Abstract: The combination of a headwear piece having: a) a crown with a wall having an inside surface bounding a space for receiving a part of a wearer's head; and b) a rim/bill projecting from a forward region of the crown; and an accessory having a body with a thickness between front and rear sides and made from a material that substantially blocks migration of moisture therethrough. The accessory has an array of small openings extending through the body thickness to provide for air passage. The accessory is configured to be placed in an operative position against the inside surface of the crown wall at the forward region of the crown to reduce contaminant transmission from a wearer's head to the inside surface of the crown wall at the forward region.

Abstract: An adornment assembly for an article having a base assembly made up of at least one layer, each with a thickness between oppositely facing surfaces. One of the oppositely facing surfaces faces an article surface to which the adornment assembly is secured. The at least one layer defines at least a first receptacle. The adornment assembly further has a plurality of discrete components each with a thickness between oppositely facing surfaces. At least first and second of the discrete components are placed in the at least first receptacle so that one of the oppositely facing surfaces on each of the first and second discrete components is exposed for viewing with the adornment assembly secured to an article.

Abstract: The combination of a headwear piece having: a) a crown with a wall having an inside surface bounding a space for receiving a part of a wearer's head; and b) a rim/bill projecting from a forward region of the crown; and an accessory having a body with a thickness between front and rear sides and made from a material that substantially blocks migration of moisture therethrough. The accessory has an array of small openings extending through the body thickness to provide for air passage. The accessory is configured to be placed in an operative position against the inside surface of the crown wall at the forward region of the crown to reduce contaminant transmission from a wearer's head to the inside surface of the crown wall at the forward region.

Abstract: A method of adorning an article including the steps of: providing a first layer; cutting the first layer along a first border edge that surrounds a discrete piece of the first layer; separating the discrete piece of the first layer from a remaining portion of the first layer to thereby produce a void within the first border edge; providing a pre-formed insert piece configured to fit within the void and having a second border edge having a shape that conforms to a shape of at least a portion of the first border edge; directing the insert piece into the void with the void and insert piece pre-aligned so that the second border edge is placed against or immediately adjacent to the first border edge where the first and second border edge shapes conform; with the insert piece directed into the void, fixing the insert piece and remaining portion of the first layer together to define an adornment assembly; and integrating the adornment assembly into an article to adorn the article.

Abstract: An adornment assembly for an article has a base assembly made up of a plurality of layers in stacked relationship. A first of the layers has a thickness between oppositely facing first and second surfaces. A second layer has a thickness between oppositely facing third and fourth surfaces. The first surface is for application to an exposed surface on an article. The base assembly has an exposed surface on one of the layers that faces oppositely to the first surface. A discrete component has a thickness between oppositely facing surfaces and is applied to the base assembly so that one of the oppositely facing component surfaces is exposed for viewing together with the exposed surface on the one of the plurality of layers on the base assembly. At least a part of the thickness of the discrete component resides within the combined thickness of the base assembly.

Abstract: An adornment assembly for an article having a base assembly made up of at least one layer, each with a thickness between oppositely facing surfaces. One of the oppositely facing surfaces faces an article surface to which the adornment assembly is secured. The at least one layer defines at least a first receptacle. The adornment assembly further has a plurality of discrete components each with a thickness between oppositely facing surfaces. At least first and second of the discrete components are placed in the at least first receptacle so that one of the oppositely facing surfaces on each of the first and second discrete components is exposed for viewing with the adornment assembly secured to an article.

Abstract: An adornment assembly for an article has a base assembly made up of a plurality of layers in stacked relationship. A first of the layers has a thickness between oppositely facing first and second surfaces. A second layer has a thickness between oppositely facing third and fourth surfaces. The first surface is for application to an exposed surface on an article. The base assembly has an exposed surface on one of the layers that faces oppositely to the first surface. A discrete component has a thickness between oppositely facing surfaces and is applied to the base assembly so that one of the oppositely facing component surfaces is exposed for viewing together with the exposed surface on the one of the plurality of layers on the base assembly. At least a part of the thickness of the discrete component resides within the combined thickness of the base assembly.

Abstract: A method of adorning an article including the steps of: providing a first layer; cutting the first layer along a first border edge that surrounds a discrete piece of the first layer; separating the discrete piece of the first layer from a remaining portion of the first layer to thereby produce a void within the first border edge; providing a pre-formed insert piece configured to fit within the void and having a second border edge having a shape that conforms to a shape of at least a portion of the first border edge; directing the insert piece into the void with the void and insert piece pre-aligned so that the second border edge is placed against or immediately adjacent to the first border edge where the first and second border edge shapes conform; with the insert piece directed into the void, fixing the insert piece and remaining portion of the first layer together to define an adornment assembly; and integrating the adornment assembly into an article to adorn the article.

Abstract: An adorned article having a first layer with an exposed surface, and adornment on the first layer that is exposed for viewing. The adornment has a first edge with a predetermined shape that is defined on at least one of: a) the first layer; and b) a second layer associated with the first layer. The adornment further has a second edge that is spaced from the first edge. The first and second edges are defined by materials that have a tendency to fray at the first and second edges. The first and second edges are treated to produce visible fraying with strands that are spaced and/or intermingled.

Abstract: A headwear piece with a crown having a wall for embracing a head of a wearer. The wall has an upper layer and an underlying layer. The upper layer has an exposed surface on the crown with a first appearance. The underlying layer has a second appearance that is different than the first appearance. The upper layer is configured to obscurely reveal the second appearance of the underlying layer to be seen in conjunction with the first appearance of the exposed surface on the upper layer.

Abstract: A headwear piece has a crown defining a surface for engaging a wearer's head and a rim projecting away from the crown. The crown surface has a variable effective diameter. The crown has a rope defined by a plurality of elongate elements each having an actual length and interconnected with each other with the rope in a first state so as to define a shorter effective length extending around at least a portion of the crown. The plurality of elongate elements are extendable by exerting a tensile lengthwise force on the rope to place the rope in a second state. The rope at least one of (a) defines at least a part of the crown surface and (b) bears against a wall that defines at least a part of the crown surface.

Abstract: A method of using wearable items. The method includes the step of: providing a headwear item having a crown that engages a wearer's head and a rim/bill projecting angularly away from the crown; providing a second item; attaching the second item to the rim/bill; separating the second item from the rim/bill; and wearing the second item with the second item separated from the headwear item on at least one of: a) the wearer's limb or hair; or b) a clothing item worn by the wearer.

Abstract: The combination of: a first apparel article having a sheet layer defining a first exposed surface; a first substrate layer having a perimeter edge; a second substrate layer having a perimeter edge; a first design piece comprising thread that is formed to produce at least a part of a first viewable design and having a perimeter edge; and a second design piece having thread that is formed to produce at least a part of a second viewable design and having a perimeter edge. The first and second design pieces have a different appearance. Each of the first and second design pieces is selectively attachable to the first exposed surface of the first apparel article in relationship to either one of the first and second substrate layers in the same manner such that a selected one of the first and second substrate layers extends beyond the perimeter edge of a selected one of the design pieces to define a frame surface at least partially around the perimeter edge of the selected one of the design pieces.

Abstract: A method including the steps of: providing an article having an exposed surface defined by at least one substrate layer; providing at least a first adornment on the substrate layer, so that the article has a first appearance and to meet an actual or anticipated demand for the article with the first appearance; identifying an actual or anticipated demand for the article having an appearance different than the first appearance; removing the at least first adornment; and providing at least a second adornment on the substrate layer so that the article has a second appearance different than the first appearance and to meet an actual or anticipated demand for the article with the second appearance; and making the article with the second appearance available to meet an actual or anticipated demand for the article with the second appearance. An article with adornment is also provided.

Abstract: A headwear piece with a crown having a wall for embracing a head of a wearer. The wall has an upper layer and an underlying layer. The upper layer has an exposed surface on the crown with a first appearance. The underlying layer has a second appearance that is different than the first appearance. The upper layer is configured to obscurely reveal the second appearance of the underlying layer to be seen in conjunction with the first appearance of the exposed surface on the upper layer.

Abstract: A method of providing an article to meet an actual or anticipated demand including the steps of: providing an article having an exposed surface defined by at least one substrate layer; tack stitching a first adornment layer fixedly to the at least one substrate layer with thread at first and second discrete locations so that the article has a first appearance; stocking the article with the first appearance to meet an actual or anticipated demand; changing the article to have a second appearance; and making the article with the second appearance available to meet demand for the article. The step of changing the appearance of the article involves: releasing the tack stitching to allow the first adornment layer to be separated from the article; separating the first adornment layer from the article; providing a second adornment layer; and attaching the second adornment layer to the article.

Abstract: An adorned article having a first layer with an exposed surface, and adornment on the first layer that is exposed for viewing. The adornment has a first edge with a predetermined shape that is defined on at least one of: a) the first layer; and b) a second layer associated with the first layer. The adornment further has a second edge that is spaced from the first edge. The first and second edges are defined by materials that have a tendency to fray at the first and second edges. The first and second edges are treated to produce visible fraying with strands that are spaced and/or intermingled.