Stretch laminate with beamed elastics and formed nonwoven layer

A wearable article comprising:

• a stretch laminate comprising an outward-facing layer, a wearer-facing layer, and a plurality of elastic strands sandwiched between the outward-facing layer and the wearer-facing layer, the plurality of elastic strands having been pre-strained by a pre-strain percentage along a stretch direction during manufacture of the laminate, such that when the stretch laminate is in a relaxed condition the outward-facing layer and the wearer-facing layer are gathered along the stretch direction;
• wherein the outward-facing layer is through-air bonded;
• wherein the outward-facing layer is formed of a section of nonwoven web material comprising an accumulation of filaments and has an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface comprising an ordered arrangement of zones, each zone comprising an attenuated region adjacent to a build-up region;
• wherein the attenuated region has a first basis weight and the build-up region has a second basis weight, wherein the first basis weight is less than the second basis weight, the difference in basis weight corresponding to disposition of the filaments according to the ordered arrangement;
• wherein the outward-facing layer is bonded about the plurality of elastic strands to the wearer-facing layer;
• and
• wherein the outer surface of the outward-facing layer exhibits an outer percent contact area of from about 20 percent to about 40 percent, in accordance with the Percent Surface Contact Area Method.