Patent Application
20200268062
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to garments for women or men and related methods. In particular, the present subject matter relates to garments, such as swimwear, undergarments, shirts, and dresses, having upper and/or lower portions that include a concealer to add modesty to the garment.
The early 1800's marked the beginning of a revolution in swim wear when Americans flocked to the beaches for seaside recreation. The first swimsuits consisted of bloomers and black stockings. By 1855, drawers were added to prevent the problem of exposure. Women still refrained from swimming too much with the prevailing attitude of the day being that only men should swim. This prevailing attitude gradually began to change making it more acceptable for women to swim while incremental improvements were being made in the cut of the suit itself. By the 1880's the “Princess” cut swimsuit was introduced consisting of a blouse and trousers in one piece. The skirts were traded in for cotton-like pants. There was also a separate skirt that fell below the knee and buttoned at the waist to conceal the figure. A ruffled cap or a straw hat completed the ensemble. Soon after, new swimsuits were developed that relied heavily on the form of the “fashionable” body, gradually exposing more and more skin. In those days, women were still compelled to conceal their bodies so as to be “modest.” These suits were made from heavy flannel fabric that was both opaque and sturdy enough to not rise with the water.
By the end of the 19th century, swimming had become an “art,” as well as an intercollegiate and Olympic sport. With such developments, the beginning of the twentieth century marked a new daring era in swim wear for women and a realization that the current swimwear lineup had been designed without functionality in mind. As the sport grew, swimsuits became more streamlined and less heavy, paving the way for styles to come. In 1909, Australian Annette Kellerman was arrested in the United States for wearing a loose, one-piece suit that became the generally accepted swimsuit for women by 1910. After that swimsuits began the trend of becoming lighter and briefer. The apron disappeared by 1918, leaving a tunic covering the shorts. Even though matching stockings were still worn, bare legs were exposed from the bottom of the trunks to the top of the shorts. With the Roaring 20's following World War I, there was a large increase in appreciation of recreation and the spending of leisure time leading to swimsuits for women showing more skin.
With the introduction of bikinis after World War II, the female bathing suit became more and more revealing. While styles have changed over time, the use of more revealing swimwear has remained in favor to this day. Additionally, the development and use of materials such as nylon and Lycra allowed the use of thinner and more drapeable, sheer and more form-fitting fabrics in the swimwear. With thinner and more fine gauge fabrics, modesty issues can arise depending on the swimsuit wearer. The thinner and more fine gauge fabrics tend to be less concealing and more revealing especially around the reproductive regions of the female anatomy. Generally speaking, American swimwear is overly padded and constructed because American women prefer to cover their reproductive regions and not are comfortable with their breast, and particularly their nipples, showing through a lightly lined swimsuit.
Therefore, a need exists for thin-fabric garments, particularly swimwear, that can provide a high level of drape, stretch and/or a more form fit for the wearer while at the same time provide concealment for parts of the body of the wearer that the wearer would like not to be displayed through the fabric of the garment to deliver modest and discreet comfort for the wearer.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide garments, such as swimwear, undergarments, shirts, and dresses, having upper and/or lower portions that include a concealer to add modesty to the garment.
While objects of the presently disclosed subject matter have been stated hereinabove, which can be achieved in whole or in part by the presently disclosed subject matter, other objects will become evident as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings as best described hereinbelow.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present subject matter to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures in which:
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present subject matter.
Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the present subject matter, one or more examples of which are shown in the pictures and figures. Each example is provided to explain the subject matter and not as a limitation. In fact, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the present subject matter cover such modifications and variations.
Although the terms first, second, right, left, front, back, etc. may be used herein to describe various features, elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these features, elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one feature, element, component, region, layer or section from another feature, element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first feature, element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second feature, element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the disclosure herein.
Similarly, in the present disclosure, when a feature, element, component, region, layer and/or section is being described as “top”, “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” etc., it should be understood that such terms are relative and not absolute. Thus, something that is described with the adjective of “top” may also be considered on a side or a bottom depending on the orientation of the larger subject being described. Additionally, when a feature, element, component, region, layer and/or section is being described as “under,” “on,” or “over” another feature, element, component, region, layer and/or section, it is to be understood that the features, elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections can either be directly contacting each other or have another feature, element, component, region, layer and/or section between the them, unless expressly stated to the contrary. Similarly, directional movement, such as “back and forth,” “forward,” “backward,” “up,” “down,” or the like are to be understood as relative descriptions that can change depending on the orientation of the subject matter relative to the viewer. Thus, these terms are simply describing the relative position of the features, elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections to each other and do not necessarily mean an absolute position or direction since the relative position above or below depends upon the orientation of the subject matter to the viewer.
Embodiments of the subject matter of the disclosure are described herein with reference to schematic illustrations of embodiments that may be idealized. As such, variations from the shapes and/or positions of features, elements or components within the illustrations as a result of, for example but not limited to, user preferences, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances are expected. Shapes, sizes and/or positions of features, elements or components illustrated in the figures may also be magnified, minimized, exaggerated, shifted or simplified to facilitate explanation of the subject matter disclosed herein. Thus, the features, elements or components illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes and/or positions are not intended to illustrate the precise configuration of the subject matter and are not intended to limit the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein.
The term “disc concealer” as used herein means a thin, drapeable, and stretchable fabric, wearable film, or combination thereof, that is flat and pliable and has a shape that provides modesty coverage of an area of a garment intended to cover reproductive regions of a wearers body.
The term “bra front” as used herein means the front portion of a garment configured for receiving a breast of a female wearer.
The term “cup” as used herein means the front portion of a garment configured for receiving a breast of a female wearer. The terms “cup” and “bra front” are used interchangeably herein with bra fronts and cups comprise fabric or other non-foam material.
The term “sheer fabric” as used herein means a thin, fine gauge fabric that has a high level of drapeability that can conform to or drape off of a wearer's body depending of the construction of the garment in which the fabric is used.
The term “lightly lined garment” as used herein means a garment having an inner liner that comprises a fabric having a weight of about 10 oz./yd.2 or less.
The term “structural seam(s)” as used herein means one or more seams that are critical to the structure and functionality of a garment that allow the garment to function as a garment. Examples of structural seams include, but are not limited to, sleeve seams, neckline seams, and side seams on shirts and dress and seams holding front, back, and/or side sections of undergarments, swimwear or the like.
The term “non-structural seam(s)” as used herein means one or more seams that are not critical to the structure or functionality of a garment functioning as a garment.
To give further context, the marketplace is currently populated with bras with permanent foam cups, bras with removable floating cups, and lined bras. The bras with permanent foam cups have large pads that add an unnatural looking shape, but some women like them for the modesty coverage or for their ability to reshape the bustline. With bras with removable foam floating cups, the removable pads are inserted into a pocket on the side of each cup of the bra. These bras are meant to be allow the consumer to wear the garment the way that she prefers. Most wearers find that the pad gets crunched, floats around, or is visible through the garment. The lined bras have a single liner against the exterior fabric with no padding or extra liners. The lined bra has a simple construction with the single liner lining the bra fronts. Consumers who prefer a natural look, or who don't like much construction like the lined bra, but many feel as if the lined bra does not quite give enough modesty coverage.
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to different embodiments of strategically designed garments of sheer fabrics for women such as bras, undergarments, and swimwear having lightly lined upper portions and/or lower portions that include a disc concealer to add modesty to a garment, such as a lightly lined garment. The garment when worn covers at least one or more reproductive regions of a female wearer. The garment can comprise a thin, drapeable and stretchable exterior fabric that forms an exterior portion of the garment. In some embodiments, the garment can comprise a disc concealer having a thickness that is the same or less than a thickness of the thin exterior fabric that forms the exterior portion of the garment. In some embodiments, the garment can comprise a disc concealer having a thickness that is about at most double the thickness of the thin exterior fabric that forms the exterior portion of the garment. The disc concealer can be secured to an interior portion of the thin exterior fabric at a position where a reproductive region of the female wearer is intended to reside within the garment to add a thin pliable extra layer to further conceal the reproductive region of the male or female wearer and is not secured to a structural seam that holds the sections of the garment together. In some embodiments of female garments that have bra fronts therein, the garment can have a first liner comprising a thin fabric that is secured to an interior portion of the thin exterior fabric that forms the exterior cup portion, or bra front, on a frontal portion of the garment and the disc concealer can be secured to an interior portion of the first liner at a distance from the structural seams. The garment can be underpants, bras, shirt or dresses that directly contact the body of the wearer, biking shorts, yoga pants, workout pants, one-piece swimsuit, the tops and bottoms of two-piece swimsuits. For example, with bras or swim suit tops, the idea is to add an additional layer of fabric just over the center of the bra fronts that do not extend to the seams that hold the sections of the garment together as a modesty layer for the purpose of modesty just over the nipple area of the swimwear or intimates bra, but without adding bulk, for example, in the neckline or armhole seam, such as a third layer of lining, a bra pad, etc. The purpose is to keep the swim bra natural looking on the outside by removing extra padding or thickness that adds bulk and waste fabrics. The disc concealer adds an extra modesty layer only where it's needed. While these disc concealers can be used in other garments and areas of men and women garments, further explanation is provided herein with reference mainly to garment tops.
Referring to
Referring to
Unlike other linings or liners, the disc concealers 20 are not attached at the structural seams 13, 19 of the garment 10, but are secured to a liner or the exterior fabric 12 separate and apart from the structural seams of the garment. For example, at some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be a distance DC of about two and half (2½) inches or less away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be a distance DC of about two (2) inches or less away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be a distance DC of about one and a half (1½) inches or less away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be a distance DC of about one (1) inch or less away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be a distance DC of about 0.5 (½) or less inches away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be a distance DC of about 0.25 (¼) or less inches away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be a distance DC of about 0.125 (⅛) or less inches away from the nearest structural seam.
The disc concealers 20 can be secured within the bra front 14 and/or to the exterior fabric 12 in different manners. The disc concealer 20 can be secured by an adhesive or adhesive material. As used herein, the terms “adhesive” and “adhesive material” are used interchangeable. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the exterior fabric 12 of the garment 10 can comprise a stretchable knitted fabric having a weight of about 7 oz/yard2 or less. In some embodiments, the exterior fabric 12 of the garment 10 can comprise a fabric that weight about 10 oz./yd.2 or less. In some embodiments, the exterior fabric 12 of the garment 10 can comprise a fabric that weight about 5.5 oz./yd.2 or less. In some embodiments, the exterior fabric 12 of the garment 10 can comprise a fabric that weight about 4.5 oz./yd.2 or less.
The disc concealers 20 can be any type of fabric and/or other wearable material, such as a wearable film material, or combination thereof that can have the same or similar stretch and drapability as the exterior fabric 12 in order to function in a way that makes it look as minimal or “bare” as possible, while still adding that extra layer at specific portions of the garment to provide modesty. For example, the fabric of the disc concealers 20 can be a stretchable nonwoven or knit fabric. In some embodiments, the disc concealers 20 can comprises a stretchable knitted fabric having a weight of about 5.5 oz/yard2 or less. In some embodiments, the disc concealers 20 can comprise knitted fabrics having yarns comprising polyester, nylon, elastane, wool, silk, cotton, rayon, bamboo, or combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the disc concealers 20 can comprise a knitted fabric comprising nylon and elastane.
The disc concealers 20 can also have different images thereon that are visible when viewing the interior portion 14A of the garment that faces the body of the wearer but is not visible from the exterior 14B. For example, images of flowers, stars, leaves, the moon, or the like, can be printed on the side of the disc concealer 20 facing outward when secured to the interior 14A of the garment 10. For example, an image of a leaf can be printed on the leaf-shaped disc concealer 20.
Referring to
The garment 10 can be a lightly lined garment that can further comprise first liners 30 comprising a thin, sheer fabric. For example, in some embodiments, the first liner 30 can comprise a fabric that weight about 10 oz./yd.2 or less. In some embodiments, the first liner 30 can comprise a fabric that weight about 7 oz./yd.2 or less. In some embodiments, the first liner 30 can comprise a fabric that weight about 5.5 oz./yd.2 or less. In some embodiments, the first liner 30 can comprise a fabric that weight about 4.5 oz./yd.2 or less.
The first liners 30 can be secured to an interior portion of the exterior fabric 12 that forms the exterior 14B to form an interior 14A of the bra fronts 14 on a frontal portion of the garment 10. The garment 10 can comprise disc concealers 20 secured to an interior portion of the first liners 30 at a position where the female wearer's breast is intended to reside to add a thin sheer extra layer around the interior area of the bra fronts 14 where a nipple of the breast is intended to reside. As above, in some embodiments, the disc concealers 20 can have a thickness that is the same or less than a thickness of the exterior fabric 12 that forms the exterior 14B of the cups 14 of the garment 10. In some embodiments, the thickness of the disc concealer can be about twice the thickness of the exterior fabric 12.
To provide a sheer-fitting, the thin, sheer exterior fabric 12 can be drapeable and can comprise a stretchable knitted fabric having a weight of about 7 oz/yard2 or less. The disc concealers 20 can be any type of fabric or other fine material, including but not limited to, film material or laminates comprising one or more layers of fabrics and/or film. The disc concealers 20 can have the same or similar stretch and drapability as the exterior fabric 12 in order to function in a way that makes it look as minimal or “bare” as possible, while still adding that extra layer at specific portions of the garment. For example, the fabric of the fabric disc concealers 20 can be a stretchable nonwoven or knit fabric. If a woven fabric can provide the same or similar stretch and drapability as the exterior fabric 12, then such a woven fabric can be used to make the disc concealers 20. In some embodiments, the disc concealers 20 can comprise a stretchable knitted fabric having a weight of about 5.5 oz/yard2 or less. For example, the fabric disc concealers 20 comprises a nylon elastane knit fabric.
Unlike other linings or liners, the fabric disc concealers 20 are not attached at the structural seams 13, 19 of the garment 10 that hold the section of the overall garment together, but are secured to a liner or the exterior fabric 12 separate and apart from those structural seams 13, 19 of the garment 10 as above. By having disc concealers 20 that do not extend to the structural seams of the garment 10, waste can also be minimized while still providing modesty coverage for the wearer. For example, in the embodiments, the disc concealer 20 can be secured to a liner by an adhesive material. In some embodiments, the disc concealers 20 can be secured to the first liner 30 with garment tape around an edge of the discs 20 through a heat-sealing process. The tape is applied with a dual side adhesive, so the disc concealers 20 can be applied directly to the liner 30. The disc concealers 20 can be attached to the inside of the liner 30, making the disc an interliner (not shown), sandwiched between the first liner 30 and the exterior fabric 12 that forms the face of the garment, making the disc invisible to the wearer. Alternatively, the disc concealers 20 can be bonded to the exterior of the liner 30 that forms an interior portion 14B of the bra fronts 14 of the garment 10, facing towards the wearer's skin in a visible way. In some embodiments, as shown in
Referring to
The exterior fabric 52 can be drapeable and can comprise a stretchable knitted fabric having a weight of about 7 oz/yard2 or less. The disc concealers 60, 60A can be any shape or size as those shown in
The disc concealers 60 are not attached at the structural seams 56 of the garment bottom 50 but are secured to the liner 54 or the thin, sheer exterior fabric 62 separate and apart from the structural seams 56 of the garment bottom 50. For example, at some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 60 can be a distance DC of about 0.03125 ( 1/32) or more inches away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 60 can be a distance DC of about 0.125 (⅛) or less inches away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 60 can be a distance DC of about 0.25 (¼) or less inches away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 60 can be a distance DC of about 0.5 (½) or less inches away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 60 can be a distance DC of about one (1) inch or less away from the nearest structural seam. At some locations in some garment embodiments, the disc concealer 60 can be a distance DC of about two (2) inches or less away from the nearest structural seam.
The disc concealers 60 can be secured indifferent ways. For example, disc concealers 60 can be secured by adhesive, or adhesive material. In some embodiments, the disc concealers 60, 60A can be secured to the interior portion of the liner 54 with garment tape around an edge of the disc concealers 60, 60A through a heat-sealing process as discussed above. The tape can be applied with a dual side adhesive, so the disc concealers 60, 60A can be applied directly to the liner 54. The disc concealers 60, 60A can be attached through a heat-sealing process to the inside of the liner 54, making the disc concealers an interliner, sandwiched between the first liner 54 and the thin, sheer exterior fabric 52 that forms the face of the garment bottom 50, making the disc invisible to the wearer. Alternatively, the disc concealers 60, 60A can be secured by stitching to the inside of the liner 30, making the disc concealers 60, 60A interliners, sandwiched between the liner 54 and the exterior fabric 52 that forms the face of the garment bottom 50.
The intention of the disc concealers 20, 40, 42, 44, 60, 60A are to have the same or similar properties as the outer fabric, including stretch and drapability, so the wearer intimate areas look as natural as possible in her swimwear or intimate undergarments. It eliminates the need for a bulky foam pad, yet offers modesty to the clientele who prefer it.
Referring to
The disc concealers 100 are not attached at structural seams 94, 96, 98 of the garment 90 but are secured to the exterior fabric 92 separate and apart from the structural seams 94, 96, 98 of the t-shirt 90. Depending on the size of the t-shirt 90 and the size of the concealers 100, the distances DC1, DC2 between the edges of the concealers 100 to the closest structural seams 94, 96, 98 can vary as described above. Other garments such as dresses like sundresses can employer disc concealers in similar fashions as to t-shirt 90.
These and other modifications and variations to the present subject matter may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter, which is more particularly set forth herein above. In addition, it should be understood the aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the present subject matter.
The presently disclosed subject matter claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/796,797, filed Jan. 25, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62796797 | Jan 2019 | US |
