US1955306A

US1955306A - Foundation garment

Info

Publication number: US1955306A
Application number: US619295A
Authority: US
Inventors: Malmstead Lilyan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-06-25
Filing date: 1932-06-25
Publication date: 1934-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1951-04-17
Also published as: GB418021A; FR757143A

Description

April 17, 1934.

, L. MALMSTEAD FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed June 25, 1932 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 -"FTH'UNITED STATES PATENT OF FOUNDATION GARMENT Lilyan Malmstead, Worcester, Mass.

Application June 25, 1932, Serial No. 619,295

10 Claims.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a foundation garment having means whereby, instead of allowing the diaphragm full play sideways, as is usual, this will be eliminated and in place thereof the diaphragm will be free to move vertically, thus taking off the shoulders of the wearer the present tendency of garments of this kind to pull down in front on the'shoulders and giving the wearer full opportunity to straighten up and assume a proper posture; to provide means in cooperation therewith, located at the back of the garment, for producing a downward pull on the body of the wearer at the lower part of the back of the foundation garment, also tending to straighten the wearer and draw in the buttocks; to provide a method of holding the top of the garment by means of shoulder straps having elasticity and a simple means of adjustability to bring the garment'to the proper height over the breasts, and to provide a garment in which these several features may all be combined or in which the first two mentioned features can be employed together without the third feature.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a foundation garment constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side view, and

Fig. 4 is a rear view showing the preferred supporting means.

This invention relates to that type of garment known as a foundation garment or corset. As heretofore made, the front and back of the garment have been rigid vertically as far as allowing any freedom of motion of thewearer in that direction. Usually they have been. made of a material that stretches laterally but not vertically allowing the diaphragm to spread sideways and preventing the straightening of the body or at.

least restricting the same. Another difliculty with the garments of this kind on the market is that the shoulder straps are non-elastic and further restrict thewearer and. prevent adjustment after the garment is made except by ripping out the stitches and putting. them in a different place.

Thisgarment is designed to provide freedom on the part of the wearer to stand up straight and avoid a rigid resistance to the assumption of an erect posture. The garment also is provided with means bywhich the wearer is left free to; stand up straight and means for taking off the" shoulup and down from the center to form two points ders some 'of the strain that has been necessary with previous garments. It also provides means for drawing in the body at the back and bottom of the garment, thus further assisting the wearer in standing in an erect position.

Referring to the drawing, the garment is made in the form of a single garment, including a girdle or corset 10'constituting the lower part and a brassiere or uplift 11 constituting the upper part and means for holding the combination in correct position and in particular to keep the brassire or uplift in the position desired. The lower portion 10 is formed of any convenient material such as is used for this purpose but this material is not elastic vertically although it may be laterally. It is,connected with the brassiere 11 by one or more seams at about the waist line. The garment opens along oneside and hooks or other fastening devices are used.

In the middle of the front of the garment in a position to cover the diaphragm and thereby form a diaphragm support is a piece 12 of elastic fabric which will stretch vertically but not horizontally. This elastic cloth covers the entire area of the front of the diaphragm to allow the so front part of the body the natural stretch intended by nature. It is wide at or near the center and the widest part is put at the waist line or a little above. In the form shown, it extends 13 and 14. The most convenient form for this piece of elastic cloth is diamond shape as shown, but any other shape can be employed involving the same principles. This piece of elastic cloth 12 is set into the garment so to speak and sewed to it by seams along its edges, these seams connecting it with the lower part 10 and the brassiere 11 of the garment.

It will be seen that it extends from the top point of the uplift or brassiere and spreads down to the right and to the left following the natural inside line of the breasts to the waist line or a point adjacent thereto. The lower point 14 of course is formed by the gradual narrowing of the material from a point at or near the level of the waist line and extends three or four inches below the waist line. This piece of cloth, put in that way, gives flexibility and control and at the same time allows correct and free breathing. At the bottom of the lower section 10 is shown a V-shaped piece of ordinary elastic 15. There are two garters 16, one on each side of the garment in front.

The rear of the garment, as shown in Fig. 2,

constitutes a continuation of the parts thus described including both the lower section 10 and the brassiere 11. The material down for approximately two thirds of the back is made of any usual cloth or material that is not elastic vertically. A substantially rectangular insert 18 at the bottom of the back is formed in approximately rectangular form of the same kind of cloth as the insert 12. That is, it is, elastic vertically but not circumferentially. These two pieces of vertically

elastic material

12 and 18 cooperate with each other. The cloth 18 pulls the hips down at the back and. is provided with four garters 19, there being preferably a distance of about 2 inches between the right hand pair and the left hand pair and about one inch between the garters of each pair. By having these four garters so nearly connected together they can be attached to the hose in the usual way so as to exert a pull downwardly on this vertically stretching fabric 18 all the way across it.

It will be seen therefore that this stress is employed to pull in or forward the back part of the body at the lower end of the entire garment, thus assisting the elastic fabric 12 in helping the wearer to assume a correct erect position. It is obvious that the obtrusion of the back of the body prevents the shoulders from being held straight and it is further obvious that the freedom afforded by the insert 12 will enable the wearer to stand as nature intended.

I have not heretofore described in detail how the garment is supported. A pair of loops 20 of non-elastic fabric are secured to the brassiere at the front by two strands or ends on opposite sides of each breast and extend upwardly from these points where they form a loop 21 at the top over each breast. These loops which are anchored at or near the bottom of the brassiere do not press on the breasts, but their lower ends, where they are secured to the top of the lining piece 23, are near enough together to draw this lining piece of the brassiere up over'the breasts. This constitutes the uplift. The loops 20 are not secured to thebrassiere at the top but pass freely under cross straps 25 at the top. They provide a means by which a pair of elastic straps 22 can be adiustably connected with them above the straps 25 so that the suspension is not only elastic but readily adjustable. This is accomplished by securing the elastic straps 22 to the top of the garment at the back. The front of the elastic strap is doubled upon itself and held by an ordinary metallic grip 24. In this way it will be seen that the shoulder straps are both elastic and adjustable. These shoulder straps holdthe combination in correct position and the non-elastic straps 20 connected as they are with the brassiere near the bottom hold that in the correct position.

This constitutes a garment relieved from the bulk that is common in many of the garments of this general nature, provided with an improved method of supporting it-at the shoulders which acts to support the garment with elasticity, thus adding to the comfort. It also supports the brassiere part of the garment from below and keeps the breasts up in proper position. It provides freedom for the wearer to throw her shoulders back and maintain a proper posture and also assists in throwing the back part of the body in, thus assisting the attainment of the correct posture. It has a very different effect from the ordinary garment which stretches laterally and permits the diaphragm to stretch circumferentially which is detrimentalto the wearer because the body tends undesirably to expand sideways. It also does'away with the fact that the ordinary shoulder supports have t6 be sewed on in new places in order to get any adjustability. Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention I am aware of the fact this respect otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. As an article of manufacture, a foundation garment or the like having near the center of the front thereof a diamond shaped piece of material elastic vertically and non-elastic horizontally, the upper part of the diamond extending to a point between the breasts of the wearer, the side points being located near the waist line and the lower point extending a distance below the waist line proportionate to the distance which the upper point extends above the waist line.

2. As an article of manufacture, a foundation garment or the like having a piece of vertically but not horizontally elastic material, the center of which is located above the waist line in front and having narrower ends extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom, said piece of elastic material being entirely surrounded by material that is not elastic vertically.

3. In a foundation garment or the like, the combination with material surrounding the body but not vertically elastic, of a piece of vertically but not horizontally elastic material surrounded by said non-elastic material, located at the front of the garment and covering the diaphragm, a piece of material at the lower rear end of the garment that is also vertically but not horizontally elastic for cooperation with each other to hold the body in correct position, and non-elastic material connected "with said lower rear elastic material and extending upwardly to the first named nonelastic material at the rear of the top of the garment to transmit strain from one piece of elastic material to the other.

4. As an article of manufacture, a foundation garment or the like having a vertically but not horizontally elastic piece extending upwardly and downwardly from about the level of the waistline, in front, for the purpose of holding the diaphragm in and relieving the strain of the garment on the shoulders of the wearer, shoulder straps connected with the top of the garment at the front and back, a piece of vertically but not horizontally elastic material at the lower end of the rear of the garment provided with four garters at the rear for the purpose of exerting a forward pressure on the rear of the body, whereby the two elastic pieces cooperate to hold the body in an upright position, non-elastic material extending upwardly from the .lower elastic material to the upper elastic material to transmit strains from one to the other, and two garters at the front of the garment.

5. In a foundation garment orthe like, the combination of a main part made up mainly of material which is not elastic vertically to surround the body of the wearer, a brassiere part secured to it above, a piece of vertically but not horizontally elastic material located in the front, entirely surrounded by non-elastic material, covering the diaphragm and extending up to a position between the breasts, a substantially rectangular piece of vertically but not laterally elastic material at the extreme bottom of the rear of the garment, surrounded, except at the bottom, by said non-elastic material, elastic adjustable shoulder straps, and straps of extending from the bottom of the brassire at the sides of the breasts and forming loops to form a connection with the first named shoulder straps.

6. In a garment or the like, the combination of a brassiere part, a piece of vertically but not piece in the back at the bottom, and fabric not elastic vertically, extending from top to bottom both front and back and connecting the two elastic pieces.

8. A garment comprising an uplift provided with a piece of vertically, but not horizontally, elastic material in the center of the front, wide at the waistline and narrow at the top, said narrow top extending up to a point between the breasts of the wearer.

9. A garment comprising an uplift consisting of two pouches for supporting the breasts and a vertically, but not horizontally, elastic member between them and connecting them at the top.

10. A garment comprising an uplift, said garment being provided with a vertically, but not horizontally, elastic diaphragm support in the front below said uplift and extending laterally in both directions from a point under the center of the uplift.

LILYAN MALMSTEAD.