diff --git a/time/src/format_description/borrowed_format_item.rs b/time/src/format_description/borrowed_format_item.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7657f19c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/time/src/format_description/borrowed_format_item.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+//! A format item with borrowed data.
+
+use alloc::string::String;
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+use core::fmt;
+
+use crate::error;
+use crate::format_description::Component;
+
+/// A complete description of how to format and parse a type.
+#[non_exhaustive]
+#[cfg_attr(not(feature = "alloc"), derive(Debug))]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum BorrowedFormatItem<'a> {
+    /// Bytes that are formatted as-is.
+    ///
+    /// **Note**: If you call the `format` method that returns a `String`, these bytes will be
+    /// passed through `String::from_utf8_lossy`.
+    Literal(&'a [u8]),
+    /// A minimal representation of a single non-literal item.
+    Component(Component),
+    /// A series of literals or components that collectively form a partial or complete
+    /// description.
+    Compound(&'a [Self]),
+    /// A `FormatItem` that may or may not be present when parsing. If parsing fails, there
+    /// will be no effect on the resulting `struct`.
+    ///
+    /// This variant has no effect on formatting, as the value is guaranteed to be present.
+    Optional(&'a Self),
+    /// A series of `FormatItem`s where, when parsing, the first successful parse is used. When
+    /// formatting, the first element of the slice is used.  An empty slice is a no-op when
+    /// formatting or parsing.
+    First(&'a [Self]),
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+impl fmt::Debug for BorrowedFormatItem<'_> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            BorrowedFormatItem::Literal(literal) => f.write_str(&String::from_utf8_lossy(literal)),
+            BorrowedFormatItem::Component(component) => component.fmt(f),
+            BorrowedFormatItem::Compound(compound) => compound.fmt(f),
+            BorrowedFormatItem::Optional(item) => f.debug_tuple("Optional").field(item).finish(),
+            BorrowedFormatItem::First(items) => f.debug_tuple("First").field(items).finish(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<Component> for BorrowedFormatItem<'_> {
+    fn from(component: Component) -> Self {
+        Self::Component(component)
+    }
+}
+
+impl TryFrom<BorrowedFormatItem<'_>> for Component {
+    type Error = error::DifferentVariant;
+
+    fn try_from(value: BorrowedFormatItem<'_>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        match value {
+            BorrowedFormatItem::Component(component) => Ok(component),
+            _ => Err(error::DifferentVariant),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> From<&'a [BorrowedFormatItem<'_>]> for BorrowedFormatItem<'a> {
+    fn from(items: &'a [BorrowedFormatItem<'_>]) -> Self {
+        Self::Compound(items)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> TryFrom<BorrowedFormatItem<'a>> for &[BorrowedFormatItem<'a>] {
+    type Error = error::DifferentVariant;
+
+    fn try_from(value: BorrowedFormatItem<'a>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        match value {
+            BorrowedFormatItem::Compound(items) => Ok(items),
+            _ => Err(error::DifferentVariant),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialEq<Component> for BorrowedFormatItem<'_> {
+    fn eq(&self, rhs: &Component) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, Self::Component(component) if component == rhs)
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialEq<BorrowedFormatItem<'_>> for Component {
+    fn eq(&self, rhs: &BorrowedFormatItem<'_>) -> bool {
+        rhs == self
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialEq<&[Self]> for BorrowedFormatItem<'_> {
+    fn eq(&self, rhs: &&[Self]) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, Self::Compound(compound) if compound == rhs)
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialEq<BorrowedFormatItem<'_>> for &[BorrowedFormatItem<'_>] {
+    fn eq(&self, rhs: &BorrowedFormatItem<'_>) -> bool {
+        rhs == self
+    }
+}
diff --git a/time/src/format_description/mod.rs b/time/src/format_description/mod.rs
index eb0f3cf1b..261cf348f 100644
--- a/time/src/format_description/mod.rs
+++ b/time/src/format_description/mod.rs
@@ -5,20 +5,17 @@
 //! [`format_description!`](crate::macros::format_description) macro, the
 //! [`format_description::parse`](crate::format_description::parse()) function.
 
+mod borrowed_format_item;
 mod component;
 pub mod modifier;
 #[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
 mod parse;
 
-#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
-use alloc::string::String;
-#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
-use core::fmt;
+pub use borrowed_format_item::BorrowedFormatItem as FormatItem;
 
 pub use self::component::Component;
 #[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
 pub use self::parse::parse;
-use crate::error;
 
 /// Well-known formats, typically standards.
 pub mod well_known {
@@ -31,100 +28,3 @@ pub mod well_known {
     pub use rfc2822::Rfc2822;
     pub use rfc3339::Rfc3339;
 }
-
-/// A complete description of how to format and parse a type.
-#[non_exhaustive]
-#[cfg_attr(not(feature = "alloc"), derive(Debug))]
-#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub enum FormatItem<'a> {
-    /// Bytes that are formatted as-is.
-    ///
-    /// **Note**: If you call the `format` method that returns a `String`, these bytes will be
-    /// passed through `String::from_utf8_lossy`.
-    Literal(&'a [u8]),
-    /// A minimal representation of a single non-literal item.
-    Component(Component),
-    /// A series of literals or components that collectively form a partial or complete
-    /// description.
-    Compound(&'a [Self]),
-    /// A `FormatItem` that may or may not be present when parsing. If parsing fails, there will be
-    /// no effect on the resulting `struct`.
-    ///
-    /// This variant has no effect on formatting, as the value is guaranteed to be present.
-    Optional(&'a Self),
-    /// A series of `FormatItem`s where, when parsing, the first successful parse is used. When
-    /// formatting, the first element of the slice is used.  An empty slice is a no-op when
-    /// formatting or parsing.
-    First(&'a [Self]),
-}
-
-#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
-impl fmt::Debug for FormatItem<'_> {
-    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
-        match self {
-            FormatItem::Literal(literal) => f.write_str(&String::from_utf8_lossy(literal)),
-            FormatItem::Component(component) => component.fmt(f),
-            FormatItem::Compound(compound) => compound.fmt(f),
-            FormatItem::Optional(item) => f.debug_tuple("Optional").field(item).finish(),
-            FormatItem::First(items) => f.debug_tuple("First").field(items).finish(),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl From<Component> for FormatItem<'_> {
-    fn from(component: Component) -> Self {
-        Self::Component(component)
-    }
-}
-
-impl TryFrom<FormatItem<'_>> for Component {
-    type Error = error::DifferentVariant;
-
-    fn try_from(value: FormatItem<'_>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
-        match value {
-            FormatItem::Component(component) => Ok(component),
-            _ => Err(error::DifferentVariant),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a> From<&'a [FormatItem<'_>]> for FormatItem<'a> {
-    fn from(items: &'a [FormatItem<'_>]) -> FormatItem<'a> {
-        FormatItem::Compound(items)
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a> TryFrom<FormatItem<'a>> for &[FormatItem<'a>] {
-    type Error = error::DifferentVariant;
-
-    fn try_from(value: FormatItem<'a>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
-        match value {
-            FormatItem::Compound(items) => Ok(items),
-            _ => Err(error::DifferentVariant),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl PartialEq<Component> for FormatItem<'_> {
-    fn eq(&self, rhs: &Component) -> bool {
-        matches!(self, FormatItem::Component(component) if component == rhs)
-    }
-}
-
-impl PartialEq<FormatItem<'_>> for Component {
-    fn eq(&self, rhs: &FormatItem<'_>) -> bool {
-        rhs == self
-    }
-}
-
-impl PartialEq<&[FormatItem<'_>]> for FormatItem<'_> {
-    fn eq(&self, rhs: &&[FormatItem<'_>]) -> bool {
-        matches!(self, FormatItem::Compound(compound) if compound == rhs)
-    }
-}
-
-impl PartialEq<FormatItem<'_>> for &[FormatItem<'_>] {
-    fn eq(&self, rhs: &FormatItem<'_>) -> bool {
-        rhs == self
-    }
-}