Batcha, Deborah; Falla, Gloria;

Brassiere

There is provided a brassiere that includes a body having a pair of breast cups, a pair of stretchable panels each adjacent a separate breast cup and connected to a back of the brassiere, and a pair of stretchable sheaths secured along a lower portion of the breast cup and floating along the panel of the brassiere. Each panel is made of a stretchable material. The brassiere further includes a pair of underwires each positionable in one sheath. Preferably, the underwire is anatomically shaped so that the curve of the underwire is greater on the inner portion compared to the outer portion.

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Wherefore we claim:

1. A brassiere comprising:

a body having a pair of breast cups;

a pair of side panels, each of said pair of side panels being adjacent to a separate one of said pair of breast cups and connected to a back of said brassiere;

a pair of stretchable sheaths, each of said pair of sheaths having a first portion secured along a lower portion of said breast cup and having a second portion, said second portion being detached from said side panels such that said second portion floats along each of said side panels, each of said pair of side panels being made of a stretchable material; and

a pair of underwires, each of said pair of underwires being adapted to be positioned in a separate one of said pair of sheaths.

2. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of side panels includes a first edge adjacent to a separate one of said pair of breast cups, and a second edge to connect each of said pair of side panels to said back of said brassiere, and a third edge adjacent an underarm of a wearer.

3. The brassiere of claim 2, wherein said second portion of each of said pair of sheaths is attached at one end to said third edge of a different one of said pair of side panels.

4. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of side panels is adapted to stretch primarily in a horizontal direction.

5. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of side panels is adapted to stretch only in a horizontal direction.

6. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of side panels is integrally connected to said back of said brassiere.

7. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of side panels is formed of an elastomeric material.

8. The brassiere of claim 7, wherein said elastomeric material is a three bar knit.

9. The brassiere of claim 8, wherein said three bar knit is made of a combination of spandex and a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, cotton or polyester.

10. The brassiere of claim 9, wherein said spandex is present in an amount of about 5% to about 35% of said three bar knit.

11. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein said second portion of each of said pair of sheaths has a distal end that is secured at said third edge.

12. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of sheaths is made of two plies.

13. The brassiere of claim 12, wherein the two plies include an inner ply made of one hundred percent polyester non-woven material and an outer ply made of elastomeric material.

14. The brassiere of claim 13, wherein said elastomeric material is a three bar knit made of about 77% nylon and about 23% spandex.

15. The brassiere of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of underwires has a first curve portion with a first angle and a second curve portion with a second angle.

16. The brassiere of claim 15, wherein each of said pair of underwires curves asymmetrically in a manner approximating the shape of a woman's breast.

17. The brassiere of claim 15, wherein said second angle is less than said first angle.

18. The brassiere of claim 15, wherein said first angle is about 55.degree. to about 70.degree..

19. The brassiere of claim 15, wherein said second angle is about 50.degree. to about 65.degree..

20. The brassiere of claim 15, wherein the difference between said first angle and said second angle is about 1 to about 10 degrees.

21. A brassiere comprising:

a body having a pair of breast cups;

a pair of side panels, each of said pair of side panels being adjacent to a separate one of said pair of breast cups and connected to a back of said brassiere;

a pair of stretchable sheaths, each of said pair of sheaths having a first portion secured along a lower portion of the breast cup and having a second portion, said second portion being detached from said side panels such that said second portion floats along each of said side panels of said brassiere, each of said pair of sheaths is made of two plies, wherein the two plies include an inner ply made of one hundred percent polyester non-woven material and an outer ply made of elastomeric material, each of said pair of side panels being made of a stretchable material, wherein said stretchable material is a three bar knit made of a combination of a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, cotton or polyester, and spandex; and

a pair of underwires, each of said pair of underwires being positioned in a separate one of said pair of sheaths.

22. The brassiere of claim 21, wherein each of said pair of underwires curves asymmetrically in a manner approximating the shape of a woman's breast.

23. The brassiere of claim 22, wherein each of said pair of underwires has a first curve portion with a first angle and a second curve portion with a second angle, wherein said second angle is less than said first angle.

24. The brassiere of claim 23, wherein said first angle is about 55.degree. to about 70.degree., and wherein said second angle is about 50.degree. to about 65.degree..