Brassieres

A molded bra comprising at least one molded bra cup and a chest band engaged to the at least one molded bra cup, and having an outer side and an inner side and an upper edge and a lower edge, the bra comprising:

• an outer layer of material on the outer side of the bra,
• an inner layer of material on the inner side of the bra, the inner layer of material having an upper edge corresponding to the upper edge of the bra, and
• an intermediate layer of material located between the outer layer of material and the inner layer of material, the intermediate layer of material having an upper edge corresponding to the upper edge of the bra and is laminated and molded with the inner layer of material to form the at least one molded bra cup,
• wherein the outer layer of material is folded over at least part of the upper edge of the intermediate layer of material to the inner side of the bra and the folded-over portion of the outer layer of material is contiguous with and does not overlap the inner layer of material.

A method of forming a bra cup, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) Forming a precursor bra cup by laminating at least a substantial portion of at least an outer layer of material, an intermediate layer of material, and an inner layer of material, and molding the layers of material to a cup shape;
• b) At a set distance inward from at least one of a first edge and a second edge of the precursor bra cup, trimming at least the inner layer of material, but excluding the outer layer of material and the intermediate layer of material, to result in a reduction in thickness of the precursor bra cup at least a region in the vicinity of the first edge and/or the second edge of the precursor bra cup;
• and
• c) Placing an outermost layer of material over the outer layer of material in such a manner that the outermost layer of material is folded over at least part of at least one of a first edge and a second edge of the intermediate layer of material, the first edge and the second edge of the intermediate layer of material corresponding to the first edge and the second edge of the precursor bra cup, to a concave side of the bra cup and the folded-over portion is contiguous with and does not overlap the inner layer of material.

A bra that includes at least one breast cup, the at least one breast cup having a neckline perimeter region and an underarm perimeter region and comprising an assembly of layers comprising:

• a. outermost fabric layer,
• b. an innermost layer, and
• c. at least one intermediate layer comprising a foam layer that is -intermediate of at least part of the outermost fabric layer and inner most layer,
• wherein the outermost fabric layer at least part of at least one of the neckline perimeter region and underarm perimeter region of the at least one breast cup has a hem region thereof secured to the innermost layer at a perimeter region of the inner most region, and
• wherein at least part of said perimeter region of at least the inner most layer is parallel to and set inwards away from the perimeter of at least one of the other layers of the assembly of layers.