Patent Application
20220287390
The present disclosure relates to an easy-to-drape garment which retains the natural appearance of a traditionally draped saree.
Saree (also spelled sari) is a garment adorned by women in the Asian continent. Sarees, which are colorful cloths with varying weaves and styles, represent the cultural identity of the India subcontinent. Traditionally, saree is a piece of cloth between six (6) to nine (9) yards in length and 46 inches wide which is draped around the body over a blouse and a long petticoat. Draping of the saree includes wrapping and tucking a portion of the sari around the waist, about one and a half times, into the petticoat around the hip, making pleats, which also get tucked inside the petticoat, followed by draping the remainder of the sari around the back, over the chest, to hang off the left shoulder. There are many variations of the draping technique. Historically, saree was the one of main garments worn by women in and around India. Draping the saree was a common skill among women, born out of their daily habit. However, women who are not accustomed to the saree often require the assistance from family and friends in order to drape the saree. In addition, wearing a saree has other hindrances as well. A traditional saree requires assembly with a matching blouse and petticoat which is an elaborate and time-consuming process.
Although a major portion of the country still wears saree on a daily basis, there has been a considerable shift over the last few decades where women started preferring western clothing or pre-stitched Indian wear such as salwar kameez, kurtas, long skirts, dresses etc. Thus, as times changed, women preferred more comfortable, easier-to-wear and non-traditional clothing over the saree for daily wear. However, the authentic appeal of the saree has not only continued but increased with new designer labels and exclusive boutiques mushrooming all over the subcontinent. Young women in India and the neighboring countries still consider saree as the garment of choice for small or large gatherings, weddings, birthdays and any simple or big occasions for that matter. Sadly, due to the decline in a daily use of the garment, draping, wearing and comfortably carrying the saree is no longer a common skill amongst women. Due to this, while many women desire to adorn the saree, draping, wearing and carrying a saree is being considered a cumbersome, time consuming and tiresome task.
Typically, sarees are purchased from a retail shop in an unstitched or semi-stitched form. The saree is then taken to a tailor for completing the stitching process which requires a fall (to support the bottom end of the saree), pico work (for finishing the edges) and other machine or embroidery handiwork. To procure a matching blouse, women usually get the tailor to separate a portion of cloth from the saree for stitching or purchase a ready-made blouse that matches the saree. The user also has to procure a matching petticoat.
Designers have tried to solve this hurdle of assembling, wearing and carrying the saree by designing ready-to-wear pre-stitched sarees.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,899 discloses ready-to-wear saree gown which is simply a dress that the user would step into and zip up at the back. This type of garment resembles more like a dress or gown with saree like features.
IN Publication No.98/CHE/2003 discloses individualized sarees that are stitched into ready-to-wear form according to the size and height of the women, thus this type of garment cannot be sold commercially for women of varying sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,367 and IN Publication No.1504/DEL/2011 disclose other types of ready-to-wear sarees which typically comprise a skirt like lower body potion that extends from the waist to the legs with an elastic or pull-out loop waistband. The wearer steps into and pulls up the skirt and tightens it around the waist at a V-shaped placket on the side using some sort of a secondary fastening mechanism. The elastic in this type of garments often causes discomfort to a large wearer, and also produces an unsightly ‘muffin top’ look at the back.
U.S Publication serial No.2016/0021943 provides an adjustable garment with the purpose of providing an appearance of the traditional sari. However, this garment also uses a pull-up skirt with an elastic waistband. Similarly, there is bunching or puffing of the sari fabric at the waist and pleats, which is in contrast to the sleek appearance of the traditionally draped saree. Further, the pre-stitched pleats originate at the top, and with no further vertical seam, the pleats are not held in place. Such a design gives a ‘puffy skirt’ appearance of a half-saree (a traditional garment for teen, adolescent girls) instead of looking like an authentic saree for adult women. Thus, while these later designed skirt-like garments look less like a gown, they do not give the authentic saree appearance.
Further, the 6 yards free-flowing saree with its colorful fabrics and varied weaves is internationally recognized as a work of art. Thus, it is very important for an easy-to-drape saree garment to retain the natural appearance and duplicate the traditional draped saree. The prior art pre-stitched versions of the saree do not preserve this free-flowing feature of the traditional saree. To date all pre-stitched or ready to wear saree garments give a ‘fake saree’ look because they do not emulate the traditional saree draping techniques. For the above reasons, the available solutions of pre-stitched sarees have not become widely popular.
There is a need for an easy-to-drape saree that gives the shapely, snug-fitting, sleek appearance of a traditional saree that does not look like a gown or a cylinder-like skirt, is comfortable and secure enough to be worn for a prolonged period of time
The present disclosure provides an easy-to-drape saree that preserves this free-flowing nature of the traditional saree. In other words, the present garment conserves that artistic appearance and the original structure of the traditional saree by providing an unattached, open, free-flowing garment that a person can wear without knowing the traditional draping techniques.
The present disclosure solves this problem by creating an easy-to-drape garment that emulates the appearance of the authentic saree worn by the age-old draping technique by providing a wrap-around component with an adjustable waistband that forms a snug-fit skirt along with pre-stitched pleats. The present disclosure reduces the time to assemble a saree because it provides a pre-assembled off-the-shelf item with matching blouse and a built-in petticoat. The present disclosure also increases scalability for the garment manufacturer by providing the pre-stitched item with a fixed number of size options instead of personally customized garment for a specific user.
The present disclosure provides an easy-to-drape garment comprising a wrap-around component with an adjustable waistband; a series of pre-stitched pleats; and a free-flowing component for draping; wherein upon draping onto a wearer, the garment retains the natural appearance of saree that has been draped using traditional techniques.
Accordingly the present disclosure provides a garment, having a wrap-around component which comprises an interior surface 2a, an exterior surface 2b, a first side edge 2c, and a second side edge 2d, a top end 2e, a bottom end 2f, wherein said side edges 2c and 2d mutually overlap to form a skirt when wrapped around a wearer; wherein the length of said top end 2e is attached to the adjustable waistband 3, said waistband further comprises a first edge 3a and a second edge 3b, said edges mutually overlap when wrapped; wherein the pre-stitched pleats 4 are incorporated within said exterior surface 2b, at the end of the side edge 2d, said pleats spanning from said top end 2e to said bottom end 2f; wherein the free-flowing component 5 extends as a continuation of the pre-stitched pleats 4 to drape around the body of a wearer.
In one embodiment, the adjustable waistband consists of at least one section of elastic material 3c along the length of said waistband at a point between said first edge 3a and the second edge 3b; at least one complementary fastening element comprising one fastening element about the first end of said waistband 3a and a second fastening element at about the second edge 3b of said waistband; wherein the elastic material and the complementary fastening mechanisms provide a comfortable and secure means to hold the wrap in place.
In another embodiment, the complementary fastening elements are selected from the group consisting of hooks and eyes, hooks and loops, snaps, buttons and holes, buckles, Velcro.
In another variant, the pre-stitched pleats 4 consist of at least one section of vertical seam 6.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of making the easy-to-drape saree of the present disclosure, from a piece of fabric, said method comprising: (a) constructing the adjustable waist band with fastening means to secure the wrap-around component onto the wearer; (b) attaching said waistband to the top end of said fabric material to make the wrap-around component; (c) stitching a series of pleats within the exterior surface of the cloth at the point where the interior side edge of the wrap-around component ends.
In one variant, the method of the present disclosure provides a piece of fabric which is a rectangular material of fabric of 5 to 9 yards long.
In one variant, the method provides a piece of fabric which is a traditional saree.
In another variant, the present disclosure provides a method for construction of the adjustable waistband which comprises: (a) preparing a reinforced material of cloth that is as long as the wrap-around component; (b) inserting at least one section of elastic material 3c along the length of said waistband at a point between said first edge 3a and the second edge 3b; (c) mounting at least one complementary fastening element, wherein one fastening element is mounted at about the first end of said waistband 3a, and a second fastening element at about the second edge 3b of said waistband; wherein the elastic material and the primary fastening mechanisms provide a comfortable and secure means to hold the wrap in place.
In one variant, the method of the present disclosure provides complementary fastening components which are selected from the group consisting of hooks and eyes, hooks and loops, snaps, buttons and holes, buckles, Velcro.
In another variant, the method of the present disclosure further comprises making at least one vertical seam 6 over the pre-stitched pleats 4.
In yet another variant, the method of the present disclosure further comprises mounting a clip 7 at a point on the free-flowing component 5 of the garment such that it helps secure said component to the shoulder the wearer.
In another variant, the method of the present disclosure further comprises attaching a petticoat material to the wrap-around component such that it covers the full area of the said wrap-around component.
In another aspect the present disclosure provides a method of making an easy-to-drape saree from a traditional saree, said method comprising:(a) constructing the adjustable waist band 3 with complementary fastening means; (b) attaching said waistband 3 to the top end of said saree material 2e to make the wrap-around component; (c) stitching a series of pleats 4 within the exterior surface of the cloth at the point where the interior side edge 2d of the wrap-around component ends. (d) making a vertical seam 6 on the pleats; wherein said modification results in an easy-to-drape saree, said saree when draped around a wearer retains the natural appearance of a traditionally draped saree.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of making the garment wherein constructing the adjustable waist band 3 comprises:(a) preparing a belt for the wrap-around component; (b) inserting at least one section of elastic material 3c along the length of said waistband at a point between said first edge 3a and the second edge 3b;(c) mounting at least one complementary fastening element comprising one fastening element at about the first end of said waistband 3a, and a second fastening element at about the second edge 3b of said waistband; wherein the elastic material and the primary fastening mechanisms provide a comfortable and secure means to hold the wrap in place. In a variant of the disclosure, the belt is made from a reinforced material of cloth. In another variant of the disclosure, the constructing the adjustable waist band 3 comprises of mounting a series of complementary fastening elements.
In an alternate aspect, the present disclosure comprises a method where the adjustable waistband 3 is constructed by adapting the top end of the saree 2e.
A saree is a rectangular piece of cloth that is 6 to 9 yards in length, comprising of an exterior surface, an interior surface, a top end, a bottom end, and two vertical edges. A saree draped using the traditional or ‘authentic’ method has a ‘snug-fit’ around the body of the wearer, especially below the waist and hips. The saree draped using the traditional method has a series of well-folded pleats held in place. In other words, the pleats in the authentically draped saree do not ‘puff’ or ‘bunch’ around the waist.
The easy-to-drape garment of the present disclosure comprises of a wrap-around component with an adjustable waistband 3, a series of pre-stitched pleats 4 and a free-flowing component 5 for draping; wherein upon draping onto a wearer, the garment retains the appearance of a traditionally draped saree.
The wrap-around component of the present disclosure comprises of an interior surface 2a, an exterior surface 2b, a first side edge 2c, a second side edge 2d, a top end 2e, a bottom end 2; wherein said side edges 2c and 2d mutually overlap to form a snug-fit skirt when wrapped around a wearer. The wrap-around is typically positioned above the hips or around the waist area, according to the wearer's preference. In a preferred embodiment, the entire length of the top end 2e is attached to the adjustable waistband 3.
The wrap-around component of the disclosure further comprises of an undergarment or petticoat 7 attached to the wrap-around component at said interior surface 2a, said undergarment further spanning from said first edge 2c to said second edge 2d, said undergarment further spanning from said top end 2e to said bottom end 2f. In an embodiment of the disclosure, in sheer-type garments that are delicate, the traditional petticoat material worn under sarees is replaced with a layer of light cloth. The light cloth is secured on the interior surface 2a for the length of the wrap-around from edges 2c to 2d.
The adjustable waistband of the disclosure is similar to a belt or a band that secures the garment to the body of a wearer. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the adjustable waistband 3 of the present disclosure is as long as the wrap-around component, i.e., spanning from 2c to 2d. The adjustable waistband of the disclosure and is attached to the wrap-around compound at the top end 2e, such that said waistband is seamlessly stitched onto the wrap-around. The length of the waistband of the present disclosure is attached to the top end of wrap-around component cloth 2e. In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the adjustable waistband comprises a first edge 3a and a second edge 3b, said edges mutually overlap when wrapped. In an alternate embodiment, the adjustable waistband is adapted from the saree material instead of constructing it as a separate belt that needs attachment. More specifically, the adjustable waistband 3 is constructed by adapting the top end of the saree 2e
The adjustable waistband of the present disclosure contains at least one section of elastic 3c, at a point between said first edge 3a, and said second edge 3b, to provide a comfort fit for varying sizes of wearers. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic is encased within waistband in a casing to allow expansion in the waist portion of the garment. The elastic band accommodates varying size ranges and fits, allows expansion of the garment so the user has a few extra inches of comfort when sitting. This adjustable feature allows the waistband to expand without bunching or compromising the sleekness of the saree or the uniformity of the pre-stitched pleats. As show in
The adjustable waist of the disclosure further comprises a panel with at least one complementary fastening mechanisms. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the waistband comprises a panel with a series of complementary fastening elements to secure the garment around the waist in a manner that fits the size and shape of the wearer. In a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the waistband comprises a panel with 3-5 complementary fastening elements to hold the garment around the waist in a manner that fits the size and shape of the wearer. For example, the waistband comprises a series of hooks, towards the interior edge of the waistband 3b at a separating distance from each other, while the complementary exterior edge 3a comprises of a series of complementary loops or eyes for the hooks. The waistband may be closed securely by mutually overlapping the side edges 3a and 3b; secured in place by locking the complementary fastening elements.
The pre-stitched pleats 4 of the present disclosure are incorporated within said exterior surface 2b, at the end of the side edge 2d, said pleats spanning in length from said top end 2e to said bottom end 2f. The pre-stitched pleats 4 start at or around the point when the side edges 2c and 2d close to encircle and overlap around the waist. The pre-stitched pleats comprises of between six (6) to eight (8) folds in a Z shape, and each pleat should be approximately 6 inches taken twice, thus about each pleat may use about one (1) foot of material with the total six pleats taking about 6 feet of material and eight pleats about 8 feet of material. The number of pleats may be varied depending on the material of the saree. The pre-stitched pleats 4 provide falling folds from the top end 2e to the bottom end 2f. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the pleats are held in place by the means of a vertical seam 6. The vertical seam is made at any point on the pre-stitched pleats 4, between the top end 2e and bottom end 2f, but preferably closer to the top end. In a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the vertical seam is incorporated at any point within 1-1.5 feet from the top end 2e.
The free-flowing component 5 or the top portion of the saree of the present disclosure extends from the pre-stitched pleats 4 to drape around the body of a wearer.
An embodiment of the disclosure is directed to a method of making the garment as described above, (“the easy-to-drape saree”) from a piece of fabric, said method comprising:(a) constructing the adjustable waist band 3 with fastening means; (b) attaching said waistband 3 to the length of the top end 2e to make the wrap-around component; (c) stitching a series of pleats 4 within the exterior surface 2b of the fabric at the point where the interior side edge 2d of the wrap-around component ends; (d) making a vertical seam 6 over the pre-stitched pleats 4. The garment made according to the method, when draped around a wearer, retains the appearance of a traditionally-draped saree. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the piece of fabric is a rectangular material of fabric of 5 to 9 yards long. In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the method comprises mounting a clip 7 at a point on the free-flowing component 5 of the garment, wherein said clip 7 helps secure said component to the shoulder the wearer. In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the method comprises attaching a petticoat material to the wrap-around component such that it covers the full area of the said component.
The method of making the easy-to-drape saree comprises of procuring a saree, or a saree material or a piece of fabric that is 5-9 yards. The construction of the adjustable waist band of the disclosure comprises of adapting a piece of saree material to make a belt that holds the wrap-around component on the body of the wearer. In a preferred variant, the adjustable waistband 3 is constructed by adapting the top end of the saree 2e. In a variant of the embodiment, the belt is a piece of the saree material by itself. In an alternate variant of the embodiment, the belt is made for reinforced fabric that is enveloped within the saree material. The belt is incorporated with at least a single section of elastic material. The belt is mounted with complementary fastening means. For example, as shown in
In an embodiment of the disclosure, attaching the waistband 3 to the wrap-around component comprises of stitching the length of the waistband onto the length of the top end 2e of the wrap-around component. In a variant of the embodiment, the saree material itself could be adapted to form a waistband as described above without the need to attach the same. In such an embodiment, the saree material at the top end 2e is modified, enveloped, reinforced to prepare a belt like structure. The attachment is incorporated with at least one section of elastic 3c and mounted with complementary fastening means as described above. It is to be understood that there may be many alteration to this method. Any variation of the waistband that allows the wearer to securely and conveniently drape and hold the wrap-around component on a user may be used by a garment-maker to prepare the wrap-around component with the adjustable waistband.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, stitching a series of pleats 4 within the exterior surface of the cloth comprises making pleats or folds using the saree fabric. Said folds fall from the top end 2e to the bottom end 2f of the saree. The embodiment comprises of making seams or stitches either horizontally or vertically to hold the structure of said pleats. More specifically, the embodiment comprising making four (4) to eight (8) folds in a Z shape, and each pleat should be approximately 6 inches taken twice, thus about each pleat may use about one (1) foot of material with the total six pleats taking about 6 feet of material and eight pleats about 8 feet of material. The number and style of pleats may be varied depending on the material of the saree.
A preferred embodiment of the disclosure is directed to a method of making the garment as described above (“the easy-to-drape saree”) by making modifications to an existing traditional saree or saree material. The method of the preferred embodiment comprising:(a) constructing the adjustable waist band 3 with fastening means; (b) attaching said waistband 3 to the top end of said saree material 2e to make the wrap-around component; (c) stitching a series of pleats 4 within the exterior surface of the cloth at the point where the interior side edge 2d of the wrap-around component ends; (d) making a vertical seam 6 over the pre-stitched pleats 4; wherein said modifications result in an easy-to-drape saree, said saree when draped around a wearer retains the appearance of a traditional draped saree. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the traditional saree or the saree material is a fabric of 5 to 9 yards long and 40-55 inches wide. In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the method comprises mounting a clip at a point on the free-flowing component of the garment such that it helps secure said component to the shoulder the wearer. In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the method comprises attaching a petticoat material to the wrap-around component such that it covers the full area of the said component. In an embodiment of the disclosure, where the saree material is sheer, or delicate, the petticoat material is replaced by light cloth.
In the embodiment of the disclosure directed to the method of making the easy-to-drape saree by making modifications to the traditional saree or saree material, the construction of the adjustable waistband comprises: (a) preparing a reinforced material of cloth that is as long as the wrap-around component; (b) inserting at least one section of elastic material 3c along the length of said waistband at a point between said first edge 3a and the second edge 3b;(c) mounting at least one complementary fastening element, wherein one fastening element is at about the first end of said waistband 3a, and a second fastening element at about the second edge 3b of said waistband. In the present embodiment, the elastic material 3c and the primary fastening mechanisms provide a comfortable and secure means to hold the garment in place. The complementary fastening components are one selected from a group consisting of hooks and eyes, hooks and loops, snaps, buttons and holes, buckles, Velcro.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the easy-to-drape garment reduces the time to assemble the parts of the saree by providing a single off-the shelf item with a matching blouse, petticoat etc., In a preferred embodiment, the easy-to-drape saree of the present disclosure provides a pre-assembled off-the-shelf item that is complete with matching blouse and built-in petticoat.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the easy-to-drape garment provides scalability to a garment manufacturer by providing the easy-to-drape saree in limited size variations. For example, the present disclosure provides the easy-to-drape garment in small, medium, large sizes.
While the disclosure has been described above with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is apparent that many changes, modifications, and variations can be made without departing from the inventive concept disclosed herein, and such description is not intended as limitations on the scope thereof. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
