US3230545A

US3230545A - Contractible garment

Info

Publication number: US3230545A
Application number: US409498A
Authority: US
Inventors: Galley Joyce
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-11-06
Filing date: 1964-11-06
Publication date: 1966-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-25

Description

Jan. 25, 1966 Filed Nov. 6, 1964 J. GALLEY CONTRACTIBLE GARMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOYCE GAL LE Y ATTOR NE YS Filed Nov J. GALLEY CONTRAGTIBLE GARMENT 5 sheets s t INV TOR JOY: ALLEY BY I ATTORNE Jan. 25, 1966 J. GALLEY CONTRAGTIBLE GARMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 6, 1964 FIG. 9

INVENTOR JOYCE GALLEY United States Patent 3,230,545 CONTRACTIBLE GARMENT Joyce Galley, 13 Gramercy Park S., New York, N.Y. Filed Nov. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 409,498 8 Claims. (Cl. 2-74) The present invention relates to garments and, more particularly to contractible, fashionable clothing that may be comfortably and attractively worn, without alteration, during and after a period of pregnancy or a conscientious program of dieting.

The new and improved dress of the invention is of predetermined fashionable design, and is opened and closed through the use of opposing, mating full length vertical fastening tapes of the type having a hooked or bur strip and a complementary mating looped or fleece strip, which fastening tapes are openable and closable by either pressing together or pulling apart the component hooked and looped strips. In accordance with the principles of the invention, the closure, which may be characterized as a vertical full length multiple fly closure, includes an overlying inwardly facing closure strip sewn along a vertical edge of the wrong or inside of the garment and at least two underlying, outwardly facing anchor strips sewn on the right or outside of the other vertical edge of the dress. The anchor strips are substantially parallel to one another and, in accordance with the invention, one of them is selectively employed with the closure strip to effect a fly closure of the dress at any one of a plurality of sizes ranging from those encountered during periods of pregnancy and overweightedness to the normal sizes ensuing after having given birth or having heavily dieted.

Specifically, in the expanded sizes, the closure strip will be used with the forwardmost anchor strip to provide the largest possible size, as may be well understood, while in the normal size the closure strip is fastened to the rearmost anchor strip. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, in the maternity or overweight sizes the otherwise exposed anchor strips are covered with removable fly tapes, advantageously fabricated from the same material used in the body of the dress or from the same material used in the decorative trim of the dress, which removable fly tapes are lined with nylon fastening strips matable with the above-described anchor strips. As Will be understood, the fly tapes are integral parts of the dress when it is worn in an expanded size and may be easily removed therefrom after pregnancy or significant weight losses from dieting.

More specifically, after pregnancy, for example, the dress may be contracted in a most simple and expeditious manner and without alteration, in accordance with the inventive principles, by merely peeling the decorative fly tapes away from the anchor strips to expose the latter and thereafter pressing the closure strip to the rearmost exposed anchor strips to contract the dress to a normal size. As an additional aspect, in certain fashion styles, the neckline of the dress may be provided with a predetermined degree of contractibility with a draw string or the like to accommodate adjustment and achievement of a proper aesthetic balance of the neckline dimensions with the body of the dress for the sizes selected.

As another feature of the invention, the nylon fastening tapes extend beyond the hemline of the garment and thus provide for lengthening of the dress and its multiple fly closure, if that should be found desirable or necessary. To that end, and in accordance with another specific aspect of the invention, a plurality of additional nylon fastening tapes, including one hem closure strip located at the bottom edge of the garment and a plurality of hem anchor strips spaced therefrom, are provided in the hem construction. By selectively fastening the hem closure strip to one of the hem anchor strips, the length of the dress to the hemline can be varied, rapidly and without alteration, to meet the requirements and fashion tastes of the wearer.

It will be appreciated that the attractive dresses of the present invention, having a new and improved, multiple fly closure, may be fashionably worn throughout pregnancy or periods of dieting and may be simply and quickly reduced in size thereafter to provide an equally attractive and fashionable dress of normal size. For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a new and improved contractible dress having a front multiple fly closure and constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dress of FIG. 1, contracted in size, in accordance with the invention, for normal wear after pregnancy or dieting;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the garment closure in a contracted size taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the garment closure in an expanded size and having an anchor strip exposed;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the closure in a maternity size taken along line 55 of FIG. 1 with the anchor strip covered and decorated by a removable fly tape;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing details of the adjustable collar construction of the garment of FIG. 1 with the collar in an expanded size;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing details of the adjustable collar construction of the garment. of FIG. 2 with the collar in a contracted size;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 1 showing details of construction of the new and improved multiple fly closure at the hemline of the garment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate preferred embodiment of the invention in which multiple fly closures are included at opposite sides of the dress;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the garment of FIG. 9 showing details of construction; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view of a dress tube with parts broken away to show details of the new and improved adjustable hem construction.

With reference to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the new contractible dress 9 having a multiple fly closure 10 is shown to be generally tubular in overall configuration, it being understood that the particular shape may be somewhat conical for A-line fashions and somewhat cylindrical for the straight fashions. The maternity dress 9 includes right front panels and left front panels (in terms of the wearers right and left) 11, 12, respectively, sewn to a back panel 13 along seams 14. In accordance with the invention, the dress tube 9 opens and closes along its full length, that is in this embodiment from its neckline 15 to its hemline 16, at the free edge portions of the front panels 12, 11 generally designated by

numerals

19, 20, respectively (FIGS. 3-5). As shown in FIG. 1, the right panel 11 is somewhat wider than the left panel 12 in order that the dress close along the left side of the wearer in a stylish, asymmetric manner. This is of importance in the retention of the fashionable style and balance in the later contraction of the dress, as will be understood.

In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the multiple fly closure 10 of the dress is effected with nylon fastening tapes comprising mating woven strips having cooperating surfaces provided with releasable interconnecting portions. Specifically, such fastening tapes are available commercially under the trade designation Velcro and comprise a looped strip having a fleecy velvet-like appearance and texture and a hooked strip having a bur-like appearance. Nylon fastening tapes of the type described are joined together by pressing the hooks or barbs of one strip into locking engagement with the loops of a mating strip to effect a substantially flat, attractive closure, while unfastening is achieved by peeling the strips apart to free the barbs from the loops. More explicit details of the specific structure and manufacture of the Velcro tapes may be had from United States Patents Nos. 2,717,437 and 3,114,951.

More specifically and as shown best in FIGS. 35, the leading portion of the front panel 11 is trimmed on its outside with contrasting decorative trim fabric 21 and a matching decorative button 21, while on the inside it is provided with a hooked Velcro closure strip 22 extending for the full length of the panel 11 and advantageously of one inch width. The closure strip 22 and the decorative trim 21 may be suitably secured to the edge of the panel 11 by lines of stitching 23. As shown, the neckline itself and the cuffs of included sleeves 8 are decorated with the trim 21.

The leading edge portion 19 of the right front panel 12 is finished with a lining panel 26 sewn on the inside thereof by stitching 27, 28 as shown in FIG. 3. In accordance with a very important aspect of the invention, a forwardmost anchor strip 29 and rearmost auxiliary anchor strip 39, both of looped nylon Velcro tapes, advantageously of one inch in width, are sewn to the outside of the edge portion 9 of the front panel 12 by lines of

stitching

24, 25 and 28, respectively, and effectively extend for its full length. As shown, the width of the lining panel 26 advantageously is such that the seam 28 is coincident with an anchor strip and covered thereby.

It should be understood that more than two such anchor strips may be employed, and that the invention is not intended to be limited to a double fly closure but rather to a multiple closure which may include intermediate, auxiliary anchor strips (not shown) between the illustrated forwardmost an drearmost anchor strips. For the purposes of clarity and brevity of description, two anchor strips are suflicient to illustrate the inventive principles. The specific number and spacing of the Velcro anchor strips 29, will determine the range of sizes available to the wearer, with the forwardmost anchor strip 29 being definitive of the fully expanded size of the garment and the rearmost auxiliary anchor strip 30 being definitive of the fully contracted size, as will be appreciated.

A reliable fly closure of the dress tube 9 in the fullest (maternity or pre-dieting) size (FIG. 1) is eifected by pressing the closure strip 22 onto the forwardmost anchor strip 29, as shown in FIG. 4. In accordance with the invention, the other or auxiliary anchor strip 30 and each intermediate anchor strip that may be used, which would otherwise be exposed, are covered in a flat, attractive, nonbulging fashion with auxiliary fly tapes 31. As shown in FIG. 5, the fly tape comprises a fabric cover strip 32, advantageously for the style illustrated, of the same contrasting fabric 21 used in the decoration of the sleeves, neckline, and right front panel of the dress; a matching decorative button 21 at the upper end of the cover strip; and a Velcro nylon hooked fastening strip 33 similar to the Velcro closure strip 22 and matable with the looped Velcro anchor strips in a similar fashion. The Velcro strip 33 and the cover strip 32 may be assembled into a fly tape 31 by appropriate stitching 34, as clearly shown.

After a reduction in size in the wearer and in accordance with the invention, when it is desired to contract the new dress to normal size (FIG. 2), the fly tape 31 is peeled off the anchor strip 30 (FIG. 4) and the dress tube is then reclosed by a fly closure by pressing the closure strip 22 to the outermost anchor strip 30. As will be understood, the entire contracting operation may be quickly completed in a matter of seconds. As shown in 4 FIG. 3, the exposed anchor strip 30 will be hidden from view by the right front dress panel 11, itself.

As explained hereinabove the specific number of anchor strips employed will determine the degree of adjustability available. Thus, an important corollary advantage of the new and improved multiple closure, especially when the dress includes several anchor strips and is worn by a dieter, is that the periodic removal of a fly tape 31 and reclosure at smaller size psychologically tends to encourage weight reduction by giving the dieting wearer tangible evidence of success. In other Words, each anchor strip is a bench mark clearly showing the progress, or lack thereof, in a weight reducing program.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that each anchor strip employed actually serves multiple functions. That is to say, the anchor strip' cooperating with the closure strip serves to close the dress; the anchor strip, as selectively employed and cooperating with the closure strip, serves to expand or contract the dress; the anchor strip cooperating with a fly tape serves to decorate the dress; and the anchor strip itself serves as a bench mark in a weight reducing program.

Where significant contraction of the dress tube 9 is experienced, it is often desirable to provide an additional compensating or balancing contraction of the neckline 15 (which itself is contracted since the closure 10 extends from the neckline to the hemline) to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the garment. To that end, a pair of looped draw strings 35 may be secured by seams 37 in channels 36 formed at the neckline 15, advantageously from the dress trim 21, itself, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. One or more adjusting buttons 38 are spaced rearwardly of the loops 39 as shown.

Specifically, when the dress 9 is contracted from the maternity size (FIGS. 1 and 6) to the normal size (FIGS. 2 and 7) the neckline 15 is reduced by the width 15a of the neckline between

anchor strips

29, 30. Thereafter it may be gathered and effectively further reduced in size, as shown, by attaching the looped draw strings 35 to the adjusting buttons 38. It will be appreciated that by balancing the neckline 15 of the dress with the overall dress dimensions, determined by the particular anchor strip selected for closure, a fashionable appearance of the dress may be maintained at all times.

As an additional important aspect of the invention, and as shown, for example, in FIG. 8, the Velcro fastening tapes employed in the new and improved multiple fly closure extend beyond the hemline 16 to the inside of the dress. When it is desired to lengthen the dress, it is necessary only to lower the hemline 16 by lowering the hem seam 40 of the dress. As will be appreciated, the associated fastening Velcro tapes will correspondingly lengthen the multiple fly closure. Thus a built-in and readily alterable full length closure may be provided, in accordance with the invention, by extending the nylon fastening tapes beyond the hemline to the inside of the garment.

An alternate preferred embodiment of-the invention embodied in a tubular sleeveless dress body 50 of different design than that of the dress 9, is shown in FIGS. 9 11, and includes a front panel 51 and a back panel 52 of suitable dress fabric. The front and

back panels

51, 52 are advantageously joined at the shoulders 53 which may be decorated with bows 55. The shoulder 53 defines a continuous neckline 56 at upper portions thereof and discontinuous front and rear armhole portions 57 at lower portions thereof along the

edges

58, 59 of the front and

rear panels

51, 52, respectively.

In accordance with the invention the sleeveless dress body 50 is opened and closed and the dress 50 may be contracted along a pair of new and improved

multiple fly closures

60, 61 located at opposite sides thereof as shown best in FIG. 10. Each of the multiple fly closures is a full length closure extending from the armhole portions 57 to the hemline 62.

More specifically and somewhat similar to the abovedescribed multiple fly closure, the

closures

60, 61 include hooked Velcro closure strips 63 sewn on the inside of the edges 58 of the front panel which are fastenable to mating forwardmost and rearmost l-ooped Velcro anchor strips 64, 65 sewn on the outside of the edges 59 of the back panel 52.

In accordance with the invention, the dress may be closed along its full length and in the fullest size (FIG. 9) by pressing the closure strips 63 on both sides of the garment to the forwardmost anchor strips 64. As Will be understood, this closure will join the separate armhole portions 57 of the front and rear panels to complete the armholes. As an important aspect of the invention, the otherwise exposed looped anchor strips 65 are attractive ly concealed by fly tapes 66 (FIG. 9) which are similar in construction to the above-described fly tapes 31. Specifically, the fly tapes 66 include a cover strip 67, advantageously made of the same material as the

dress panels

51, 52 and a hooked Velcro strip 68 which is matable with the looped anchor strips.

As will be understood, the dress 50 may be contracted to a normal size, without alteration, and in a matter of seconds, in accordance with the invention, by peeling the fly tapes 66 from the rearmost anchor strips 65 and reclosing the closure strips 63 thereto. The so-efiected fly closure will, again, form continuous armholes from the separate armhole portions 57.

As another feature of the new and improved dress construction of the present invention, an adjustable hemline 70 may be included in tubular dress body 80 which advantageously is substantially cylindrical. As shown in FIG. 11, circular hem anchor strips 71, 72 of looped Velcro material are sewn on the inside 81 of the dress tube in a spaced relation with the bottom edge 74 of the dress tube, while a hem closure strip 73 of hooked Velcro is sewn adjacent the inside bottom edge 74. By pressing the closure strip 73 to a selected one of the hem anchor strips 71, 72 (any number may be employed, as should be understood), the hemline may be raised or lowered as desired without alteration. This adjustable hemline construction may, of course, be incorporate-d with the hems of either of the above-described new dresses to provide an added degree of alteration-free adjustability and where desired or necessary may be incorporated into the sleeve construction of a garment.

The new and improved contractible dresses of the pres ent invention provide garments which may be fashionably and economically worn both during and after pregnancy or dieting without alteration. Specifically, the novel multiply fly closure of the invention, employing Velcro nylon fastening tapes, provides simple, extremely rapid, and eflicient means of both closing a garment and adjusting its size along its full length. Additionally, the multiple fly closure itself contributes to the decorative appearance of the garment in its expanded sizes and provides a series of bench marks for the wearer participating in a weight reduction program.

Furthermore, the new multiple fly closure will, itself, be lengthened for full length closure when the dress body is lengthened. To that end, and in accordance with the invention, lengthening of the new garments may be easily and with extreme rapidity be effected, without alteration by providing a plurality of Velcro nylon fastening tapes in the hem construction.

Thus it will be appreciated that embodiment of the inventive principles in a garment will provide an unusual degree of adjustability of size in a garment, a prerequisite in maternity and dieting clothing, which adjustability may be achieved without costly and complicated tailoring and alteration.

It should be understood that the specific garment structures herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A contractible garment comprising (a) a dress body of dress fabric having upper shoulder portions defining a predetermined neckline and having lower portions defining a predetermined hemline,

(b) fly closure means at opposite free longitudinal edges of said body and extending for the length of said dress body between said neckline and hemline,

(c) said fly closure means including a closing nylon fastening strip sewn along the inside of a first free edge of said body and a mating anchor nylon fastening strip sewn along the outside of the other free edge,

((1) an auxiliary anchor strip spaced inwardly from said last mentioned anchor strip and extending generally parallel therewith for the entire length of said dress body, and

(e) a removable auxiliary fly extending the entire length of said dress body and having a nylon fastening strip matable with said auxiliary anchor strip sewn along the inside thereof,

(f) said auxiliary fly being removably fastened to said auxiliary tape and concealing the same, whereby said dress body may be readily and substantially immediately contracted by selectively fastening said closing strip to said auxiliary anchor strip upon the removal of said auxiliary fly therefrom.

2. A contractible garment in accordance with claim 1,

in which (a) said auxiliary fly is made of said dress fabric.

3. A contractible garment in accordance with claim 1,

in which (a) a decorative trim of predetermined fabric other than said dress fabric is sewn along the outside of said first free edge, and

(b) said auxiliary fly is made of said predetermined decorative trim fabric.

4. A contractible garment in accordance with claim 1,

in which (a) said fly closure means is located in the front of said dress body and to one side of the central axis of symmetry of said dress.

5. A contractible dress comprising (a) a generally tubular dress body having opposing full length free edge portions along which it is openable and closable,

(b) fly closure means including a first anchor strip and a closure strip at said opposite free longitudinal edges of said body and extending for said full length of said body,

(c) an auxiliary anchor strip spaced inwardly from said first anchor strip and extending generally parallel therewith for the full lenth of said dress body,

(d) a removable fly extending the full length of said body and having a fastening strip matable with said auxiliary anchor strip sewn along the full length of the inside thereof,

(e) said fly being removably fastened to said auxiliary strip and concealing the same,

(f) whereby said dress may be readily and substantially immediately contracted by selectively fastening said closing strip to said auxiliary anchor strip upon the removal of said auxiliary fly therefrom.

6. A dress in accordance with claim 5, in which (a) said closure strip, anchor strip and removable fly comprise hooked and looped nylon fastening tape means.

7. A contractible garment comprising (a) an open sleeveless dress body having front and rear panels connected at the upper shoulder portions thereof,

(b) said shoulder portions defining a predetermined neckline and predetermined armhole portions,

(0) said front and rear panels eXtending from said shoulder portions to a predetermined hemline,

(d) each of said panels having two free edges extending the full length of said dress body at opposite sides thereof from said armhole portions to said hemline,

(e) multiple fly closure means connecting said free edges at each side of said dress body,

(f) said fly closure means including a closing nylon fastening strip sewn along the inside full length of one free edge of said body and mating anchor nylon fastening strips sewn along the outside of the other free edge,

(g) removable flies being fastened to all but one of said anchor strips on each side of said garment and concealing the same,

(h) whereby said front and rear panels define a closed, generally tubular dress body in which said armhole portions cooperate to define complete armholes, said dress body may be readily and substantially immediately contracted by selectively fastening said closing of said auxiliary fly therefrom.

strip to said auxiliary anchor strip upon the removal 8. A contractible garment in accordance with claim 7, in which (a) said flies are of the same material as said dress fabric.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,679 12/1911 Padernacht 274 1,123,212 1/1915 Abrams 276 2,123,969 7/1938 ROSenblatt 270 X 2,261,662 11/1941 Reno 276 2,520,653 8/1950 Rand 248 X 3,009,235 11/1961 De Mestral.

FOREIGN PATENTS 105,448 4/ 1917 Great Britain. 1,263,391 5/ 1961 France.

Vogue Pattern Book, February-March 1960.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,230,545 January 25, 1966 Joyce Galley It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 41, for "an drearmost" read and rearmost column 7, line 24, strike out "of said auxiliary fly therefrom." and insert instead strip to said auxiliary anchor strip upon the removal column 8, line 1, strike out "strip to said auxiliary anchor strip upon the removal" and insert instead of said auxiliary fly thgerefrqm,

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of January 1967.

( L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

5. A CONTRACTIBLE DRESS COMPRISING (A) A GENERALLY TUBULAR DRESS BODY HAVING OPPOSING FULL LENGTH FREE EDGE PORTIONS ALONG WHICH ITS IS OPENABLE AND CLOSABLE, (B) FLY CLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST ANCHOR STRIP AND A CLOSURE STRIP AT SAID OPPOSITE FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID BODY AND EXTENDING FOR SAID FULL LENGTH OF SAID BODY, (C) AN AUXILIARY ANCHOR STRIP SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST ANCHOR STRIP AND EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL THEREWITH FOR THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID DRESS BODY, (D) A REMOVABLE FLY EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID BODY AND HAVING A FASTENING STRIP MATABLE WITH SAID AUXILIARY ANCHOR STRIP SEWN ALONG THE FULL LENGTH OF THE INSIDE THEREOF, (E) SAID FLY BEING REMOVABLY FASTENED TO SAID AUXILIARY STRIP AND CONCEALING THE SAME, (F) WHEREBY SAID DRESS MAY BE READILY AND SUBSTANTTIALLY IMMEDIATELY CONTRACTED BY SELECTIVELY FASTENING THE REMOVAL OF SAID AUXILIARY FLY THEREFROM.