Jacket, tie and shirt combination

Abstract

A shirt and tie combination and related method and embellishments thereof, comprising: a tie permanently affixed along part of a tie-to-neck mount collar thereof, to a shirt collar of a shirt, along a tie-to-shirt attachment region; the tie-to-neck mount collar comprising a pair of separable mating halves with mating fasteners thereof, which provide a side neck opening when not mated and close the side neck opening when mated, situated along the tie-to-neck mount collar at other than the tie-to-shirt attachment region; and a remainder of the tie forming a visual fashion appearance of the tie, permanently connected to the tie-to-neck mount collar; wherein: a user is enabled to don the shirt and tie combination by putting the user's arms through sleeves of the shirt while a front of the shirt is unfastened and the mating halves are not mated, fastening the front of the shirt, and mating the mating halves.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of pending application U.S. Ser. No. 15/838,396 filed Dec. 12, 2017.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to clothing and more particularly to a jacket, tie and shirt combination.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Clothing has been popular for a number of years. More particularly, dress clothing has been popular but due to the number of different clothing items necessary to achieve a proper dress with clothing, people have been looking for a way of achieving dress clothing with a minimum of effort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A shirt and tie combination and related method and embellishments thereof, comprising: a tie permanently affixed along part of a tie-to-neck mount collar thereof, to a shirt collar of a shirt, along a tie-to-shirt attachment region; the tie-to-neck mount collar comprising a pair of separable mating halves with mating fasteners thereof, which provide a side neck opening when not mated and close the side neck opening when mated, situated along the tie-to-neck mount collar at other than the tie-to-shirt attachment region; and a remainder of the tie forming a visual fashion appearance of the tie, permanently connected to the tie-to-neck mount collar; wherein: a user is enabled to don the shirt and tie combination by putting the user's arms through sleeves of the shirt while a front of the shirt is unfastened and the mating halves are not mated, fastening the front of the shirt, and mating the mating halves.

A jacket, tie and shirt combination embellishment may include a front jacket panel; a back jacket panel integrally connected to the front jacket panel; a front shirt panel connected to front jacket panel to cooperate with the front jacket panel and a back shirt panel to cooperate with the back jacket panel; and an adjustable tie to cooperate with the front shirt panel and the front jacket panel and the front shirt aperture and collar to expand and contract in length. Tie is attached to shirt under collar via a “hook and loop” and or permanently sewn. Invention may be a one-piece clothing item to allow user to slip the combination over user's head for easy dress and undress.

The front jacket panel may include opposing sleeves, with or without cuffs.

The front jacket panel may include opposing pockets.

The front jacket panel may include apertures for buttons.

The front shirt may include apertures for buttons and may include a zipper or hook and loop under tie for easy dressing access to person wearing attire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth in the appended claims.

The invention, however, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing(s) summarized below.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a shirt, tie and jacket combination of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the front jacket panel and combination with the shirt, shirt collar, cuffs from shirt of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of the front of the shirt to be attached within front jacket combination of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a back view of the back shirt panel which may be located within the jacket combination of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of the back jacket panel with the shirt collar extended, shirt tail and jacket combination of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of the front shirt panel of the shirt and tie of the present invention. FIG. 6 is also additional detail of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of the expandable tie in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, in an open configuration for placement onto and removal from a user's neck, as well as the regions over which this tie is affixed to the shirt collar.

FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of the expandable tie of FIG. 7, in a closed configuration when it is placed about a user's neck, as well as the regions over which this tie is affixed to the shirt collar.

FIG. 9 illustrates the expandable tie of FIGS. 7 and 8 as configured and used in combination with the shirt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the shirt, tie and jacket combination 100 which may include a front jacket panel 102 which may be integrally connected to the back jacket panel 104. The front jacket panel 102 may include a lapel section 118 which may extend around the periphery of the upper jacket aperture 106 which may cooperate with the front shirt panel 108 and which may underlay the front jacket panel 102. The front jacket panel 102 may be connected to another portion of the front jacket panel 102 by buttons 110 which may cooperate with button apertures 112 to connect to sections of the front jacket panel 102. The front jacket panel 102 and the back jacket panel 104 may define a cavity for the user of the shirt and jacket combination 100. The bottom and the top of the front jacket panel 102 and the back jacket panel 104 may be open at the top 106 and bottom 130 to allow access to the cavity. The front jacket panel 102 may include a pair of opposing pockets 114 to allow the storage of objects. In addition, the front jacket panel 102 and the back jacket panel 104 may be connected to a pair of opposing jacket sleeves 116. The opposing jacket sleeves 116 may have sewn or attached therein opposing shirt sleeves 111 which may be with or without buttons and or apertures 109 for cuff links.

FIG. 2 illustrates the front jacket panel 102 which may be integrally connected to the back jacket panel 104. The front jacket panel 102 may include the lapel section 118 which may extend around the periphery of the upper jacket aperture 106 which may cooperate with the front shirt panel 108. The front jacket panel 102 may be detachably connected to another portion of the front jacket panel 102 by or with buttons 110 which may cooperate with button apertures 112 to connect to sections of the front jacket panel 102. The collar of the shirt 107 may be connected within the jacket aperture 106 to the inside of the lapel 118. The front jacket panel 102 and the back jacket panel 104 may define a cavity for the user of the shirt, tie and jacket combination 100. The bottom and the top of the front jacket panel 102 and the back jacket panel 104 may be open to allow access to the cavity 130. The front jacket panel 102 may include a pair of opposing pockets 114 to allow the storage of objects. In addition, the front jacket panel 102 and the back jacket panel 104 may be connected to a pair of opposing jackets sleeves 116. A part of the shirt 111 may be attached to inside of jacket sleeves 116 to form cuffs protruding out 111 from jacket sleeves 116. The cuffs can be with a button or with an aperture 109 to allow for cuff links. FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 may connect at shoulders, sides and elsewhere to form one jacket. FIG. 2 may also include buttons 110 so that they may interlock into apertures 112. FIG. 2 also identifies the lower jacket aperture 130 to provide access to the user of the jacket.

FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of the front shirt panel 108 attached inside or coordinated inside the front jacket panel 102 and illustrates the expandable tie 132, the shirt buttons 117 and the shirt button apertures 113. FIG. 3 additionally illustrates the front shirt panel 108 may have a tail 115 to allow user to tuck shirt into user's pants.

FIG. 4 illustrates the back shirt panel 134 which may be integrally connected to the front shirt panel 108 and may also be integrally connected to the inside of the back of jacket 104, FIG. 5. FIG. 4 additionally illustrates the back tail 115 of the part of a shirt which can be tucked into the pants of the wearer/user. Further, the back shirt panel 134 may define a bottom shirt opening 138. FIG. 4 also shows the top shirt opening 131.

FIG. 5 illustrates the back jacket panel 104 which may be connected to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, front jacket panel 102 and which may be connected to the jacket's sleeves 116. FIG. 5 additionally illustrates the upper jacket aperture 106 and the lower jacket aperture 130 to provide access to the user of the jacket. FIG. 5 also shows the back of the shirt collar 107 and the shirt cuffs 111. FIG. 5 also defines a bottom shirt opening 138.

FIG. 6 further illustrates the front shirt panel 108 which may be connected to an integral back shirt panel 134 which may include the expandable tie 132 which may have an expandable collar on shirt 136 to allow the user to access a shirt cavity and for user to wear invention by placing over wear's head, which may be defined by the front shirt panel 108 and the back shirt panel 134 by expanding and contracting in length of the expandable tie 132. The front shirt panel 108 and the back shirt panel 134 may define a bottom shirt opening 138 and a top shirt opening 131 to allow access to the shirt cavity. Also, under the tie, the invention may have a zipper or “hook and loop” on the shirt 142 to allow wearer of invention easier access to pull over the neck of wearer. Also illustrated is shirt tail 115 to allow user to tuck shirt into user's pants. The shirt, tie and jacket combination may be formed in many ways including the following.

• 1) Using fabric preferably with a small amount of spandex the first shirt panel 108 and the back shirt panel 134 being formed into the width a spread collar, full front, and full yoke. Also, the sleeve of the shirt is formed in one embodiment above the placket to a full, functioning cuff. The fabric may be polyester/spandex or other appropriate fabric in one embodiment.
• 2) Make working buttonhole(s) in the front shirt panel 108 in the top button position at or near top to below the collar stand. Secure the front placket of the front shirt panel 108 by sewing buttons over the center placket below this button position, spacing the buttons appropriately apart in one embodiment.
• 3) Attach a small square of hook and loop tape to the front of the shirt where the top button would be located. Use the soft (loop) side on the inside of the left side of the collar stand and use the hook side on the outside of the right side of the collar stand, or vice versa, such that the hook and loop portions can connect.
• 4) Using an appropriate jacket-weight blend fabric to construct the jacket front to front side and to the back at the shoulder seam. The fabric may be in one embodiment a wool/polyester/spandex blend to stretch in the crosswise direction and substantially none in the lengthwise direction.
• 5) Secure the shirt front to the side front seam of the jacket front. Sew the jacket sides to the jacket back at the side seams.
• 6) Attach the partial front lining to the inside jacket front panel 102 facing, and then completely attach the collar 107 of the shirt to the jacket inside the jacket lapel 118 area, as part of the under collar 107 to the lapel 118 to the jacket 102. Also connect the front shirt panel 108 to inside of front jacket 102. On the jacket assembly, the sleeve lining is attached within the jacket sleeves at an appropriate location 116 within the jacket sleeve with an appropriate seam. Also the shirt cuff 111 is secured within the jacket sleeve 116 at an appropriate location. The goal is to have the shirt cuff 111 show an appropriate amount protruding below the jacket sleeve hem.

FIG. 7 contains further detail for the region 136 shown in FIG. 6. This FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of the expandable tie 132 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, in an open configuration for placement onto and removal from a user's neck, as well as tie-to-shirt attachment regions 73 over which this tie 132 may be affixed to the shirt collar 107. Specifically, a tie-to-neck mount collar 71 of the tie 132 comprises a side neck opening 72, and a tie-to-shirt attachment region 73. In FIG. 7, without limitation, the tie-to-shirt attachment region 73 is shown to have both an opposite-side tie-to-shirt attachment region 73a opposite the side neck opening 72, and a rear tie-to-shirt attachment region 73b at the rear of tie-to-neck mount collar 71, as illustrated. Also shown connected to the tie-to-neck mount collar 71, is a widely-utilized Windsor knot 74, but this is for illustration not limitation, with the understanding that the invention applies to any type of necktie known and used in the art. Finally, the recognizable top portion 75 of the remainder of the tie 132 is also illustrated. The bottom portion of the tie 132 is not pertinent to the utility of the invention. It will be understood that the knot portion 74 of whatever type, together with the top portion 75 and the remainder of the tie, form the visual fashion appearance of the overall necktie 132.

Taken in combination with the shirt collar 107 (also see FIG. 9), the tie-to-neck mount collar 71 is permanently affixed to the shirt collar 107 along the opposite-side tie-to-shirt attachment region 73a and/or along the rear tie-to-shirt attachment region 73b. Without limitation, the preferred manner of permanently affixing tie-to-neck mount collar 71 to the shirt collar 107 along the tie-to-shirt attachment region 73 is by sewing, stitching, or equivalent. Importantly, the side neck opening 72 comprises a pair of separable mating halves 76a and 76b which mate using, for example, but without limitation, the “hook and loop” mating fasteners mentioned in the discussion of FIG. 6. So when the user is placing the tie 132 about the user's neck, the mating halves 76a and 76b start out detached from one another as illustrated, so that the tie 132 can be placed around the user's neck without needing to conduct the usual process of tying the tie 132 with a Windsor knot 74 or the like. Then, once the tie 132 has been placed, the two separable mating halves 76a and 76b are suitably rotated and mated 77 to reach the closed configuration now illustrated in FIG. 8, thereby affixing the tie about the user's neck.

Specifically, in FIG. 8 the side neck opening 72 of FIG. 7 has by virtue of the foregoing been converted into a side closure 81 with the separable mating halves 76a and 76b now mated together into a unified 76, as illustrated. It will be appreciated that in FIG. 8, the visual configuration of the tie 132 is identical to the customary configuration of a tie which has been tied about the user's neck following the usual protocols. However, there are two important structural and operational differences:

First, the tie 132 has now been secured about the neck not by the usual cumbersome and time-consuming tying/knotting process, but by the user slipping the tie about his neck through the side neck opening 72 of FIG. 7 and then closing this into the side closure 81 of FIG. 8 by simply mating the separate mating halves 76a and 76b of FIG. 7 into the mated 76 of FIG. 8.

Second, as now detailed in FIG. 9, the tie 132 is not an independent component from the shirt 108 and its collar 107 as is customary in the art. Rather, the tie 132 is permanently affixed to the shirt collar 107 along the tie-to-shirt attachment region(s) 73 as illustrated. Consequently, with the very top shirt button 117 and shirt button aperture 113 illustrated, the process of donning the shirt 108 and tie in combination, is as simple as putting on the shirt 108 with its buttons/fasteners and the tie simultaneously in open configurations 91 and 72, buttoning/fastening the shirt buttons 117 into the shirt button apertures 113 as illustrated for the top button 117 by the buttoning connection line 92, then mating the separate mating halves 76a and 76b into the mated 76 as illustrated by the mating connection line 77 previously detailed in FIG. 7. Note, although buttons 117 and button apertures 113 are illustrated, the use of equivalent connectors to fasten together the front shirt panel 108, such as but not limited to snaps, studs, hook and loop, etc. is regarded to be within the scope of this disclosure and the associated claims. The collar flap 93, if the user needs to lift it into the lifted position shown in FIG. 9, may then be descended down over the entire tie-to-neck mount collar 71 in the usual way, to complete the formal look of the tie and short combination.

To summarize FIGS. 7 through 9, the shirt and tie combination comprises: a tie 132 permanently affixed along part of a tie-to-neck mount collar 71 thereof, to a shirt collar 107 of a shirt 108, along a tie-to-shirt attachment region 73; the tie-to-neck mount collar 71 comprising a pair of separable mating halves with mating fasteners 76a, 76b thereof, which provide a side neck opening 72 when not mated and close said side neck opening into the mated 76 when mated, situated along the tie-to-neck mount collar 71 at other than the tie-to-shirt attachment region 73; and a remainder 74, 75 et al. of the tie 132 forming a visual fashion appearance of said tie, permanently connected to the tie-to-neck mount collar 71, see the permanent junction between 71 and 74 in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

As a result, it becomes possible to don the shirt and tie combination by putting the arms of a user of through sleeves of the shirt 108 while the front of the shirt 108 is unfastened (e.g., unbuttoned) and the pair of separable mating halves 76a, 76b of the tie-to-neck mount collar 71 of the tie 132 are not mated and thus provide the side neck opening 72; fastening the front of the shirt 108; and mating the mating halves 76a, 76b into the mated 76.

When the shirt and tie combination detailed in FIGS. 6-9 is in turn attached to the jacket 102 to form the shirt, tie and jacket combination 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the process of dressing up with shirt, tie and jacket is very simple, with four steps: First, all in one fell swoop, the user puts on the jacket and shirt which are pre-attached to one another by placing his arms through the sleeves of both. The tie is carried along for the ride because of its permanent attachment 73 to the shirt. Second, the user fastens, e.g. buttons the shirt in the usual way as detailed in FIG. 9. Third, the user simply mates 76 the separate mating halves 76a and 76b of the tie-to-neck mount collar 71 using the “hook and loop” or equivalent mating fasteners, which for example, and without limitation, may also be suitable snaps. Fourth and finally, if the user has needed to lift the collar flap 93 to navigate the foregoing steps, the user then descends the collar flap 93 down over the entire tie-to-neck mount collar 71 to complete the formal look. To remove the shirt and tie combination, the above is simply inverted.

Although FIGS. 6-9 illustrate the side neck opening 72 on the right side of the user's neck (left side of the drawing) and the tie-to-shirt attachment region 73 potentially including the region toward the left side of the user's neck (right side of the drawing), this is just an example, not a limitation. It is just as suitable within the scope of the invention for this to be parity inverted with the open region to the left and the attached region to the right of the user's neck. Likewise, the precise coverage of the tie-to-shirt attachment region 73 may be varied, with the functional requirement being to have the tie 132 ride along with the shirt 108 and its shirt collar 107 such that all the user needs to attend to as regards the tie, is mate together the separate mating halves 76a and 76b of the tie-to-neck mount collar 71.

The knowledge possessed by someone of ordinary skill in the art at the time of this disclosure, including but not limited to the prior art disclosed with this application, is understood to be part and parcel of this disclosure and is implicitly incorporated by reference herein, even if in the interest of economy express statements about the specific knowledge understood to be possessed by someone of ordinary skill are omitted from this disclosure. While reference may be made in this disclosure to the invention comprising a combination of a plurality of elements, it is also understood that this invention is regarded to comprise combinations which omit or exclude one or more of such elements, even if this omission or exclusion of an element or elements is not expressly stated herein, unless it is expressly stated herein that an element is essential to applicant's combination and cannot be omitted. It is further understood that the related prior art may include elements from which this invention may be distinguished by negative claim limitations, even without any express statement of such negative limitations herein. It is to be understood, between the positive statements of applicant's invention expressly stated herein, and the prior art and knowledge of the prior art by those of ordinary skill which is incorporated herein even if not expressly reproduced here for reasons of economy, that any and all such negative claim limitations supported by the prior art are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure and its associated claims, even absent any express statement herein about any particular negative claim limitations.

Finally, while only certain preferred features of the invention have been illustrated and described, many modifications, changes and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A shirt and tie combination, comprising:

a tie permanently affixed along part of a tie-to-neck mount collar thereof, to a shirt collar of a shirt, along a tie-to-shirt attachment region;

said tie-to-neck mount collar comprising a pair of separable mating halves with mating fasteners thereof, which provide a side neck opening when not mated and close said side neck opening when mated, situated along said tie-to-neck mount collar at other than said tie-to-shirt attachment region; and

a remainder of said tie forming a visual fashion appearance of said tie, permanently connected to said tie-to-neck mount collar; wherein:

a user is enabled to don said shirt and tie combination by putting the user's arms through sleeves of said shirt while a front of said shirt is unfastened and said mating halves are not mated, fastening said front of said shirt, and mating said mating halves.

2. The combination of claim 1, said mating fasteners comprising hook and loop fasteners.

3. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a jacket in combination with said shirt and tie combination:

said jacket comprising a front jacket panel and a back jacket panel integrally connected with said front jacket panel;

said shirt comprising a front shirt panel and a back shirt panel;

said back shirt panel integrally connected with said back jacket panel; and

said sleeves of said shirt integrally connected inside sleeves of said jacket; wherein:

the user is further enabled to don said jacket simultaneously with said shirt and tie, by said putting the user's arms through said sleeves of said shirt simultaneously with said sleeves of said jacket.

4. A method of donning a shirt and tie combination, comprising the steps of:

putting the arms of a user of said combination through sleeves of a shirt of said combination while a front of said shirt is unfastened and a pair of separable mating halves of a tie-to-neck mount collar of a tie of said combination are not mated and thus provide a side neck opening;

fastening said front of said shirt; and

mating said mating halves using mating fasteners thereof; wherein:

said mating halves open said side neck opening when not mated and close said side neck opening when mated;

said tie of said combination is permanently affixed along part of said tie-to-neck mount collar thereof, to a shirt collar of a shirt, along a tie-to-shirt attachment region;

said separable mating halves are situated along said tie-to-neck mount collar at other than said tie-to-shirt attachment region; and

a remainder of said tie forming a visual fashion appearance of said tie, permanently connected to said tie-to-neck mount collar.

5. The method of claim 4, said mating fasteners comprising hook and loop fasteners.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising donning a jacket simultaneously with donning said shirt and tie, comprising the further steps of:

putting the arms of the user through said sleeves of said shirt simultaneously with sleeves of said jacket; wherein:

said jacket comprises a front jacket panel and a back jacket panel integrally connected with said front jacket panel;

said shirt comprises a front shirt panel and a back shirt panel;

said back shirt panel is integrally connected with said back jacket panel; and

said sleeves of said shirt are integrally connected inside said sleeves of said jacket.