Adjustable Garment

Abstract

Adjustable garments are provided that have one or more features to adjust the length of one or more dimensions of the garment to fit a growing child. For instance, an adjustable jacket can have a series of stitches that allow for the adjustment of the length of a sleeve. A permanent hem stitch and a temporary stitch on the sleeve are arranged and constructed in a particular way to allow for the sleeve to extend as a child grows. In another example, adjustable pants can have a plurality of snap fasteners on an interior surface of a leg to adjust the length of the leg. The snap fasteners are arranged and constructed in a particular way so that a snap fastener at the distal end of the leg can selectively connect to the remaining fasteners to shorten the length of the pant leg.

Description

FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to adjustable garments with one or more features that allow for the adjustment of one or more dimensions of the garment.

BACKGROUND

Purchasing clothing for a child can be difficult as the child continually outgrows its clothing. The need to keep purchasing new clothing for the child can be somewhat mitigated if there is, for example, an older sibling that can hand down old clothing. However, this is not always an option, and generally there is a significant financial burden associated with purchasing clothing for a growing child.

This financial burden can be different for different types of clothing. For example, a T-shirt or sweatpants can stretch and last longer, even for a growing child. In contrast, formal clothing is typically fitted or at least not as flexible as a T-shirt or sweatpants with respect to fitting a growing child. Incidentally, formal clothing is typically more expensive than a T-shirt or sweatpants, making the financial burden of purchasing new clothing for a growing child more acute. This is compounded by the fact that the need for purchasing formal clothing can be unexpected like a funeral. Further still, the growth rate for the child increases significantly when a child enters puberty, and the beginning and end of this dramatic increase in growth rate is also unpredictable. As a result, the purchase of formal clothing or any other type of fitted garment can be a significant financial expense for a family.

SUMMARY

The above shortcomings and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments and configurations of the disclosure described herein. It is an objective of various embodiments of the present disclosure to provide an adjustable garment that has one or more features that allow the garment to change one or more dimensions to conform to the size of the child as the child grows, even during periods of significant growth such as puberty. The adjustable garments described herein include an adjustable jacket and adjustable pants, but it will be appreciated that various aspects of the present disclosure can apply to any other type of garment.

One aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an adjustable jacket with an adjustable sleeve. One part of a jacket that is often the source of a poor fit is the length of the sleeve. A jacket sleeve typically has an internal fabric and an external fabric, and the ends of these fabrics are joined together with a fastener such as a stitch. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the internal fabric and the external fabric can be joined together with an additional fastener such as an additional stitch, which is offset from the first stitch. Thus, in an initial state, the additional stitch is located at the lowermost portion of the sleeve. To adjust the length of the sleeve, the additional stitch is severed and removed, allowing the length of the sleeve to extend by the same amount as the offset. In some embodiments, the two stitches are distinct where, for instance, the first stitch is a permanent stitch and the second additional stitch is a temporary stitch.

It will be appreciated that while embodiments of the present disclosure encompass other fasteners besides stitches, a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes the first permanent stitch and the second temporary stitch as fasteners. Jackets and the sleeves of jackets have a particular look and feel including a silhouette and drape. The first and second stitches best adhere to these characteristics of the jacket. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the sleeve lacks any other horizontal stitches between the shoulder and the second, temporary stitch to preserve the look and feel of the jacket.

In addition, the offset between the second stitch and the distal end of the sleeve, i.e., the offset between the two stitches, is also a particular consideration. With too large of an offset, there is a period when both of the sleeve lengths do not properly fit the child. With too small of an offset, the benefit of having an adjustable sleeve length is too marginal. Based on experience and other factors such as the predicted growth rates of a child, the offset is between 1¼″ and 1¾″. In an even more preferred embodiment, the offset between the second stitch and the distal end of the sleeve, or the offset between stitches, is 1½″.

Another aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide adjustable pants with an adjustable leg. One part of the pants that is often the source of a poor fit is the length of the leg. In embodiments of the present disclosure, a plurality of fasteners, such as three fasteners, can extend along a line on the interior of the pant leg. Then, a distal end of the pant leg can be rolled inwardly where a fastener at the distal end of the pants can be selectively connected to another fastener to change the length of the pant leg. It will be appreciated that a second plurality of fasteners can be positioned on the interior of the pant leg to mirror the first plurality of fasteners and better the secure the pant leg at different lengths.

It will be appreciated that while embodiments of the present disclosure encompass other fasteners besides snap fasteners, a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes these snap fasteners. Pants and the legs of pants have a particular look and feel including a silhouette and drape. Snap fasteners that have a male end and a female end best adhere to these characteristics of the pants. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the leg is fastener-less between the waist and the third, fastener to preserve the look and feel of the pants. In some embodiments the snap fastener is a metal snap fastener.

In addition, the offset between the snap fasteners is also a particular consideration. With too large of an offset, there is a period when the different pant lengths do not fit the child. With too small of an offset, the benefit of having an adjustable pant length is marginal. Based on experience and other factors such as the predicted growth rates of a child, the offset is between 1¼″ and 1¾″. In an even more preferred embodiment, the offset between the snap fasteners is 1½″. It will be appreciated that the offset between snap fasteners is equal, while in some embodiments, the offset can vary among the snap fasteners.

One particular embodiment of the disclosure is an adjustable jacket, comprising a sleeve extending from a shoulder to a distal end by a sleeve length, the sleeve having an external fabric and an internal fabric, and the sleeve forming a generally cylindrical shape; a first stitch joining the external fabric to the internal fabric proximate to the distal end of the sleeve; and a second stitch joining the external fabric to the internal fabric at a position that is offset from the first stitch by a predetermined distance, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch, and a ratio between the sleeve length and the offset is between 14.8 and 21.7 to accommodate a growth rate of an adolescent person.

In some embodiments, the offset between the first stitch and the second stitch is between 1¼″ and 1¾″, and the sleeve length is between 26″ and 27⅛″. In various embodiments, the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch is at least one of a chain stitch, a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch, a running stitch, a back stitch, a bartack stitch, a single needle topstitch, a merrow stitch, a two needle bottom coverstitch, or a satin stitch, and the second stitch is a basting stitch. In some embodiments, the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch has a first stitch-to-stitch pitch that is smaller than a second stitch-to-stitch pitch of the second stitch.

In various embodiments, the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch is sewn with a first tension force and the second stitch is sewn with a smaller second tension force. In some embodiments, a density of a thread of the first stitch is substantially the same as a density of the external fabric and is greater than a density of the internal fabric. In various embodiments, the external fabric drapes further below the second stich compared to the internal fabric.

Another particular embodiment of the present disclosure is adjustable pants, comprising a leg extending from a waist to a distal end, the leg having an external surface, an internal surface, and an inseam length, and the leg forming a generally cylindrical shape with a longitudinal axis; a plurality of snap fasteners positioned on the internal surface of the leg and arranged along the longitudinal axis, the plurality of snap fasteners comprising a first snap fastener positioned proximate to the distal end of the leg, the first snap fastener having a first orientation; a second snap fastener positioned at a first offset from the first snap fastener, wherein the second snap fastener has a second orientation to selectively connect with the first snap fastener, and a ratio between the inseam length and the first offset is between 16.4 and 23.2 to accommodate a growth rate of an adolescent person; and a third snap fastener, positioned at a second offset from the second snap fastener, the third snap fastener having a second orientation to selectively connect with the first snap fastener.

In some embodiments, the first offset is equal to the second offset. In various embodiments, the first snap fastener, the second snap fastener, and the third snap fastener are metal snap fasteners having a density greater than the material of the leg. In some embodiments, the first snap fastener has a male end oriented inwardly in the first orientation, the second snap fastener has a female end oriented inwardly in the second orientation, and the third snap fastener has a female end oriented inwardly in the second orientation. In some embodiments, the adjustable pants further comprise a second plurality of snap fasteners positioned on the internal surface of the leg and arranged along the longitudinal axis. In various embodiments, the first offset is between 1¼″ and 1¾″, and the sleeve length is between 26″ and 27⅛″.

Yet another particular embodiment of the present disclosure is a method of manufacturing an adjustable jacket, comprising positioning an internal fabric having a generally cylindrical shape within an external fabric having a generally cylindrical shape; joining distal ends of the internal fabric and the external fabric with a first stitch; inverting a distal portion of the internal and external fabrics; joining the internal fabric and the external fabric with a second stitch that is offset from the first stitch by a predetermined distance, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch, and a ratio between a sleeve length established by the internal and external fabrics and the offset is between 14.8 and 21.7 to accommodate a growth rate of an adolescent person; and joining, after the internal fabric and the external fabric have been joined by the first stitch and the second stitch, the internal fabric and the external fabric to a shoulder portion of the adjustable jacket.

In some embodiments, the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch has a first stitch-to-stitch pitch that is smaller than a second stitch-to-stitch pitch of the second stitch. In various embodiments, a density of a thread of the first stitch is substantially the same as a density of the external fabric and is greater than a density of the internal fabric. In some embodiments, the external fabric drapes further below the second stich compared to the internal fabric. In various embodiments, the offset between the first stitch and the second stitch is between 1¼″ and 1¾″, and the sleeve length is between 26″ and 27⅛″. In some embodiments, the method further comprises severing the second stitch to extend a sleeve to a longer length.

One particular embodiment of the disclosure is an adjustable jacket, comprising a sleeve extending from a shoulder to a distal end, the sleeve having an external fabric and an internal fabric, and the sleeve forming a generally cylindrical shape; a first stitch joining the external fabric to the internal fabric at the distal end of the sleeve; and a second stitch joining the external fabric to the internal fabric at a position that is offset from the distal end of the sleeve by a predetermined distance, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch and the predetermined distance is between 1¼″ and 1¾″.

In some embodiments, the first stitch is at least one of a chain stitch, a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch, a running stitch, a back stitch, or a satin stitch. In various embodiments, the second stitch is a basting stitch. In some embodiments, the first stitch has a first stitch-to-stitch pitch and the second stitch has a second stitch-to-stitch pitch, wherein the first stitch-to-stitch pitch is smaller than the second stitch-to-stitch pitch. In various embodiments, the predetermined distance is 1½″. In some embodiments, the sleeve is stitch-less between the second stitch and the shoulder. In various embodiments, the first stitch and the second stitch circumscribe an interior surface of the sleeve.

Another particular embodiment of the present disclosure is adjustable pants, comprising a leg extending from a waist to a distal end, the leg having an external surface and an internal surface, and the leg forming a generally cylindrical shape with a longitudinal axis; a plurality of snap fasteners positioned on the internal surface of the leg and arranged along the longitudinal axis, the plurality of snap fasteners comprising a first snap fastener positioned at the distal end of the leg, the first snap fastener having a first orientation; a second snap fastener positioned at a first offset from the distal end of the leg, the second snap fastener having a second orientation to selectively connect with the first snap fastener; and a third snap fastener, positioned at a second offset from the distal end of the leg, the third snap fastener having a second orientation to selectively connect with the first snap fastener.

In various embodiments, the first offset is half of the second offset. In some embodiments, the first snap fastener, the second snap fastener, and the third snap fastener are metal snap fasteners. In various embodiments, the first snap fastener has a male end oriented inwardly in the first orientation, the second snap fastener has a female end oriented inwardly in the second orientation, and the third snap fastener has a female end oriented inwardly in the second orientation. In some embodiments, the adjustable pants further comprise a second plurality of snap fasteners positioned on the internal surface of the leg and arranged along the longitudinal axis. In various embodiments, the first offset is between 1¼″ and 1¾″. In some embodiments, the first offset is 1½″. In various embodiments, the second offset is between 2¾″ and 3¼″. In some embodiments, the second offset is 3″.

The Summary is neither intended nor should it be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present disclosure. Embodiments are set forth in various levels of detail in the Summary as well as in the attached drawings and the Detailed Description and no limitation as to the scope of the present disclosure is intended by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of elements or components. Additional aspects of the adjustable garment and methods of use will become more readily apparent from the Detailed Description, particularly when taken together with the drawings.

The above-described embodiments, objectives, and configurations are neither complete nor exhaustive. As will be appreciated, other embodiments are possible using, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.

The phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and/or,” as used herein, are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, dimensions, conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.”

The term “a” or “an” entity, as used herein, refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein.

The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Accordingly, the terms “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof can be used interchangeably herein.

It shall be understood that the term “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term “means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials, or acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the summary, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the adjustable garment and together with the Summary given above and the Detailed Description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these embodiments. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the adjustable garment or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the adjustable garment is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. Additionally, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.

FIG. 1A is a front elevation view of an adjustable jacket in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a rear elevation view of the adjustable jacket in FIG. 1A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a sleeve of the adjustable jacket in FIG. 1A taken along line A-A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a further front elevation view of the adjustable jacket in FIG. 1A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustable jacket in FIG. 1A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a chest pocket of the adjustable jacket in FIG. 1A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an interior of the adjustable jacket in FIG. 1A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a detailed view of a portion of the adjustable jacket of FIG. 6A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a further perspective view of the interior of the adjustable jacket in FIG. 1A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for a method of manufacturing an adjustable garment in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9A is a front elevation view of adjustable pants in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9B is a rear elevation view of the adjustable pants in FIG. 9A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10A is an elevation view of an interior of a leg of the pants in FIG. 9A in a first position in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10B is an elevation view of the interior of the leg of the pants in FIG. 9A in a second position in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is an elevation view of a waistband of the pants in FIG. 9A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 12 is an elevation view of an interior of the pants in FIG. 9A in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

A list of the various components shown in the drawings and associated numbering is provided herein:

Number Component
2      Jacket
4      Chest
6      Waist
8      Seat
10     Shoulder
12     Sleeve
14     Arm Length
16     Opening Width
18     External Fabric
20     Internal Fabric
22     Permanent Fastener
24     Selective Fastener
26     Fastener Offset
28     External Fabric Drape
30     Front Pocket
32     Collar
34     Chest Pocket
36     Fastener
38     Interior Pocket
40     Tab
42     Hem
44     Manufacturing Process
46     Positioning Fabrics
48     Joining Fabrics
50     Inverting Fabrics
52     Joining Fabrics
54     Joining to Shoulder
56     Pants
58     Waistband
60     Leg
62     Inseam Length
64     Opening Width
66     Interior Surface
68     First Fastener
70     Offset
72     Second Fastener
74     Third Fastener
76     Fastener Spacing
78     Adjustment Feature
80     Interior Pocket

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The adjustable garment has significant benefits across a broad spectrum of endeavors. It is the Applicant's intent that this specification and the claims appended hereto be accorded a breadth in keeping with the scope and spirit of the disclosure despite what might appear to be limiting language imposed by the requirements of referring to the specific examples disclosed. To acquaint persons skilled in the pertinent arts, a preferred embodiment that illustrates the best mode now contemplated for putting the adjustable garment into practice is described herein by, and with reference to, the annexed drawings that form a part of the specification. The exemplary embodiment is described in detail without attempting to describe all of the various forms and modifications in which the adjustable garment might be embodied. As such, the embodiments described herein are illustrative, and as will become apparent to those skilled in the arts, may be modified in numerous ways within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent application, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent application is referred to in this patent application in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term by limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning.

Various embodiments are described herein and as depicted in the drawings. It is expressly understood that although the figures depict adjustable garments, fasteners, and methods and systems for using the same, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a front elevation view and a rear elevation view of a jacket 2 are provided, respectively. As shown, the jacket 2 has a chest 4, a waist 6, and a seat 8. A sleeve 12 extends from a shoulder 10 of the jacket 2 to a distal end. The sleeve 12 has a generally cylindrical shape where the sleeve 12 has an arm length 14 and an opening with a width 16 at a lower end. For a boy's or adolescent youth's jacket 2, the arm length 14 in various embodiments is between approximately 26″ and 27⅛″ (66 cm and 68.9 cm) where “approximately” can mean a variation of +/−10% on a relative basis. In some embodiments, the opening width 16 is between approximately 5″ and 5¼″ (12.7 cm and 13.3 cm).

In addition, the jacket 2 can be made from a variety of materials and made in a variety of constructions. In some embodiments, the primary material or external fabric of the jacket 2 is a blend of 62% polyester, 33% rayon and 5% polyurethane that weighs approximately 275 grams per square meter. The lining or internal fabric can be made from polyester that weighs approximately 110 grams per square meter. It will be appreciated that the jacket 2 can be made from any material or combination of materials. However, certain materials and aspects of the materials relative to other features of the disclosure, such as fasteners, are critical to the performance, look, and appearance of the garment.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the sleeve 12 is provided. The sleeve 12 in this embodiment generally has an external fabric 18 and an internal fabric 20 such as a liner. The fabrics 18, 20 are joined together at the distal end of the sleeve 12 with a permanent fastener 22, which in this embodiment is a first stitch. The fabrics 18, 20 are also joined together with a selective fastener 24, which in this embodiment is a second stitch. The distal portion of the sleeve 22 is inverted such that the distal portion extends upwardly into an annular space between the external fabric 18 and the internal fabric 20. The first stitch 22 is a permanent stitch such as a hem stitch that is not intended to be easily removed. In contrast, in this embodiment, the second stitch 24 is a temporary stitch such as a basting stitch that is intended to secure the fabrics 18, 20 together but can also be cut and easily removed to extend the length of the sleeve 12 to match a growing boy or adolescent youth.

The differences between the first stitch 22 and the second stitch 24 can be characterized in a number of ways. For instance, the stitch length or stitch-to-stitch pitch of the first stitch 22 can be smaller or shorter than the stitch length or stitch-to-stitch pitch of the second stitch 24. This would result in a smaller, more compact stitching pattern for the first stitch 22 that is more difficult to remove when compared to the second stitch 24. In addition, the type of stitch can be different between the first stitch 22 and the second stitch 24 such that the second stitch 24 is more easily removed. The first stitch 22 can be chain stitch, a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch, a running stitch, a back stitch, a bartack stitch, a single needle topstitch, a merrow stitch, a two needle bottom coverstitch, or a satin stitch in some embodiments. Moreover, the first stitch 22 can have a two-thread stitch which is, for instance, produced by a sewing machine. The second stitch 24 can be a basting stitch or other similar stitch that can be a single-thread stitch. In addition, the stitches 22, 24 can be distinct in terms of tension, or force along the length of the material or thread that forms the stitch. A tighter stitch will have a larger tension force that a looser stitch. In this sense, the first stitch 22 can have a larger stitch tension force compared to the second stitch 24, which can be looser for easier removal.

It will be appreciated that while stitches 22, 24 are described with respect to FIG. 2, embodiments of the present disclosure encompass other fasteners 22, 24. However, a jacket 2 has a particular drape and silhouette, and the sleeves 12 of the jacket are expected to move from a substantially vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation or higher during normal use of the jacket. Therefore, a fastener 22, 24 with an excessively large weight or density will pull the distal end of the sleeve 12 downward when the sleeves 12 are raised, which negatively affects the drape and silhouette of the jacket 2. With this issue in mind, the weight or density of the fasteners 22, 24 relative to the other components of the jacket 2 is critical to preserving the drape and silhouette of the jacket 2. In some embodiments, the fasteners 22, 24 can each have a density between approximately 200 to 400 grams per square meter. Expressed in relative terms, the fasteners 22, 24 have a density that is greater than a density of a liner material of the jacket 2. In addition, the fasteners 22, 24 have a density that is substantially the same as, or within +/−10% on a relative basis of, the external fabric of the jacket 2. This aspect of the fasteners 22, 24 preserves the drape and silhouette of the jacket 2 while adding the functionality described herein.

As depicted in FIG. 2, the stitches 22, 24 are offset by a distance 26 that is between approximately 1¼″ and 1¾″ (3.2 cm and 4.4 cm). In some embodiments, the offset distance 26 is approximately 1½″ (3.8 cm). The offset 26 is critical to the adjustability function of the jacket 2. If the offset is too large, then the sleeves of the jacket will fit poorly both when the arm length is established by the first stitch 22 and when the arm length is established by the second stitch 24. If the offset 26 is too small, then the benefit of adjustability is too marginal. Thus, the relationship between the arm length 14 of the jacket 2 and the offset 26 is critical and can be expressed as a dimensionless ratio. In some embodiments, the ratio between the arm length 14 and the offset 26 is between 14.8 and 21.7. In various embodiments, the ratio is between 17.3 and 18.1. This can also be expressed as a ratio greater than 14.8 in some embodiments. In various embodiments, the ratio is less than 21.7. In addition, the ratios and ranges of ratios are express relative to a nominal sleeve length or the sleeve length before a second stitch is severed. However, in various embodiments, the ratio can be expressed relative to an average sleeve length between stitches or based on the fully-extended length of the sleeve.

These ratios are based on many factors for a boy or adolescent youth. First, the long bones of the arm such as the humerus, the radius, and the ulna account for most of the length of an arm, and therefore, dictate whether a sleeve of a jacket fits properly. Long bones stop growing around the age of 21 in males in a process called epiphyseal plate closure. During this process, cartilage cells stop dividing and all of the cartilage is replaced by bone. However, the fastest growth rate for a boy is around age 13 where the overall growth velocity increases from 2.17 to 3.07 inches/year (5.5 to 7.8 cm/year), and the limb growth velocity increases from 1.26 to 1.97 inches/year (3.2 to 5 cm/year) at the peak of puberty. Based on these rates and also the expected size of a boy or adolescent youth at these ages, the above ratios between the arm length and the offset provide the desired balance between an offset that is too large and an offset that is too small.

Finally, FIG. 2 shows that the selective fastener 24 is offset 28 from a distal end of the sleeve of the jacket 2. In this sense, the selective fastener 24 is positioned at or proximate to the distal end of the sleeve 12, but is offset by a predetermined distance 28. A portion of the external fabric 18 extends below the selective fastener 24 to preserve the shape of the jacket 2 and conceal the construction of the selective fastener 24. More specifically, the external fabric 18 extends below the selective fastener 24 by a greater distance than the internal fabric 20 extends below the selective fastener 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-7, various views of the jacket 2 are provided. In FIG. 3, a front pocket 30 of the jacket 2 is shown, and in FIG. 4, a collar 32 of the jacket 2 is depicted. In FIG. 5, a chest pocket 34 is shown that has a fastener 30. Thus, different types or sizes of chest pockets 34 can be selectively connected to the jacket 2. FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 7 show the interior of the jacket 2 including interior pockets 38, a tab 40 for holding glasses, and a hem 42. It will be appreciated that the hem 42 can be selectively adjusted in some embodiments using first and second fasteners as described above with respect to the sleeve of the jacket 2.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a process 44 for manufacturing an adjustable garment such as a jacket is provided. To begin, the internal fabric of a sleeve of the adjustable garment is positioned 46 within the external fabric of the sleeve. The internal fabric can first be constructed into a generally cylindrical shape, and the external fabric can also be first constructed into a generally cylindrical shape. Then, the internal fabric cylinder is positioned within the external fabric cylinder. Next, the distal ends of the internal and external fabrics are joined 48 with a first stitch or fastener. Then, portions of the fabrics are rolled inwardly or inverted 50 such that these portions extend into an annular spaced between the fabrics, and the internal and external fabrics are joined 52 again with a second stitch or fastener. The stitches, fasteners, and fabrics can have aspects and relative relationships as described elsewhere herein. Finally, the fabrics are joined 54 to the rest of the garment. The distal ends of the fabrics are constructed before joining the rest of the garment to establish the aspects and relative relationships described herein. During operation, a user can use a seam ripper, scissors, or another device to sever the second stitch or fastener and extend the sleeve to a longer length.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A and 9B, a front elevation view and a rear elevation view of adjustable pants 56 are provided, respectively. The pants 56 have a waist or waistband 58 at a top end of the pants 56, and a pair of legs 60 descend downwardly from the waistband 58 to a distal end. Each leg 60 has a generally cylindrical shape, and though FIGS. 9A and 9B depict a trouser or dress type of pants 56, embodiments of the present disclosure encompass any variety of pants 56.

For a boy's or adolescent youth's pants 56, the length of the pant 56, as expressed by an inseam 62 of a leg 60 of the pants 56, can be between approximately 28¾″ and 29″ (73 cm and 73.7 cm). Each leg 60 has a generally cylindrical shape with an opening at a lower end that has a width 64 between approximately 6¼″ and 6½″ (15.9 cm to 16.5 cm). In addition, the pants 56 can be made from a variety of materials. In one embodiment, the primary material or external fabric is a blend of 62% polyester, 33% rayon, and 5% polyurethane that weighs approximately 275 grams per square meter. The lining or interior fabric is 100% polyester that weighs approximately 110 grams per square meter. It will be appreciated that the pants 56 can be made from any material or combination of materials. However, aspects of the materials relative to other features of the disclosure, such as fasteners, are critical to the performance, look, and appearance of the garment.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A and 10B, elevation views of an interior 66 of a leg 60 of the pants are provided. In FIG. 10A, three fasteners 68, 72, 74 are positioned on an interior surface 66 of the leg 60. The fasteners 68, 72, 74 in this embodiment are snap fasteners, but it will be appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure encompass other fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners, etc. The first snap fastener 68 is positioned at or proximate to the distal end of the leg 60, and the first snap fastener 68 has a first orientation. Generally, a snap fastener has a male side and a female side, and in the depicted embodiment, the first orientation is the male side is facing inwardly, toward the viewer. The second fastener 72, the third fastener 74, and any further fastener have a second orientation where the female side is facing inwardly, toward the viewer. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure encompasses embodiments with any number of fasteners 68, 72, 74. For instance, and embodiment can have one fastener with one orientation and another fastener with another orientation, and in a first position the fasteners are not engaged with each other allowing the leg of the pant to extend to a full length. In a second position, the fasteners are selectively engaged to shorten the length of the leg of the pant.

As noted above, the fasteners 68, 72, 74 can be any type of fastener, however, the pants have a particular drape and silhouette. The legs 60 of the pants as expected to have a generally vertical orientation in most uses. Even when a person is sitting while wearing the pants, the lower end of the legs 60 will typically have a vertical orientation. With this in mind, the fasteners 68, 72, 74 are made from a material that has a higher weight per square meter or cubic meter compared to each of the internal and external fabrics used to make the pants. Thus, the greater density of the fasteners 68, 72, 74 holds the lower ends of the legs in vertical orientation and preserves the particular drape and silhouette of the pants while adding the functionality described herein.

The fasteners 68, 72, 74 are arranged along a length of the leg 60, which can be described as along a longitudinal axis of the generally cylindrical shape of the leg 60. The fasteners 68, 72, 74 are also spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance 76, which is approximately 1½″ (3.8 cm) in this embodiment. In some embodiments, the spacing distance 76 between each fastener 56, 60, 62 is between approximately 1¼″ and 1¾″ (3.2 cm and 4.4 cm). Like the jacket, the spacing 76 is critical to the operation of the pants and the adjustable length of the pants. Too large of a spacing 76, and the pants will fit poorly between the different leg lengths established by the fasteners 68, 72, 74. Too small of a spacing 76, and the benefit of adjusting the length of the pants is too marginal. Thus, the relationship between the inseam of the pants and the spacing 76 can be expressed as a dimensionless ratio. In some embodiments, this ratio between inseam length and fastener spacing is between 16.4 and 23.2. In various embodiments, the ratio is between 19.1 and 19.4. The ratio can be greater than 16.4 in some embodiments. In various embodiments, the ratio is less than 23.2. This ratio is based on the fully-extended length of the pant length. However, it will be appreciated that the ratio can also be based on an average pant length or length of the pant at any position.

Like the jacket, these ratios are based on many factors for a boy or adolescent youth. Specifically, the long bones of the legs such as the femur, the tibia, and the fibula grow fastest for a boy around age 13. Based on growth rates and the expected size of a boy or adolescent youth at these ages, the above ratios between the inseam length and the spacing provide the desired balance between an offset that is too large and an offset that is too small.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the first fastener 68 is offset 70 from a distal end of the leg 60, which is approximately ¾″ (0.64 cm) in this embodiment. Thus, the first fastener 68 is positioned at or proximate to the distal end of the leg 60. Moreover, the fasteners 68, 72, 74 in FIG. 10A are in a first position where none of the fasteners 68, 72, 74 are selectively connected to each other. This represents the longest length of the adjustable pant leg 60. In FIG. 10B, the first fastener 68 is selectively connected to the second fastener 72, which reduces the length of the leg 60 by the offset 70 plus half of the predetermined spacing distance 76. Next, the first fastener 68 can be selectively connected to the third fastener 74, which reduces the length of the leg 60 by the offset 70 plus by one and a half times the predetermined spacing distance 76. This represents the shortest length of the adjustable pant leg 60.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, further views of adjustable pants 56 are provided. In FIG. 11, a view of the waistband is provided where a waist adjustment feature 78 can lengthen or shorten the waist of the pants 56. Interior pockets 80 of the pants 56 are shown in FIG. 12.

The description of the adjustable garment has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the adjustable garment to the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments described and shown in the figures were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the adjustable garment, the practical application, and to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the adjustable garment.

While various embodiments have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Moreover, references made herein to “the adjustable garment” or aspects thereof should be understood to mean certain embodiments of the adjustable garment and should not necessarily be construed as limiting all embodiments to a particular description. It is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable jacket, comprising: a sleeve extending from a shoulder to a distal end by a sleeve length, the sleeve having an external fabric and an internal fabric, and the sleeve forming a generally cylindrical shape;a first stitch joining the external fabric to the internal fabric proximate to the distal end of the sleeve; anda second stitch joining the external fabric to the internal fabric at a position that is offset from the first stitch by a predetermined distance, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch, and a ratio between the sleeve length and the offset is between 14.8 and 21.7 to accommodate a growth rate of an adolescent person.

2. The adjustable jacket of claim 1, wherein the offset between the first stitch and the second stitch is between 1¼″ and 1¾″, and the sleeve length is between 26″ and 27⅛″.

3. The adjustable jacket of claim 1, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch is at least one of a chain stitch, a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch, a running stitch, a back stitch, a bartack stitch, a single needle topstitch, a merrow stitch, a two needle bottom coverstitch, or a satin stitch, and the second stitch is a basting stitch.

4. The adjustable jacket of claim 1, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch has a first stitch-to-stitch pitch that is smaller than a second stitch-to-stitch pitch of the second stitch.

5. The adjustable jacket of claim 1, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch is sewn with a first tension force and the second stitch is sewn with a smaller second tension force.

6. The adjustable jacket of claim 1, wherein a density of a thread of the first stitch is substantially the same as a density of the external fabric and is greater than a density of the internal fabric.

7. The adjustable jacket of claim 1, wherein the external fabric drapes further below the second stich compared to the internal fabric.

8. Adjustable pants, comprising: a leg extending from a waist to a distal end, the leg having an external surface, an internal surface, and an inseam length, and the leg forming a generally cylindrical shape with a longitudinal axis;a plurality of snap fasteners positioned on the internal surface of the leg and arranged along the longitudinal axis, the plurality of snap fasteners comprising: a first snap fastener positioned proximate to the distal end of the leg, the first snap fastener having a first orientation;a second snap fastener positioned at a first offset from the first snap fastener, wherein the second snap fastener has a second orientation to selectively connect with the first snap fastener, and a ratio between the inseam length and the first offset is between 16.4 and 23.2 to accommodate a growth rate of an adolescent person; anda third snap fastener, positioned at a second offset from the second snap fastener, the third snap fastener having a second orientation to selectively connect with the first snap fastener.

9. The adjustable pants of claim 8, wherein the first offset is equal to the second offset.

10. The adjustable pants of claim 8, wherein the first snap fastener, the second snap fastener, and the third snap fastener are metal snap fasteners having a density greater than the material of the leg.

11. The adjustable pants of claim 8, wherein the first snap fastener has a male end oriented inwardly in the first orientation, the second snap fastener has a female end oriented inwardly in the second orientation, and the third snap fastener has a female end oriented inwardly in the second orientation.

12. The adjustable pants of claim 8, further comprising: a second plurality of snap fasteners positioned on the internal surface of the leg and arranged along the longitudinal axis.

14. The adjustable pants of claim 8, wherein the first offset is between 1¾″ and 1¾″, and the sleeve length is between 26″ and 27⅛″.

15. A method of manufacturing an adjustable jacket, comprising: positioning an internal fabric having a generally cylindrical shape within an external fabric having a generally cylindrical shape;joining distal ends of the internal fabric and the external fabric with a first stitch;inverting a distal portion of the internal and external fabrics;joining the internal fabric and the external fabric with a second stitch that is offset from the first stitch by a predetermined distance, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch, and a ratio between a sleeve length established by the internal and external fabrics and the offset is between 14.8 and 21.7 to accommodate a growth rate of an adolescent person; andjoining, after the internal fabric and the external fabric have been joined by the first stitch and the second stitch, the internal fabric and the external fabric to a shoulder portion of the adjustable jacket.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second stitch is distinct from the first stitch such that the first stitch has a first stitch-to-stitch pitch that is smaller than a second stitch-to-stitch pitch of the second stitch.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a density of a thread of the first stitch is substantially the same as a density of the external fabric and is greater than a density of the internal fabric.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the external fabric drapes further below the second stich compared to the internal fabric.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the offset between the first stitch and the second stitch is between 1¼″ and 1¾″, and the sleeve length is between 26″ and 27⅛″.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising severing the second stitch to extend a sleeve to a longer length.