High-waisted Girdle

Abstract

A high-waisted girdle is disclosed which includes a body encircling region terminating at an upper end thereof in a high-waist portion which extends above the waistline location; a first band of material having a predetermined modulus of elasticity, with said band being secured to said body encircling region at the waistline location; and a second band of material having a predetermined modulus of elasticity, with said second band being secured to said high-waist portion and spaced slightly from said first band of material.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to girdles and similar foundation garments and more particularly to such girdles which are known in the industry as high-waisted girdles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A problem of substantial concern in the design of girdles and particularly high-waisted girdles (that is, where the waist portion of the girdle is so designed as to extend above the normal waistline of the wearer) is to provide a waist region therefor which will perform the primary function of properly restraining, molding and redistributing the fleshy, waist portion of the wearer and which, at the same time, will not be susceptible to curl or roll over, especially when the wearer experiences such movements as sitting, bending and stooping. Further complicating such design requirements is the problem of minimizing the difficulty of placing the garment on the body, which problem tends to increase in proportion to the degree of body control the garment is intended to exert.

Various techniques have been employed in the prior art in an attempt to eliminate the aforedescribed problems. Some girdles employ stays to provide wall stability and at the same time to prevent the waist region from curling or rolling over. Newer designs have eliminated the stays in favor of providing elastic inserts in the waistline regions of the garment to provide desired release characteristics which tend to temporarily enlarge the waistline region of the garment when the wearer experiences bending movements and when the garment is being placed on the body. Typical of the girdles employing elastic inserts in the waistline region of the girdles shown and described in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,515,141; 3,515,142; 3,515,143 to Black wherein triangular elastic insert regions are sewn into appropriately shaped areas of the waistline portion of the garment, which have been cut out of a doubled over portion of the upper margin thereof.

Although the above techniques represent a variety of principles for providing release characteristics in the high-waist portion of a girdle, they are generally complex, time-consuming to manufacture, consequently relatively expensive, and/or are generally unsatisfactory from a performance point of view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In contradistinction to the prior art, the instant invention provides a girdle comprising a body encircling region terminating in an upper end thereof in a high-waist portion which extends above the waistline location; a first band of material having a predetermined modulus of elasticity, with the first band being secured to the body encircling region at the waistline location; and a second band of material having a predetermined modulus of elasticity, with the second band being secured to the high-waist portion of the girdle and spaced slightly from the first band. In this manner, the separation between the first and second bands permits independent flexibility of the high-waist portion of the girdle relative to the main body portion of the garment thereby allowing the high-waistband to experience independent action in the high-waist region, especially when the wearer sits, stoops or bends, thus curl over is avoided. At the same time, the provision of the first band of material located at the waistline region of the garment and closely spaced from the second band of material prevents unsightly bulging at the waistline location and provides increased wall stability at the waist.

Most preferably, the range of spacing between the first and second bands of material is between one-sixteenth and one-half of an inch. This range represents a range of acceptable separations which will permit flexibility of the high-waist portion of the girdle relative to the main body portion of the garment while at the same time preventing bulging in that area between the two bands. Moreover, the lowermost end of this acceptable range is, in reality, that minimal distance which does not result in the edges of the two bands abutting one another and, in fact, the term "spaced slightly" employed in the following claims is intended to have such meaning.

Although not essential to the successful functionality of the invention, in the preferred embodiments of the instant invention, the first and second bands are of an elastic material and have a length at least equal to the circumference of that portion of the girdle to which they are secured. Preferably, the body encircling region of the girdle and the high-waist portion thereof are integral and constructed of a power net material, the upper edge of which is sewn over the top of the second band of elastic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a girdle constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention; and

FIG. 2 is a view of the girdle of FIG. 1 taken along the arrows 2--2 thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Turning to the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate corresponding elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 a girdle 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the instant invention. Before going into detail, it is to be appreciated that the present invention as herein described, disclosed, illustrated and shown as applied to a panty girdle for exemplary purposes only, and that this invention is not to be deemed limited thereby. The present invention is equally applicable to other foundation garments, such as open girdles, corsets, corselets, back supports, the lower regions of long line brassieres, or the like and even to garments generally for use by both men and women, such as swim suits, trousers, shorts, pants or the like.

The girdle 10 comprises a main body encircling region 12 which is adapted to confine and shape the body of the wearer from the waist down through the hips and thighs. As well known in the art, and as suggested in FIG. 1, the body encircling region may comprise a single piece of material, or if desired, the body encircling region may comprise a plurality of parts appropriately sewn together. As suggested by the crossed, double headed arrows 14, the body encircling region is preferably comprised of material having two-way stretch characteristics, for example, a power net material, a lamination material such as the type of U. S. Pat. No. 3,489,154, or an appropriate woven material. Of course, the aforementioned are only exemplary of the type of materials which may be employed depending on the characteristics desired for the main body portion of the garment. However, a power net material is preferred. Control regions, such as an abdominal control region 16 and side control regions 18 and 20 may be provided in accordance with the desired molding characteristics of the girdle. For reasons to be further explained, the upper extremities 17 of these control regions are sewn to the main body encircling region 12 and not secured to band 30 hereinafter referred to.

The body encircling region terminates at its upper end in a high-waist portion 22 which extends above waistline location 24. Secured to the body encircling region at the waistline location 24 by lines of stitching 26 and 28 is a first band 30 of material, such as elastic, having a predetermined modulus of elasticity. Spaced slightly thereabove, and secured to the high-waist portion 22, for example, by lines of stitching 32 and 34, is a second band 36 of a material such as elastic, similarly having a predetermined modulus of elasticity. As is best seen in FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the high-waist portion 22 is integral with the main body encircling region 12 and is in fact constructed of the same power net material. In fact, the top edge 38 of the power net material is sewn over and secured to the second band 36 by the aforementioned line of stitching 34. With this construction, any shrinkage due to washing will be uniformly compensated on both the inner and outer surfaces of the second band 36 of elastic material, thereby preventing rolling of the upper band 36.

As noted previously, the preferred range of spacing between the first and second bands, 30 and 36 respectively, is in the range of one-sixteenth of an inch to one-half of an inch. This range of acceptable separations, simultaneously permits independent flexibility of the high-waist portion 22 relative to the main body of the garment, while at the same time preventing bulging in that area 40 intermediate to the first and second bands, 30 and 36 respectively. Actually, the lowermost end of the acceptable range of separations is really that minimal distance which does not result in the edge portions of the two bands 30 and 36 abutting one another, for if abutting occurs, the freedom of independent flexibility is impaired. Thus, the term "spaced slightly" used in the claims annexed hereto is intended to mean that minimal degree of separation which does not result in abutting of the two bands 30 and 36.

Thus, it will be seen that by slightly separating the bands 30 and 36 of elastic material, a number of advantageous functions are achieved. First of all, the relatively wideband 36, essentially of the same width as the high-waist portion 22, adds wall stability to the high-waist portion thereof and at the same time permits the high-waist portion to stretch and accommodate in accordance with the bending and stooping movements of the wearer. Thus, roll-over and curl is eliminated. Simultaneously, the provision of the relatively narrow band of elastic 30 at the waistline location 24 provides the proper restraining and molding functions (i.e. wall stability) normally desirable for the waistline location of the wearer. Moreover, the fact that the two bands 30 and 36 are only slightly separated, prevents unsightly bulging of the intermediate region 40 of the power net material which might otherwise occur if the separation therebetween were too great.

As suggested above, the upper extremities 17 of control regions 16, 18 and 20 are secured to body portion 12 free of any attachment to the first band of elastic material 30. As with the case of the separation between bands 30 and 36, the separation between band 30 and the control regions 16, 18 and 20 permits independent action between the control regions and the band 30 and thereby prevents "tugging" at the waistband 30 when the wearer bends, sits or stoops. Preferably the range of separation between band 30 and control regions such as 16, 18 and 20 lies between one-sixteenth and three-quarters of an inch.

While this invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, numerous others will become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art in light thereof.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A girdle comprising:

a body encircling region terminating at an upper end thereof in a high waist portion which extends above the waistline location;

a first band of material having a predetermined modulus of elasticity, said first band being secured to said body encircling region at said waistline location;

a second band of material having a predetermined modulus of elasticity, said second band being secured to said high waist portion and spaced slightly from said first band;

said body encircling region having an hour-glass shape, the waistline of the body encircling region being of a smaller diameter than the upper edge of said high waist portion, said second band of material being substantially wider than said first band of material; and

said high-waist portion being of a one-piece construction with said body encircling region.

2. The girdle of claim 1 wherein said first band has a length at least equal to the circumference of said body encircling region at said waistline location; and

wherein said second band has a length at least equal to the circumference of said high waist portion.

3. The girdle of claim 1 wherein said high waist portion and body encircling region are a power net material.

4. The girdle of claim 1 wherein the spacing between said first and second bands is from one-sixteenth of an inch to one-half of an inch.

5. The girdle of claim 1 wherein said second band of material has a width corresponding to the width of the said high waist portion.

6. The girdle of claim 1 wherein said top edges of said high waist portion are sewn over the top edge of said second band.

7. The girdle of claim 1 wherein said body encircling region includes control regions secured thereto, the upper extremities of said control regions being separated from said first band.

8. The girdle of claim 7 wherein the spacing between said upper extremities of said control regions and said first band is from one-sixteenth of an inch to three-quarters of an inch.