GB2386824A

GB2386824A - An adjustable garment

Info

Publication number: GB2386824A
Application number: GB0207261A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Catterson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-27
Filing date: 2002-03-27
Publication date: 2003-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-27
Also published as: GB0207261D0; GB2386824B

Abstract

An adjustable garment such as a skirt (1) has a front panel (2) and a rear panel(3). An upper hem (5) of the skirt (1) forms an adjustable waistband by adjusting the length of the front portion only of the hem (5). An elasticated stomach panel (6) extends downwardly from the adjustable front portion of the hem (5). An elasticated insert (10) is mounted within the front portion of the hem (5) which forms an elasticated sleeve. One end of the insert (10) is fixed within the hem (5). The insert (10) freely passes outwardly through an opening (11) in the hem (5), with the other end of the insert (10) being fixed at (12) to. The insert (10) can be pulled outwardly through the opening (11) to shorten the waistband of the skirt (1) with buttonholes (15) in the insert (10) engaging a button (14) beside the opening (11) to hold the waistband in the shortened configuration.

Description

1- 2386824

tuctlon 5 This invention relates to an adjustable game Irish Patent No. 66729 discloses a maternity gannent having an adjustable waistband kerned by an endless elasicated insert in an upper hem of me gannent This parades a garment that comfortable to wear during pregnancy. However, because 10 the elastcated waand extends continuously about me waist the wearer in use, the garment is very urattenng for Me wearer and tends to IOOIC baggy and makes the wearer look bigger than in reality.

U.S patent no. 5255393 discloses a fonn feting gamnent sud1 as pantyhose made of IS sbetot, rnaten sum as nylon having a stbard which expandable and adjustable. This gannent also has a *ont panel of Ezra sketchable rrmrial. Brltlen pant no. 15085g7 discloses a gannent with an esticad waistband and an elestimd front panel ending dourly from Me wetland at We front of Use galTnent U.S. patent no, 5283910 discloses another Candent an expandable 2Q waisffand with limited streWabili in a rear portion of me waistband And "mater blast and adjusblli in a Font portion of Me wafiand In U.S. patent no. 4139913 there in disclosed matemity slaclcs having front and rear flaps which overlap at each side of me garment and are ajustably faced together.

25 lithe front flap has an adjustable elastics waistband. French patent no. 241305t discloses Rousers for wearing during pregnancy. A cantal portion of Me *ant of fife Dousers fonns a rectangular elastic panel. A cover flap extends over Use elastic panel and has upper ends severe by buttons at the front of We garment to conceal fife Blast c panel.

The present invention is directed Awards providing an adjustable garment which is modem and fashionable in look but at the same time is confoTtable and flattering for ma wearer and is easily adjusted when required.

Statements of Inventlon

Accorciing to Me invention. there is prondeci an adjustable garment having a front panel, a rear panel conned to the front panel at each side along common side 5 seams. a waistband extending around a top of the front and rear panel, said waistband iving a substantially inelastic rear portion and an elashcated front portion, an,elasticated stomach panel at a front of me garment extending downwarcily from the waistband, a front portion of Me waistband forming a hollow sleeve win an elasffcated Insert mounted Within the sleeve, said elasticated insert having a first 10 inner end fixed adjacent one end of the sleeve at a side of the ganT ent and a second outer end which project; outwardly through a slot adjacent the omer end at a side of the garment and Fred to an inside face of me waistband, the insert having a number of spacedapart buffon holes, 8 button for engagement with sa d button holes bang mound on me Inside face of me waistband adjacent me slot. TtuS 15 advantageously, Me stomach panel and front portion of the upper hem can be allowed expand as the stomach area of a wearer grouts, whim at the same time, Me rear of Me Candent is allowed to remain fined to the rear portion of Me wearefe body For a more aesthetically pleasing and flattering appearance. Thus hom all aspects excluding the front wa st and stomach area the garment looks and fits as a normal 20 ready to wear fashion garment In one embodiment of the invention Me button is mounted on the inside face the t intermediate the sleeve opening and Me fixed outer end of the elaSt cased insert In a further embodiment the stomach panel extends between opposite sides of the garment In a partiealarly preferred embodiment the elasUcated stomach panel is of jersey 30 material. Conveniently the front panel and Me rear panel may be fanned of a 6ubstant11y inetasfic woven material which will hold the shape ut which they are cut and formed.

I he garment may be tombed as a skirt or as a Mousers, indudmg shorhi.

Dotalled 1)ascrlpffon of the Invention Else invonu;on will be more Dearly understood by the following desonptlon of some embodiments thereof' given by way of example only, with reference to the 5 accompanying drawings, in which: Fi3. 1 is a front elevational view of an adjustable skirt according to the invention; 10 Fig. is a rear elevab'onal view of Me skirt of Fig. 1; hg. is a side etevational View of the skirt; Fig. 4 Is a detail perspective view of U,e skirt Em. 5 is a perspective View similar to Fig. 4 showing me skids in another position of use: Fig 6 is a detail elevation view of portion of an adjustable waistband of me 20 sort Fig 7 is a New similar to Fig. showing We waistband portion in another position of use; 25 Fig. a front elevaLonai view of an zdjusble Suers awarding to the invention; Fig. g is a rear elevabonal view of Me Doused of Fig. 8: o Fig. 10 is a side elevatonal view of tile Rousers of Fig. 8; ho. 11 IS person e mew of me mused of Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is a perspeoSve view similar to Fig. 11 show ng an adjustable

- 4 - Thailand of e Dousers In a second position of use; ha. 13 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 11 showing Me waistband in a Bird position of use; Fig. 14 is a detail elevabonal New of popish of the Disband of He Housed of F4 Hand Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig, 14 showing the waistband in another position 10 of use.

Fleferring to Me drawings, and initially to Fee. 1 to 7 thereof, mere is illustE,d an adjustable gannent according to the invention comprising a sort, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The skirt 1 has a front panel 2 and a rear panel 3 15 interconnected along Yerticai side seams 4. An upper hem of the skirt 1 fonns an adjustable waff'and for fitting about the waist of wearer in use. An estcated stomach panel is provided at an upper end of the front panel 2 at me wont of me skirt 1 extending dovTTwaiyfm a front part 7 of the upper hem 5.

O The stomach panel 6 and front part 7 of the upper hem 5-can ha formed of stretch jersey fabric and me remainder of Me skirt 1 is fanned of a flat weave fabnc. 1 Blows We sidrtto remain fitted to me outer parts oFa wearers body wide Clowning stomach panel 6 and front part 7 of Me upper hem to expand for comfortable fining on the wearer. This advantageously nominates excess fabric which voile add excess IS bulk to parts or the Savorers body where is not required, for example, at fine back of the skirt 1 and pads of He leg area. Thus advantageously, me skirt 1 can be shaped arid styled Reactively to fit about the wearers body while allowing the stonach panel 6 accommodate He wearer's stomach. A garment can be provided that is modem in look and fashionable Mu the current trends of a parblar soon but won Me 30 added Pierre of a stomach panel 6 of sketch jersey ninth an adJuslsble waist provided by We front part 7 of fife upper hem 5 to accommodate We wearers stomach. The front part 7 of We upper hem 5 forms an elasticated sleeve within which an

- 5 - elasffca insert 10 ix mounted' An opening 11 is provided in the front part 7 on an inside face of the hem 5 at the side seam 4. An inner end of the elasticated insert 10 is fused within the front part 7 at one side of me front part 7 adjcEnt Me side sean1 4 opposite where Me slot 11 is promded. An outer end 12 of me elasticated insert 10 is 5 fixed on fife upper hem 5 on an inside face of Me hem spacedapart frown the opening 11. A button 14 mounted on the inside face of Me hem intermediate Me opening 11 and Me fixed outer end 12 of We elastited insert 10. The elastcald insert 10 has a number of buttonholes 15 spaced along the insert 10 for engagement Ovid said button 14 to allow adjushnent of me length of the front pardon 7 of the 10 Yfsiband 5. The elasticaled insert 10 aOovs fer adjustabi for Id comfort of fife wearer. Flus. 4 and 6 stow the front portion 7 of the waistband fully emended and Figs. 5 and 7 show me Font podion 7 of me waistband s collapsed to reduce the she of the waistband 5.

15 Refernng now to Figs. 8 to 15' Mere is shown another adjustable gannent, in this case in We fonn of browsers, Indicated generally by me reference numeral 30. These Ore largely similar to Me skirt 1 described previousIy and like parts are assigned We same reference no In this case, instead of me front and rear alert panels, Font leg panels 32 and assorted rear leg parrots 33, are provided. Adso, it will be 2 0 noted Mat a stomach panel 38 provided Which extends behmen the opposite Side seams 4, This is a simpler eOnschon man We skirt in that the sides of Off stomach panel 36 can be Integrally stitched w th We side seams 4.

Ems. 11 and 14 show me waistband 5 1y expanded to its Sum Flu. 12 2 5 shows me front portion 7 of the waistband 5 partially collapsed to parbalh,, reduce me see of We Waistband 5. To collapse We front portion 7 of e waistband {i the elastcateci insert 10 is drawn outwardly through the slot 11 and one of the buttonholes 15 engaged win the button to retain Me front portion 7 in a partially collapsed poslbon as shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 13 shows me front portion 7 of the 3 0 WE istband 5 in a fu Iy collapsed position to provide the waistband 5 in; minimum she. To fully collapse Me front portion 7 of the waistband me edited insert 10 Is fully drawn through ff,e slot 11 and Me innermost buttonhole 15 engaged web me button 14 on Me inside face of Me them 5. H will be appreciated that the adjustment of Me front portion 7 of the waistband 5 can be rudely easily and quicldy achieved.

6 - Further, as the outer end 12 of me elasticated insert 10 is fused to the Inside face of the hem 5 there is no possibly of kissing fee outer end 12 of Me elasticad insert 10 such as When it is released. It cannot be pulled back in Through me slot 11 into the interior of the front portion 7 of the hem 5. mill also be noted that any excess 5 portion of the elasticated insert 10 withdrawn from We slot 11 is needy stored inside lha hem 5 of the trousers 20 during use to give a dean exlemal appearance to We trousers 30.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a garment which is stylish vhHe at 10 the same firne allowing adjustment for Me comfort of me wearer in the stomach region. such gar Dents are parculsby advantageous for pregnant women as they allow ongoing adjustment of me garment over the period of the pregnancy for the omfort of the wearer.

15 l he invention is not lirnilod to We embodiment hereinbefore descnbed but may be varied In both construction and detail vv'thin me scope of the appended claims.

Claims

- 7 - CLAIMS

1. An adjustable garment comprising: a front panel a rear panel connected to the front panel at each side along common side seams, a waistband extending around a top of the front panel and the rear 10 panel, sad waistband haung a subsntialhy inelastic rear portion and an elasti rated Font pardons 15. an elasEcated stomach panel "ending duly fund Me Ant portion of the waistband, fife Wont portion of the waistband forming a hollow sleeve win, an elesticatsU insert mounted within the sleeve, said elastcated insert 2 0 having a fiat inner end fixed adjacent one end of Me sleeve at a side of Me garment and a second outer end which projects; outwardly through a slot adjacent the other end at an opposKe side of the eannent and fores to an inside face of the Waistband adjacent Me slot, me Insert having a number of spaced apart button holes, a button 25 being mounted on Me inside face of Me waistband adjacent Me slot for Pleasable engagerrmot with said button holes for adjustment of Me size of the waistband.

An adjustable gannent as chinned in claim 1 wherein the button is mounted 3 0 on the inside face of He welsband utomediate the sleeve opening and the faced outer end of the elashcated insert 3 An adjustable garment as claimed In Maim 1 or Maim 2 wherein the stomach panel extends between opposite sides otiose garment

- 8 t. An adjustable garment as claimed in cairn 1 or claim 2 wherein the elasticated stoma panel is of jersey matenal.

5 'i. An adjustable garment as claimed in any prececiing claim wherein the front panel and Me rear panel are formed of substantially inelastic woven material. 6;. An adjustable gannent AS Maimed in any preceding claim wherein the 10 garment is a skirts 7 An adjustable gannent as claimed in any of claims 1-5 wherein me gartnerd is a pair of trousers.

5 8. An adjustable garment substantially as hereinbefore descnibeci vth reference to the accompanying drawings.