SLEEVES FOR WEAR WITH SLEEVELESS OR SHORT SLEEVED GARMENT OR BRA WITH SLEEVES

Abstract

A sleeve garment provides sleeves that are worn with a sleeveless dress or top. The sleeve garment includes sleeves and side panels attached to the sleeves. The sleeve garment is attached to a bra by passing the shoulder straps of the bra through channels in the side panels of the sleeve garment and by attaching the side panels to side straps or wings of the bra. The channels are provided with openings for access to adjustment buckles of the shoulder straps. The sleeve garment may be permanently or temporarily attached to the bra.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/500,731, filed Jun. 24, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an article of clothing, and more particularly to a garment having sleeves for wearing with a sleeveless garment or to garment including a bra having attached sleeves.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is commonly known that fashion has recently been aimed toward the younger market. Some of the more fashionable women's clothing includes features that may flatter a younger wearer but which may not be as flattering on, for example, a more mature wearer. For instance, many dresses and tops have short sleeves, cap sleeves, or are without sleeves. While such dresses and tops have long been available, clothing designers are offering many of the latest designs without sleeves. For the woman for whom revealing the upper arms may not be a flattering look, the choices of fashionable tops and dresses may be limited by the need to select a garment with sleeves.

The woman who travels, for instance, and desires a sleeveless dress or top for an evening out or for wear on a warmer day, but who will be traveling to an area that prohibits exposing the arms and/or shoulders, such as when touring a church, must pack two different garments. The sleeveless dress or top may not offer protection from the sun when worn during the middle of the day, but may be more desirable for wear in the evening—again two different garments are required. The weather may change, calling for a warmer garment when only shorter sleeves or sleeveless garments have been packed or are available or desired for wear. A woman may desire to change the look of the garment by wearing it with different accessories and clothing items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a garment with sleeves for wear with a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment, and preferably is a garment that is primarily formed by sleeves that are worn by being attached to a bra. The sleeves can be attached to the bra in a relatively permanent manner or the sleeves can be removably attachable to a bra. The wearer may wear the bra and the sleeves garment under a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment and thereby add sleeves to the sleeveless or short-sleeved garment, such as to keep the wearer's arms covered or partially covered while still wearing the sleeveless or short-sleeved garment. The sleeves of the sleeve garment may be any length and of any fabric and may be as tight or loose on the arms as desired.

The sleeves of one embodiment are affixed relatively permanently to the bra, such as by being sewn to the bra, so that the bra and sleeves are always worn together. The sleeves garment can be sewn to any bra of the wearer's choosing so that fit and appearance of both the sleeves and the bra can be customized. The sleeves can be constructed for easy removal from the bra so that the wearer may exchange the sleeves for a sleeves of another color, fabric or length or may remove the sleeves altogether so that the bra can be worn without the sleeves garment. Conversely, the removable sleeves garment can be detached from one bra and attached to another bra for a different fit or contour. This would permit the sleeves garment to be worn by different people, such as when friends borrow each other's clothes or with different clothing that requires different bra styles.

The sleeves garment is, in many embodiments, formed by two separate sleeve portions, a right sleeve portion and a left sleeve portion. The right sleeve portion is worn over the wearer's right arm and is connected to the right side of the bra and may be attached to the right shoulder strap of the bra. The left sleeve portion is worn over the wearer's left arm and is connected to the left side of the bra and may be connected to the left shoulder strap. Each sleeve portion may be connected to the torso strap (also referred to as the wings or side strap) of the bra and/or to the cups of the bra.

The bra, also referred to as a brassiere, which is worn with the sleeves garment may be of any type. In one example, the bra is a multi-way bra having shoulder straps that can be moved from a normal strap position with the straps extending from the cups, over each shoulder to connect the back strap on each respective side of the back, to a crisscross position with the shoulder straps crossing in the back after passing over each shoulder. The bra may be a so-called sports bra with a single central strap at the back. The bra may be of a type that is worn without shoulder straps or may have shoulder straps that are removable from the bra when desired. Other bra types and configurations are also possible with the present sleeves garment.

The sleeves garment of a preferred embodiment includes a channel on each of the left and right sleeve portions through which the respective shoulder straps of the bra extend. The straps of the bra may be adjusted within the channel for the best fit and support by the bra without changing the fit, appearance, or position of the sleeves. In a preferred embodiment, the channels on the sleeve portions each have an opening through which the strap adjustment means is accessed so that the user may adjust the shoulder strap while the strap is in the channel of the sleeve portion. The strap may even be adjusted while the sleeves garment is being worn.

The sleeves garment allows the wearer the option to adapt a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment to their specific needs while still maintaining the integrity of the garment, as well as making it more versatile. These needs might be because a person is not happy with their arms, they might be seasonal, or simply to add one's own flair. Whatever the reason, the present sleeve garment does not change the neckline or backline or the armhole of the dress or top, nor does it cover up the sleeveless garment. The sleeve garment, therefore, also allows the original garment to be more economical as it can be worn in a variety of ways. The preferred sleeve garment does not add bulk under the sleeveless or short-sleeved garment, retaining the same lines and fit of the sleeveless garment but with the addition of the sleeves.

The sleeve garment can also give a slimming effect to the arms. The sleeves may be of a stretchable fabric that has a constricting effect on the arms or may be tailored to provide a slimming appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a layout view of a front of a garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing optional short or long sleeves;

FIG. 2 is a layout view of the rear of the garment of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3a and 3b are a side view and a front view, respectively, of a hook tool for feeding a bra strap through a strap channel of the sleeve garment;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of the sleeves garment, showing the sleeves attached to a brassiere, or bra;

FIG. 5 is a back view of the second embodiment of FIG. 4 of the sleeves garment attached to the bra;

FIG. 6 is a back view of a third embodiment of the sleeves garment attached to a bra and showing channels for the shoulder straps of the bra;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the third embodiment of the sleeves garment attached to the bra, showing the shoulder strap channels and optional sleeve lengths;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a bra with attached sleeves according to a further embodiment of the invention, the bra and sleeves being suspended on a clothing hanger;

FIG. 9 is a close up view of the sleeve garment attached to the bra at the front;

FIG. 10 is a close up view of the sleeve garment attached to the bra at the back, including a releasable shoulder strap for the bra;

FIG. 11 is a close up view of the sleeve garment showing an opening in the shoulder strap channel for adjustment of the shoulder strap;

FIG. 12 is a back view of the bra and sleeve garment suspended on a clothing hanger;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the back of the bra and sleeves garment showing the location of the shoulder strap adjustment opening; and

FIG. 14 shows a person wearing the sleeves garment of FIGS. 8-14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A first embodiment of the sleeves garment 20 is shown in FIG. 1 in a front view and in FIG. 2 in a back view. The garment includes a right sleeve 22 attached to a right side panel 24 and a left sleeve 26 attached to a left side panel 28. The right sleeve 22 is preferably sewn onto the right side panel 24 and the left sleeve 26 is preferably sewn on to the left side panel 28. The right sleeve and right side panel 22 and 24 is separate from the left sleeve and left side panel 26 and 28 in the illustrated embodiment. It is possible that the left and right side parts may be connected to one another on other embodiments.

The neckline 30 of the sleeves garment is scooped in the front and is open at the back. The bottom of the sleeves garment 20 is roughly horizontal and ends about mid torso or at least above the wearer's waist. The front of the garment 20 in FIG. 1 has a connecting extension 32 provided with a connector 34 such as a clasp, hook, buckle, or other fastener by which the left and right portions are attached to one another while worn. Other fasteners, such as a hook and loop fastener, snaps, buttons, stitching, zippers or other fastening means may be provided for fastening the extensions 32 to one another.

The front of the right and left side panels 24 and 28 of FIG. 1 include shoulder strap channels 36 on either side of the neckline 30, as indicated by broken lines. The shoulder strap channels 36 end at 38 before the neckline extends horizontally at the extensions 32. The back of the sleeves garment 20 of FIG. 2 shows that the shoulder strap channels 36 continue from the front of the side panels to the back of the side panels 24 and 24. A band channel 40 extends along the lower edge of each of the side panels 24 and 28 at the back. The band channel 40 is wider than the shoulder strap channels 36 in this embodiment, although this need not be so in every case and may depend on the bra to be worn with the sleeves garment. The shoulder strap channels 36 and band channels 40 are formed by folding a portion of the fabric over and stitching or otherwise fastening the folded over portion to the body of the garment to form a channel or casing for the strap or band to be fed through and to move freely along. The strap and band channels 36 and 40 are each open at both ends in this embodiment.

The views of FIGS. 1 and 2 are partial assembly drawings showing the pattern layouts for the fabric pieces from which the front and back of the sleeves garment are formed. In particular, the front and back portions have not yet been attached to one another so that the inside of the front side panels does not appear in the back view of FIG. 2, for instance. The right side panel 24 is formed in two parts, a front panel and a back panel, connected to one another by a side seam at 46 and a shoulder seam at 48. The sleeve 22 is connected to the side panel 24 at a sleeve seam 50. The sleeve 22 may be formed by either one or two pieces of fabric. The left side panel is formed in the same way.

When worn, the sleeves 22 and 26 cover some or all of the wearer's arms. The side panels in this embodiment cover the outer portions of the wearer's shoulders above the arm, at the front and back of the outer shoulder, and under the arms. The wearer's back is exposed at the middle of the back. The front of the sleeve garment covers the front of the wearer only by the connecting extension 32.

The sleeves garment 20 is worn by being attached to a bra, or brassiere. The shoulder straps of the bra are provided in the shoulder strap channels 36 and the back band at the back of the bra is provided in the band channels 40 at the back of the sleeves garment 20. The sleeves garment 20 is thereby affixed onto the bra. When the present embodiment is worn, the front of the sleeves garment is fastened by the clasp 34 on the connecting extensions 32. The connecting extension may extend below the cups of the bra when worn.

The bra straps may be provided in the channels 36 and 40 in various ways. For instance, the bra may have shoulder straps that disconnect at one end (or both ends) so that they may be fed through the channels 36. The two detachable bra straps are fed through the shoulder strap channels 36 at the neckline 30 of the sleeve garment 20. The back band of the bra is fed through the channels 40 and the shoulder straps are connected to the back band so that the sleeves garment is fastened to the bra. The strap channels 36 and/or 40 could instead be formed around the bra straps, such as for bras that do not have straps that disconnect. The channels could be formed by hook and loop fasteners, snaps, adhesive, stitching or other fastener means. The back band of the bra is fed though the channel 40 at the bottom of the sleeve garment on either side of the back closure. After putting the wearer's arms though the sleeves 22 and 26 and fastening the bra at the back or at the front, the sleeve garment 20 attaches to itself in the center front with the slide clasp 34. The sleeve garment is, when worn, one with the bra. The sleeves do not slip out of place, come loose, rotate or otherwise become displaced from their intended position.

A sleeveless or short-sleeved garment may be worn over the bra and sleeve garment. The bra and sleeves serves to cover the wearer's arms while covering little else not already covered by the bra or the sleeveless or short sleeved top or dress. In this way, the sleeve garment does not affect the neckline or backline of any sleeveless or short-sleeved garment. If the bra works with the garment, so does the sleeve garment and, thus, the dress or top has sleeves.

For purposes of the present invention, the references to a sleeveless garment include without limitation any garment, whether a dress, top, blouse, tunic, pull-over, shirt, t-shirt, or other garment that has less arm coverage than desired by the wearer. For example, the garment may have wide or thin shoulder straps, halter straps, no straps at all. The garment may have no sleeves, partial sleeves, cap sleeves, short sleeves, half sleeves, ¾ sleeves, or other sleeve or sleeveless configurations. The garment may feature sheer fabric or lace or other fabric at the sleeves and the user may desire to wear a more opaque fabric as sleeves under the garment. Thus, the sleeves garment can be worn with a sleeveless garment for reasons of modesty, to cover birthmarks, scars or tattoos, for religious reasons, or for other purposes. It is also possible that the fabric of the sleeves garment may be sheer or of another fabric type to add style to the outfit.

The sleeve garment of one embodiment is available in three sleeve lengths: full sleeve, three-quarter sleeve and cap sleeve. For instance, the right sleeve 22 in the front view of FIG. 1 is a full length sleeve whereas the left sleeve 26 in the front view of FIG. 1 is shown with an optional short sleeve length at 42 or three quarter sleeve length at 44. Commonly both sleeves 22 and 26 would be of the same length for a given sleeve garment, although this need not be necessary in every case. Other sleeve lengths and styles are of course possible.

Other embodiments of the sleeve garment could include different front closures such as quick release clasps, hooks, snaps, buckles, Velcro, buttons, elastic or it could be sewn together in the front. There is a possibility that the sleeve garment could be made to attach to a bra with fixed straps as well as a bra that has detachable (convertible) straps. Other embodiments of the back band attachments could include Velcro, buttons, snaps, hooks, elastic or clasps.

The sleeve garment can be made in any color, fabric and any sleeve length. An elastic fabric such as lycra or spandex may provide some compression and control for the arms as well as a slimming effect.

The sleeve garment could be made all in one piece and slipped over the head.

As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the sleeve garment may be provided with a tool, or hook, 52 that helps the user feed the bra shoulder straps and/or back bands through the channels 36 and/or 40 in the sleeve garment, making the assembly very easy.

In one embodiment, the tool 52 is approximately 7 inches long, is formed of a relatively stiff material, and is provided with a hook 54 at one end. The hook 54 is fed through a sleeve garment channel 36 or 40. The hook 54 is hooked into an open part of the detachable hook or other fastener on the bra strap. The fabric of the sleeves garment 20 slides over the tool 52 and over the bra strap as the tool 52 is pulled back through the channel 36 or 40. At the end 56 of the tool 52 may be a grip by which the tool 52 is grasped for pulling through the channel. An optional embodiment includes a finger loop 58 large enough to accommodate a user's finger. The loop 58 makes it easier to grasp the tool 52 when pulling the tool and strap through the sleeve garment.

Further embodiments of the sleeve garment are shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7. The sleeve garment 60 of FIG. 4 includes a bra 62 with sleeves 64 and 66 attached to the bra at the shoulder straps 68, at the wings or side straps 70, and as shown in FIG. 5 at the back band 72 of the bra 62. The sleeve garment 60 is attached to the shoulder straps 68 by the shoulder straps of the bra passing through channels 74 formed in the side panels 76 of the sleeve garment. The bra 62 may be a convertible bra that has removable shoulder straps 68 so that the bra can be worn either in the more common configuration with shoulder straps or may be worn without shoulder straps, such as under a strapless dress or top. The removable straps enable the shoulder straps to easily be fed through the channels 74 on the side panels of the sleeve garment. The side panels 76 are attached to the wings 70 and back band 72 of the bra by being sewn to the bra. Other connection means are also possible including snaps, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, adhesive, zip connections or other connecting means. The sleeve garment can be worn without the shoulder straps of the bra if desired. A sleeve garment incorporating shoulder straps may be provided. Such a sleeve garment can be attached to a convertible bra to provide both sleeves and shoulder straps.

The convertible bra and sleeve garment allows a wearer the option to adapt a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment to their specific needs while still maintaining the integrity of the garment, as well as making it more versatile. These needs might be because a person is not happy with their arms, they might be seasonal, or simply to add one's own flair. Whatever the reason, the sleeve garment does not change the neckline or backline, or armhole, nor does it cover up the sleeveless garment. The sleeve garment, therefore, also allows the original garment to be more economical as it can be worn in a variety of ways. The sleeve garment of this embodiment can also give a slimming effect to the arms.

The sleeve garment 80 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 consists of four pieces (four types of pieces) that are attached together. The bra 82, and the sleeves 84, which are sewn to the front panel 86 and to the back panel 88 by a shoulder seam 90 to form the side panels. The sleeves 84 and side panels are attached to the bra 82 in two places. Detachable bra straps 92 are fed through channels 94 around the neckline of the side panels, which can also be referred to as the armhole of the sleeves. The channels 94 are indicated by broken lines along the neckline of the sleeve garment 80 and are formed as noted above by folding over a portion of the fabric and sewing the folded portion to the body of the garment to form the channel or casing. The channels may be formed either with or without the straps in place. The front panel 86 and back panel 88 are stitched to the wing or underarm portion 96 and to the back band 98 of the bra. For example, a seam 100 is provided where the bra and shoulder garment are stitched together. The stitching may extend to the bra cups 102 in some embodiments. The front panel and back panel can be provided in one piece and formed by sewing a seam at the top of the shoulder and around the sleeve.

An innovative aspect of this embodiment is the channels 94 through with the straps pass. The channels 94 provide a smooth fit that keeps the sleeve garment on the shoulder. The channels 94 extend from the bra cups 102 at the front of the bra 82, over the shoulder to a position spaced from the back band 98 of the bra. The space between the end of the channel 94 and the back band 98 provides and opening in the channel to access the shoulder strap. This provides a way for the wearer to adjust the shoulder strap length. The adjustment of the strap may be done by detaching the strap in the front or back, and moving the sleeve fabric out of the way to make the adjustment, for example using the strap adjustment buckle. It is also possible that the strap adjustment buckle is provided at or near the opening in the channel to permit easy access to the strap adjustment means. Other opening locations into the shoulder strap channel may be provided to access the strap adjustment means, depending on the position of the strap adjustment along the strap. The strap adjustment may be any strap adjusting means.

By adjusting the shoulder strap length, the bra is provided with the best fit for the particular garment that it will be worn under. The sleeve garment does not interfere with the fasteners on the back strap 98 so the back strap can be adjusted to any of multiple fastener locations in the traditional manner without the sleeve garment impacting the adjustment. For bras that utilize a front fastener, the sleeve garment does not interfere with fastening or fitting the bra. A sleeveless or short-sleeved garment fits over the top of the bra and sleeve garment without the added sleeves interfering with the fit and appearance of the sleeveless garment and without adding bulk to the sleeveless garment. The sleeveless garment also does not interfere with proper fitting of the bra.

In this way, the sleeve garment does not affect the neckline or backline of any sleeveless garment. If the bra works with the garment, so does the sleeve garment. The garment or dress now has sleeves.

As shown by the right sleeve in FIG. 7, the sleeve garment of this embodiment may be provided in three sleeve lengths: full length sleeves, ¾ sleeves and cap sleeves. Other sleeve lengths, shapes, and configurations are also possible.

In some embodiments, the sleeve garment is made to attach to a bra with fixed (non-detachable) straps. For instance, the channels through with the shoulder straps extend may be formed by fastening fabric portions over the shoulder straps of a bra so as to form the channels around the straps. It is also possible that the straps may be detachable (convertible) straps.

The sleeve garment can be made in any color, fabric and any sleeve length.

The parts for an embodiment of the sleeve garment include: a right sleeve, a right front panel, a right back panel, a left sleeve, a left front panel, a left back panel, a convertible bra, and two removable bra straps; a total of nine pieces. The sleeve garment can be made with the front and back panels as one piece or as separate front and back panels. It is possible with the right fabric and right fitting to provide the sleeves and side panels of one piece of fabric.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, the stitching of the front and back panels to the bra makes the bra a permanent part of the sleeve garment. It is contemplated to make the sleeve assemblies removable from the bra so that the bra can be used without the sleeves, although this is not as preferred since it makes the garment more complicated and in some instances does not work as well.

The sleeve garment can used on a bra with fixed straps rather than the removable straps of the convertible bra. It is possible to adjust the strap lengths by providing a buttonhole type slit or opening in the channel to allow access to the adjustment buckle.

It is contemplated to attach different sleeves, for example of different fabrics or colors, to the same bra in an alternative embodiment. It is possible to replace the stitching with another type of fastener, such as snaps, to permit easy removal of the sleeves garment from the bra. However, this leaves gaps between the fasteners. A hook and loop fastener strip may be provided to permit removal of the sleeves from the bra strap.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the sleeves garment 110 that is ready for wearing under a sleeveless garment. The sleeves garment 110 is suspended on a clothing hanger 112 in this view and includes a bra 114, a right sleeve and side panel 116, and a left sleeve and side panel 118. The bra 114 is of a black material and the sleeves and side panels 116 and 118 are also of a black fabric or material. The sleeves may be of a fabric that matches the bra or of a color or fabric or pattern that does not match the bra. Here, the plain black fabric of the sleeves provides a versatile color and look to go with a wide variety of sleeveless garments.

The neckline of the bra 114 is preserved by the sleeves, with the side panels attached to the bra only at the shoulder straps and outward of the shoulder straps at the sides of the bra but not at the center front or center back of the bra. The shoulder straps of the bra extend through channels 120 formed by the fabric of the side panels.

FIG. 9 is a close up view of the top of the left bra cup 122 showing the shoulder strap connection 124 where the shoulder strap connects to the cup. The left side panel 118 of the sleeve garment is formed into the channel 120 about the shoulder strap so that the fabric of the side panel covers the shoulder strap. The fabric edge of the side panel fabric is inside the sleeve garment at the channel and may be sewn with a serger or otherwise processed to prevent fraying. The side panel 118 is stitched to the side of the cup 122 at a seam 126. In this embodiment, the seam may either be a zigzag stitch or a straight stitch. The continuation of the channel 120 with the shoulder strap enclosed in the channel is shown at 128. The back band 130 of the bra is visible behind the cup 122.

FIG. 10 shows the left side panel 118 at the back of the sleeve garment. The channel 120 encloses the shoulder strap 132 of the bra and a portion of the shoulder strap 132 extends from the open end of the channel 120. Here, the shoulder strap 132 has a fastener 134 that permits the strap to be disconnected from the back band 130 of the bra. The channel 120 has been scrunched up onto the shoulder strap 132 so that the user can reach a length adjusting buckle on the shoulder strap (as is known) so that the strap length can be adjusted. In other words, the strap is slid within the channel. After adjustment of the shoulder strap, the fastener 143 is reconnected to the back band 134. It is possible that the strap does not disconnect from the bra and still the channel can be slid along the strap to expose the strap adjusting buckle, for instance, owing to the open ends of the channels.

The side panel 118 is stitched to the back band 130 at the seam 136. The bra cup 122 is seen as well as the attachment 138 of the shoulder strap to the top of the cup 122.

With reference to FIG. 11, the sleeve garment of FIG. 8 is turned inside out, revealing the shoulder seam 140 between the side panel 118 and the sleeve 142. The channel 120 is formed by the fabric edge 144 being stitched to the body of the side panel to form a passageway through which the shoulders strap passes. An adjustment opening 146 is provided in this embodiment as an opening into the channel 120 on the inside of the garment. The opening 146 may be formed by any means and in any shape. The preferred opening is stitched along its perimeter like a button hole. A button hole or slit may be formed in the fabric to provide the adjustment opening of one embodiment. The adjustment opening may be located to access the adjustment buckle on the shoulder strap.

Turning now to FIG. 12, the back of the sleeve garment and bra is shown. The fastener at the center of the back band is fastened together to support the garment on the hanger. The sleeves garment covers the wearer's arms, shoulders and sides from the shoulder straps outward and from the bra back band and wings upward.

FIG. 13 is a drawing similar to FIG. 6 but with the location of the button hole 150 for accessing the strap adjustment buckle marked thereon. The button hole location is marked in both FIGS. 6 and 13.

Lastly, FIG. 14 is an illustration of a woman wearing the sleeves garment of a preferred embodiment. The woman is wearing a bra 152 of the desired fit and style. The bra has sewn to it the side panels 154 and sleeves 156. The side panels and sleeves are of a snug, form fitting fabric to provide a slimming effect on the arms. The illustrated sleeves are of a solid black material so that it complements a wide variety of sleeveless garments. The shoulder straps of the bra extend through channels in the side panels so that the sleeves and side panels are supported around their entire perimeter by the bra, avoiding gaps or the sleeves becoming dislocated. The illustrated sleeves are of ¾ length, although other sleeve lengths are also possible. The neckline of the bra is maintained without change by the sleeves.

The side panels need not extend all the way around the shoulder of the wearer. The side panels may connect to the bra at discreet connection locations instead of in a continuous stitched line.

The bra with which the sleeve garment may be of any type, including underwire, strapless, cross-strap, racer-back, sports bra, or other types. The sleeveless or short-sleeved top or dress that is worn with the present sleeve garment may be of any time.

Thus, there has been shown and described a sleeve garment that can provide sleeves under a sleeveless garment. The sleeve garment is attached to a bra worn by the wearer to ensure that the sleeves stay in place. The sleeves garment avoids bulkiness of extra layers under the sleeveless garment and avoid changing the neckline of the sleeveless garment. A bra is chosen for wear with the sleeveless garment and the sleeves are provided on the bra, assuring that the sleeves work with the sleeveless garment.

Although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art.

Claims

1. A garment for wear with a bra and a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment, comprising:

first and second sleeves;

first and second side panels connected to respective ones of said sleeves, said side panels each including a channel for accepting a shoulder strap of the bra, said side panels engaging wing portions of the bra.

2. A garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first sleeve is connected to said first side panel by a first seam and said second sleeve is connected to said second side panel by a second seam.

3. A garment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

shoulder strap channels on said first and second side panels for enclosing shoulder straps of the bra.

4. A garment as claimed in claim 3, wherein said shoulder strap channels extend so cover substantially all of the length of the shoulder straps of the bra when the bra and sleeves garment are worn.

5. A garment as claimed in claim 3, wherein said shoulder strap channels define openings into the channels for access to strap length adjustments on the shoulder straps of the bra.

6. A garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second side panels are sewn to the bra.

7. A garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sleeves and said side panels are of a same material, said material being an elastic material.

8. A sleeve garment and bra for wear with a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment, comprising:

a bra having cups, first and second shoulder straps, first and second side straps or wings, and a back band;

first and second sleeves;

a first side panel connected between said first sleeve and said first shoulder strap of the bra, said first side panel being connected to said first side strap or wing of the bra;

a second side panel connected between said second sleeve and said second shoulder strap of the bra, said second side panel being connected to said second side strap or wing of the bra;

a first channel formed in the first side panel for receiving said first shoulder strap, said first channel defining a first opening for access to an adjustment buckle of the first shoulder strap; and

a second channel formed in the second side panel for receiving said second shoulder strap, said second channel defining a second opening for access to an adjustment buckle of the second shoulder strap.

9. A sleeve garment 8, wherein said first and second sleeves are one of: full length sleeves, three-quarter length sleeves, and short sleeves.