Belly covering garment
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a garment worn during different stages of pregnancy and different stages of postpartum body changes. A garment upper portion has a belly panel that is expansible to cover and fit over a growing abdomen during different stages of pregnancy, and a garment lower portion having a first torso encircling circumference that recedes downward to make way for expansion of the belly panel. The garment upper portion has a second torso encircling circumference to hold the garment up and in place over the torso.
1. A garment, comprising:
a garment upper portion having a belly panel that is expansible to cover and fit over a growing abdomen during different stages of pregnancy;
a garment lower portion having a first torso encircling circumference that recedes downward to make way for expansion of the belly panel; and
the garment upper portion having a second torso encircling circumference defining an upper edge of the belly panel that encircles a wearer's torso just beneath the wearer's breast area configured to hold the garment up and in place about the torso in a position of a location of maximum girth of the abdomen thereby substantially covering the wearer's entire pregnant abdomen during all stages of pregnancy.
2. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the second torso encircling circumference is adjustable in girth in conformance with different body types.
3. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion comprises a seamless tubular structure that fits comfortably while being worn, and the belly panel comprises an expansible portion of the tubular structure.
4. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion comprises a seamless tubular elastic fabric to stretch elastically.
5. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion comprises an elastic fabric that is contractible elastically to cover an abdomen during different stages of postpartum body changes.
6. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment lower portion has a partial waistband extending from side seams of the garment lower portion and extending across a back side of the garment lower portion where the partial waistband widens above a wearer's pelvis.
7. The garment of claim 1 , further comprising a series of belly cradling stitches or knitted tension in the belly panel, wherein the knitted tension or stitches extend along multiple paths arranged in an elliptical pattern that curves, so as to cradle a curved growing abdomen during various stages of pregnancy.
8. The garment of claim 1 , further comprising a series of stitches or knitted tension in the backside of the garment upper portion to provide spinal and back support against the wearer of the garment.
9. The garment of claim 8 , wherein the series of stitches or knitted tension in the backside of the garment upper portion extends along a pattern of multiple stitch paths.
10. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion is foldable toward the garment lower portion to comprise a folded band on the garment lower portion.
11. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment lower portion has a partial waistband extending from side seams of the garment lower portion wherein the partial waistband tapers toward the side seams and widens above a wearer's pelvis across a back side of the garment lower portion.
12. The garment of claim 1 , comprising:
knitted tension in the backside of the garment upper portion providing spinal column and back support for a wearer of the garment.
13. The garment of claim 1 , comprising:
a series of sewn supporting stitches in the backside of the garment upper portion providing spinal column and back support for a wearer of the garment.
14. The garment of claim 1 , comprising:
a series of sewn supporting stitches in the backside of the garment upper portion providing spinal column and back support for a wearer of the garment, wherein the stitches are arranged along multiple stitch paths grouped in a hyperbolic pattern, a curved pattern or a truncated, v-shaped pattern along an axis extending substantially vertically along a spinal supporting section of the fabric.
15. The garment of claim 1 , wherein an edge margin of the garment upper portion is folded over and knitted to an inside of the fabric to provide a perimeter hem stitch.
16. The garment of claim 1 , wherein an edge margin of the garment upper portion is folded over and sewn or knitted to an inside of the fabric to provide a perimeter hem stitch.
17. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the second torso encircling circumference comprises stretchable fabric to adjust the girth in conformance with different body types.
18. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion is a tubular structure, wherein the tubular structure is shaped and formed as a hyperboloid cylinder to fit a body type having a tapered torso.
19. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion is a tubular structure, wherein the tubular structure is shaped and formed as a straight sided cylinder to fit a body type having a corresponding shaped torso.
20. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion comprises a double layer tubular structure, and an inner layer of stretchable fabric between two layers of the double-layer tubular structure.
21. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion comprises a fabric, and the fabric is doubled back on itself downward to form a double-layer tubular structure that extends downward for at least a portion of the garment upper portion, and the layers of the double-layer tubular structure are sewn together with a tubular perimeter drop stitch.
22. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion comprises a fabric doubled back on itself downward to form a double-layer tubular structure that extends downward for at least a portion of the garment upper portion, the layer of the double-layer tubular structure are sewn together with a tubular perimeter drop stitch, and an edge margin of the garment upper portion is knitted to an inside of the fabric to provide a perimeter hem stitch.
23. The garment of claim 3 , wherein the seamless tubular structure comprises a fabric doubled back on itself downward to form a double-layer tubular structure that extends downward for at least a portion of the garment upper portion, the layers of the double-layer tubular structure are sewn together with a tubular perimeter drop stitch, and an edge margin of the garment upper portion is folded over and sewn or knitted to an inside of the fabric to provide a perimeter hem stitch.
24. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment upper portion is foldable toward the garment lower portion to provide a folded band on the garment lower portion to be worn as a garment bottom having no top.
25. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment lower portion comprises one of a pair of trousers and a skirt.