US1981320A - Bathing suit - Google Patents

Description

C. L. MARTIN BATHING SUIT Nov. 20, 1934.

Filed April 28, 1932 Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES Application April 28, 1932, Serial No. 608,098-

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in beach or bathing suits and it has for its object the provision of a one-piece garment of the type designated having no back above the waist line,

permitting the complete exposure of the back of the wearer to the air and sun for the purpose of acquiring a tan, and at the same time being so constructed that when worn, the front portion is stretched both longitudinally and transversely in the zone of the breasts, functioning as a brassiere in supporting the bust.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a one-piece bathing suit having the trunk portion belt-supported at the waist, and having the upper part adapted to clothe the front only of the body, terminating laterally in substantially longitudinal under-arm edges extending to the belt line and having shoulder straps extending rearwardly of the arms and a divided cross strap bridging the rear portions of said shoulder straps, the parts of which cross strap are united by a button or other equivalent means and holding the shoulder straps in place,

the cross strap being capable when unbuttoned, of being thrown back so as to leave the entire back of the wearer bare and to prevent the marring of the tan by a streak of lighter shade which would otherwise be left beneath the cross strap.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the front of the bathing suit;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the backless feature;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 4; and

Figure 4 is a rear view of the bathing suit. Referring now in detail to the several figures,

the numeral 1 represents a bathing suit preferably of elastic knit fabric, having the lower part or trunks 2 of usual construction, with belt' arms, there being no back po'rtion to the bath ing suit except in the form of the shoulder straps 5 and 6 and the divided cross strap 7, the parts of which emanate from the shoulder straps overlapping, being held together between the shoul- 5 ders by a button 8 or other suitable fastening means. I

The upper portion or body 9 is characterized by the fact that not only do the arm holes descend to a lower level than the neck opening, 5 s

but the elasticity of the fabric permits the shoulder straps to draw the fabric rearwardly beneath the arms as at 10, stretching the bathing suit transversely in a zone which overlies the breast, performing the function of a brassiere in 7 supporting the bust. The elevated relation of the indentation of the neck to that of the arm holes also provides an uncut front area above the level of the lower edges of the arm holes which through the intermediary of the shoulder 7 straps, distributes the pull of the shoulder straps acquire a tan over the entire area of the back above the waist line. Since it is however, objectionable to have the uniformity of this tan marred by the light untanned streak which normally would be formed beneath the cross strap 7, the latter can be unbuttoned and thrown back or tucked beneath the shoulder straps so as to expose an unbroken expanse of the skin to the air or the suns rays. 7

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that those skilled in the art that certain tolerances in the shape and construction of the bathing suit are permissible without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

I claim:-

One-piece elastic bathing suit comprising a trunks portion, belted at the waist line, and a body portion emanating from the front semicircumference only of the trunks portion, and 110 terminating laterally substantially at the sides of the body, said body portion being provided with integral shoulder straps extending to the back forming arm holes, a ,brassire area having its upper boundary defined by a circumferential line joining the bottoms of said arm holes and physically determined when the bathing suit is distended by the body by being the line of demarcation between a laterally stretched area and an area immediately above, not so greatly stretched,

the body portion being provided with a neck indentation cut to a higher level than the bottoms back, intermediate the tops and bottoms of the arm holes for holding them in place.

. CHARLES LEWIS MARTIN.

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