Light weight upper-body support garment with modesty and clean aesthetic

Abstract

An upper-body support garment that provides improved modesty and that can also be lighter weight, more sustainable, more comfortable, and/or include a desired aesthetic. The upper-body support garment can include a front portion having a laminate with one or more foam layers. The laminate layers are shaped and tailored to impart modesty to desired locations of the support garment without adding unnecessary bulk. The laminate can be integrated into a construction with flatter seams that can provide a desired aesthetic, be less likely to create skin irritations, and mitigate or eliminate visible pad lines.

1 . An upper-body support garment comprising:
 a chest-covering portion comprising:
 a first material layer comprising an outer face and an inner face; and 
 a laminate affixed adjacent the inner face and comprising a peripheral region that at least partially circumscribes a central region and that is thinner than the central region; 
   wherein the first material layer is affixed to the peripheral region along a seam.   
     
     
         2 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 1 , wherein the laminate comprises a first laminate layer, a second laminate layer, and a foam layer between the first laminate layer and the second laminate layer. 
     
     
         3 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 2 , wherein the laminate further comprises a perimeter terminal edge around the peripheral region, and wherein the perimeter terminal edge is affixed to the first material layer along the seam. 
     
     
         4 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 3 , wherein the perimeter terminal edge comprises the foam layer laminated between the first laminate layer and the second laminate layer. 
     
     
         5 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 4 , wherein the perimeter terminal edge is affixed to the first material layer along the seam and around an entirety of the laminate. 
     
     
         6 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 4 , wherein a first portion of a perimeter of the central region runs along the perimeter terminal edge. 
     
     
         7 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 6 , wherein at least a second portion of the perimeter of the central region runs along the perimeter terminal edge. 
     
     
         8 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the laminate comprises a laminate outer face and a laminate inner face;   the laminate inner face comprises a shoulder that transitions from the peripheral region to the central region; and   the laminate outer face is flat at a portion of the outer face that is opposite the shoulder.   
     
     
         9 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the peripheral region comprises a thickness in a range of about 0.8 mm to about 1.2 mm; and   the central region comprises a thickness in a range of about 1.8 mm to about 2.2 mm.   
     
     
         10 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a second material layer between the inner face of the first material layer and the central region. 
     
     
         11 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 8 , wherein the laminate further comprises a second material layer attached to the laminate inner face. 
     
     
         12 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a perimeter of the central region has an undulating profile. 
     
     
         13 . The upper-body support garment of  claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of the central region is fully circumscribed by the peripheral region. 
     
     
         14 . A composite comprising:
 a first textile layer;   a foam layer adjacent the first textile layer, the foam layer including a first region and a second region contiguous with the first region;   wherein:
 the first region has a first thickness and a first foam density, and the second region has a second thickness and a second foam density; 
 the first foam density is greater than the second foam density; and 
 the first thickness is less than the second thickness. 
   
     
     
         15 . The composite of  claim 14 , wherein a ratio between the second thickness and the first thickness is in a range from about 7.75:1 and 1.01:1. 
     
     
         16 . The composite of  claim 14 , wherein the second region has a second shape, and wherein the second region is at least partially circumscribed by the first region. 
     
     
         17 . The composite of  claim 16 , wherein the second shape has a curved edge. 
     
     
         18 . The composite of  claim 16 , wherein the second shape is a non-geometric shape. 
     
     
         19 . The composite of  claim 14 , further comprising a transition region from the second region to the first region, wherein the transition region decreases in thickness from the second region to the second region. 
     
     
         20 . The composite of  claim 19 , wherein the composite comprises at least part of a pad of an upper-body support garment. 
     
     
         21 . The composite of  claim 20 , wherein the pad comprises one or more of a first breast covering portion and a second breast covering portion, each of the one or more first and the second breast covering portions including the first region, the second region, and the transition region. 
     
     
         22 . The composite of  claim 14 , wherein the foam layer comprises a molded foam. 
     
     
         23 . The composite of  claim 22 , wherein the first region comprises a first skin on a surface of the foam layer. 
     
     
         24 . The composite of  claim 23 , wherein the second region has no skin on the surface of the foam layer. 
     
     
         25 . The composite of  claim 22 , wherein the second region comprises a second skin on the surface of the foam layer that is thinner than the first skin. 
     
     
         26 . The composite of  claim 14 , wherein the composite comprises at least part of a pad of an article of apparel. 
     
     
         27 . A pad for an upper-body garment, the pad comprising:
 a laminate comprising:
 a first textile layer; and 
 a foam layer adjacent the first textile layer, the foam layer including 
   a first region and a second region contiguous with the first region;   wherein:
 the first region has a first thickness and a first foam density, and the second region has a second thickness and a second foam density; 
 the first foam density is greater than the second foam density; and 
 the first thickness is less than the second thickness. 
   
     
     
         28 . The pad of  claim 27 , wherein the laminate further comprises a second textile layer adjacent the foam layer and opposite the first textile layer. 
     
     
         29 . The pad of  claim 27 , wherein the laminate further comprises a third region contiguous to the first region and separate from the second region, wherein the third region has a third thickness that is greater than the first thickness and a third foam density that less than the first foam density. 
     
     
         30 . The pad of  claim 29 , wherein the third thickness is about equal to the second thickness and the third foam density that is about equal to the second foam density. 
     
     
         31 . The pad of  claim 27 , wherein the second region further comprises a transition region adjacent the first region, the transition region having a gradated density between the first foam density and the second foam density.