Brassiere with under breast support

1. A brassiere cup assembly defining two breast cups, a bridge between the two breast cups, and for each of the two breast cups a flange extending from at least part of a lower peripheral edge of the breast cup, the brassiere cup assembly comprises:

(a) at least two plies of material which are laminated to each other and molded to define the shape of the two breast cups; and

(b) a non-metallic resiliently bendable under breast support strip laminated with and interposed between two of the at least two plies of material at or adjacent the lower peripheral edge of one or both of the two breast cups,

wherein two of the plies of material are fabric plies and an intermediate ply is interposed between the two fabric plies, and wherein the under breast support strip is laminated to and between one of the two fabric plies and the intermediate ply.

2. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under breast support strip is located on the breast cup side adjacent the lower peripheral edge.

3. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein two of the under breast support strip are provided, each of which being located on the breast cup side adjacent the lower peripheral edge of one of the two breast cups.

4. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein a further two of the under breast support strip are provided, each of which being located on the flange side adjacent the lower peripheral edge of one of the two breast cups.

5. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein a further under breast support strip is provided, the further under breast support strip being a unitary under breast support strip that extends adjacent the lower peripheral edge of both breast cups on the flange side and across the bridge.

6. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under breast support strip is located on the flange side adjacent the lower peripheral edge.

7. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein two of the under breast support strip are provided, each of which being located on the flange side adjacent the lower peripheral edge of one of the two breast cups.

8. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the under breast support strip is a unitary under breast support strip that extends adjacent the lower peripheral edge of both breast cups and across the bridge.

9. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two of the at least two plies of material are co-extensive with each other.

10. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein only two plies of material are provided, each being a fabric ply.

11. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the intermediate ply comprises at least one layer of foam.

12. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the intermediate ply is coextensive with the two fabric plies.

13. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least at the breast cups, a core assembly of at least two laminated plies of foam material is provided, and wherein the under breast support strip is laminated to and between the two laminated plies of foam material.

14. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under breast support strip is of a width greater than its thickness.

15. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under breast support strip includes a non-woven material.

16. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under breast support strip includes a non-woven fabric.

17. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under breast support strip includes a substantially non-stretchable material.

18. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the under breast support strip includes a foam material.

19. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein the under breast support strip includes a foam material that is harder than the foam of the intermediate ply.

20. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein the under breast support strip includes a foam material that is harder than the foam of the core assembly.

21. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the brassiere cup assembly is made by a hot molding process, during which process the under breast support strip is incorporated into the brassiere cup assembly.

22. A brassiere that includes a brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 1 .

23. A brassiere as claimed in claim 22 that is a seamless brassiere.

24. A brassiere as claimed in claim 22 that is a seamless and molded brassiere.

25. A brassiere cup assembly defining two breast cups, a bridge between the two breast cups, and for each of the two breast cups a flange extending from at least part of a lower peripheral edge of the breast cup, the brassiere cup assembly comprises:

(a) at least two plies of material which are laminated to each other and molded to define the shape of the two breast cups; and

(b) two non-metallic resiliently bendable under breast support strips respectively laminated with and interposed between two of the at least two plies of material on the breast cup side adjacent the lower peripheral edge of the two breast cups,

wherein a further two of the under breast support strip are provided, each of which being located on the flange side adjacent the lower peripheral edge of one of the two breast cups.

26. A brassiere cup assembly defining two breast cups, a bridge between the two breast cups, and for each of the two breast cups a flange extending from at least part of a lower peripheral edge of the breast cup, the brassiere cup assembly comprises:

(a) at least two plies of material which are laminated to each other and molded to define the shape of the two breast cups; and

(b) two non-metallic resiliently bendable under breast support strips respectively laminated with and interposed between two of the at least two plies of material on the breast cup side adjacent the lower peripheral edge of the two breast cups,

wherein a further under breast support strip is provided, the further under breast support strip being a unitary under breast support strip that extends adjacent the lower peripheral edge of both breast cups on the flange side and across the bridge.

27. A brassiere cup assembly defining two breast cups, a bridge between the two breast cups, and for each of the two breast cups a flange extending from at least part of a lower peripheral edge of the breast cup, the brassiere cup assembly comprises:

(a) at least two plies of material which are laminated to each other and molded to define the shape of the two breast cups; and

(b) a non-metallic resiliently bendable under breast support strip laminated with and interposed between two of the at least two plies of material at or adjacent the lower peripheral edge of one or both of the two breast cups,

wherein at least at the breast cups, a core assembly of at least two laminated plies of foam material is provided, and wherein the under breast support strip is laminated to and between the two laminated plies of foam material.

28. A brassiere cup assembly as claimed in claim 27 wherein the under breast support strip includes a foam material that is harder than the foam of the core assembly.

29. A brassiere cup assembly defining two breast cups, a bridge between the two breast cups, and for each of the two breast cups a flange extending from at least part of a lower peripheral edge of the breast cup, the brassiere cup assembly comprises:

(a) at least two plies of material which are laminated to each other and molded to define the shape of the two breast cups; and

(b) a non-metallic resiliently bendable under breast support strip laminated with and interposed between two of the at least two plies of material at or adjacent the lower peripheral edge of one or both of the two breast cups,

wherein the under breast support strip includes a foam material.