A disposable wearable article has colored nonwoven fabric having an exposed portion, and base sheet adjacent to the inner side of the colored nonwoven fabric, wherein the colored nonwoven fabric is a composite nonwoven fabric having a plurality of layers laid one on top of another, wherein the colored nonwoven fabric has, in addition to outermost layer, colored layer colored in a color of the first lightness other than white, wherein the outermost layer of the colored nonwoven fabric has a color of the second lightness higher than the first lightness, and wherein the external surface of the base sheet has a color of the third lightness higher than the first lightness.

An absorbent article comprises a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet. A wearer-facing nonwoven material comprising three-dimensional features and forming at least a portion of a wearer-facing surface of the topsheet of the absorbent article is provided. The wearer-facing nonwoven material comprises a plurality of generally planar regions that do not overlap with the three-dimensional features. The generally planar regions comprise recesses. The recesses may comprise apertures. The wearer-facing nonwoven material comprises at least 50% natural fibers, by weight of the nonwoven material.

An apertured nonwovens having a first nonwoven layer is described. The first nonwoven layer includes cellulose-based fibers and a plurality of apertures, wherein the plurality apertures have a minimum aperture distance between two adjacent apertures which has a relative standard deviation no greater than about 40%, as measured according to the Aperture Quality Test. The apertures have an aperture size no greater than about 2.2 mm.sup.2 and have an occlusion no greater than about 9%, as measured according to the Aperture Quality Test, or the apertures have an aspect ratio no greater than about 2.5 as measured according to the Aspect Ratio Test.

Provided is a multi-ply sheet production method and a multi-ply sheet production device for producing a multi-ply sheet which uses an elastic member, exhibits stretchability, and has reduced residual strain. The multi-ply sheet production method includes forming a multi-ply sheet by joining a first fibrous sheet, and a second fibrous sheet including a material containing a cellulose-based component, with an elastic member interposed therebetween, the elastic member being in a stretched state and coated with an adhesive on peripheral surface, and then heat-treating the multi-ply sheet at a temperature in accordance with the thermal characteristics of the adhesive.

A nonwoven web with apertures, suitable for use in a disposable absorbent article, is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of producing a nonwoven web with apertures. The nonwoven web comprises greater than 50%, by weight of the web, of thermoplastic fibers. Each of the aperture is defined by an opening in a first surface of the nonwoven web and a side wall. The side walls of the apertures have a mean height of less than 460 μm. Also disclosed is an absorbent article comprising the nonwoven web. A topsheet, backsheet, or other component of the absorbent article may comprise the nonwoven web.

A diaper structure with enhanced softness attributes is disclosed. The diaper structure may include an innermost layer formed of a first nonwoven web, and an outermost layer formed of a second nonwoven web. The first and second nonwoven webs may have a combined basis weight of at least about 30 gsm. The ratio of the first web basis weight to the second web basis weight may range from 30/70 to 70/30.

An absorbent pad (1) for an underweight baby has a lengthwise direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction which are perpendicular to one another, and has an absorbent body (2). The length (L1) in the lengthwise direction is 180 mm or less, and the length (W1) in the width direction is less than 75 mm.

A mechanically deformed nonwoven comprising a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly from a first surface of the nonwoven and having openings c corresponding to the protrusions in a second surface of the nonwoven. The nonwoven has a Horizontal Bending Drop at 100 mm of at least 75 mm and a Z-Compliance Index of at least 50 mm.sup.3/N. The nonwoven can be used in absorbent articles such as diapers as an acquisition layer between the absorbent core and the backsheet and/or as a masking layer between an absorbent layer core and the backsheet.

An absorbent article for wearing about the lower torso of a wearer includes a first waist region having a first waist edge, a second waist region having a second waist edge, and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions. The article further includes a chassis having a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet. A waist gasketing element is joined to the chassis and disposed in one of the first waist region or the second waist region. The waist gasketing element has a top layer and a bottom layer, and first area, A1. The top layer is bonded to the bottom layer in a closure bond region by a closure bonding technique. The closure bond region has an aggregate closure bond area, BA, which is at least about 10% of the first area, A1.

Methods of forming front and back waist gasketing elements on an absorbent article are provided. The methods include the steps of providing a web of chassis material and waist gasketing elements, each having a first transverse edge, a second transverse edge, a top and bottom layer. The methods further include bonding the top and bottom layers in closure bond regions, and joining the waist gasketing elements to the chassis to form a strip of final articles. The methods include dividing the strip of final articles between the first and second transverse edges such that a cut separates two final articles, a leading article and a trailing article, wherein each cut is disposed within a closure bond region, forms a back waist edge of the leading article and a front waist edge of the trailing article; and forms an outboard lateral edge of a back waist gasketing element on the leading article and an outboard lateral edge of a front waist gasketing element on the trailing article.