Foldover Lower Abdominal Shaping Garment

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/641,217, filed May 1, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/641,237, filed May 1, 2024, which are each incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

This application relates to the field of shapewear, and specifically to a garment with lower abdominal shaping. Consumers are demanding shapewear which mitigates the prominence or appearance of the lower abdomen and lower back. Outer shapewear garments such as shorts, pants, or skirts with shaping components are fashionable and desirable for the convenience of lower abdominal and lower back shaping. Such garments are often tightly form-fitting to give the wearer the desired shaping effect.

Existing shapewear garments, however, present problems due to the tightness and construction of the garment. Shapewear benefits from being tight enough that it can constrict the wearer's lower abdomen to provide a shaping effect. At the same time, it benefits from being durable and flexible, particularly around the waist, since it will be significantly stretched when the wearer puts on and takes off the garment.

A need therefore exists for shapewear with improved shaping components. Accordingly, a solution that addresses the above-mentioned shortcomings is desired and provided herein.

Disclosed herein is a lower body garment with a foldover lower abdominal shaping region. A part of the garment is folded inwardly onto a torso-shaping element to secure the torso-shaping element to the garment. The torso-shaping element provides an enhanced shaping effect while maintaining the flexibility of the remainder of the garment. Advantageously, the folded construction can create a smooth shaping effect all the way up to the waistline of the garment while removing ridges, seams, and separate elastic bands that can dig into the wearer's abdomen.

In an aspect, provided is a lower body garment for shaping a waist area of a wearer, including a torso region and a leg region, a torso-shaping element having a waistline extending in at least a partial loop around the torso region, and an outer layer attached to an inner portion of the waistline and extending up and folding over the waistline of the torso-shaping element to form a folded edge. The outer layer can extend downwards from the folded edge to the leg region and over the torso-shaping element.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can extend in a closed loop around the torso region.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can be formed from a continuous piece of fabric.

In some aspects, an outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be coupled to the outer layer. In some aspects, the outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be seamlessly coupled to the outer layer. In some aspects, the outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be bonded to the outer layer. In some aspects, the outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be bonded to the outer layer across an entire area of the outer surface of the torso-shaping element.

In some aspects, an outer surface of the torso-shaping element may not coupled to the outer layer.

In some aspects, the outer layer can be formed as pants or shorts and can include a left leg portion, a right leg portion, and a crotch area.

In some aspects, the outer layer can be formed as a skirt. In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can be formed as a short disposed underneath the skirt.

In some aspects, the outer layer can be seamlessly coupled to the inner portion of the waistline. In some aspects, the outer layer can be bonded to the inner portion of the waistline.

In some aspects, the lower body garment can further include left and right side seams coupling the torso-shaping element to the outer layer.

In some aspects, the outer layer can further include at least two front vertical seams and/or at least two rear vertical seams. The front vertical seams and/or the rear vertical seams can extend from the folded edge to a bottom edge of the outer layer.

In some aspects, the lower body garment can further include an additional shaping panel disposed on an inner surface of the torso-shaping element and extending in at least a partial loop around the torso region.

In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can extend in a closed loop around the torso region.

In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can be seamlessly coupled to the inner surface of the torso-shaping element. In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can be bonded to the inner surface of the torso-shaping element. In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can be bonded to the inner surface of the torso-shaping element across an entire area of the additional shaping panel.

In another aspect, provided is a lower body garment for shaping a waist area of a wearer, including a torso region, a leg region including a left leg portion, a right leg portion, and a crotch area, a torso-shaping element having a waistline extending in at least a partial loop around the torso region, and an outer layer attached to an inner portion of the waistline and extending up and folding over the waistline of the torso-shaping element to form a folded edge. The outer layer can extend downwards from the folded edge to the leg region and over the torso-shaping element.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can extend in a closed loop around the torso region.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can be formed from a continuous piece of fabric.

In some aspects, an outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be coupled to the outer layer. In some aspects, the outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be seamlessly coupled to the outer layer. In some aspects, the outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be bonded to the outer layer. In some aspects, the outer surface of the torso-shaping element can be bonded to the outer layer across an entire area of the outer surface of the torso-shaping element.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can cover an abdominal area of the wearer from the folded edge to below a navel of the wearer.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can cover a back area of the wearer from the folded edge to above a buttocks of the wearer.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can cover left and right sides of the wearer from the folded edge to below left and right hips of the wearer.

In some aspects, the outer layer can be seamlessly coupled to the inner portion of the waistline. In some aspects, the outer layer can be bonded to the inner portion of the waistline.

In some aspects, the lower body garment can further include left and right side seams coupling the torso-shaping element to the outer layer. In some aspects, the left and right side seams can extend to a bottom edge of the torso-shaping element.

In some aspects, the outer layer can further include at least two front vertical seams and/or at least two rear vertical seams. The front vertical seams and/or the rear vertical seams can extend from the folded edge to a bottom edge of each of the left and right leg portions.

In yet another aspect, provided is a lower body garment for shaping a waist area of a wearer, including a torso region, a leg region, a torso-shaping element having a waistline extending in a closed loop around the torso region, and an outer layer formed as a skirt and attached to an inner portion of the waistline and extending up and folding over the waistline of the torso-shaping element to form a folded edge. The outer layer can extend downwards from the folded edge to the leg region and over the torso-shaping element. The torso-shaping element can be formed as a short disposed underneath the skirt.

In some aspects, the torso-shaping element can be formed from a continuous piece of fabric.

In some aspects, an outer surface of the torso-shaping element may not be coupled to the outer layer.

In some aspects, the outer layer can be seamlessly coupled to the inner portion of the waistline. In some aspects, the outer layer can be bonded to the inner portion of the waistline.

In some aspects, the lower body garment can further include left and right side seams coupling the torso-shaping element to the outer layer.

In some aspects, the outer layer can further include at least two front vertical seams and/or at least two rear vertical seams. The front vertical seams and/or the rear vertical seams can extend from the folded edge to a bottom edge of the skirt.

In some aspects, the lower body garment can further include an additional shaping panel disposed on an inner surface of the torso-shaping element and extending in at least a partial loop around the torso region.

In some aspects, additional shaping panel can extend in a closed loop around the torso region.

In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can be seamlessly coupled to the torso-shaping element. In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can be bonded to the torso-shaping element. In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can be bonded to the torso-shaping element across an entire area of the additional shaping panel.

In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can cover an abdominal area of the wearer from the folded edge to below a navel of the wearer.

In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can cover a back area of the wearer from the folded edge to above a buttocks of the wearer.

In some aspects, the additional shaping panel can cover left and right sides of the wearer from the folded edge to above left and right hips of the wearer.

In yet another aspect, provided is a method of making a lower body garment, the method including: joining one or more pieces of fabric together to form an outer layer; joining one or more pieces of fabric together to form a torso-shaping element having a waistline; attaching the outer layer to an inner portion of the waistline; and folding the outer layer up and over the waistline of the torso-shaping element to form a folded edge.

In some aspects, the method can further include seamlessly coupling an additional shaping panel onto the torso-shaping element.

This description below refers to certain aspects of the garment relative to other aspects of the garment or to the body of a wearer. As used herein, superior indicates a direction that is closer to the wearer's head. Inferior indicates a direction that is closer to the wearer's feet. Upward, upper, or uppermost indicates a superior direction, or toward a wearer's head. Downward, lower, or lowermost indicates an inferior direction, or toward a wearer's feet. The longitudinal direction refers to an axis extending between the superior and inferior edges of the garment, or between the wearer's head and feet. Lateral indicates a positioning that is closer to the sides of the wearer. Medial indicates a positioning that is farther from the sides of the wearer. Anterior indicates a positioning closer to the front of a wearer. Posterior indicates a positioning closer to the back of a wearer. The terms right and left are in reference to the wearer's body. Some of the figures may include the letters R and L as right and left directional indicators.

The following description of certain examples of the inventive concepts should not be used to limit the scope of the claims. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. As will be realized, the device and/or methods are capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit of the inventive concepts. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

For purposes of this description, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the aspects of this disclosure are described herein. The described methods, systems, and apparatus should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed toward all novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus are not limited to any specific aspect, feature, or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus require that any one or more specific advantages be present or problems be solved.

Although the operations of exemplary aspects of the disclosed method may be described in a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, it should be understood that disclosed aspects can encompass an order of operations other than the particular, sequential order disclosed. For example, operations described sequentially may in some cases be rearranged or performed concurrently. Further, descriptions and disclosures provided in association with one particular aspect or implementation are not limited to that aspect or implementation, and may be applied to any aspect or implementation disclosed. It will understood that various changes and additional variations may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention or the inventive concept thereof. Certain aspects and features of any given aspect may be translated to other aspects described herein. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or device to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular implementations disclosed herein, but that the invention will include all implementations falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing aspects. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another aspect includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. The terms “about” and “approximately” are defined as being “close to” as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In one non-limiting aspect the terms are defined to be within 10%. In another non-limiting aspect, the terms are defined to be within 5%. In still another non-limiting aspect, the terms are defined to be within 1%.

“Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.