range from skirts and dresses, including
long-sleeved, short-sleeved, strapless, sleeveless, etc., dresses
and pants.
[0016] An important feature is the use of a SPANDEX type block
copolymer of polyurethane and polyethylene glycol material that
provides sufficient support and retention and that is dimensioned
to both cover sufficient areas of concern, while still being fully
covered by the outer garment so that that the undergarment is not
detected regardless of the normal positions employed by those
wearing the garment. Different devices of fiber can be used for the
entire SPANDEX portion, or different deniers may be used for
difference areas.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows the combination garment in the form of a
conventional ladies dress. The dress 40 has a waist 43, sleeves 47
around arms 42 skirt 41 and hem 49 and a neckline 45. An inner
garment 1 has a waistband 3 which may be reinforced elastic
material, the same material as the rest of the inner garment, which
may be formed from a heavier denier or the same denier fabric
depending upon the elasticity desired. The tubular elastic garment
5 which hangs from waistband 3 contacts the hip and thigh area
ending above the knee at 11. Below the waistband 3 the tubular
elastic garment is separate from the dress 40, the only connection
being where the waistband is sewn into the garment.
[0018] The undergarment may or may not be reinforced locally at the
area indicated as 9. Alternately, the garment may be graded to have
diminishing elasticity away from the waistband.
[0019] FIGS. 2 and 2A illustrate a sleeveless dress 40a with
undergarment 1a including a full bodice 17 having neck opening 13
corresponding to opening 45 of the dress but larger and arm holes
15 corresponding to dress arm holes 49. Neck opening 13 is
sufficiently large to allow a person to step into the inner garment
from the top, while the dress is closed separately with a
zipper.
[0020] FIGS. 3A and 3B show the sleeved variant of FIGS. 2A and 2B
wherein the bodice is continued within the sleeves 47 as tubular
section 17, ending at least one inch above the hem of the sleeve.
The undergarment may end at 19, approximately at the end of the
sleeve 51, or higher on the arm.
[0021] FIG. 4 shows a variant combination of the configurations of
FIGS. 2 and 3 wherein the elasticized portion of a sleeved dress
extends only to the arm holes 15, not through the arm portions.
[0022] FIGS. 5 and 6 show variants of FIG. 1 wherein a strapless
dress is the base material and different hem styles 41 and 51 are
employed for effect.
[0023] FIG. 7 shows one variant adapted to pants where the girdle
60 is attached to pants 71 at waist 73 and extends upwards outside
the pants to a band 63 and the level of the 11.sup.th rib.
Reinforced hem 65 is the preferred attachment point to the pants.
Shirt 81 would be bloused over the elastic band 61. A person steps
into the girdle and pulls pants on by pulling the girdle up.
[0024] It is intended that the scope of the present invention
include all modifications that incorporate its principal design
features, and that the scope and limitations of the present
invention are to be determined by the scope of the appended claims
and their equivalents. It also should be understood, therefore,
that the inventive concepts herein described are interchangeable
and/or they can be used together in still other permutations of the
present invention, and that other modifications and substitutions
will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing
description of the preferred embodiments without departing from the
spirit or scope of the present invention.
* * * * *