US2442494A - Adjustable dress for growing girls - Google Patents

Description

June 1, 1948. A oP s 2 ,442,494

ADJUSTABLE DRESS FOR GROWING GIRLS Filed April 22, 1947 ATTOEA/EK? Patented June 1, 1948 NHTED STATES ATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE DRESS FOR GROWING GIRLS Alice B. Hopkins, Columbia, S. 0.

Application April 22, 1947, Serial No. 743,157

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-75) This invention relates to childrens dresses, and particularly for girls within the fast growing age range.

The general object of the invention is to provide a dress which is adjustable so that it can be made to fit a girl equally well throughout a period of growth that extends over several size ranges.

More specific objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part Of the specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same reference characters have been employed to denote identical parts:

Figure 1 is a front view in perspective of a dress, embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front view also in perspective showing the waistband turned aside to disclose the fastening means.

The basic invention is applicable to all styles of small girls dresses, of the type which include a full straight front portion depending from a yoke, the neckline, or from the shoulders. Such dresses generally feature gathering, smocking, shirring, with braid, or some similar means for restraining the fullness at the line from which it emanates.

In conventional garments of this type there is usually a band delineating a waistline for restraining the fullness at an intermediate zone in the length of the dress, complementary to the band at the yoke, neckline or shoulders, and similar thereto in construction and appearance, being worked upon or stitched to the dress so as to form an integral part thereof. customarily there are half sashes stitched into the side seams, adapted to be tied at the back to complete the delineated waistline. Thus as the child grows the waistline delineation rises, emphasizing the outgrown condition Of the dress. It is impossible to make any compensating adjustment of the Waistband without an extensive dressmaking operation, so that the dress is generally discarded.

A dress embodying the principles of the present invention does not contemplate any departure from the conventional construction with respect to the neckline, yoke or shoulders, for the breadth of the shoulders or chest does not increase appreciably throughout the range of two or three dress sizes, while the height of the child may in the same time increase several inches. Therefore, it becomes necessary only to provide 2 adjustment, longitudinally of the dress, of the Waistband.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1 represents a dress, the upper portion of which may be of any conventional construction. By way of example, a dress is shown having a straight yoke 2, the bottom of the yoke being delineated by a straight transverse line 3. Beginning at this line and extending to the bottom of the dress, the front of the dress is full. Just beneath the line 3. the dress is formed with a transverse band 4 of smocking, worked upon the dress, which aside from its decorative attributes, performs the function of restraining the fullness of the material throughout the area overlain by the band. Other forms of band may be the full equivalent of the one shown, the nature of the decorative motif being immaterial, the essential function being that of setting the gathers or otherwise restraining the fullness. In performing this function, the band 4 becomes essentially an integral part of the dress.

In the region approximatin the natural waistline, the dress is provided with a detachable waistband 5, complementary to the band 4, extending transversely across the full front, and anchored at its opposite ends at spaced points 6 on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the dress, which points embrace between them the fullness of the dress front, so that when said points are tethered by said waistband, the fullness between them is restrained.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention the anchoring means comprise snap fasteners, one element 7 of which is fixed to the dress at each of the points 6, the other elements 8 being carried by the waistband. In order to obtain longitudinal adjustment of the waistband 5, the fastener elements 8 are duplicated at each end of the Waistband, one being secured near the top edge and the other near the bottom edge, so that by snapping either the upper or lower elements 8 upon the elements 1, the waistband may be shifted longitudinally of the dress a distance substantially equal to its own width. When the dress is first worn, the waistband will be secured in its high position. When the dress appears outgrown, the waistband is shifted and secured in its low position. The specific fastening means shown is illustrative of a wide range of equivalents which may be employed within the scope of the invention.

If half sashes are employed to complete the delineation of the waistline, these should of course, be in circumferential alignment with the appearance of a good fit or of being outgrown isv not determined by observing whether the waistband of the dress coincides with the natural;

waistline of the child, this being particularly true in a full dress which obscures the figure of the child. The criterion for appraising the fit of 'a' dress is the proportionate distance from the beginning of the fullness to the waistline delineation on the dress, relative to child.

As has been stated, the fullness may begin in the neckline, shoulders or bottom of the yoke, accordingto the style of the dress. In the eX- ample,..as disclosed, the fullness begins at the bottom of the yoke. The beginning of the fullness is indicated by the fixed band 4. In the conventional dress in which the waistband is fixed, the distance between the two bands is constant. Therefore, as the child grows, the distance betweenthe bands becomes disproportionately short relative-to the height of the child. In the'present invention, as the child grows the waistband is loweredby means of the adjustment provided, increasing the distance between the two bands, preserving the ratio between said distance and the height of the child. The band 4 therefore becomes an essential feature of the invention incombination with the adjustable waistband, serving-as a datum from which to evaluate the spacing of the bands incomparing this spacing with the height of the child.

In the preferred form of the invention, to assist this evaluation, the two bands should be equally visually prominent, and the decorative motifs of each preferably substantially similar.

As an incidental requirement, the dress of. the present invention has a deep hem l0, at the bottom, which can be let out to lengthen the dress as the child grows.

While I have in-the above description dis-closed what I believe to be a practical. embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those the height of the- 4 skilled in the art that the details of construction and arrangement of parts, as shown, are by way of example and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Childs dress capable of being altered as the child grows by lengthening the skirt, said dress having an upper body portion and a lower skirt portion continuous therewith, having a hem, said body portion being provided with a neck opening, an upper band across the skirt of said upper portion below the neck opening, a comple- ,mentary lower band detachably secured to the dress across the front delineating the top of said skirt portion, longitudinally spaced from said upper hand and adjustable longitudinally of the dress for varying the distance between said bands, said bands and the intervening portion of said dress defining a zone of which said bands form the upper and lower borders, adjustable in width proportionately to the length of the skirt. I

2. Child's dress capable of being altered as the child grows by lengthening the skirt, said dress having an upper body portion and a lower skirt portion continuous therewith, having a hem, the front of said dress being full, said body portion being provided with a neck opening, an upper band across the front of said upper portion below the neck opening, a complementary lower band detachably secured to the dress in fullness restraining relation thereto, delineating the top of said skirt portion of the dress, longitudinally spaced from said upper band and adjustable longitudinally of the dress for varying the distance between said bands, saidbands and the intervening full portion of the dress defining a. zone of which said bands form the upper and lower borders, adjustable in width proportionately of the length of the skirt.

ALICEB. HOPKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Porter May 17, 1938 Mele Aug, 16, 1938 Baeder Dec. 1, 1942 Lyttle July 27, 1943 Pearl Oct. 5, 1943 Number

Images