Garment for selectively receiving interchangeable and reusable user customizable attachments
The present invention includes a garment having a set of fasteners to selectively receive a decorative covering to cover at least a portion of the garment and form a distinctive visual appearance.
The present invention relates generally to the field of garments and, more particularly, to a garment for selectively receiving interchangeable and removable user customizable attachments altered to present a distinctive visual appearances.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMost people, both adults and children, wear garments that are produced in bulk and sold in mass quantities and thus provide little consumer individuality, except as determined by designers. Individuality is important to people and is often exhibited through tattoos, piercing, hair colorings and so forth. Garments like pants, shorts and shirts have changed little over the past few years, except for minor changes in the lengths, textures, materials and features and given the volume of garments produced, it is difficult to impart individuality to the garments, e.g., everyone has jeans and a dress shirt.
Versatility of the garment offers another challenge for the consumer. In addition, a single garment may be used in different setting and combined with several different outfits to create a coordinated wardrobe. However, the garments remain mass produced and consumers are very limited with their styling options when purchasing a garment and any individualism results from the choice of colors, combinations, garment style or accessories, e.g., purses, shoes, cufflinks, watch, necklace, etc. In addition, purchasing multiple decorative garments can become cost prohibitive, e.g., the same shirt in every color.
For example, it is quite common for people to need two different types of garments, e.g., business and casual. A businessperson might be dressed up for the business environment and at some point during the day need to “dress down” for a different event, e.g., going to a casual meeting after work, a dinner or ball game where it is beneficial to wear a short sleeve shirt). Under these circumstances, the businessperson would need to have two different types of shirts available, one long sleeve shirt for work and one short sleeve shirt for play. The same is true for most garments, e.g., dress slacks and causal slacks, dress skirts and causal skirts, etc.
The issue of convertible clothing has been addressed in the art to some extent. For example, U.S. patent application Publication No. 20050198724 entitled “Interchangeable hemline for the hem of a garment” relates to the interchangeable hemline for changing the style of the hem of a garment. The decorative strip extends around the bottom hem of garment to extend the structural portion of the garment and alter the length of the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,435 entitled “Convertible Trousers” discloses a convertible trouser having a plurality of interchangeable leg portions that may be arranged in various configurations to produce a variable length, which may be altered to present several different visual appearances, variable length and appearance. The interchangeable leg portions are tubular and affix to the garment to actually extend the structure of the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,892 entitled “Convertible clothing” discloses trousers and a long sleeve shirt that convert to shorts and a short sleeve shirt, respectively. The trousers and shirt have lower leg portions and lower sleeve portions, which may be removed or attached to allow the clothing to convert from winter to summer clothing or vice versa by removing or attaching the sleeve or leg portions. Accessory pocket components for storing beepers, coins or other similar devices are removably attached to either of the seasonal pants or shirts as desired. However, these attachments are designed to alter the structure and function of the clothing by the addition or removal of structural materials, e.g., legs, sleeves and/or pockets.
Accordingly, there is a need for a garment that is attractive and provides the user with the ability to customize or individualize areas of the garment using interchangeable and removable attachments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a garment that is attractive and provides customization, individualism and/or expression of moods, opinions, or commentary, while forming a distinctive visual appearance. For example, the garment includes a set of fasteners to engage selectively one or more decorative coverings that cover at least a portion of the garment and form a distinctive visual appearance. A variety of decorative coverings may be used with a single garment depending on the desired appearance. In general, the set of fasteners may be positioned along a seam of the garment, substantially parallel to a seam of the garment, substantially perpendicular to a seam of the garment, in a geometric pattern or a combination thereof. For example, pants may be worn to work in the morning and in the evening the pants may be receive a decorative covering of feathers for a stylish night out.
The present invention provides a garment having a first set of fasteners and one or more decorative coverings have a second set of fasteners to engage selectively two or more of the first set of fasteners. The one or more decorative coverings cover at least a portion of the garment to form a distinctive visual appearance.
The present invention provides a method of making a garment having one or more removable decorative coverings by attaching a first set of fasteners to a garment and a second set of fasteners to the one or more removable decorative coverings shaped to cover at least a portion of the garment. The second set of fasteners mates to the first set of fasteners to secure removably the one or more removable decorative coverings to at least a portion of the garment to form a distinctive visual appearance.
For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures and in which:
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention. The discussion herein relates primarily to garments in general and may be any type of garment, made of any material and of any size.
As used herein, the term “garment” refers to any article of clothing that covers a portion of a wearer of the garment, such as a shirt, blouse, dress, skirt, vest, sweater, t-shirt, sweatshirt, jumpsuit, t-shirt, tank top, slip, camisole, teddie, gown, pajama, romper, onesy, etc. In addition, the garment may include multiple layers of material to form an interior and exterior with material of similar or dissimilar materials. The garment may be made in part from a variety of materials, e.g., natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, denim, hemp, silk and man made fibers such as nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene elastomer, natural or synthetic leather, animal hide, natural or synthetic fur or feathers, beads, leaves and mixtures thereof.
As used herein, the term “decorative covering” refers to any article that covers a portion of a garment. The decorative covering may be made in part from a variety of materials, e.g., natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, hemp, silk and man made fibers such as nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, denim, polypropylene elastomer, natural or synthetic leather, animal hide, natural or synthetic fur or feathers, leaves and mixtures thereof.
Now referring to
In one embodiment, the garment 100 is a shirt 102 that includes a front panel 104, which may or may not include buttons, a back panel (not shown), a collar 106 and two sleeves 108 and 110 located on the sides of the shirt 102 and attached to both the front panel 104 and the back panel (not shown). The garment 100 includes a set of fasteners 114 positioned to receive selectively the mating set of fasteners 116 on the decorative covering 112. The decorative covering 112 may take a variety of different shapes and forms that may mimic at least a portion of the shape of the garment 100, hang loosely about at least a portion of the garment 100, fit snugly to at least a portion the garment 100 or may be different from the garment 100 to create a unique style and/or combination.
Generally, the garment may include one or more sets of fasteners positioned along a seam of the garment, substantially parallel to a seam of the garment, substantially perpendicular to a seam of the garment, in a geometric pattern or a combination thereof. In addition, the number of fasteners in a set of fasteners may depend on the garment and range from 2 to several dozen fasteners. The type of fastener may vary by location, position, function or desire.
Now referring to
Now referring to
The pair of pants 424 includes a set of fasteners 414 positioned to receive selectively a mating set of fasteners 416 on the decorative coverings 412a and 412b.
Now referring to
The multiple sets of fasteners allow numerous configurations for attaching decorative covering to garments. The decorative covering may be positioned on the front, the back or both. In addition, the decorative covering may cover a portion of the garment, substantially all of the garment or be used to position wire, beads, flowers, symbols through connecting the fasteners. A garment may have numerous fasteners; however, it is not necessary to use each decorative covering as an attachment point.
The set of fasteners may be used to attach a decorative covering to a garment in a fashion that can be non-destructive and interchangeable. The set of fasteners include many types of securing mechanisms known to the skilled artisan, e.g. a hook and/or loop of a hook and loop fastener system, fasteners, buttons, hooks, catches, snaps, latches, buckles, loops, ties, clamps, connectors, couplers, links, bands, zippers, releasable adhesive, and/or any other releasable mechanism for attachment. The set of fasteners may include any number of fasteners desired and be positioned at virtually any position on a garment. The set of fasteners may be positioned on the inside of the garment, the outside of the garment or both. In addition, the set of fasteners may or may not be positioned uniformly, randomly and/or symmetrically on the garment. For example,
The garment 100 may be any item worn by a human. The garment may be made and sized for men, women, children of various ages or midgets. The garment may be a shirt, dress shirt, T-shirt, jacket, blouse, pullover, warm-up suit top, jogging suit top, sweat suit top, dress, sport coat, coat, etc. In addition, the garment may be made and sized for any animal and any age animal, e.g., pet boots, sweaters, coats, hats, horse bridals, horse blankets, collars and the like. The decorative covering 212 may be any item that in-part covers a garment and may be of any shape, thickness, material, size or the like.
In addition, the present invention includes fastener coverings that engage the fasteners of the set of fasteners that are not in use. The fastener coverings may be decorative fastener coverings that include decorative and functional items attached to the decorative fastener covering. For example, a decorative fastener covering having a set of feathers attached can be attached to the fastener of a garment to add a feathered look to portions of the garment. In addition, the decorative fastener covering itself may be decorated with designs, materials, sequins, stones, metals, ribbons and so forth to provided a customizable look.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims
Claims
1. An interchangeable user customizable garment comprising:
- a garment having a set of fasteners to selectively receive one or more decorative coverings that cover at least a portion of the garment and form a distinctive visual appearance.
2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the set of fasteners comprise hooks, loops, buttons, catches, snaps, latches, buckles, loops, ties, clamps, connectors, couplers, links, bands, zippers, releasable adhesives or a combination thereof.
3. The garment of claim 1, wherein the set of fasteners are positioned along a seam of the garment, substantially parallel to a seam of the garment, substantially perpendicular to a seam of the garment, in a geometric pattern or a combination thereof.
4. The garment of claim 1, further comprising one or more decorative designs on the garment, the one or more decorative coverings or both.
5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a shirt, a blouse, a dress, pants, a coat, a jacket, a hat, gloves, a skirt, shorts, a vest, a sweater, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, a jumpsuit, a tank top, a slip, a camisole, a teddie, an undergarment, a gown, pajamas, a romper, a onesy, a pullover, a warm-up suit, a jogging suit, a sweat suit or a combination thereof.
6. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises one or more natural fibers, man made fibers, leather, cotton, denim, wool, linen, hemp, silk, nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene elastomer, leather, animal hide, fur, feathers, leafs or a combination thereof.
7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the one or more decorative coverings comprise one or more natural fibers, man made fibers, leather, cotton, denim, wool, linen, hemp, silk, nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene elastomer, animal hide, plastic, glass, polymers, metals, stones or a combination thereof.
8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the one or more decorative coverings comprise leather, fur, feathers, leafs, beads, chains, tassels, fringe, fastener coverings, lace, garland, swag, metal, stones, sequins or combinations thereof.
9. The garment of claim 1, wherein the one or more decorative coverings are attached to at least two fasteners of the set of fasteners to cover at least a portion of the garment.
10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment accommodates a human or an animal.
11. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment and the one or more decorative coverings comprise the same type of material.
12. A garment comprising:
- a garment having a first set of fasteners;
- one or more decorative coverings having a second set of fasteners to selectively engage two or more first set of fasteners, wherein the one or more decorative coverings covers at least a portion of the garment to form a distinctive visual appearance.
13. The garment of claim 12, wherein the set of fasteners comprise hooks, loops, buttons, catches, snaps, latches, buckles, loops, ties, clamps, connectors, couplers, links, bands, zippers, releasable adhesives or a combination thereof
14. The garment of claim 12, further comprising one or more decorative designs on the garment, the decorative covering or both.
15. The garment of claim 12, wherein the garment comprises a shirt, a blouse, a dress, pants, a coat, a jacket, a hat, gloves, a skirt, shorts, a vest, a sweater, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, a jumpsuit, a tank top, a slip, a camisole, a teddie, an undergarment, a gown, pajamas, a romper, a onesy, a pullover, a warm-up suit, a jogging suit, a sweat suit or a combination thereof.
16. The garment of claim 12, wherein the garment comprises one or more natural fibers, man made fibers, leather, cotton, denim, wool, linen, hemp, silk, nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene elastomer, leather, animal hide, fur, feathers, leafs or a combination thereof.
17. The garment of claim 12, wherein the one or more decorative coverings comprise one or more natural fibers, man made fibers, leather, cotton, denim, wool, linen, hemp, silk, nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene elastomer, leather, animal hide, fur, feathers, leafs or a combination thereof.
18. The garment of claim 12, wherein the one or more decorative coverings comprise leather, fur, feathers, leafs, beads, chains, tassels, fringe, fastener coverings, lace, garland, swag, metal, stones, sequins or combinations thereof.
19. A method of making a garment having one or more removable decorative coverings comprising the steps of:
- attaching a first set of fasteners to a garment;
- attaching a second set of fasteners to a decorative coverings shaped to cover at least a portion of the garment, wherein the second set of fasteners mate to two or more fasteners of the first set of fasteners to secure removably the one or more removable decorative coverings to at least a portion of the garment to form a distinctive visual appearance.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of fasteners comprise hooks, loops, buttons, catches, snaps, latches, buckles, loops, ties, clamps, connectors, couplers, links, bands, zippers, releasable adhesives or a combination thereof.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the garment comprises a shirt, a blouse, a dress, pants, a coat, a jacket, a hat, gloves, a skirt, shorts, a vest, a sweater, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, a jumpsuit, a tank top, a slip, a camisole, a teddie, an undergarment, a gown, pajamas, a romper, a onesy, a pullover, a warm-up suit, a jogging suit or a sweat suit.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein the garment comprises one or more natural fibers, man made fibers, leather, cotton, denim, wool, linen, hemp, silk, nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene elastomer, leather, animal hide, fur, feathers, leafs or a combination thereof.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more removable decorative coverings comprise one or more natural fibers, man made fibers, leather, cotton, denim, wool, linen, hemp, silk, nylon, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene elastomer, leather, animal hide, fur, feathers, leafs or a combination thereof.
24. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more decorative coverings comprise leather, fur, feathers, leafs, beads, chains, tassels, fringe, fastener coverings, lace, garland, swag, metal, stones, sequins or combinations thereof.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 18, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 24, 2008
Applicant: AccessoryWear by DanJerous Fashions, Inc. (Westminster, TX)
Inventors: Jerry Gage (Westminster, TX), Daniel Fose (Westminster, TX)
Application Number: 11/583,193