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A hands-free breast pump support bra and system allow simple and
effective breast milk expression from a lactating woman's breasts
without the need of additional support, such as straps, bands, posts
and mounting elements to support the weight of breast pump apparatuses.
The support bra independently and as part of the system is made
of a material of sufficient elasticity and strength that when worn
firmly and frictionally holds against each breast the funnel-like
portion of a breast pump during the complete breast milk expression
operation. Slits are strategically located in both nipple areas
of the bra's cups through which the funnel-like portions of breast
pumps engage the breasts. Because of the elastic property of the
bra's fabric, the fabric around the slits securely and simultaneously
hold against each breast in a hands-free manner a funnel portion
with a conventional breast milk bottle filled with milk and attached
The present invention provides a bra that can be worn under a tank
top, tube top, tank dress, tube dress, halter top or any other article
of minimal, revealing or skimpy clothing, which would normally expose
bra straps. The bra has straps that resemble an article of clothing
or match an article of clothing. In one aspect of the invention,
a bra has straps that look like an article of clothing. The straps
can be formed of a uniform material composition along the entire
length, i.e. no portion made entirely of elastic. The straps could
be wider or thinner than a normal bra strap. In another aspect of
the invention, a bra has straps that match an article of clothing,
i.e. have the same color or a color that plays off of the color
of an article of clothing, and/or contains a design that is identical
to or plays off of the color or design of an article of clothing.
Also, the straps may look like an article of clothing as opposed
to a conventional bra strap. In another aspect of the invention,
a bra is sold as a unit with an article of clothing, and the straps
of the bra match the article of clothing. Again, the bra strap may
look like an article of clothing as opposed to a conventional bra
strap. In another aspect of the invention, a bra is provided with
detachable bra straps. Two or more sets of bra straps may be provided
which bra straps can be interchanged to match an article of clothing.
Articles of clothing can be sold with matching straps, which can
be interconnected with the body of the bra so the straps match the
article of clothing.
A lightweight, substantially unpadded, comfortable, push-in underwire
bra has, when worn by a female wearer, a front including a pair
of cups. Each cup defines upper inner and outer portions, lower
inner and outer portions, a top and a bottom, and is configured
and dimensioned to hold substantially one breast of a female wearer.
Each cup defines an underwire-receiving channel extending downwardly
from the cup upper outer portion and then inwardly across the cup
bottom to the cup lower inner portion where the channel terminates.
A single underwire-free channel extension connects the channels
of the cups only at the lower inner portions thereof, the cups being
connected at the front only by the channel extension, thereby to
provide a deeply plunging cleavage and enable substantial independent
motion of the cups relative to one another. For each cup, a thin,
arcuate underwire is disposed in the channel and biases the cup
upper outer portion inwardly. Thus, the underwires bias the cup
upper outer portions inwardly to provide push-in cleavage on the
wearer's breasts. Straps are secured to the front for releasably
supporting it on a female wearer with the breasts of the female
wearer substantially within the cups.
A sports bra has a pair of cups joined by a cleavage portion between
the proximate edges of the cups and a back strap portion between
the distal edges of the cups. The cups and cleavage portion are
made of cloth having substantially universal elasticity so as to
provide adequate support. A rectangular panel made of cloth having
substantially universal elasticity is fastened along its bottom
and side edges to an inside wall of the cleavage portion of the
bra to form a storage pouch of approximately credit card dimensions.
A plurality of short hook and loop segments extending substantially
fully across the upper inside edge of the panel with mating segments
of hook and loop material oppositely fixed along the inside wall
of the cleavage portion of the bra allows the pouch to be completely
sealed while still affording the desired universal elasticity. Preferably,
the panel is made of back-to-back pieces of cloth with the inner
one being non-absorbent and the cleavage portion is also made of
back-to-back pieces of cloth with the inner one being non-absorbent
so as to allow the sports bra to be fully absorbent along its body
contact surfaces and yet provide a no-absorbent storage pouch to
protect its contents. A flat member may be disposed between the
panel cloths to stiffen the storage pouch.
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