Patent Application
20210321704
This novel technology relates to generally the field of textiles and, more specifically, to the field of garment accessories.
In the ever-changing world of fashion, a common issue for many arises from the simultaneous wearing of pants and boots. Fashion demands that pants remain tucked into boots over the course of normal activity, such as to create a slimming or otherwise aesthetic effect, but the pants must be prevented from bunching out from the top of boots. Such bunching typically results in an unattractive, bulky and/or lumpy look, which is offensive to fashion.
During insertion of a panted leg into a boot, the pant leg tends to ride up and bunch on the leg, making said insertion problematic. Further, even if the panted leg is properly inserted into a boot, the pant leg will still eventually ride up, bunch, and be uncomfortable to the wearer. This often creates a vicious cycle of removing the panted leg to reinsert and fix the pant, the experience of difficulty reinserting the panted leg again into the boot, and the repeated experience of further and continuing issues with material bunching.
While many efforts to address this problem have been attempted, all are fatally flawed. For example, while “skinny jeans” may not appear as bulky as other types of pants, they still tend to work their way out of the top of boots and to yield an uncomfortable and unkempt experience for the wearer. Further, chronic wearing of skinny jeans can result in loss of circulation and/or physical trauma to the ill-fated wearer. Regardless of the type or style of pant, the pant legs will inevitably slide “up and out” over the course of normal active wear.
Additionally, certain pant types simply are not conducive to wear with boots, such as flared leg pants. Again, while there are ways of folding flared pants to help hold the pant legs in place while walking and moving in boots, most times the boot is difficult to zip over the folds of material, the folded pant legs become caught in the boot zipper/fasteners and/or the folds come undone over the course of wearing the boot, and the problem of bunching persists.
Further, while leggings may replace traditional pants and are designed to minimize uncomfortable, bulky appearances, and may be slim enough to fit into a boot without issue, leggings are not appropriate for most women to wear to their daily jobs, and/or leggings may simply not be in their style wheelhouse. And even when leggings are used, use over time will still tend to cause uncomfortable and unattractive gathering of the legging material in the boot.
Thus, there remains a need for a better way to improve both insertion and long-term wearing stability of a variety of pants with boots. The present novel technology addresses these needs.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Before the present methods, implementations, and systems are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to specific synthetic methods, specific components, implementation, or to particular compositions, and as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting.
As used in the specification and the claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed in ways including from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another implementation may include from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, for example by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another implementation. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.
“Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not. Similarly, “typical” or “typically” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance often, though may not always, occurs, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.
“Compression fabric” or “compression material” means a fabric woven to provide an inherent compressive force when stretched and/or made of elastomeric fibers that provide an inherent compressive force when stretched, typically greater than 15 mmHg and more typically 20-30 mmHg or greater. Low-compressive or semi-compressive fabrics provide compressive force of less than 15 mmHg when stretched, and non-compressive fabrics provide no compressive force when stretched and/or are substantially non-stretchable.
The first, upper band 110 and a second, lower and typically shorter band 120 are made of a typically compressive, elastic-like material that typically may compress and restrain pant legs 305 on a wearer's leg. Bands 110 and 120 may typically be fastened about leg and pants 305 using fastening members 130, which are typically low profile fasteners (e.g., hook and loop fabric, fabric loop and receivers, etc.). In many cases, pants 305 are jeans (typically denim). Upper band is of sufficient length to encircle a wearer's thigh or calf (between 14 and 22 inches, typically about 18 inches) and lower band is of sufficient length to encircle a wearer's calf or ankle (between 10 and 18 inches, typically about 14 inches). Bands 110, 120 are typically no more than 0.25 inches thick, more typically no more than to 0.13 inches thick, and still more typically no more than 0.08 inches thick. Intermediary material is typically no more than 0.15 inches thick, more typically no more than 0.10 inches thick, and still more typically no more than 0.05 inches thick.
The fastening members 130 typically allow each band 110/120 to be sized independently of the other, allowing strap 100 to be adjusted to meet individual comfort needs while securing the pant leg 305 to the wearer's leg.
Further, intermediary material 140 is typically a fabric cylinder and more typically may be permanently and/or semi-permanently fastened between bands 110/120, typically at the cylinder ends (i.e., the upper and lower edges of intermediary material 140) of intermediary material 140. Intermediary material 140 typically may be constructed of a low-friction and/or low-compression or non-compression fabric, typically having a coefficient of kinetic friction with boot leather in the range of 0.10-0.35 (or less than 0.4), more typically less than 0.25 and still more typically less than 0.20, and yet more typically less than 0.15. Likewise, intermediary material 140 has a coefficient of static friction with boot leather of between 0.3 and 0.1, typically about 0.2.
More typically, the bands 110, 120 provide greater compression when engaged to or worn by a wearer than does the intermediary material 140. For example, band material 110, 120 may be satin, spandex, elastane, neoprene, and/or the like. Intermediary material 140 typically may act to both guide the pant leg over the strap system 100 and also assist in containing and securing the pant 305 material, while being substantially less compressive (if at all compressive) than bands 110/120, such that intermediary material 140 typically may not restrain strap 100 to a wearer's leg, but likewise will not stretch over the pant leg but instead pull the pant leg tight against the wearer's leg to smooth the pant leg under the boot. Intermediary material 140 typically may help to aesthetically and tactily smooth the area and pant fabric restrained between bands 110/120, allowing pants 305 to be held in place against the leg and also to lay flat with a slimming appearance (i.e., no visible bumps or bulges showing through the boot; the bands 110, 120, 140 do not extend over any other items under the boot, such as an ankle monitor or the like.
In some embodiments, garment strap 100 may be about seven and a half inches in width, with between about four and five inches of intermediary material 140 disposed between bands 110/120, each being between about one inch and two inches wide, more typically about 1.5 to 1.75 inches wide. In other embodiments, differently sized configurations may also be tailored to meet specific wearer needs. In some further embodiments, intermediary material 140 may be stitched, and/or a “V” cut may be placed near top band 110 and/or bottom band 120, again providing ease of use. In still other embodiments, additional room may be provided to alleviate pant leg constriction, contain excessive pant 305 material, and/or wearer discomfort. In some embodiments, the intermediate material 140 covers the entire width of both bands 110, 120 so as to provide a relatively smooth and low-friction surface to assist in sliding the pant leg 305 thereover.
In most embodiments, novel garment strap system 100 also allows the wearer to tailor the tightness or applied compression of the bands 110, 120 by adjusting their tightness for maximum effectiveness while positioning the bands an appropriate distance apart for smoothing the appearance of the underlying pant leg 305 between bands 110, 120 with pulled-taut intermediary material 140.
In some other implementations, typically with smaller form factor boot styles (e.g., ankle boots, chukkas, etc.) where the top of the boot 340 typically rests at a wearer's mid-calf region of the leg, strap 100 may be constructed such that intermediate material 140 defines the base of a sock and upper band 110 similarly functions to contain and fasten top of sock-type garment strap 100 to about ankle and over base of pants 305 without a second or lower band 120.
While the novel technology has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that the embodiments have been shown and described in the foregoing specification in satisfaction of the best mode and enablement requirements. It is understood that one of ordinary skill in the art could readily make a nigh-infinite number of insubstantial changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments and that it would be impractical to attempt to describe all such embodiment variations in the present specification. Accordingly, it is understood that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the novel technology are desired to be protected.
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority to, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/498,812, filed on Apr. 27, 2017.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15498812 | Apr 2017 | US |
| Child | 17360672 | US |
