Clothing article including a built-in bra

A clothing article such as a leotard has a built-in bra that is connected with the article only along an upper edge. The bra is thus free-floating and provides improved fit, comfort, support and appearance to the wearer, particularly during dance movements. The leotard has an open and low rear neckline and may include one or more decorative strap treatments. The bra includes front and rear wall portions which are connected with the leotard. An adjustable fastener is arranged between the front and rear wall portions of the bra which are free of the leotard so that the wearer can adjust the bra for proper fit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to female garments and especially female dancewear having a built-in semi-attached bra to provide improved fit, support, comfort and appearance to the wearer. The garments have a variety of open back and/or low rear neckline designs and a variety of strap configurations as desired by dancers.

Conventional dancewear such as leotards and other types of bodywear are formed of stretch synthetic material that provides little or no support for the breasts of a female wearer. Thus, the wearer often wears a separate bra. While a separate bra provides adequate support, it often results in bunching of the outer garment during dance movement because the bra is not adjustable for proper fit. In addition, the straps or other portions of a separate bra are visible through the outer garment, especially during dance movement. This diminishes the appearance of the dancer and also provides discomfort to the wearer.

Clothing garments having built-in bras are known in the patented prior art as evidenced by the US patents to Monroe U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,460 and Reichert et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,805. In the known prior art, the bra is connected with the outer garment continuously around the edge of the bra. While these prior devices operate satisfactorily, they are not particularly suited for dancers because they restrict the movement of the dancer and diminish the look of the dancer while performing. Moreover, they do not lend themselves to have open back or low rear neckline designs or different strap configurations.

The present invention was developed in order to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior art by providing a dancewear article having a built-in floating bra which functions like a traditional bra but without the drawbacks of a separate bra. More particularly, the invention incorporates an open back or low rear neckline and a variety of strap configurations. This facilitates an open back which is a feature highly desired by dancers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a clothing article for females which includes an article of bodywear such as a leotard, top, dress, or unitard and a support structure such as a bra connected with the bodywear article. The bodywear article has a low rear neckline which defines an open back configuration which is preferred by many dancers. The support structure is connected with the bodywear article along an upper edge so that the structure supports the wearer's breasts in a free-floating fashion. More particularly, the bra has front and rear wall portions that are partially joined at the side with stitching and a fastener assembly. Preferably, only the upper edges of the front and rear wall portions of the bra are connected with the bodywear article. According to a preferred embodiment, the bra is connected with the bodywear article by stitching into the neckline and underarm seams of the bodywear article. The lower edge of the bra is not connected with the bodywear article.

Fasteners are connected between the front and rear walls of the bra to adjust the bra to fit the wearer. The fasteners and adjacent portions of the rear wall portions are not connected with the bodywear article so that bunching of the article and an improper fit of the bra on the user are prevented. Thus, the floating bra adjusts to the user to allow freedom of dance movement while maintaining a proper fit of the bra.

The bra includes support cups, typically made of molded foam material, which are stitched to the front wall portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiment of the invention will first be described with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2. As shown therein, an article of bodywear such as a leotard2is provided. The leotard has a stitched neckline seam4and stitched underarm seams6as is known in the art. The leotard further includes vertical straps8which are arranged to pass over the shoulders of the wearer and openings10in the bottom portion for the legs of the wearer.

A bra12is connected with the upper portion of the leotard. As shown more particularly inFIGS. 3 and 4, the bra includes a front wall portion12aand rear wall portions12b. The rear wall portions have one side edge12cconnected with opposite side edges of the front wall via adjustable fasteners14as will be developed in greater detail below. The other rear wall side edge12dterminates in an open back area of the leotard as will be developed below.

The front wall portion12aof the bra contains a pair of bra cups16which are preferably formed of molded foam material as is known in the art. The cups are encased in a knit fabric material which provides a limited amount of flex or give for sizing and comfort. The bra front and rear wall portions are formed of a stretch material of synthetic or natural fibers or a blend thereof to afford the wearer a full range of movement since dancers use muscular structure behind the breasts for movement. As the dancer moves, the breasts move with the dancer because the bra is fully adjustable and made of stretch material. The bra is supportive, but the breasts are still allowed to move in the direction of the muscle and not held stationary with the torso as is the case with separate bras. Bra cups of different sizes, widths and shapes may be provided to accommodate wearers of different sizes.

Referring once again toFIG. 2, the leotard is provided with a low rear neckline18defining an open back configuration which is desirable for many dancers. If desired, straps20extend from the underarm seam across the open back of the leotard and are connected with a seam of the neckline. Many other configurations are also possible.

An important feature of the invention is the manner in which the bra12is connected with the leotard. Specifically, the upper edges of the bra front and rear wall portions are connected with the leotard by stitching22. In addition, the free edges of the bra rear wall portions are connected with the rear neckline, preferably by stitching22as well. The stitching used to connect the bra to the leotard could be a flat cover stitch, a binding or any type of joining construction along the neckline seam4, the underarm seams6, and a portion of the rear neckline18. The remaining portion of the bra is not connected with the leotard in any fashion so that it floats relative to the leotard.

Referring now toFIG. 5, the adjustable connection between the front12aand rear12bwall portions of the bra will be described. As noted above, the bra wall portions are formed of stretch material. The top portions of the adjacent edges are connected together by stitching to define a seam24. However the seam does not extend completely along the edges of the front and rear portions. Rather, a fastener14is provided to adjustably connect the bottom portions of the adjacent edges of the front and rear wall portions. The fastener shown in the drawing includes a hook portion14aconnected with the bottom of one of the wall portion edges. InFIG. 5, the hook portion is connected with the bottom portion of the edge of the front wall portion12a. A series of contiguous lateral loops14bare provided at the bottom of the other wall portion which inFIG. 5is the rear wall portion12b. Thus, similar fasteners are provided on both sides of the bra generally beneath the underarm seams6.FIG. 6shows the fastener system ofFIG. 5in an unhooked condition. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other types of fasteners such as VELCRO® type fasteners, snaps, buttons and the like can be used to connect the front and back walls.

With the fasteners14disconnected, the wearer inserts her legs through the openings10and pulls the leotard up over the hips. The wearer inserts the fastener hooks14ainto selected ones of the loops14b. Next the wearer pulls the leotard with bra up over the chest, places the straps over the shoulders, and checks the fit of the bra. If adjustment is necessary, the fasteners can be disconnected and the hook portions inserted into different loops. Once the bra is adjusted, it is not necessary to unhook the fasteners between changes unless further adjustment is needed. Since the fasteners are separate from the garment, bunching, gathering and wrinkling of the garment is prevented. The fasteners thus afford a proper fit of both the garment and the bra.

The vertical straps8are provided on the leotard solely for design features, styling, and proper fit because the straps are adjustable in length. No additional strapping for the bra is required as is the case with separate bras which are not connected with the article.

Because the bra is only connected with the leotard at its upper edge and along the end edges of the rear wall portions adjacent the rear neckline18, the appearance of the clothing article, both off the wearer such as when hanging on a display rack, and on the wearer such as during dance movement, is improved. When worn, the garment is unique when compared to garments of the prior art in that it offers a polished seamless look and shape, it provides support to the user, keeping the breasts in place while in motion, and provides a comfort level which enhances the esteem and confidence of the wearer.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described as a leotard with a built-in bra, other types of active wear or sports wear including tops, dresses and unitards may also be used as the outer garment and provided with a built-in floating bra connected only along its upper surface with the garment.

While the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent from those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modification may be made without deviating from the inventive concepts set forth above.