The present disclosure relates to shaping garments, specifically to shaping garments with upper leg slimming bands which reshape the inner and outer upper legs creating a slimmer appearance, while also lifting the buttocks.
Extra flesh in the upper legs can be difficult to lose through dieting and exercise due to genetics playing the primary role in the structure of this area of the body. Known body shaping garments smooth fat and cellulite by squeezing the body uniformly like a sock but do very little to alter the shape of the upper thighs, which is an area of concern for many people. This uniform squeezing of the legs can also result in bulges where the fabric ends at leg openings.
Some known garments may create the appearance of a more voluptuous buttocks. One known garment is stretchy shorts that encourage the buttocks to protrude through circular cut-outs to lift the bottom. Another known garment uses padding inserted into the backside for creating a larger and more round buttocks.
Lastly, some known garments for shaping the legs and bottom are designed to be worn beneath dresses and skirts, where inner thigh shape is not visible. These garments may squeeze the legs uniformly causing a bulge where the fabric ends at the leg openings.
Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to shaping garments including upper leg slimming bands that sculpt upper thighs and lift the bottom by shifting extra flesh from the inner and outer upper legs toward the backs of legs, and subsequently upward toward the buttocks. In some embodiments, this sculpting effect is achieved by integrating elastic slimming bands into the back leg area of body shaping undergarments, pantyhose, leggings, or other tight-fitting garments. The bands shift extra flesh on the inner and outer upper legs towards the back of the legs. A garment wearer may then manually adjust the garment so that extra flesh in the buttocks rests above the bands, creating the appearance of a more voluptuous bottom. Shaping garments disclosed herein are well suited for wearing with leggings and pants, where the shape of the user's inner thighs is visible. By moving the flesh deliberately and gently redistributing it, disclosed shaping garments do not produce visible bulges where the fabric ends.
The disclosed shaping garments not only improve the appearance of the buttocks, but also sculpt the appearance of the upper thighs without adding any additional bulk to the user's body in the form of padding. Embodiments described in this disclosure provide for a slimmer silhouette in the upper thighs, clear definition between the backs of the legs and the buttocks, and the appearance of a higher and more voluptuous buttocks.
Some embodiments incorporate specially positioned elastic bands in the back of the upper leg area of tight fitting shorts and pants, which may include a foundation undergarment bodysuit, a mid-thigh foundation undergarment, stretch leg tubes, pantyhose, footless pantyhose, and leggings.
In some embodiments, a piece of soft elastic is laid flat diagonally on the inside of the upper back leg of the garment. The elastic is sewn flat so that it rests just under the buttocks near the outer leg seam and extends around the back of the leg diagonally downward to the inner leg seam. In some embodiments, a second piece of soft elastic is positioned horizontally over the diagonal piece of elastic so that it rests just under the buttocks extending from the outer leg seam, to the inner leg seam, just below the crotch. In some embodiments, a compression fabric panel that follows the curve of the buttocks is used in place of the diagonal elastic or horizontal elastic.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide several advantages over known shaping garments. The disclosed shaping garments with upper leg slimming bands specifically target extra flesh in the upper legs, visibly sculpting the inner and outer thighs. Previously known shaping garments may compress the leg equally around its circumference which often results in a bulge where the fabric ends at the leg opening. According to some embodiments, a double layer of elastic also serves to redistribute extra flesh, so that there are no visible bulges at the borders of fabric and elastic. According to some embodiments, a horizontal layer of elastic, which is closest to the user's leg, shifts extra flesh from inner and outer thighs. A diagonal layer of elastic may provide a second layer of compression, which gently redistributes the flesh which has been shifted from the horizontal elastic band. This may prevent bulges from arising below elastic layers and the point where the fabric ends at leg openings.
Disclosed shaping garments with elastic slimming bands do not wrap all the way around the circumference of the legs. Due to this arrangement, extra flesh on the inner side of front femur bone is pushed backward due to the tension caused by the bands being anchored in the inner and outer leg seams. Flesh on the upper outer thighs is pushed backward from the tension of the elastic slimming bands. The front leg area of the garment is not under the tension of the slimming bands because they extend around the back of the legs only. This allows for a release of tension in the front leg, creating a smooth appearance in the front leg and more comfort for the user.
Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Embodiments disclosed herein provide for shaping garments with upper leg slimming bands. In some embodiments, upper leg slimming bands are constructed using two layers of elastic that are strategically assembled in a way that shifts extra flesh from inner and outer upper thighs backward and upward toward the buttocks, creating a slimmer silhouette in the upper legs and a higher and more defined buttocks.
The disclosed shaping garments specifically target slimming the upper leg area—a region which has not been adequately addressed by previously known shaping garments. These previously known shaping garments do not sufficiently reduce the appearance of extra flesh in the upper leg area, which may be more visible in pants and leggings. Other garments may squeeze the body in a uniform way which causes the extra flesh to release at leg openings, creating a bulge of flesh. Embodiments discussed in further detail below reduce bulging of flesh where the fabric ends at leg openings of garments. In these embodiments, strategically placed upper leg slimming bands shift flesh and redistribute it gradually so that there is decreased bulging in these areas.
The benefits provided by the disclosed shaping garments with upper leg slimming bands include visual slimming of the upper legs, the appearance of a higher buttocks, and better definition between buttocks and legs, creating an overall slimmer and more fit appearance. Shaping garments disclosed herein may be undergarments for wearing underneath clothing. Some embodiments may be especially well suited to wear under slim fitting clothing where the inner upper leg area is visible such as leggings, tight pants, and jeans.
The upper leg slimming bands are comprised of two layers of elastic, one that runs diagonally and one that runs horizontally around the back of the leg between inner and outer side seams. The horizontal elastic band 322 rests directly against the skin. The diagonal elastic band 320 engages the extra flesh which arises at the edges of the horizontal elastic band 322 and redistributes it so that there is no visible bulging at the borders of the elastic bands. In some embodiments, the order of the elastic bands may be reversed such that the diagonal elastic rests closest to the skin and the horizontal elastic is behind the diagonal elastic.
A shaping garment with upper leg slimming bands constructed using a gradual weave such as illustrated in
While illustrated in the context of one type of shaping garment in
The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/029,670, filed on Jul. 9, 2018 know issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,013,274), which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/533,116, filed on Jul. 16, 2017, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3431913 | Bugnon et al. | Mar 1969 | A |
3748870 | Fregeolle | Jul 1973 | A |
3877439 | Locascio | Apr 1975 | A |
4390999 | Lawson et al. | Jul 1983 | A |
5201074 | Dicker | Apr 1993 | A |
6430752 | Bay | Aug 2002 | B1 |
7143453 | Duran | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7260961 | Kennedy | Aug 2007 | B1 |
8214926 | Brown | Jul 2012 | B2 |
8533864 | Kostrzewski | Sep 2013 | B1 |
8647168 | Anvaripour | Feb 2014 | B2 |
9320306 | Freddi et al. | Apr 2016 | B2 |
9895569 | Yao | Feb 2018 | B2 |
D817600 | Brown | May 2018 | S |
20020007507 | Duran | Jan 2002 | A1 |
20070067892 | Oyama et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
20100130903 | Rock | May 2010 | A1 |
20110214216 | Zarabi | Sep 2011 | A1 |
20120156962 | Krawchuk | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20130316617 | Freddi et al. | Nov 2013 | A1 |
20140310854 | Kianmahd | Oct 2014 | A1 |
20170172219 | Liao et al. | Jun 2017 | A1 |
Entry |
---|
Freddy, “Freddy the art of movement,” (https://freddystore.com/), (Accessed Jul. 26, 2018). |
United States Office Action, U.S. Appl. No. 16/029,670, dated Oct. 1, 2020, 12 pages. |
United States Office Action, U.S. Appl. No. 16/029,670, dated Mar. 27, 2020, seven pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20210235774 A1 | Aug 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62533116 | Jul 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 16029670 | Jul 2018 | US |
Child | 17237915 | US |