Lower-body garment

Abstract

A lower-body garment includes a multi-wing crotch gusset. The crotch gusset includes an elongated trunk having an elongated front portion and an elongated back portion where the elongated trunk continuously extends from a front side of a pelvic portion of the lower-body garment adjacent a waist opening to a back side of the pelvic portion of the lower-body garment adjacent the waist opening. The crotch gusset further includes a first wing that extends along an inner thigh portion of a first leg portion of the lower-body garment, and a second wing that extends along an inner thigh portion of a second leg portion of the lower-body garment.

1 . A lower-body garment comprising:
 a pelvic portion comprising a waist opening, a front side, and a back side;   a first leg portion and a second leg portion extending from the pelvic portion; and   a crotch gusset, wherein:
 the back side comprising a first back panel and a second back panel joined by a back seam extending from the waist opening to the crotch gusset; 
 the crotch gusset comprises:
 an elongated trunk that extends from the waist opening to the back seam, the elongated trunk comprising a front portion; 
 a first panel wing that extends from the front portion to the first back panel, and a second panel wing that extends from the front portion to the second back panel; 
 a first gusset wing that extends from the elongated trunk and along a first inner thigh portion of the first leg portion; and 
 a second gusset wing that extends from the elongated trunk and along a second inner thigh portion of the second leg portion; 
 
 wherein the front portion, the first panel wing and the second panel wing comprise a front panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first back panel comprises a first back edge and a first side edge;   the second back panel comprises a second back edge and a second side edge;   the first back edge and the second back edge are joined by the back seam; and   the first panel wing is joined to the first side edge and the second panel wing is joined to the second side edge.   
     
     
         3 . The lower-body garment of  claim 2 , wherein the first panel wing comprises a first top edge and the second panel wing comprises a second top edge with the first top edge and the second top edge being adjacent to the waist opening. 
     
     
         4 . The lower-body garment of  claim 3 , wherein the crotch gusset tapers to a point adjacent to the back seam. 
     
     
         5 . The lower-body garment of  claim 4 , wherein the first leg portion comprises a first leg panel that is affixed to the first panel wing and the first back panel. 
     
     
         6 . The lower-body garment of  claim 5 , wherein the first gusset wing comprises a first gusset wing edge and the first leg portion comprises a first leg opening, with at least a portion of a perimeter of the first leg opening being comprised by the first gusset wing edge. 
     
     
         7 . The lower-body garment of  claim 6 , wherein the first panel wing is joined to the first side edge along a first panel wing edge; and the front portion comprises a first peripheral edge between the first panel wing edge and the first gusset wing edge, and the first leg panel is affixed to the first panel wing and the first gusset wing along the first peripheral edge. 
     
     
         8 . The lower-body garment of  claim 7 , wherein a portion of the first peripheral edge is closer to a midline defined by the back seam than the first gusset wing edge. 
     
     
         9 . The lower-body garment of  claim 8 , wherein the first leg portion comprises a leg band adjacent the perimeter of the first leg opening. 
     
     
         10 . The lower-body garment of  claim 9 , wherein the leg band is defined by stitching circumscribing the first leg opening. 
     
     
         11 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the front panel is stretched when donned by a wearer in a standing position. 
     
     
         12 . The lower-body garment of  claim 11 , wherein the portion of the front panel transitions to a less stretched state when the wearer leans forward from the standing position. 
     
     
         13 . A crotch gusset comprising:
 an elongated trunk comprising a front portion having a front edge;   a tapered back portion ending in a back point, the back point defining a midline of the elongated trunk;   a first panel wing that extends from the front portion and has a first distal-most point along a first panel wing edge away from the midline;   a second panel wing that extends from the front portion and has second distal-most point away from the midline;   a first gusset wing extending away from the crotch gusset in a first direction at a first location along the midline between the front portion and the tapered back portion and ending in a first gusset wing edge having a third distal-most point away from the midline;   a second gusset wing extending away from the crotch gusset in a second direction opposite the first direction at the first location and ending in a second gusset wing edge having a fourth distal-most point away from the midline;   wherein:   a first width between the first distal-most point and the second distal-most point is greater than a second width between the third distal-most point and the fourth distal-most point.   
     
     
         14 . The crotch gusset of  claim 13 , wherein the first width is greater than a first length between the front edge and the back point. 
     
     
         15 . The crotch gusset of  claim 14 , wherein the crotch gusset comprises a peripheral edge that continuously extends between the first distal-most point and the first gusset wing edge with a portion that is closer to the midline than the first gusset wing edge. 
     
     
         16 . The crotch gusset of  claim 13 , wherein the crotch gusset comprises a one-piece, seamless panel. 
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing a lower-body garment comprising a pelvic portion comprising a waist opening, a front side, and a back side, the back side comprising a first back panel and a second back panel joined along a back seam, a first leg portion extending from the pelvic portion, and a second leg portion extending from the pelvic portion, the method comprising:
 forming, from a one-piece panel, a crotch gusset comprising:
 a front panel that that extends from the waist opening to the back seam, the front panel forming at least a portion of the front side and comprising a first panel wing and a second panel wing; 
 a first gusset wing; and 
 a second gusset wing; and 
   integrating the crotch gusset into a crotch area of the lower-body garment such that the front panel extends from the front side of the pelvic portion adjacent the waist opening to the back seam, such that the first gusset wing extends a first inner thigh portion, and the second gusset wing extends along a second inner thigh portion.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first back panel comprises a first side edge and the second back panel comprises and a second side edge, the method further comprising:
 joining the front panel to the first back panel along the first side edge; and   joining the front panel to the second back panel along the second side edge.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the lower-body garment further comprises a waistband extending around the waist opening, the method further comprising:
 joining a lower edge of the waistband to the front panel, the first back panel and the second back panel.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first leg portion comprises a first leg panel, the method further comprising:
 joining the first leg panel to the first panel wing, the first gusset wing and the first back panel.