Abstract:
A ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment is provided for concealing or covering a wearer&#39;s arms without adding undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer. The garment comprises a conventional brassiere with sleeves attached thereto. A principle object of this invention is to provide a ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment that will conceal any flabbiness, wrinkles, or age spots that may exists on the arm of the wearer without adding undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to ladies&#39; sleeved undergarments, and more particularly to such an undergarment wherein the sleeves are capable of covering a wearers&#39; arm without adding undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is natural for skin flabbiness and wrinkles to develop in the upper arms and forearms of a person due to muscle aging and excess weight. As a result, many people feel that their arms are heavy or unattractive, especially when wearing sleeveless apparel. At the present time, the primary option available to conceal one&#39;s arms when wearing sleeveless apparel is to wear a bulky sleeved undershirt beneath the sleeveless garment. However, many sleeveless garments on the market, such as tank-tops and form fitting dresses, are not designed to be worn such undershirts. 
     The present invention is able to conceal or cover a wearer&#39;s arms by use of a novel sleeved undergarment wherein the sleeves serve to cover the wearer&#39;s arms without adding undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer. In addition to improving the physical appearance of the wearer, the unique garment allows for increased versatility to one&#39;s wardrobe. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment is provided for concealing a wearer&#39;s arms without adding undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer. The undergarment comprises a conventional brassiere with sleeves attached thereto. The undergarment can further include a jersey covering over the brassiere, and the sleeves can include an elasticized portion along the under-arm of the intended wearer to further prevent undue bulkiness. 
     A principle object of the present invention is to provide a ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment that will conceal any flabbiness, wrinkles, or age spots that may exists on the arm of the wearer without adding undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment that provides the support of a brassiere while covering the wearer&#39;s arms without adding undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer to thereby add versatility to wearer&#39;s wardrobe. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate front and back views of a ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate front and back views of another embodiment of the present invention including a jersey covering. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate front and back views of yet another embodiment of the present invention including tight fit under-arm regions. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1-2 thereof, a novel sleeved ladies&#39; undergarment  10  is provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The undergarment  10  generally comprises a traditional brassiere  10   a  with sleeves  11  and  11 ′ attached thereto. The sleeves  11  and  11 ′ can be long (not shown) or short, and can be shaped in any manner to achieve the desired coverage and appearance. For instance, the sleeves can be fitted around the wearer&#39;s arms for a sleek look (see FIGS.  1  and  2 ), or they can be loose and contoured or flared for a more formal look (see FIGS.  3  and  4 ). 
     The traditional brassiere  10   a  includes two breast-shaped cups  12  and  12 ′, which are preferably substantially identical. Cups  12  and  12 ′ attach to shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′ along top attachment portions  14  and  14 ′, and attach to a lower midriff edge  27   a  of a portion of back support  27  (shown in FIG. 2) along lower attachment portions  15  and  15 ′. Shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′ preferably include anterior edges  16  and  16 ′ encircling the shoulder of the wearer which terminate in sleeves  11  and  11 ′. The sleeves can be permanently attached to the shoulder supports, or alternatively can be removable. 
     Cups  12  and  12 ′ can be formed from any suitable material known in the art including, but not limited to, lycra, spandex, cotton, or a combination thereof. Of course, other stretchable, or non-stretchable, fabrics can be employed. Cups  12  and  12 ′ can further include underwires or any other conventional support features (not shown). Shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′ and back support  27  can be formed from any materials known in the art and can be adjustable or unitary, as is known in the art. 
     In FIG. 2, the ladies&#39; undergarment  10  depicted in FIG. 1 is shown in a rear view. Brassiere  10   a  includes the back portions of shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′ which terminate in sleeves  11  and  11 ′ along anterior edges  16  and  16 ′ and connect at their lower attachment portions  17  and  17 ′ to a back strap  27  in a generally conventional manner. Back strap  27  encircles the wearer&#39;s mid-torso region and fastens in a conventional manner using, for instance, hook-and-eye fasteners. Alternatively, back strap  27  and shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′ could be configured as a unitary construction similar to conventional sports-bras (not shown). 
     With reference to FIG. 3, an undergarment  10  similar to that depicted in FIG. 1 is shown. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the sleeves  11  and  11 ′ are loose and contoured for a more formal look. Further, brassiere  10   a  includes a jersey covering  20  which is attached to lower midriff edge  27   a  of back strap  27 , and extends from lower midriff edge  27   a  to neckline  28  along the outer surface of brassiere  10   a . The lateral edges  21  and  21 ′ of jersey covering  20  extend to the anterior edges  16  and  16 ′ of shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′ and attach to sleeves  11  and  11 ′ at anterior edges  16  and  16 ′. Alternatively, jersey covering  20  can attach directly to shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′, which in turn can attach to sleeves  11  and  11 ′. 
     Jersey covering  20  can be formed from any material known in the art depending on the aesthetic qualities desired. For instance, cotton can be used for a more casual look, or sheer materials can be used for a more formal look. The jersey covering  20  can be formed from the same material as sleeves  11  and  11 ′, or can be a different material if so desired. Neckline  28  can be shaped in any fashion known in the art, but preferably is square (shown in FIG.  3 ), crew, scoop, flat (shown in FIG.  5 ), or “v-neck” in shape. 
     The back portion of jersey covering  20  can likewise be configured in a variety of ways, depending on the aesthetic qualities desired. For instance, the back portion of jersey covering  20  can vary in the extent of coverage and the back-neckline  28 ′ shape. More particularly, the back portion of jersey covering  20  can extend from back strap  27  to just below the neck line of the wearer (as shown in FIG.  4 ), or can only extend from back strap  27  to a mid-region of the wearer&#39;s back (as shown in FIG.  6 ). Further, the back-neckline  28 ′ can be shaped in any conventional manner, including square, crew (shown in FIG.  4 ), scoop (shown in FIG.  6 ), square, or “v-neck” in shape. Any combination of neckline or jersey covering configuration is possible and within the scope of the present invention. 
     Again, the lateral edges  21  and  21 ′ of the back portion ofjersey covering  20  extend to the anterior edges  16  and  16 ′ of shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′ and attach to sleeves  11  and  11 ′ at anterior edges  16  and  16 ′. Alternatively, jersey covering  20  can attach directly to shoulder supports  13  and  13 ′, which in turn can attach to sleeves  11  and  11 ′. The back portion of jersey  20  can fasten together using any type of conventional faster  22 , including, but not limited to, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-eye fasteners, snaps, or buttons. 
     As discussed above, the ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment according to the present invention allows for the cover or concealment of a wearer&#39;s arms without the addition of undue bulkiness about the torso of the wearer. The term “undue bulkiness” is intended to mean bulkiness which significantly inhibits the free movement of the wearer, or significantly detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the wearer, as readily understood by one of skill in the art. This is accomplished by providing a conventional brassiere with sleeves attached thereto. In order for a wearer to conceal one&#39;s arms, the wearer need only wear the ladies&#39; sleeved undergarment of the present invention rather than a brassiere in conjunction with an bulky undershirt, as previously known. 
     Undue bulkiness is also prevented by virtue of the cropped form of the sleeved undergarment of the present invention. For example, the sleeved undergarment does not extend below the lower midriff edge of the back strap of the brassiere, thereby eliminating any bulk about the lower portion of the torso of the wearer. 
     In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, bulkiness can be further prevented by providing sleeves  11  and  11 ′ with portions of tight fitting material  11   a  and  11   a ′ along the under-arm region between the front and back anterior edges  16  and  16 ′ of shoulder straps  13  and  13 ′, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this preferred embodiment, bulkiness is reduced by providing for a snug fit along the under-arm region of the wearer to thereby result in a smoother look when worn. The material used in this tight fitting area can be any elasticized or stretchable material known in the art, but preferably is the same material used in forming the cups of the brassiere. 
     While the present invention has primarily been described with reference to concealing the arm&#39;s of the wearer, it should be understood that the garment can be worn in any situation where the wearer desires to expand the versatility of their sleeveless apparel. For instance, wearer&#39;s of all ages could use the sleeved garment of the present invention in situations where sleeveless apparel might otherwise be inappropriate or undesirable, such as cooler weather. As such, the sleeved garment of the present invention can be used under any circumstances where the wearer desires to obtain the support of a brassiere and cover their arms, all without undue bulkiness about their torso. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been described and shown, the invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular construction, arrangement, or specific embodiment disclosed herein, or any specific method or operation or use, since the same may be modified in various particulars, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention herein shown, the scope of which is set forth in the claims.