US2366032A - Foundation garment - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 26, 1944. H, JASPER 2,366,032

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l N ENTOR Y 7 I HALLIE. EEETASFER. wfivw ATTORNEY/ Dec. 26, 1944. H. L. JASPER 2,366,032

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Feb. 5.- 1945 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 L gzva m ATTORNEY INVENTOR 1 HA Ln: LEE. LIAEPER.

Patented Dec. 26, 1944 UNITED STATES ,PATENT. OFFICE FOUNDATION GARMENT Hallie Lee Jasper, Bridgeport, 051111., assignor to The La Resista Corset Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application February 5, 1943, Serial No. 474,783

3 Claims.

The presentinvention relates to an improve- .ment in foundation garments, and particularly a garmentof the corselet type of relatively lightweight construction, and wherein a minimum area of elastic material is employed while obtaining the desired body mouldin characteristics of such garments. i

. An object of the invention is to so arrange the ensue material that the various tensions and strains setup in such garments through the normal postures assumed, asstanding, Sitting, bending, climbing, etc.,- .will be so. distributed that strain upon the .rear garters and the stockings which is..apt'.to produce runs in the latter will be reduced. and the tendency of the garment to' ride up when resuming a tandingposture'from a sitting' or. bending posture is reduced. This latter condition is. usually produced in a tube- Bike garment in Which the back panel is non-' expansible, or highly resistant to expansion, the lengtheningof the contours of the body below the waistline causin the body to tend to slide out of the lower portion of the garment, while the upper portions of the garment at and above the waistline tend to stay in place upon the body. Consequently, when assumingastanding posture from a bending or sitting posture, the friction between the garment and the. body causes the lower portion of the garment to ride up as the lengthened contours of the body shorten and the lower portion .of thebody attempts to slide backv into thegarment.

Various types of garments have been devised wherein the back panel is eXpans-ible, so that the portion below the waistline mayremain substantially"fixed on the body as the body ,contour lengthens. and shortens, being allowed to move vertically relative to they portions of the garmentv above and at the waistline. As the rear garters are of necessity at each side of the vertical center line of the back panel, th ejpull and strainlines upon the) garment when .assuiningjvarious postures are substantially in line with these rear garters, that is along each side of the back panel, the intermediatecentral portion of the back panel being less subjectto vertical strain. "However;': in previous garments of the ,expansible back type no provision has been made for this differential strain, but on the contrary, such garments'have included expansible means wherein the expansi bility, orthe elasticity, in ,caseof elastic inserts, has been entirely confined to or predominant in the intermediate central portion of the back panel, so that theside portions of the back'panel in line with the strain lines of the garters imposed greater resistance to expansion than the j intermediate central portion. Such garments do not compensate for the unequal strains upon the back panel, and consequently have'a tendency' 5' to twist, ride up, and exert excessive strain upon resistance to pullin strains, while the interme-.

diate central portion has less elasticity and greater resistance to,pulling strains. The shape of the verticallyelastic insert in its preferred form is characterized by relatively wide; end por tions and. a contracted central portion. This shape; in addition to its functional characteris- 0' tics related to the difierential strains upon the.

garment, requires a minimum area of elastic material, and also causes the garment to better conform to the body contours.

A further object is to provide a vertically elastic stretch side panels of the garment, the connection consisting of expansible stitching, whereby -1.. lengthening of the connection line is permitted through the horizontal stretch component of the side panels.

With. the above and'other objects in view, an'

embodiment ofthe" invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with ref erence thereto, and'the invention will be finally pointed'outin the claims.

In the drawings- [Fig 1 is a front plan view of a foundation garment, according to the invention, the same being shown flattened out, and the fastening means being shown partially open. is. 2 is a rear plan view, also shown flattened 'Fig. 3 isan enlarged diagrammatic view, showingcooperative portions of the vertical stretch insert, and one of the horizontal-stretch side panels, and sh 5o stretched position.

Fig.4 is a perspective view from the rear, showing thegarmentv as worn; the wearer being shown in a standingposture. 4

Fig. 5 is a. similar view, showing the left leg 55 of the wearer raised, as in a climbing posture.

insert-directly connected along relatively long substantially vertical lines to the horizontal-' owing in dot-and-dash lines a;

, lar horizontally elastic gusset insert II, and. provided at its upper end with brassiere portions l2-I2. The front panel III is preferably lined and provided with vertical stays 13-13. Its side edges are slightly curved in along the waist portion and curved out along the hip portion.

To the side edges of the front section there are secured forward side sections l4l4 of non-elastic fabric, extending between the upper and lower edges of the garment, their upper edges being inclined downwardly and rearwardly to conform to the usual upper edge design of such garments, wherein such pper edge extends from the brassire sections to the center of the back along downwardly and rearwardly .inclined lines. The forward side section 14, at one side, isstitched to the side edge of the front panel H) from the lower edge of the garment to a point substantially in lateral line with the upper end of the elastic gusset insert II, and from this point to the upper edge of the garment there are provided suitable fastening means, shown in the illustrated embodiment as a strip ofhook members. l5 secured to the edge of the front panel [0 and a strip of eye member I6 secured to the edge of the side section 14. Obviously, a zipper fastening, or other suitable fastening means may be employed.

To therearward edges of the forward side sections l4--l4 there are secured rearward side sections, .eachcomprising an upper non-elastic fabric portion I! which constitutes a part of an upper body encircling band extending rearwardly from the brassiere portion 12, the lower edges of these portions I! being inclined downwardly and rearwardly and being disposed in proximity to the waistline. The side sections below the portions IT each comprise a horizontally elastic panel IS, the upper edge of which is inclined downwardly and rearwardly to conform to the lower edge of the upper portion l1 and is secured thereto by stitching IS. The hem of the lower edge of the panel I8 is securedby suitable zig-zag stitching 2|] capable of expansion with the horizontal stretch of the panel.

To the rearward edges of the rearward side sections there is secured the back section of the garment, which comprises an upper'portion 2|, formed of non-elastic fabric material, and provided centrally with a horizontally elastic gusset insert 22, its upper edge being inclined in V-form from each side edge in continuation of the upper edges of the side sections of the garment. Its lower edge, which extends at each-end tothe ends of the inclined upper edges of the elastic side panels 18 are inclined downwardly towardthe center at a smaller angle than the angle of said inclined upper edges Of the side panels for the purpose of conforming to the vertically elastic expansion insert 23 of the back section of the garment The xpansion insert is especially shaped, according to the invention, to take the various strains and tensionsimposed upon the back section of the garment in a compensating manner directly related to differentials existing between these strains and tensions, and as will hereinaftermore fully appear. The insert is arranged approximately at the waistline, its upper edge 24 being of V-form and extending at its ends to the ends of the upper edges of the side panels l8, and its lower edge 25 being of concavely curved form. The back section below the insert 23 comprises a non-elastic fabric panel 26, convexly curved at its upper edge and secured to the lower edge of the insert, and its side edges being secured by stitching to the convexly curved rearward edges of the horizontally-elastic rearward side panels l8l8. The illustration in Fig. 2,

shows these panels 18 as lying flat, so that the "side edges of the panel 23 which are in fact convexly curved appear concave, the resulting fullness in :the back panel being shown close to each of the side panels.

Shoulder straps 21-41 are connected between the brassire sections 12 and the upper edge of the upper back section 2]. Frontgarters 28-48 are connected to the lower edge of the front panel I.0,.and rear garters 29-29 are connected to the lower edge of the rear panel 26 adjacent the seam between the back panel and the rearward side panels l8.

The vertically elastic insert 23 is relatively narrow at the center and increases in vertical width toward each of its side edges, and these side edges are secured to the side edges of the horizontally elastic side panels l8 by zig-zag stitching 30 capable of vertical expansion and contraction upon expansion and contraction of the insert. This action is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3, wherein the dot-and-dash linesshow the manner in which the horizontal stretch of the side panel permits alengthening of the line 3|] simultaneously with vertical stretch of the end portion of the insert 23. The insert is formed from suitable elastic material having one-way stretch, this material usually consisting of woven strands wherein the vertical strands havea rubber core rendering suchstrand elastic.

Itwill be seen that for a given extension of the lower edge of the elastic insert 23 wherein the central portion is relatively narrower than the end portions, that the relatively long elastic strands at the end portions will have more elasticity and less resistance to stretching than the relatively shorter elastic strands at the narrow a standing posture, the back panel 26 will tend to remainin place upon the body as thecontour of the body lengthens in assuming such sitting posture and the strain upon the'rear garters is taken up in the elastic insert through the easy yieldability of the end-portions of the insert in line with the strain. Hence, the lower edge of the lower-back panel 26 remains substantially fixed upon the body due to the fact that the strains upon the garment caused by lengthening ofthe body contours, are taken up mainly inthe easily yieldable end portions of the insertsection rather than in the garters. Thus, when resuming a standing .posture from a sitting posture the bottom line of the back panel 26 remains sub- 2,866,032 stantially fixed while the shortening of the contours of the body takes place through sliding between the bottom edge of the garment and the upper edge 24 of the elastic insert, the insert contracting as these contours shorten. Thus, riding up of the garment is prevented.

The compensating action of the garment is especially desirable in assuming a posture where the pulling strain is atone side only, as in climbing, and wherein the strain is along the line indicated by the arrows in Fig. illustrating the case of raising one leg while the other leg is in standing position. In the case of assuming a sitting. posture the strain is in line with the garters on both sides, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. In addition to its functional characteristics of providing increased elasticity and less resistance to stretching in line with the back garter strain lines, the novel form of the elastic insert greatly conserves elastic material, the amount of material required in the garment being greatly reduced while obtaining full elastic effect. Also the convergent center of the insert causes the back of the garment to better conform to the figure, particularly at the curve of the waistline where wrinklinghas been experienced in garments employing a large area of elastic material at this point.

While the elastic material of the insert member 23 is preferably of the woven fabric type known as one-way stretch, wherein the elastic threads are disposed in one direction only, it will be understood that other types of elastic material may be employed which is elastic in one direction and non-elastic in the other, or wherein the material has elasticity in both directions. This'also applies to the elastic material of the rearward side panels I8.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments oflthe invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z 1. A foundation garment, comprising a front section, side sections, and a back section including a non-elastic back panel member extending from the lower edgeof the garment to a transverse line in proximity to the waistline, an upper member vertically spaced from said back panel member disposed above the waistline, a vertically elastic transversely disposed insert member secured between said back panel member and said upper member and having greater vertical inherent elasticity and stretching capacity at its end portions than at its central portion, and back garters secured to the lower edge of said back panel respectively in proximity to each ide edge thereof, their pull lines being substantially in vertical line with the end portions of said insert member.

2. A foundation garment, comprising a front section, side sections, and a back section including a non-elastic back panel member extending from the lower edge of the garment to a transverse line in proximity to the waistline, an upper member vertically spaced from said back panel member disposed above the waistline, a vertically elastic transversely disposed insert member secured between said back panel member and said upper member having relatively wide vertically extending end portion and a relatively narrow vertically extending central portion, whereby said end portions have greater vertical inherent elasticity and stretchin capacity than said central portion, the upper and lower edges of said insert member being relatively close at the vertical center and diverging from each other toward the end edges, and back garters secured to the lower edge of said back panel respectively in proximity to each side edge thereof, their pull lines being substantially in vertical line with the end portions of said insert member.

3. A foundation garment, comprising a front section, side sections including horizontally elastic members having rearward substantially vertically disposed edges, and aback section including a non-elastic back panel member extending from the lower edge of the garment to a transverse line in proximity to the waistline and secured to the rearward edges of said elastic side members, an upper member vertically spaced from said back panel member disposed above the waistline, a vertically elastic transversely disposed insert member secured at its transverse edges to said back panel member and said upper member and secured at its side edges to the rearward edges of said elastic side members, said insert member having greater vertical inherent elasticity and stretching capacity at its end portions than at its central portion, and back garters secured to the lower edge of said back panel respectively in proximity to each side edge thereof, their pull lines being substantially in vertical line with the end portions of said insert member.

' HALLIE LEE JASPER.

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