Wrap around sports bra with support

Abstract

A continuous sports bra includes a main body cut from a single piece of tubular material and wrap-around side panels coupled to the main body. The main body includes support cups and is configured to encircle the upper torso of the wearer. The sports bra includes shoulder straps that extend upward from the main body to a back panel. Coupled to the back panel are two side panels that extend forward and thus back around and beneath the support cups of the main body to provide additional support. The free ends of the side panels may clasp together directly or be coupled to the main body proximate a front, central region of the torso.

1 . A sports bra comprising:
 a pair of shoulder straps;   a torso panel sized to snugly and elastically fit over an upper torso of a wearer, the panel coupled to the pair of shoulder straps; and   a pair of wrap-around side panels extendable in opposite directions originating from a back portion of the torso panel, the side panels extendable around the upper torso with a portion of each side panel configured to provide additional support beneath a cup region of the torso panel, the side panels having end portions attachable proximate a front, center portion of the torso panel beneath the cup region.   
     
     
         2 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , further comprising an under back panel coupled to the shoulder straps. 
     
     
         3 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , further comprising an over back panel coupled to the side panels. 
     
     
         4 . The sports bra of  claim 3 , wherein the side panels and the over back panel are coupled together to define an upside down T-back shape. 
     
     
         5 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an under back panel coupled to the shoulder straps; and   an over back panel coupled to the side panels, the over back panel coupled to the under back panel such that the over back panel covers at least a center portion of the under back panel.   
     
     
         6 . The sports bra of  claim 5 , wherein the over back panel is secured to the under back panel at two locations. 
     
     
         7 . The sports bra of  claim 5 , wherein the two locations include an upper attachment location and a lower attachment location. 
     
     
         8 . The sports bra of  claim 5 , wherein the over back panel is sewingly coupled to the under back panel. 
     
     
         9 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , wherein the shoulder straps, torso panel and the wrap-around side panels comprise a unitary piece of stretchable fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , wherein the shoulder straps, torso panel and the wrap-around side panels are seamlessly coupled together as a unitary, continuous body. 
     
     
         11 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , wherein each wrap-around side panel includes a tapered width configured to be widest near the back portion of the torso panel and narrowest at near the front, center portion of the torso panel. 
     
     
         12 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , wherein a material for the bra includes a breathable, stretchable material. 
     
     
         13 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of open-ended sleeves configured to engageably couple with the side panels to adjustably secure the side panels to the torso panel. 
     
     
         14 . The sports bra of  claim 1 , further comprising a clasp mechanism coupled to each side panel and configured to secure the side panels to each other. 
     
     
         15 . A method for making a sports bra, the method comprising:
 cutting a fabric material to form a torso panel, shoulder straps and a pair of wrap-around side panels that extend in opposite directions from a back portion of the torso panel;   arranging each wrap-around side panel to have at least a portion that provides additional support beneath a cup region of the torso panel; and   positioning free ends of the wrap-around side panels to be securable proximate a front, center region of the torso panel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cutting the fabric material includes cutting a breathable and stretchable material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein arranging each wrap-around side panel includes cutting each wrap-around side panel to have a width that decreasingly tapers as the wrap-around side panel extends beneath the cup region of the torso panel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein positioning the free ends of the wrap-around side panels includes securing the free ends to the torso panel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein positioning the free ends of the wrap-around side panels includes attaching the free ends to each other. 
     
     
         20 . A sports bra comprising:
 a pair of shoulder straps;   a continuous panel sized to snugly fit over an upper torso of a wearer and having a cup region, the panel coupled to the pair of shoulder straps; and   a pair of wrap-around side panels extendable in opposite directions from and unitarily formed with the continuous panel, the side panels extendable around the upper torso with a portion of each side panel configured to provide additional support beneath the cup region of the panel and the side panels fastenable proximate a front region of the panel beneath the cup region.   
     
     
         21 . The sports bra of  claim 20 , wherein the side panels are fastenable to the panel while remaining separated from one another. 
     
     
         22 . The sports bra of  claim 20 , wherein the side panels are fastenable to each other while remaining separated from the panel. 
     
     
         23 . The sports bra of  claim 20 , further comprising a releasable clasp for fastening the side panels together proximate the front region of the panel beneath the cup region. 
     
     
         24 . The sports bra of  claim 20 , further comprising a back panel extending from the shoulder straps to the side panels. 
     
     
         25 . The sports bra of  claim 20 , wherein the continuous panel includes a stretchable fabric.