Patent ID: 8556677

Claim:
A comfortable brassiere having side panels that flex independently to conform to a wearer's movements, the brassiere comprising: a front including a pair of cups, each cup being configured and dimensioned to hold substantially one breast of a wearer, having wire supports sewn into the lower portion of each cup; and a front-connecting portion, connecting the cups to each other at said front; a pair of side panels, each side panel having two end edges, a top edge that is attached to a cup and the lower portion of the front-connecting portion, and a bottom edge that is attached to one part of a two-part fastening mechanism for securing the brassiere at the back of the wearer; wherein a free-floating stretch-elastic band runs continuously from one bottom edge of one side panel to the bottom edge of the other side panel, along a bottom longitudinal edge of each side panel, and is sewn into the lower edge of the front-connecting portion, a pair of fixed stretch-elastic bands are sewn into top longitudinal edges of the pair of side panels, and a third stretch-elastic band is sewn into the upper edge of the front-connecting portion; and wherein shoulder straps have one end that is secured to the respective cup are secured to the cups and an opposite end secured to the respective side panel.