Novelty ladies swimsuit

Abstract

The novelty garment is a garment having a pair of hands disposed thereon. In one embodiment, the garment is a strapless bra made from a transparent material having opaque hands placed thereon to cover the breasts and create the illusion that the hands are holding the breasts. In a second embodiment, the novelty garment is a pair of panties having a transparent rear panel with an opaque pair of hands cupping the buttocks. In either embodiment, the hands may have movable digits that can be arranged in any desired pattern.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/622,053, filed Oct. 27, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to garments, and particularly to a novelty garment for stage or music video performers, or for costumes having representations of human hands thereon.

2. Description of the Related Art

Modern stage performers often wear costumes to convey a theme associated with their music, to attract attention and notoriety, and to provide amusement. Similarly, many young women are looking for novel costumes for parties, e.g., at Halloween. There is a need for garments that are fairly revealing, but provide just enough coverage to comply with the constraints of modesty. A costume that further conveys the illusion that the woman is not wearing clothing, but is being fondled by an unseen lover, would be desirable.

A brassiere designed by Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt was auctioned by Sotheby's in April 2003 to benefit breast cancer research. A photograph of the bra is published on the anecdotage.com website on the World Wide Web, at least as of Sep. 30, 2004. The bra appears to be a black strapless bra having a male hand on one cup and a female hand on the other cup. According to an article of Apr. 20, 2003 published by the Sunday Business Post Online and available on the archives.tcm.ie web site, the bra brought a bid of $1,345.

Thus, the novelty garment of the present invention solving the foregoing problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The novelty garment is a garment having a pair of hands disposed thereon. In one embodiment, the garment is a strapless bra made from a transparent material having opaque hands placed thereon to cover the breasts and create the illusion that the hands are holding the breasts. In a second embodiment, the novelty garment is a pair of panties having a transparent rear panel with an opaque pair of hands cupping the buttocks. In either embodiment, the hands may have movable digits that can be arranged in any desired pattern.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental front view of a novelty garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an environmental rear view of the novelty garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a detailed, environmental view of the novelty garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an environmental front view of the novelty garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention with the connection band omitted.

FIG. 5 is an environmental rear view of the novelty garment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention comprises various embodiments of a novelty garment designed for use as a costume by stage or music video performers, or by women looking for a costume for a party. A first embodiment of the novelty garment, designated generally as 10 in the drawings, generally comprises a brassiere having a first hand 12 and a second hand 14 disposed thereon, and a body-embracing band 16, shown more clearly in FIG. 2. The hands 12 and 14 may be disposed over bra cups, or may actually form the bra cups. The hands 12 and 14 are each shaped in the form of a human hand and are adapted for covering at least a portion of the breast, including the nipple, while creating the illusion that the hands are holding or cupping the breasts.

The hands 12 and 14 are made from a material that can be constructed into a plump hand. The material may be rubber, latex, foam, silicone or any other material suitable to be formed into the shape of a human hand. The first member 12 and the second member 14 each have digits 30 that resemble the fingers of a human hand, and at least two of the digits may be separate and flexible for positioning in a desired location.

The body-embracing band 16 connects the hands 12 and 14 and surrounds the body B of the individual using the garment 10. The band may include a connection band 40 that joins the cups together, or joins the hands 12 and 14 together when the hands 12 and 14 form the cups. The band 16 and connection band 40 may be transparent, while the hands 12 and 14 are opaque. This creates the illusion that the breasts are being held or cupped by an unseen lover, particularly when the garment 10 is worn on a dark stage and only illuminated by a spotlight.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the novelty garment 10, with the body-embracing band 16 wrapped about the body B of the individual using the garment 10. The body-embracing band 16 attaches in the back of the individual with a fastener 42. As noted above, the body-embracing band 16 may be transparent, giving the appearance of two hands cupping the individual's breasts. The body-embracing band 16 may additionally be fashioned as arms (not shown) extending around the individual's body B, creating the appearance of a person reaching around the wearer's body, grasping the wearer's breasts.

FIG. 3 is a detailed, environmental front view of the novelty garment 10. The hands 12 and 14 are attached to each other in the front with the connection band 40. The connection band 40 is transparent. The transparency of the connection band 40 allows the novelty garment 10 to look as if two hands are supporting the wearer's breasts.

The hand 12 has a first end 18 and a second end 20, and the hand 14 has a first end 22 and a second end 24. The body-embracing band 16 connects the first end 18 of hand 12 to the first end 22 of hand 14. The band 16 is adapted for attachment to a human body, embracing the body B of the individual using the novelty garment 10. The connection band 40 connects the second end 20 of hand 12 to the second end 24 of hand 14.

Each hand 12 and 14 has a plurality of separate, supporting digits 30. Preferably, each member 12 and 14 has five digits 30 made to resemble human fingers. Each digit 30 is made with a flexible, firm material that allows the digit 30 to be manipulated. The digits 30 may each have a wire 32 running through the digit 30, allowing each digit 30 to be adjusted on the curved body part. The digits 30 are adjustable so that various-sized breasts may be covered. The digits 30 may be manipulated to provide a specific aesthetic look preferential to the wearer or, when the hands 12 and 14 form the cups, to allow the wearer to breastfeed more easily by moving some of the digits 30 to the side. The user is able to adjust the hands 12 and 14 so that the user may show as much or as little as she desires.

FIG. 4 shows a front environmental view of the novelty garment 10 with the connection band 40 omitted. The hands 12 and 14 are attached by connecting one of the digits 30 of hand 12 to one of the digits 30 of hand 14. In this case, the two digits 30 that are connected to each other would not be as manipulable as the digits 30 that are completely separate.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the novelty garment 100. The garment 100 is a pair of panties, and the hands 12 and 14 are 5 configured over the buttocks of an individual. The digits 30, point down, instead of up, as in the first embodiment of the novelty garment 10. Each of the digits 30 may be adjusted to cup buttocks of varying size. The hands 12 and 14 are attached to each other either with a transparent connection band 40 or by connecting a digit 30 from hand 12 to a digit 30 from hand 14.

The novelty garment 10 may additionally be fashioned into a bathing suit, a bustier, a dress, a blouse or any other appropriate clothing item.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A novelty garment, comprising:

a body embracing band and a pair of cups, the band connecting the cups to form a brassiere; and

a pair of opaque hand members disposed over or forming said pair of cups, said pair of opaque hand members being disposed to appear to hold the breasts of a user wearing said novelty garment.

2. The novelty garment of claim 1, wherein said body embracing band is made of a transparent material.

3. The novelty garment of claim 1, wherein said pair of opaque hand members are shaped in the form of human hands.

4. The novelty garment of claim 1, wherein said pair of opaque hand members are of a material selected from the group consisting of rubber, latex, foam and silicon.

5. The novelty garment of claim 1, wherein said pair of opaque hand members each have digits that resemble fingers.

6. The novelty garment of claim 5, wherein said pair of opaque hand members have at least two digits that are separable from each other and are flexible for a user to position in any desired orientation.

7. The novelty garment of claim 5, wherein at least one digit from each of said pair of opaque hand members join together said pair of cups.

8. The novelty garment of claim 1, wherein said body embracing band includes a transparent connection band that joins together said pair of cups.

9. The novelty garment of claim 1, wherein said body embracing band is fashioned as opaque arms that appear to extend around a user's body said novelty garment is worn by a user.

10. The novelty garment of claim 1, wherein each of the hands comprises a plurality of flexible, separable fingers, at least one of the fingers having a support wire embedded therein, whereby the fingers are adjustable in position.

11. A novelty garment, comprising:

a pair of panties having a rear portion; and

a pair of opaque hand members disposed over said rear portion, said pair of opaque hand members being disposed in order to appear to cup the buttocks of a user wearing said novelty garment.

12. The novelty garment of claim 11, wherein said pair rear portion comprises a transparent rear panel.

13. The novelty garment of claim 11, wherein said pair of opaque hand members are shaped in the form of human hands.

14. The novelty garment of claim 11, wherein said pair of opaque hand members are of a material selected from the group consisting of rubber, latex, foam and silicon.

15. The novelty garment of claim 11, wherein said pair of opaque hand members each have digits that resemble fingers.

16. The novelty garment of claim 15, wherein said pair of opaque hand members have at least two digits that are separable one from the other and are flexible for a user to position in any desired orientation.

17. The novelty garment of claim 15, wherein at least one digit from each of said pair of opaque hand members join said pair of opaque hand members together forming said rear portion of said pair of panties.