GB2192529A - Clothing product - Google Patents

Abstract

A clothing product takes the form of half a complete garment, not forming a complete item of clothing in itself, which is provided with means for removable attachment to a second half-garment to produce a whole garment. For example two such half-garments (4, 5), formed by notionally dividing a blouse, skirt or dress about a vertical line or lines and differing from each other in colour, material, texture and/or style, may be attached together by buttons (6) or hook-and-pile fastener to form an unusual and attractive garment. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clothing product The present invention is a clothing product of a novel type, devised to permit a person the opportunity to vary the appearance of a garment with considerations of fashion and novelty in mind.

Most individuals have favourite garments, reflecting a particular aspect of the wearer's taste in terms of style or comfort. However, the natural desire for a change of appearance may discourage the wearer from wearing that same favourite garment on too many occasions.

To change the garment while retaining the favoured style entails having a range of different garments, which can be unduly expensive.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a clothing product which allows the user greater flexibility in influencing and modifying the appearance of a garment.

The clothing product according to the present invention comprises half a complete garment, not forming a complete item of clothing in itself, provided with means for removable attachment to a second half garment whereby to produce a whole garment.

It is the main intention that the two half garments which are removably attached to each other should be visually distinguished from each other in order to produce an interesting fashion effect. By detaching the halves and replacing one of them, the effect can be markedly changed. For example, in a particularly preferred form, the attached halves are of different colours. Alternatively, the visual effect may be produced by attaching together half garments of different materials (for example silk and cotton) or of different textures (for example contrasting weaves) or even of different styles (for example one half with a pocket and one without). In ringing the changes, the wearer may sometimes choose to combine two halves which do not contrast at all.

Thus the wearer is afforded considerable flexibility in the choice of the appearance of the finished garment, depending only upon the number of different halves which he/she owns. Indeed, it is envisaged that the garment retailer will stock a good range of different halves, from which the intending purchaser can select a limited range (or only two such halves) reflecting his/her taste.

The structure of the half-garment may take various forms. Thus, for example, it may be formed by notionally dividing a conventional garment about a vertical line or lines, to produce mirror-image halves, as by dividing a garment down the front and back, or different halves by dividing it down the sides. It is particularly preferred that the two halves should be of identical structure (and therefore completely interchangeable), as are obtained if a garment having identical front and back is notionally divided.

To illustrate the point further, if the garment to be worn is a blouse, the blouse may already be open down the full length of its front but, in addition, the back of the blouse is similarly divided. In the particularly preferred form of the invention, the front and back of the finished blouse are intended to be identical and this is achieved by combining structurally identical half-garments as opposed to mere mirror-image halves. In another form, the halves are mirror-image halves but are also individually reversible, so that a right-hand half can be turned inside-out to become a lefthand garment. Where the halves are identical or reversible, it is much preferred that any sleeve buttons by set on the inside seam of the sleeve.

The novel clothing product according to the invention may a half-blouse, as indicated, but may also be the half of a range of other garments, including cardigans, jackets, cloaks, coats skirts (which may be divided at any desired point around their circumference), shirts, trousers, dresses, including evening dresses, and hats or berets.

The attachment means for the two garment halves may take many forms but it is an important feature of the invention that the halves should be readily detachable. Thus the product is completely different from the part-garments in the form of cut pieces which together are stitched together to make up a conventional garment. The halves may, for example, be attached together by push-studs, hooks-andeyes, tapes tied in bows, or zip fasteners.

They may be attached by means of a hookpile fabric such as that sold under the trade name "Velcro". It is particularly preferred to attach the halves together with buttons and button-holes. In this latter case, true interchangeability of the halves requires that each half should have some buttons and some buttonholes.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation of two of the half-garments according to the invention fitted together to form a cardigan; Figure 2 is a view in elevation of a skirt formed from two half-garments according to the invention; and Figure 3 illustrates the application of the invention to the production of a blouse.

As is readily seen, the cardigan illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings comprises two halves, 4 and 5 respectively. The two garment halves are identical in every respect except their colours, which are selected to contrast, as indicated by the shaded and unshaded areas. The view in Fig. 1 could equally well be a view from the front or the back of the cardigan, since the views are the same except in respect of the relative positions of the colours.

Buttons 6 on the half-garment designated by the numeral 4 match that half in colour and therefore, when inserted through button-holes in garment half 5, point up the contrast in the buttoned-up garment. At the rear view of the garment, garment half 5 carries buttons matching the colour of that half, while the gar ment half 4 has corresponding button-holes.

Either of the halves of the cardigan may be replaced by another half, identical in structure but of another colour so as, in effect, to produce a "new" cardigan.

The skirt shown in Fig. 2 is of a simple, full circular type and again consists of two halves as shown. If desired, a simple patch pocket may be provided on one of the halves. The skirt may be worn in any position around the body, in particular to give the contrasting effect shown or alternatively to provide a conroast between the front and the back of the skirt.

Finally, the blouse illustrated in Fig. 3 is similarly in colour-contrasting halves 6 and 7 and, while having an upstanding ruffle collar 8, still comprises structurally identical halves.

Claims (4)

1. A clothing product comprising half a complete garment, not forming a complete item of clothing in itself, provided with means for removable attachment to a second halfgarment whereby to produce a whole garment.

2. A clothing product as claimed in claim 1, which is formed by notionally dividing a convention garment about a vertical line or lines.

3. A clothing prouct as claimed in claim 2, adapted for removable attachment to a second half-garment of identical structure.

4. A garment as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the two half-garments are of different colours, materials, textures and/or styles.

4. A clothing product as claimed in claim 2, adapted for removable attachment to a second half-garment of which the structure is a mirror image of that of the first half-garment.

5. A clothing product as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, which is a half of a blouse, a cardigan, a skirt or a dress.

6. A clothing product as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said means of attachment comprises buttons and buttonholes or a hook-and-pile fabric fastener.

7. A garment comprising two clothing products as claimed in any of the preceding claims, the two half-garments being of different colours, materials, textures and/or styles.

8. A garment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustated in, any of the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claims 1 to 7 above have been deleted or textually amended.

New or textually amended claims have been files as follows: Claim 8 above have been re-numbered as 5 and their appendancies corrected.

1. A garment comprising two half-garments which are structurally identical, each of which is formed by notionally dividing a conventional garment about a vertical line or lines, said half-garments being removably attached to each outer so as to form a whole garment but neither half-garment forming a complete item of clothing in itself.

2. A garment as claimed in claim 1, which is a blouse, a cardigan, a skirt or a dress.

3. A garment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said half-garments are removably attached to each other by means of buttons and button-holes or a hook-and-pile fabric fastener.