Swimwear Having Magnetic Attachments

Abstract

Swimwear containing magnetic attachments is disclosed. Magnetic attachments secured onto a bikini style bathing suit top and additionally secured onto a removable midriff garment are used to magnetically connect the bikini style top garment and the removable midriff cover-up garment together resulting in a tankini style look. The removable apron-style midriff garment can be tied around the waist as a stylish cover-up when not in use and multiple different styles of the removable midriff cover-up garments can be attached to the bikini style bathing suit top as the magnetic attachments are constructed in identical fashion from garment to garment.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/895,596, filed Oct. 25, 2013 and entitled Swimwear Containing magnets for converting a bikini style swimsuit into a tankini style swimsuit, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to clothing, particularly to women's swimwear garments comprising magnetic attachments for changing a bikini style swimsuit top into a tankini style swimsuit top.

Bathing suits are made in basically two styles, one-piece or two-piece, with some variation in-between such as a bikini, tankini, monokini, halterkini, apron-style tankini, etc. Women desire flexibility and versatility in swimwear and often own several bathing suits in varying one-piece or two piece styles and will choose which style to wear depending on the situation in which they expect to wear it. Women must often anticipate their comfort level in advance of a situation in which they plan to wear a swimsuit and must make a determination beforehand about whether or not to wear a one-piece or two-piece to the pool, beach, hot tub or resort.

Many women still enjoy wearing two-piece swimsuits after having children but stretch marks, scars or loose skin around the midriff can cause self-consciousness about wearing a bathing suit that exposes these areas of the body. For many women, modesty is also an issue and they are not comfortable wearing a two-piece swimsuit to a crowded pool, hot tub or beach where they may feel self-conscious around people they don't know. It is a cause of frustration to default to wearing a one-piece or variation of the two-piece like a tankini that covers the midriff especially in situations where, after the fact, they realize they would have been comfortable enough to wear a bikini. Additionally, it is a cause of frustration to have worn a bikini only to feel uncomfortable and self-conscious and having no alternative but to put on a shirt or separate cover-up to ease the discomfort.

It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a swimwear garment comprised of a swimsuit top and a removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment which has the versatility to change appearance from a bikini style swimsuit top into a tankini style swimsuit top and vice versa with the use of magnetic attachments secured into the inside lining of corresponding fabric bands located on each garment for the purpose of providing instant coverage or exposure of the wearer's midriff when desired.

It is another objective of this invention to provide a swimwear garment comprising a removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment that when not magnetically connected to a corresponding fabric band of the bikini style swimsuit top can be worn as a bottom cover-up tied around the waist of the wearer.

It is an additional objective of this invention to provide a versatile swimwear garment that can magnetically connect a variety of different styles or colors of removable midriff cover-up garments having magnetic attachments to one bikini style swimwear top having corresponding magnetic attachments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, which accomplishes these objectives, is comprised of first, a bikini style bathing suit top garment and second, a removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment both fashioned from stretch fabric such as nylon and spandex and containing mirrored magnetic attachments for the purpose of magnetically connecting and disconnecting the two garments together. The bikini style bathing suit top comprises two panels or cups designed to cover the wearer's breasts. The bikini style bathing suit top typically possesses straps that tie behind the neck of the wearer but can also be strapless. The bikini style bathing suit top comprises a band of fabric at the lower portion of the suit top which is stitched beneath the breast cups to form the base of the bikini top that extends and connects behind the back of the torso with a closure device, which in this variation is a lingerie hook. The bikini style bathing suit top includes a first magnetic attachment comprising the first half of a set of three coupled and axially magnetized sewing magnets that are evenly spaced and stitched or otherwise secured on fusible material to the inside lining of the band of fabric forming the base of the bikini top. The magnets encompassing the magnetic attachments within the fabric band of the bikini top are spaced and positioned beneath the breast cups at the front portion of the torso.

Correspondingly, the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment comprises an extended fabric band stitched to the top portion of a panel of fabric that in this variation is a square shape wide enough to cover the midriff of the wearer. The extended fabric band of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment includes the second magnetic attachment that couples and aligns with the first fabric band of the bikini style bathing suit top's magnetic attachment and includes the second half of the set of three coupled sets of axially magnetized sewing magnets that are likewise evenly spaced and stitched or otherwise secured on fusible material to the inside lining of the band of fabric forming the top portion of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment. Magnetic attachments in both garments are constructed in an identical pattern so as to align and magnetically attach and detach to each other. When the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment magnetically connects to the bikini style bathing suit top, the extended fabric band ties around the back torso of the wearer to create the appearance of a tankini bathing suit top.

An additional aspect of the present invention is to untie the extended band of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment from the back of the torso, disconnect the magnets of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment from the magnets of the bikini style bathing suit top and wear the garment as a bottom cover-up by taking the same extended band that is first tied around the back of the wearer's torso and then tying it around the wearer's waist to use as a bottom cover-up.

The present invention additionally includes the benefit of multiple removable apron-style midriff cover-up garments as the magnetic attachments are constructed in identical fashion from garment to garment. It is assumed that the present invention is not restricted to the versions presented in the drawings contained herein, but rather the intention is that all variations and modifications that are obvious to a person skilled in the art are also included.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective of the present invention showing the wearer holding the disconnected removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment away from the bikini top.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective of the present invention showing the wearer with the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment magnetically attached to the bikini top and holding the untied extended fabric band of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective of the present invention on a wearer with both garments' magnetic attachments connected and creating the appearance of a tankini style bathing suit top.

FIG. 4 is a back perspective of the present invention showing the fabric band of the bikini top connected at the back torso with a lingerie hook as well as showing the extended fabric band of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment tied at the back torso.

FIG. 5 is an angled front perspective of the present invention showing the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment disconnected from the bikini top and tied around the waist of the wearer demonstrating use as a bottom cover-up.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The provided illustrations depict the preferred embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, one embodiment depicts a bikini style bathing suit top 100 which includes a fabric band 101 located at the lower portion of the suit top which is stitched beneath the breast cups 110 and 111 to form the base of the bikini top and additionally includes straps 108 and 109 that tie behind the neck of the wearer. Further detail depicted in FIG. 1 shows the first magnetic attachments 102 which comprises the first half of a set of three coupled and axially magnetized sewing magnets that are evenly spaced and stitched or otherwise secured on fusible material to the inside lining of the fabric band 101 forming the base of the bikini top. Additionally represented in FIG. 1 is the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105 comprising an extended fabric band 104 stitched to the top portion of a panel of fabric 106 that in this variation is a square shape wide enough to cover the midriff of the wearer and including extended fabric band 104 apron ties 112 and 113. Further detail in FIG. 1 depicts the extended fabric band 104 with the second set of magnetic attachments 103 which contains the second half of the set of three coupled sets of axially magnetized sewing magnets, that are likewise evenly spaced and stitched or otherwise secured on fusible material to the inside lining of the extended fabric band 104 forming the top portion of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105.

FIG. 2 depicts an aspect of the preferred embodiment of the present invention by illustrating how the fabric band containing the first magnetic attachments 102 located in the bikini style bathing suit top 100 magnetically connects to the second magnetic attachment 103 located in the extended fabric band 104 of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105 and further depicts how the wearer will be able to utilize the panel of fabric 106 located on the lower portion of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105 to cover their midriff.

FIG. 2 additionally depicts how the wearer will begin to further secure the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105 by tying the extended fabric band 104 apron ties 112 and 113 around their back torso as shown in more detail in FIG. 4.

Illustrated in FIG. 4 is how the wearer of the present invention will connect the fabric band 101 of the bikini top 100 at the back torso with a lingerie hook 114 as well as shows how the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105 can be tied at the back torso while the panel of fabric 106 comprising the lower portion of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105 surrounds the front torso to allow the wearer to complete the look of an open back tankini style bathing suit top and further securing the garment by tying the extended fabric band 104 apron ties 112 and 113 of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment 105 at the back torso.

Further depictions of the preferred embodiment are shown in FIG. 3 which is a front perspective of the present invention on a wearer encompassing the bikini style top 100 and the removable apron-style midriff garment 105 with magnetic attachments 102 and 103 located in the fabric band 101 of the bikini style top and in the extended fabric band 104 of the removable apron-style midriff cover-up garment connected together to create the appearance of a tankini style bathing suit top. FIG. 3 additionally demonstrates how the fabric panel 106 of the removable apron-style midriff garment 105 is wide enough to surround the entire front torso area of the wearer to create the effect of a tankini style bathing suit top.

FIG. 5 is a depiction of the present invention showing the wearer utilizing the removable apron-style midriff garment 105 as a bottom cover-up. When magnetic attachments 102 and 103 are not magnetically connected together, the removable apron-style midriff garment 105 can be worn around the wearer's bottom and the extended fabric band 104 apron ties 112 and 113 can be tied securely around the wearer's waist and worn as a bottom cover-up.

Finally, FIGS. 1-5 represent the capability of a wearer to magnetically attach or detach multiple removable apron-style midriff garments 105 in varying fabrics or styles to any bikini style bathing suit top 100 constructed as the present invention is described having magnetic attachments constructed into each corresponding garment.

Claims

1. A swimwear garment comprised of a first bikini style top garment, the bikini style top garment having:

an upper portion to cover the wearer's breasts and a lower portion fabric band having magnetic attachments and;

a second removable midriff garment comprised of a fabric band having magnetic attachments located on the upper portion of a panel of fabric;

wherein the magnetic attachments of the bikini top garment magnetically connect to the magnetic attachments of the removable midriff garment to form a tankini style swimsuit top;

2. The magnetic attachments of claim 1 wherein the removable midriff garment is detached from the magnetic attachments of the bikini style top garment and is tied around the wearer's waist as a bottom cover-up.

3. The magnetic attachments of claim 1 wherein multiple removable midriff garments are magnetically connected to the magnetic attachments of the bikini style top garment.