Nonwoven web material having bonding favorable for making directional stretch laminate, and directional stretch laminate

A stretch laminate having a stretch direction and a trans-stretch direction perpendicular to the stretch direction, comprising:

• a first web layer comprising a nonwoven web material bearing a pattern of thermal bonds comprising a plurality of bonds each having a length and a width, the length being oriented perpendicularly to the stretch direction and being greater than the width, for a majority of the bonds;
• a second web layer;
• and
• one or more elastic members disposed between the first web layer and the second web layer,
• wherein the first web layer, the second web layer and the one or more elastic members together form the stretch laminate;
• wherein the one or more elastic members have been joined with the first web layer and the second web layer while the one or more elastic members are pre-strained in the stretch direction;
• and
• wherein, when the stretch laminate is in a relaxed condition, at least the first web layer comprises a plurality of gathers comprising elongate ridges and valleys oriented transversely to the stretch direction.