Garment with altered stress profile

Abstract

Included are articles such as garments including polymer film compositions to alter the stress profile of the garment which is exhibited during wear of the garment. The polymer film may be bonded to the fabric to provide a fabric/film laminate.

1 . An article comprising a garment comprising:
 (a) one or more sections of fabric;   wherein each section of fabric has a stress profile; and   (b) one or more polymeric films attached to one or more sections of fabric to form a fabric laminate;   
       wherein the fabric laminate has an altered stress profile. 
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the garment is a body-shaping garment or a performance-enhancing garment. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said altered stress profile includes a uniform distribution of stress and/or pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said altered stress profile provides a stress and/or pressure gradient to provide support at one or more areas within said fabric laminate. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein the altered stress profile provides a performance enhancing property. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric has a construction selected from the group consisting of single and multiple layers. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein said fabric has a multiple layer construction including one or more layers of fabric and optionally one or more layers of foam. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric laminate includes one or more layers of fabric, one or more layers of foam, and one or more layers of a polymeric film. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric film is selected from the group consisting of polyurethaneurea films, polyurethane films, polyolefin films, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric film is a polyurethaneurea cast and dried from a polyurethaneurea dispersion. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric film includes one or more layers of film. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric film has the same shape as said fabric section and is geometrically inverted. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric section comprises a trapezoid having a wide end and a shorter end;
 said polymeric film also has a wide end and a shorter end; and   said shorter end of said polymeric film is placed corresponding to said wide end of said fabric section and said wide end of said polymeric film is placed corresponding to said shorter end of said fabric section.   
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric film comprises a narrow strip;
 said fabric section has a top portion, an intermediate portion and a bottom portion;   and said polymeric film is oriented adjacent to two or more portions of said fabric section.   
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 14 , wherein said polymeric film comprises a narrow strip;
 said fabric section has a top, a middle and a bottom;   and said polymeric film is oriented on said fabric section along a diagonal from the top of the fabric section to the bottom of the fabric section.   
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 14 , wherein said polymeric film is oriented along a diagonal or is perpendicular to the top portion or the bottom portion. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 14 , wherein said polymeric film comprises a non-linear strip. 
     
     
         18 . A garment comprising a brassiere having a wing portion, said wing portion including a polymeric film in the form of a narrow strip or geometrically inverted to said wing portion. 
     
     
         19 . The garment according to  claim 18 , wherein said narrow strip is oriented along a diagonal within or to edges of said wing portion. 
     
     
         20 . A brassiere which comprises an assembly of layers of material defining a pair of breast cups with a bridge between said cups, said assembly comprising at least a first and a second layer of material molded to define the shape of the breast cups, each of said breast cups including a lower periphery which extends from said bridge and toward a side periphery that extends from said lower periphery to a top portion of each of said breast cups where a strap is optionally attached;
 wherein adjacent to either or both each of said lower and side peripheries of said breast cups, there is embedded in or adhered to said layers of material of said assembly a polymeric film including a polyurethaneurea cast and dried from a polyurethaneurea dispersion.