US3493973A

US3493973A - Demonstration garment

Info

Publication number: US3493973A
Application number: US594101A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jean B Armstrong
Original assignee: American Can Co
Current assignee: Primerica Inc
Priority date: 1966-11-14
Filing date: 1966-11-14
Publication date: 1970-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-10
Also published as: GB1132659A; DE1610735A1; DE1610735B2

Description

, Feb. 1 0, 1970 J. B- ARMSTRONG DEMONSTRATION GARMENT 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed NOV. 14. 1966 INVENTOR. JEAN B. ARMSTRONG ATTORNEYS Feb. 10, 1970' J. B. ARMSTRONG DEMONSTRATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14. 1966 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS m W, M,

United States Patent DEMONSTRATION GARMENT Jean B. Armstrong, New York, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Can Company, New York,

N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 594,101 Int. Cl. A41d 1/22, 27/00 U.S. Cl. 274 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a demonstration garment made available by a store Selling garment patterns so that the home seamstress may effectively try on the garment so that she may determine whether the style is to her liking before purchasing a pattern and fabric from which she will make the garment. The garment includes suflicient front panels and pieces so that the front of the demonstration garment has substantially the same appearance as the completed garment which it simulates while the back of the garment is substantially fully open but provided with means for hooking same about the body of the wearer when the garment is tried on. The hooking means at the rear of the garment are arranged to permit the garment to be tried on by customers whose sizes vary widely while permitting the garment to hang and fall in a manner realistically approaching the fit of a completed garment of the proper size.

This invention relates generally to a demonstration garment and more particularly to a demonstration ladys garment for use in conjunction with the promotion and sale of garment patterns and especially dress patterns.

Home sewing is an ever increasing avocation of the housewife and many women make a great proportion of the apparel which they and the members of their families wear. Most garments are fabricated using a purchased pattern available at the local sewing or fabric center. The number of styles available in pattern form is almost limitless and each style is available in patterns of various sizes. Pattern manufacturers usually put out pictorial catalogues showing the various styles available and the home sewer makes the selection from photographs or drawings of the style depicted.

Most home sewers also purchase some of their garments ready-to-wear in retail shops and the manner of purchase is quite distinct as regards the pattern purchase. In a ready-to-wear establishment, the prospective customer will usually try on the garment and thus she is quickly able to determine in advance whether the particular style is as attractive on her as it is on the hanger. Quite to the contrary, when selecting a pattern the customer has heretofore had to satisfy herself with the picture of the style appearing in the catalogue or on the pattern package and then attempt to imagine how the garment will look on her in her size.

While a substantial volume of patterns and garment fabric is sold each year, the inability of the purchaser to get a general idea of how the garment will look on her has always been a major drawback. Due to the large number of styles and sizes available, it has been impracticable to have in the pattern store made up samples of the various styles in various sizes for the home seamstress to try on.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a garment which can be tried on by a customer within a large size range and which can give the customer a general idea of how the style of the particular garment will look on her.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garice,

ment which may be inexpensively fabricated for use as a demonstration garment for substantially any preselected style.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a customer can judge a garment which she contemplates making from a pattern selected as to style and size.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a garment is fabricated having a front panel or panels which simulate the completed garment or dress and having in the rear a halter arrangement designed to allow the garment to be temporarily worn by women of various sizes with adjusting means being provided so that the wearer can, in the mirror, get a relatively accurate picture of how the garment of the particular style will look on her. In this manner, more satisfactory means are provided to permit the customer to determine whether or not she wishes to purchase the pattern of that style in her size.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a sleeveless demonstration garment constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view looking in the direction of arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial rear elevational view of a demonstration garment having a sleeve;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a demonstration garment simulating a two-piece dress or a dress with a jacket;

' and FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

In constructing the demonstration garment of the instant invention, two generally conflicting criteria are to be borne in mind. Firstly, the front View of the garment should appear as close as possible to a fully fabricated garment, the size of which appears close to the size of any particular wearer. Secondly, the garment must be able to be tried on by a plurality of women of widely varying sizes and shapes.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown the front panel 11 of a garment of a particular style. The style will be identical to the style of a corresponding pattern which is available in various sizes. The style shown in FIG. 1, by way of example, has what is known as a bib front indicated at 12 with a plurality of buttons 13 and a notched collar 14. The garment is sleeveless and armholes 15 are larger than normal to be able to accommodate various sizes. A belt 20 may. be provided stitched to the side seams of front panel 11. Otherwise, the garment is constructed and looks identical to the front panel of the garment if it were made into a completed garment.

The critical features of construction of the garment appear in the FIG. 2 view, the criticality resulting-in imparting to the garment a natural appearance when worn while being capable of being worn by wearers of various sizes and shapes.

Left and right

vertical strips

16 and 17 are secured to front panel 11 along respective side seams 18. The width of the

vertical strips

16 and 17 is sufficient to impart a back to the garment at each side seam in order that the demonstration garment may more closely take the shape of an actual garment. An armhole strip 19 follows the general contour of each armhole 15 and is secured at one end to the shoulder or upper edge of front panel 11 and at the other end to the respective

vertical strip

16 or 17. Note that the upper edge of front panel 11 preferably extends beyond the normal shoulder seam to impart a shoulder to the garment. The armhole strip with the respective armhole of the front panel defines an armhole of relatively large size in order to accommodate the range of sizes for which the demonstration garment is designed.

The garment is held on the wearer by an adjustable harness which will now be described. Extending from each armhole strip is an upper strap 21 with the two upper straps extending toward each other. Extending from the outer edge of each upper strap is a lower strap 22 which connects, at its lower end, to the respective

vertical strip

16 or 17. A plurality of hooks 23 are provided on one of upper straps 21 and eyes 24 on a confronting face of the other of straps 21 to provide a releasable and adjustable connection for the garment. Upper straps 21 connect to the armhole strips slightly below the midpoint of the armhole strips and lower straps 22 connect to the

vertical strips

16 and 17 at about Waist level. The length and angle of the upper and lower straps is selected so that the harness hooks together at approximately the bustline whereby the partial garment is caused to hang properly on the wearer while imparting sufiicient tension at various points to give the garment a realistic fit.

The configuration and placement of the harness straps is critical also in order for the demonstration garment to be capable of fitting a variety of sizes. By providing for a relatively proper fit at the bustline, the garment can drape and need not take into account the varying sizes and locations of wearers waists, which vary to a substantially greater extent than do bustline dimensions.

Fitment across the neck line is provided if the garment has a collar. In the particular embodiment shown, the garment has a collar 14 which extends around the rear of the garment as best shown in FIG. 3 and is provided with a plurality of hooks 25 and eyes 26 in order to provide for adjustment in a relatively wide range.

Since the demonstration garment is designed, in all respects, to have the appearance of a completed garment When viewed from the front, the garment will be made up in a typical fabric and may be lined if desired. In any event, it is desirable that upper and

lower straps

21 and 22 be elasticized to provide a degree of expansion to provide a broader range of harness adjustment. Any suitable means can be provided for elasticizing the straps with a typical construction being shown in FIG. 4 wherein a relatively wide elastic band 31 is within a tube formed by fabric 32 and lining 33 with the ends of the elastic band being secured at the ends of the straps and with the fabric and lining material being longer than the elastic band to permit stretching of the band. Elasticizing garments for stretchability is a well known expedient and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

It may also be desirable to have the length of the garment adjustable and to this end there is shown several rows of snaps 34 sewn to the inside of front panel 11 and, if desired,

vertical strips

16 and 17 with the snaps in the lowermost row adapted to mate with the snaps in the upper rows to permit the garment to be releasably held in various shortened positions.

Thus, with a garment of the foregoing construction, a garment of a particular style may be used to actually show the prospective purchaser of a pattern approximately how the garment will look when made up and thus the prospective purchaser need not rely merely on her imagination after seeing a picture of the style. The purchaser can, in effect, try on the garment as she would when buying a ready-to-wear garment.

The invention hereinabove described has been done so in conjunction with the showing of a sleeveless dress. It will, however, be understood that the invention is adapted for use with substantially any type of garment as Will be clear from the representative types and styles hereafter described.

Referring to FIG. 5, a portion of a demonstration garment with a short raglan sleeve is shown. The demonstration garment consists of the front panel, vertical strips, armhole strips, upper straps and lower straps as heretofore described with the addition of a sleeve panel 41 whose length would be short, medium or long depending on the style. The sleeve panel would continue around to the rear and be held in a relatively tubular shape by a length of elastic 42. Note that the armhole strip for a raglan sleeve would be connected at the terminus of the sleeve panel. The demonstration garment would be tried on in the same manner as heretofore described with the additional sleeve structure shown simulating the actual sleeve of any particular style.

While the example of the sleeve shown in FIG. 5 is a raglan sleeve, it will be understood that a set-in sleeve could also be used if called for by the particular style and in such event armhole strip 19 would be secured to the front panel as shown in FIG. 2 and the sleeve having a construction similar to FIG. 5 with the length of elastic 42 would be set in at the armhole. If desired, more than one length of elastic 42 may be provided.

A demonstration garment of still another style is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The garment construction of FIGS. 6 and 7 would be used for a two-piece dress as well as a dress with a jacket. For a two-piece dress, front panel 11 would consist of a skirt panel 43 and a bodice panel 44, with the skirt and bodice panels seamed together at 45 to make a front panel similar to that shown in FIG. 2. The vertical strips, armhole strips and upper and lower straps would be the same as previously described. The top of the two-piece dress would be in the form of a top panel 46 hanging loosely as shown in FIG. 7 and stitched to the bodice along top seams 47, armhole seams 48 and side seams 18. With the foregoing construction, the demonstration garment would be a single unit while simulating a two-piece dress.

The construction of FIGS. 6 and 7 would also be used for fabricating a demonstration garment of the style of a dress with a jacket. For the dress with jacket, front panel 11 would be a single piece similar to the front panel of FIG. 2 rather than the skirt panel 43 and bodice panel 44 seamed at 45. The jacket panel would replace top panel 46 and would be stitched to the front panel in a fashion similar to the stitching of top panel 46. The jacket panel would be provided with the usual jacket opening down the front of the jacket panel.

For both the two-piece dress and dress with jacket, the demonstration garment would be supported from the shoulders and secured across the bustline by the rear harness with the top panel 46 or jacket panel hanging loosely to thereby simulate a garment of these styles. Naturally, if the style calls for short or long raglan or setin sleeves, the sleeve panels would be provided as described above in connection with FIG. 5.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that a demonstration garment can be constructed in a wide variety of styles with the critical features residing in the provision of the armhole strips and the harness of proper construction in order to provide a sufficiently proper fit for the garment, regardless of the womans size, so that realistic appraisal of the appearance of the style may be made by the prospective customer before purchasing the pattern of the correct size and the material from which the garment will be made.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efiiciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a demonstration type garment as a new article of commerce the combination comprising a front panel constructed to have the appearance of any preselected style, means defining left and right arm holes secured to said front panel, said armhole defining means being located at the back of said garment, harness means secured to said armhole defining means and said front panel and extending across the back of said garment, and means cooperating with said harness means for rendering said harness means adjustable.

2. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front panel includes means on said front panel defining front arm hole portions, said means defining left and right armholes located at the back of said garment cooperating with said means on said front panel to define the armholes of said garment.

3. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said harness means includes a left harness portion and a right harness portion, each of said harness portions including an upper strap having a fixed end secured to said armhole defining means and a free end and a lower strap having a fixed end secured to said front panel and a free end, said free ends of each of said upper and lower straps being secured to one another, and said adjustable cooperating means including releasable means on said left and right harness portions being adapted to be releasably secured to one another at said free ends thereof.

4. A garment as claimed in claim 3 wherein said releasable means includes fasteners at the free ends of said left and said right harness portions for adjustably and releasably fastening together said left and said right harness portions.

5. A garment as claimed in claim 3 and including elastic means cooperating with each of said upper and lower straps for rendering said straps stretchable.

6. A garment as claimed in claim 1 and including means at the lower end of said front panel for rendering adjustable the length of said front panel.

7. A garment as claimed in claim 1 including left and right vertical strips extending the length of said front panel from the lower edge thereof to said left and said right armhole means, said vertical strips being respectively secured to the left and right side edges of said front panel, said left and right armhole means and said harness means being secured to said vertical strips.

8. A garment as claimed in claim 3 wherein said left and right harness portions are adjustably secured to one another through said releasable means at the bustline of said garment.

9. A garment as claimed in claim 8 wherein each of said upper straps is secured to an associated armhole defining means at substantially the center thereof and each of said lower straps is secured to said front panel substantially at the waist line of said garment.

10. A garment as claimed in claim 1 and including a sleeve panel secured to said front panel at each side thereof and at least one length of elastic secured transversely across each of said sleeve panels.

11. A garment as claimed in claim 1 and including a top panel secured over said front panel, top seams, armhole seams and side seams securing said panels together, the lower edge of said top panel being loose and unsecured with respect to said front panel.

12. A garment as claimed in claim 11 wherein said front panel includes a skirt panel and a bodice panel, said skirt and bodice panels being joined along a transverse seam, said top panel extending over and covering said transverse seam.

13. A garment as claimed in claim 1 including a neckband secured to said front panel at the neck line thereof, said neckband extending around the rear of said garment and terminating in ends, and means cooperating with said ends of said neckband and rendering said neckband adjustable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 431,332 7/1890 Chadwick 248 445,548 2/1891 Filkins 248 890,456 6/ 1908 Roller 2-48 945,345 1/1910 Richards 25 1 1,933,185 10/1933 Rouleau 252 XR 3,230,545 1/1966 Galley 274 FOREIGN PATENTS 415,662 8/1934 Great Britain.

H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 33-15