"EXTENDITZ" referred herein as "removably-attached clothing accessory", aka " ... garment accessory". aka "accessory"

Abstract

A removably-attached clothing accessory that can alter or modify the length and/or style and/or appearance of a garment. The accessory may be constructed of varying dimensions, and/or shapes, and of varying and/or combined materials designed to accommodate its application to pants, skirts, shorts, shirts, jackets, coats, brassieres/lingerie, or bathing suits. A variety of materials may be employed according to style preference and/or function desired. Accessory may be attached to any garment opening / hem or part thereof (for example: end openings of pant-legs, shorts, skirts, shirts, jackets/coats, and on the hem of brassieres and bathing suit tops). The removable accessory is attached to garment by means of a clip-on, clamp-on, or clasp-on mechanism, or series thereof, located on the accessory's base. This attachment mechanism may be a permanent part of the accessory's base, or may be removably-attachable, especially as in the case of a “reversible” version of the accessory.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Provisional Application Serial #61/216,819 filed on May 21, 2009 entitled: “EXTENDITZ” referred herein as “removably-attached clothing accessory”, aka “ . . . garment accessory”, aka “accessory”.

GENERAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to garments. Specifically, the present invention provides a removably-attached “accessory” to clothing for affecting preferred fit/length, and/or decoration, and/or style, and/or longevity of garment-wear, and/or diversity of garment appearance, by means of an attachment mechanism(s) located on the “accessory” and fastening onto garment.

BACKGROUND AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE INVENTION

1. Description of Prior Arts' References

• • 1. U.S. Patent Application 2006/0277660 discloses decorative exchangeable cuffs for blue jeans. The detachable connecting elements include buttons, snap or hook and loop material on the pants and cuffs.
  • 2. U.S. Design Pat. Des. No. 555,879 illustrates an ornamental design for pant legs with changeable cuffs.
  • 3. U.S. Utility patent Ser. No. 5,539,932 discloses an adjustable length garment for adjusting the length of a pant leg.
  • 4. U.S. Utility patent Ser. No. 3,722,001 discloses a variable length trouser construction.
  • 5. U.S. Utility patent Ser. No. 4,896,379 discloses a drop down cuff arrangement for pant legs which provides for lowering a child's pants legs.
  • 6. U.S. Design Pat. Des. No. 423,191 illustrates an ornamental design for frayable pants legs.
  • 7. U.S. Patent Application 2004/0142630 discloses an attachable decorative cover and method of manufacture for removable, interchangeable add-on decorative items by means of hook and eye, snaps, Velcro, zippers, buttons, Ziploc, buttons and tape.
  • 8. U.S. Utility patent Ser. No. 5,088,128 U.S. Patent discloses a drop down cuff arrangement for pant legs.
  • 9. U.S. Utility patent Ser. No. 4,149,275 discloses a set of fasteners for adjusting the length of a trouser garment.
  • 10. U.S. Utility patent Ser. No. 2,677,829 discloses a detachable cuff for trousers.

The present invention is a clothing accessory that would not only change the appearance of various clothing items, but may also be practical as it can be used to adjust the length to said clothing items (for example: pant legs, skirts, shorts, brassieres, shirt waist, collar, or sleeves, etc.) for a preferred fit, style, and/or to enhance the garment's life. With regards to the preferred fit/length of pants, this invention solves problems such as coordinating pant length with shoe height. It is also useful for those individuals who have difficulty finding clothing, such as pants, that fit with the exception of length, such as those that are tall or long in stature; or for an adjustment needed in the garment for preferred fit/length either in torso, leg, or arm Furthermore, this invention could be of use to parents of children who may be experiencing growth spurts as it could increase the life of various garments.

With the application of this invention, one may change the appearance of casual or plain apparel into a stylish one, which is cost-effective when desiring diversity in one's wardrobe.

Known within the art are articles of items employed to modify and/or alter a pant leg, sleeve, or costume's brassiere, are referenced above in the list of patents and applications. To achieve said modification, each above-designated item calls for alteration and/or modification of the garment itself due to its fastening styles and mechanisms, which include snaps, Velcro, zippers, buttons, Ziploc, buttons and tape, hook and eye, or hook and loop type fasteners, etc.

This invention however can be quickly attached to, or removed from, a garment. It solves the problem of easily changing the fit or style of a garment with its ease of securement, as the attachment mechanism(s) are on the accessory and is attached without puncturing, modifying, or permanently altering its garment counterpart. It also solves the problem of maintaining or protecting the garment's original “look”, while increasing the garment's diversity of use. For example, in the case of wearing jeans with tennis shoes, with the addition of the accessory, the jeans' appearance changes from “casual” to “dressy” and can be worn with a high-heeled shoe. The accessory then is simply removed when finished wearing, and the garment again has its original “look”.

Variations of this invention may be made for use on various areas of clothing including pant-legs, shorts, skirts, coats, shirt sleeves, collar and waistline, swimwear, etc. One embodiment of the invention may be used to accentuate a brassiere or swimwear top for modesty, or to enliven its appearance, by extending the accessory from the top downwards to the waist.

Further variations may include “standard” accessory sizes, and designed specifically for clothing for women, men, and children. A wide array of fringe or decoration can enliven the accessory including various colors of string, beads, gems, charms, and/or fabric or other material. This accessory may include materials that convey holiday themes, philosophical designs, and other themes.

An additional benefit goes towards having the ability to add delicate adornments or decorations onto a garment and, being removably-attached by means of the accessory, they are not destroyed or damaged when washing said garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an easy and convenient means to modify and/or adjust and/or affect and/or decorate the appearance and/or fit of a garment without permanently altering said garment, and with the utilization of one or more strategically-placed clasp(s) or clamp(s) or clip(s) fitted onto said invention, and being either permanently or removably-attached onto the accessory itself, and then easily secured to, and removed from, the garment.

DESCRIPTION OF EACH FIGURE OF THE DRAWING, FIGS. 1 THROUGH 5:

FIG. 1—front view and portion of back view of preferred embodiment of accessory, according to one embodiment of the invention, and illustrating a means of attachment by a series of clamp-on mechanisms and incorporating an example of a possible “standard-sized” “flare-pant”-accessory.

FIG. 2—front view “flare-pants” showing removably-attached accessory, as depicted in FIG. 1, applied onto one of two pant legs.

FIG. 3—two-sided view of removably-attached accessory illustrating a reversible embodiment of the accessory utilizing removable clamp-on mechanisms.

FIG. 4—front view of a version of accessory's shape and size for other possible embodiments of the invention such as use on a Capri-style pant.

FIG. 5—front view of a version of accessory, as depicted in FIG. 4, combined and applied to a bathing suit top.

Note: FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 are for illustrative purposes and form no part of the claimed accessory and are only to illustrate varying embodiments of the accessory and/or its application thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

One preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 of the present invention would consist of a strip of a material, such as an elasticized fabric, that would form a base (1). Varying materials, such as a variety of fabric, and/or decorative items such as lace, fringe, beads, fur, trinkets, symbols, event or holiday-themed items, etc., can be added to external side of accessory (2), according to desired function and/or appearance preference. Clamp-on or clasp-on mechanisms are strategically sewn in place on the inner side of accessory's base (3) to provide a selectable fastening onto the garment. This is achieved by starting from one end of the accessory and fastening each clamp onto the pant-leg hem and working around to the ending point, which is then fitted behind the starting point and snugly fitting accessory together onto hemline, creating a decorative border extension of the pant-leg. In this embodiment, a suspender-type clasp is used. Other types of clasps or clamps or clips may alternately be employed.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the removably-attachable accessory (1), as depicted in FIG. 1, applied onto one “flare-pant” leg. The accessory's topmost part covers the hemline while the fasteners clamp directly onto the circumference of the hem (2).

FIG. 3 is a “reversible” embodiment of the accessory wherein the fastening mechanisms are removably-attached to the accessory, for placement on either side of the accessory, and thereby having more variety of use. In this instance, a base is formed and both sides of the accessory are decorated with materials (1) & (2), and include a strip (3) as a part of the decorative quality, on which the clamp-on mechanisms can be strategically placed (4), and then fastened onto garment. When the reverse side of the accessory is used, which may have a different color or style theme, the clamp-on mechanisms are simply removed from one side and then placed on the other side of the accessory's fastening strip and then fastened onto garment.

Various standard sizes can be manufactured to accommodate the accessories' application upon various areas of clothing worn by women, men, and children. For example, accessories designed for pants can have standard circumferences to create size-versions such as for “straight-leg”, “boot cut”, or “flare”-styles. An embodiment of this is illustrated in FIG. 1 showing an example of a “standard” “flare-pant” pant accessory for adults measuring 25 in width (4), and, then depending upon the materials used, could measure ⅛″ to 2″ in depth (5), and 12″ to 4″ in height (6). Alternately, a “standard” “Capri-pant” accessory can be made, as depicted in FIG. 4, and could measure 20″ in width, ⅛″ to 2″ in depth, and then ½ and up to 20″ in height to cover from the knee downwards. These “standard” sizes include a circumference-length consideration accounting for possible, slight differences in the circumferences of associated “standard” pant-leg styles. Standardized sizes can be created for accessories as applicable to skirts, pants, or any type of garment, for ease of application and fit-onto said garments.

FIG. 4 illustrates a version of accessory shape and size for other possible embodiments of the invention, such as use on Capri-style pants (3). The length is longer than the accessory in FIG. 1, and employs a sheer fabric (1) with star-shaped beads sewn onto the top external-portion (2) which, when attached to the garment, creates an entirely different style and affect.

Furthermore, these accessories can be diversely used. One accessory, or set thereof, can be applied to many different garments to create different styles and variety for all your clothing. For example, these accessories used in FIG. 4 can be combined and used on a different garment, such as a short skirt, shirt waistline, or onto a brassiere or bathing suit top, as illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein both accessories used for the Capri-pant legs in FIG. 4 are fitted onto a brassiere or bathing suit top (1), offering additional coverage in a stylish manner, or creating a new sexy top. Alternately, combining two accessories shorter in height, such as those shown in FIG. 1, can also be added around a brassiere, bathing suit top, or even shirt collar or sleeves to create a decorative border. In addition, coordinated accessories can simultaneously be added to both one's shirt and pant-legs to create a complete new “outfit”. There are numerous uses of the accessories and we envision manufacturing a complete line for use with all types of garments.

We the inventors, citizens of the United States of America believe ourselves to be the original and first inventor of this idea and form of a removably-attachable garment accessory, or improvement thereof and with diverse applications to any garment, and for which we solicit a patent; we make the following claims:

Claims

1. A garment accessory comprising of a base and being removably-attached to garment by employing one or more clasp, clamp, or clip-on mechanism(s).

2. Accessory's attachment mechanism(s) according to claim 1, are permanently or removably attached onto accessory.

3. Accessory's base according to claim 1, may be accentuated with decorative materials.

4. Accessory according to claim 1, may be constructed in various sizes, shapes, designs, and/or with various materials to suit associated garment's point of application's size.

5. Garments according to claim 4, may include pants, skirts, shorts, blouses/tops/shirts, brassieres, bathing suits, jackets, and/or coats.

6. Accessories according to claim 1, and with consideration of claim 4, may be interchangeable from garment to garment.