Undergarment for men

Abstract

An item of men's underwear includes a garment having a front side, a rear side, and a waistband defining a waist opening. The garment further defines respective openings for the left and right legs of a wearer, and includes a crotch region connecting the front and rear sides and which in use is located between the wearer's legs. There is a pair of elongate support bands extending from and being connected to the waistband at spaced positions therealong on the front side. The bands cross each other at a crossing point on the front side are curved to pass around either side of the wearer's external genitalia and continue via the crotch region to the rear side. The bands cross each other at a crossing point on the rear side, and are connected to and terminate at spaced positions on the waistband on the rear side.

1 . An item of clothing for men, comprising:
 a garment having a front side, a rear side, and a waistband defining a waist opening; the garment further defining respective openings for the left and right legs of a wearer, and including a crotch region connecting the front and rear sides and which in use is located between the wearer's legs; the garment being shaped to accommodate a wearer's male external genitalia; and   a pair of elongate support bands extending from and being connected to the waistband at spaced positions therealong on the front side; the bands crossing each other at a crossing point on the front side at a position between the waistband and the wearer's external genitalia to provide a measure of abdominal support on the front side, being curved to pass around either side of the wearer's external genitalia and continuing via the crotch region to the rear side, to thereby provide a measure of support for the wearer's external genitalia; and the bands crossing each other at a crossing point on the rear side, and being connected to and terminating at spaced positions on the waistband on the rear side.   
     
     
         2 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 1 , wherein said garment is comprised of fabric providing a close fit, being formed, apart from the support bands, from a stretchable fabric. 
     
     
         3 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 1 , configured as a brief. 
     
     
         4 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 leg portions adapted in use to cover upper portions of the wearer's thighs.   
     
     
         5 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 1 , configured as long-johns and further comprising:
 leg portions extending along substantially the full length of the wearer's legs.   
     
     
         6 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 1 , configured as a pair of tights, and further comprising:
 leg portions extending along substantially the full length of the wearer's legs and terminating in foot portions.   
     
     
         7 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the support bands are relatively inelastic in the longitudinal direction thereof compared to the elasticity of the remaining fabric of the garment. 
     
     
         8 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 7 , wherein the support bands are comprised of tapes or pre-formed bands sewn or otherwise fixed to said remaining fabric while that fabric is in an unstretched state, whereby said remaining fabric is adapted to create a pouch in use for the wearer's external genitalia between the support bands on the front side between the crossing point and the crotch region. 
     
     
         9 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 7 , wherein the support bands are comprised of seams formed in the fabric of the garment, the fabric creating a pouch in use for the wearer's external genitalia between said seams on the front side between the crossing point and the crotch region. 
     
     
         10 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 7 , wherein the garment is provided with an opening for manual access, while the garment is being worn, to the genitalia for urination, the opening running alongside one curved portion of support band on the front side. 
     
     
         11 . An item of men's underwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the bands pass from the front side to the rear side via the crotch region without crossing in the crotch region. 
     
     
         12 . A method for supporting a user's external genitalia in men's underwear, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing elongate support bands in a garment of the kind having a front side, a rear side, a waistband defining a waist opening, respective openings for the left and right legs of a wearer, and a crotch region connecting the front and rear sides and which in use is located between the wearer's legs; and   extending the bands from and being connected to the waistband at spaced positions therealong on the front side, crossing each other at a crossing point on the front side at a position between the waistband and the wearer's external genitalia to provide a measure of abdominal support on the front side, being curved to pass around either side of the wearer's external genitalia and continuing via the crotch region to the rear side, to thereby provide a measure of support for the wearer's external genitalia, crossing each other at a crossing point on the rear side, and being connected to and terminating at spaced positions on the waistband on the rear side.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the garment provides a close fit, being formed, apart from the support bands, from a stretchable fabric, the support bands being relatively inelastic in the longitudinal direction thereof compared to the elasticity of the fabric, and being provided as tapes or pre-formed bands sewn or otherwise fixed to the stretchable fabric while that fabric is in an unstretched state. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the garment provides a close fit, being formed from a stretchable fabric, the support bands being relatively inelastic in the longitudinal direction thereof compared to the elasticity of the remainder of the fabric, and being provided as seams formed in the said fabric.