An underwire for use in a brassiere, and an associated brassiere, including a generally arcuate base member and first and second support members, each support member having a length shorter than the length of the base member, the first and second support members disposed on and fixedly attached to the base member along the central portion of the base member, spaced from the opposed first and second end portions, and on opposite sides of the base member from each other, where the first support member and the second support member are fixedly attached to the base member by a plurality of riveted joints, and where the opposed first and second end portions of the base member have a greater flexibility than a flexibility of the central portion of the base member having the first support member and the second support member fixedly attached thereto.

A support structure of a bra cup contains: a bra cup body and an underwire channel. The bra cup body includes a concave face and a convex face, and the concave face has an imaginary point defined on a central position thereof. The underwire channel is hollow and is in an arcuate strap shape, and the underwire channel is mounted on a peripheral side of a bottom of the bra cup body. The underwire channel includes an external layer, an internal layer, and a hollow portion. The hollow portion has an opening arranged on one end thereof and configured to accommodate an underwire. The underwire channel further includes a flexible mesh sheet arranged on one surface thereof facing the bra cup body. The flexible mesh sheet has a reinforcement section extending outwardly from the underwire channel to the imaginary point of the concave face of the bra cup body.

A breast support (12a, 12b) for a garment or garment part is disclosed as including a first piece of elongate resilient material formed by a piece of substantially straight resilient material (16a, 16b) with a first planar major surface, and a second piece of elongate resilient material formed by a piece of arcuate resilient material (14a, 14b) with a second planar major surface (18), an inner arcuate edge (13a, 13b) and an outer arcuate edge (15a, 15b), the first piece of elongate resilient material (16a, 16b) being fixedly engaged and in contact with the second piece of elongate resilient material (14a, 14b) along the whole length of the first piece of elongate resilient material (16a, 16b).

An underwire for a brassiere comprises an elongate, substantially u-shaped body having a chest-engaging portion and a breast-engaging portion. The underwire is constructed from a unitary piece of plastic material. The chest-engaging portion and the breast-engaging portion are connected together along their lengths in a dogleg-shaped configuration, with, in an embodiment, an angle of between 110 and 140 with respect to each other. The breast-engaging portion has a shorter length dimension than the chest-engaging portion and thereby leaves a substantially flat chest-engaging portion at each end of the elongate body. In embodiments, these flat ends of the chest-engaging portion are rounded or thinned compared to the remainder of the chest-engaging portion. The configuration provides good support to the wearer's breast, increases comfort, and is less likely to injure than other configurations.

A support member for a lower edge region of a bra cup is disclosed that has an elongate portion that is curved. The curvature varies in three dimensions as it extends between medial and lateral ends of the support member, and the curvature may reduce towards the lateral end. A bra cup comprising the support member is also disclosed that has a lower edge that follows the curvature of the support member. The bra cup can be formed by embedding the support member between two padded portions and fusing the support member in place.

A method of forming an underwire channel of a bra cup contains the steps of: A. providing a first cup layer, a second cup layer, and a channel forming rib; B. stacking a first thermoformed layer of the first cup layer and a second thermoformed layer of the second cup layer together; C. providing a forming mold which includes a first part and a second part each having a cavity; D. heating the forming mold with the first cup layer, the second cup layer, and the channel forming rib stacked together in the cavity; E. opening the forming mold to form a cup portion and a semifinished part of an arcuate underwire channel; F. removing the channel forming rib out of the underwire channel by pulling the extension; G. trimming the semifinished part to form a finished cup; and H. finishing a bra cup.

An under support for a breast support cup in a brassiere. The under support is rigid and has varying widths and differing radii to accommodate the bottom portion shape of a natural breast or a breast implant. The under support is configured to keep the proximal edge in proximity with bottom portion of the breast tissues or implant and the ribs. The under support has its largest width, thereby the largest contact surface with the implant or breast tissues, closest to the lateral end causing the breast tissues or implant to be supported upward and medially. The under support has openings or anchors extending therefrom with openings to allow a foam or other brassiere material to surround and go through the under support to secure it in place in the brassiere.

An underwire for use in a brassiere, and an associated brassiere, including a generally arcuate base member and first and second support members, each support member having a length shorter than the length of the base member, the first and second support members disposed on and fixedly attached to the base member along the central portion of the base member, spaced from the opposed first and second end portions, and on opposite sides of the base member from each other, where the first support member and the second support member are fixedly attached to the base member by a plurality of riveted joints, and where the opposed first and second end portions of the base member have a greater flexibility than a flexibility of the central portion of the base member having the first support member and the second support member fixedly attached thereto.

An article of apparel providing dynamic support for an appendage of a person is discussed herein. The article of apparel can include a support garment control device configured to provide dynamic support. The support garment control device can include a control lace coupled to a support portion of the article of apparel. In an example, the support garment control device configured to apply a first tension on the control lace, lock the support garment control device at the first tension to inhibit movement of the control lace in response to detecting a change in movement of the person, and unlock the support garment control device after a pre-determined event subsequent to the change in movement of the person.

An upper-torso support garment (e.g., a bra) can include zonal properties. In at least some examples, the upper-torso support garment includes an underwire that can extend only partially across the lower medial portion of the breast cup, without extending entirely across the lower lateral portion. In at least some examples, the lateral portion of the breast cup can include a combination of material layers forming a sling construction, which can contribute to tailored support on the lateral portion of the breast cup.