Circularly knit bodysuit and a blank and method for making same

A circular knit blank for the manufacture of a garment for covering substantially the entire torso of a wearer comprising:

• a series of courses defining a non-raveling edge;
• a lower torso portion comprising a series of courses knit to said non-raveling edge to define a tubular fabric portion;
• a middle torso portion comprising a series of courses knit to said lower torso portion and defining a tubular fabric portion having a first predetermined cross-stretch;
• an upper torso portion comprising a series of courses knit to said middle torso portion and defining a tubular fabric portion having a pair of breast cups on a frontal portion thereof defined by areas in which the courses are simple knit, said upper torso portion having a second predetermined cross-stretch;
• a shoulder portion comprising a series of courses knit to said upper torso portion and defining plural elongated areas in which the courses are simple knit and each of which is separated from the other by an elongate panel area;
• and
• a plurality of courses knit to said shoulder portion and forming a non-raveling edge.

A method of making a garment for covering substantially the entire torso of a wearer using a circularly knit blank comprising the steps of:

• knitting a series of courses defining a non-raveling edge, then
• knitting to the non-raveling edge a series of courses defining a tubular fabric lower torso portion;
• then
• knitting to the lower torso portion a series of courses defining a tubular fabric middle torso portion having a first predetermined cross-stretch;
• then
• knitting to the middle torso portion a series of courses defining a tubular fabric upper torso portion having a second predetermined cross-stretch and a front portion of the upper torso portion having a pair of breast cups defined by two areas in which the courses are simple knit with the areas being separated one from another, then
• knitting to said upper torso portion a tubular fabric shoulder portion having a plurality of elongated areas in which the courses are simple knit, each of said elongated areas being separated from the others by elongated panel areas;
• then
• cutting and removing from the tubular blank areas of the upper torso and shoulder portions to define arm openings and a neck opening, and
• cutting and removing from the tubular blank areas of the lower torso portion to define first and second leg openings and front and rear crotch portions therebetween, and
• sewing together front and rear portions of the shoulder portion of the tubular knit blank at opposite sides of said neck opening and attaching front and rear crotch portions together, to thereby form a completed garment.

A garment made from a circular knit tubular fabric and for covering substantially the entire torso of a wearer comprising:

• a tubular fabric lower torso portion including first and second leg openings, with front and rear portions of said lower torso portion being attached together along a crotch portion located between said leg openings;
• a middle torso portion integrally knit to the lower torso portion in the form of a tubular fabric portion having a first predetermined cross-stretch;
• an upper torso portion having a second predetermined cross-stretch knit to the middle torso portion and having a pair of breast cups defined by two areas in which the fabric is in plain knit courses with the areas in which the fabric is in plain knit courses with the areas being separated one from another, and first and second arm openings located on opposite sides of said breast cups, and
• a shoulder portion knit to the upper torso portion and including first and second spaced seams connecting front portions of said shoulder portion to rear portions of said shoulder portion and defining a neck opening therebetween.

A method of making a circularly knit blank for the manufacture of a shirt comprising:

• knitting a series of courses defining a tubular fabric torso encircling portion in the form of a first non-raveling edge;
• and then
• knitting to said non-raveling edge a series of courses defining a tubular fabric middle torso portion for corresponding to a region of a wearer's body substantially immediately below the breast region, said middle torso portion having a first predetermined cross-stretch;
• and then
• knitting to said middle torso portion a series of courses defining a tubular fabric upper torso portion having a second predetermined cross-stretch which is greater than said first predetermined cross-stretch to thereby form a middle torso portion providing greater compression than the upper torso portion;
• and then
• knitting to said upper portion a series of courses defining a shoulder portion, then completing the blank by
• knitting a series of courses defining a tubular fabric portion in the form of a second non-raveling edge.

A circularly knit blank for making a shirt having a minimal number of pieces and seams comprising:

• a plurality of courses forming a first non-raveling edge;
• a middle torso portion for corresponding to a region of a wearer's body substantially immediately below the breast region defined by a series of courses knitted to said first non-raveling edge and forming a tubular fabric portion having a first predetermined cross-stretch;
• an upper torso portion defined by a series of courses knitted to said middle torso portion and forming a tubular fabric portion having a second predetermined cross-stretch which is greater than said first predetermined cross-stretch to form a middle torso portion which provides a greater amount of compression than said upper torso portion;
• a shoulder portion knitted to said upper torso portion and including a series of courses defining plural elongated areas in which the courses are simple knit and each of which is separated from the other by an elongate panel area;
• and
• a series of courses knit to said shoulder portion and defining a second non-raveling edge.

A method of making a shirt having a minimal number of pieces and seams from a circularly knit blank comprising:

• knitting a series of courses defining a tubular fabric torso encircling portion in the form of a first non-raveling edge;
• and then
• knitting to said non-raveling edge a series of courses defining a tubular fabric middle torso portion for corresponding to a region of a wearer's body substantially immediately below the breast region, said middle torso portion having a first predetermined cross-stretch;
• and then
• knitting to said middle torso portion a series of courses defining a tubular fabric upper torso portion having a second predetermined cross-stretch which is greater than said first predetermined cross-stretch to thereby form a middle torso portion providing greater compression than the upper torso portion;
• and then
• knitting to said upper portion a series of courses defining a shoulder portion, then
• knitting a series of courses defining a tubular fabric portion in the form of a second non-raveling edge, then
• cutting and removing from the tubular blank areas of the upper torso and shoulder portions to define arm openings and a neck opening, and
• attaching together front and rear portions of the shoulder portion of the tubular blank at opposite sides of said neck opening to form a completed shirt.

A shirt made from a circularly knit tubular fabric blank comprising:

• a tubular fabric torso encircling portion in the form of a non-raveling edge;
• a middle torso portion defined by a series of courses knitted to said non-raveling edge and forming a tubular fabric portion having a first predetermined cross-stretch;
• an upper torso portion for corresponding to region of a wearer's body substantially immediately below the breast region defined by a series of courses knitted to said middle torso portion and forming a tubular fabric portion having a second predetermined cross-stretch which is greater than said first predetermined cross-stretch to form a middle torso portion which provides a greater amount of compression than said upper torso portion;
• a shoulder portion knitted to said upper torso portion and including first and second spaced seams connecting front portions of said shoulder portion to rear portions of said shoulder portion and defining a neck opening therebetween.