Patent Application
20210274858
There is a very limited history on nursing clothing. Nursing-specific wear is still relatively new to the market but is the next big step for women's fashion. The World Health Organization now recommends that all mothers breastfeed their children until age two, and more and more women in the United States are breastfeeding exclusively. In 2013 the percentage of mothers in the United States who breastfed their babies was 81%. Fashion has not truly caught up to what nursing mothers need and want. Every nursing item currently on the market either is combination maternity and nursing or has a typical nursing clothing appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,469,769 discloses a nursing garment wherein a built-in bra is detachable by the use of nursing clips to connect a built-in bra to shoulder straps, wherein the built-in bra is detachable from either one of the shoulder straps in preparation for nursing. While this clip down access clip is functional, it cannot be used with fabric typical of most women's clothing and only allows for a thin strap. Use of a clip like this also makes it obvious that the garment is a nursing garment.
U.S. Pat. No. D851,865 features zipper opening under both arms. This may be functional for breastfeeding while not being obvious, it is not necessarily practical as closing a side zipper while holding an infant can be difficult.
U.S. Pat. No. D736,499 uses camouflaged flaps as an opening but it is not always practical for every item of clothing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,132 This shirt has the typical lift up access found in nursing wear.
U.S. Pat. No. D664,738 has the typical cross body/lift up access layered look that is typical on the market today, and what most women think of when they think of nursing clothing.
Modern women would like to wear the type of clothing that is in their pre-pregnancy closet while still being able to feed their child easily. This means a variety of styles including dresses, rompers, long sleeve blouses, swimwear and active wear with a discrete site of closure for opening the garment to breastfeed.
This nursing garment is designed in a way that others will not know that the mother is wearing clothing accessible for nursing. This has been done by using a magnetic closure on the strap of the garment. It can be utilized in a variety of ways by using different sizes and shaped magnets. The magnets can be placed either on the front of the garment, on the shoulder of the garment, or over the shoulder of the garment. The size, shape, and placement of the magnet can vary depending upon the style (for example-formal dress, tank top, maxi dress etc.) of the garment.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide a nursing garment that may take on any one of countless attractive styles and be embodied in any number of different types of wearing apparel without inhibiting the freedom of the woman to nurse as frequently as may be required.
The magnet is easy to camouflage because it is sewn into the inner layer of the garment allowing the garment to not look like the typical nursing garment. The magnetic closure allows the mother to drop a strap down on either side of her torso to easily to feed her child.
The magnetic closure allows the mother to nurse her child without pulling up or pulling down the entire front of the garment but by using a drop-down closure method.
It is another object of the invention to incorporate a functionality to the garment while still allowing the mother to wear fashion forward, aesthetically pleasing clothing.
The present invention relates to a nursing garment closure as shown in the maxi dress illustrated in
In some instances the magnetic closure is located at or over the shoulder, as shown in
