Abstract:
A pant (or other woman&#39;s bottom, such as a pair of shorts, a skirt, Capri pants, etc.) includes an attached “control top panel.” This control top SHAPEWEAR panel is designed to help smooth, trim and shape the woman&#39;s mid-section or torso area, thereby making her figure more shapely, trim and/or attractive, as well as physically measuring smaller in circumference where the panel is compressing. The control top panel is attached to the top of the pants and covers the woman&#39;s mid-section and/or areas of the torso.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/645,158 filed on May 10, 2012. This prior patent application is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the field of women&#39;s clothing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a compression garment (herein referred to as a “panel” or “band”, but may include any shape wear for the upper body attached to a bottom garment) attached to women&#39;s pants, women&#39;s skirts or other women&#39;s clothing worn on women&#39;s legs. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Women&#39;s shapewear is a growing industry. Women are constantly looking for new styles and new clothing that will help them look and feel their best. Particularly, many women would like to wear clothes that make their bodies look “slimmer” and healthier. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a new type of woman&#39;s bottom that is not intended as strictly an undergarment (e.g., woman&#39;s pant, woman&#39;s skirt, women&#39;s shorts, etc.) that may be used to help the woman look slimmer. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present embodiments relate to a pant (or other woman&#39;s bottom, such as a pair of shorts, a skirt, Capri pants, etc.) with an attached “control top panel.” This compression panel is designed to help smooth, trim and shape the woman&#39;s mid-section—thereby making her figure more shapely, trim and/or attractive. 
     The woman&#39;s bottom is a “pull-on” style pant made of fabric on the bottom (such as denim, cotton, nylon, etc.) and has a reinforcement panel (control panel) attached to the top of the waistband of the pant, skirt, etc. This reinforcement panel creates compression on the woman&#39;s belly, sides and back. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is perspective view of a sample of a pant according to the present embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the pant of  FIG. 1 , that has been folded “inside-out,” thereby showing the interior of the pant; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a woman wearing another type of pant; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a woman wearing the pant of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  show the panel detached and then attached to the pants. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a new type of woman&#39;s bottom is shown. In the drawing of  FIG. 1 , the bottom  10  comprises a pant  10   a , such as a denim pant. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other different types of clothing may be used as the “bottom”  10 , such as a skirt, shorts, non-denim pants, Capri pants, etc. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the pant  10   a  is designed such that a woman may place her legs in the pantlegs, pull the pants up, and secure the pants around her waist. The pant  10  includes a waistband  15  that is designed to fit around the woman&#39;s waist. 
     The pant  10   a  may also include a control top panel  25  that is attached to the top of the waistband  15 . This control top panel  25  may be made of nylon or another type of “compressing” fabric. More specifically, the control top panel  25  is designed such that it will “compress”—e.g., create pressure on the woman&#39;s stomach, sides and back, thereby shaping the woman&#39;s belly/mid-section and making the woman look more skinny, slim, etc. At the top of the control panel  25  may be a silicone strip  35  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) or other similar feature that is designed to hold the pant up (although this silicone strip is optional and may not be present in all embodiments). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the pants  10   a  of  FIG. 1  are shown. However, in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the pants  10   a  have been folded “inside-out” so that the seams, etc. are visible. The pants  10   a  have top portion  8 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the control top panel  25  may be sewn or otherwise attached to the pant  10   a  (e.g., the top portion  8 ). Further, on the inside of the pant&#39;s waistband  15 , there may be a hidden elastic band  26  with adjusters  55  that allow the woman to tighten or loosen the waistband  15 , as is known in the art. (The waistband  15  is part of the top portion  8 .) 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show perspective view of a woman wearing different types of pants. (These figures are similar to the photographs shown in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/645,158.)  FIG. 3  shows a drawing of a woman wearing a different type of pant, whereas  FIG. 4  shows a drawing of a woman wearing an embodiment of the slimming pants  10   a  according to the present embodiments.  FIG. 3  the woman wearing regular jeans, e.g., jeans that do not include a control top panel. However, in  FIG. 4 , the woman has been placed in the pants  10   a . The woman&#39;s mid-section/stomach  23  appears and measures much slimmer in  FIG. 4 , mainly because the compression that occurs from the control top panel  25  exerts a force on the woman&#39;s body, back, stomach, etc. that shapes the woman&#39;s body into a slimmer, trimmer design. On average, a woman may measure one pant size (1 inches to 2 inches) smaller in circumference at the location of compression as a result of wearing the panel  25 . Woman of larger sizes, such as the woman shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , may measure more than 2 inches smaller as a result of wearing the pant  10   a . Accordingly, the woman wearing the pant  10   a  will feel more attractive, slimmer, more confident in her look, etc. 
     Although  FIGS. 3 and 4  relate to a “pant” for a woman, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the control top panel  25  could easily be added to other articles of clothing, such as skirts, shorts, Capri pants, etc. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the panel  25  is shown (in  FIG. 5A ) as separate from the pant  10   a , whereas the panel  25  is added to the pant  10   a  in  FIG. 5B . It is noted that the panel  25 , as seen in  FIG. 5A , is rectangular in shape. (In other words, the panel  25  is tubular.) However, when attached to the pant  10   a , the panel  25  appears to have a tapered profile. The rectangular shape of the panel  25  creates a tapered vertical compression which smoothly eases from the hip area (the wider area of the woman where the panel  25  meets the garment waistband) upward to the narrower point of the torso. This eliminates the potential of having excess skin and fat being pushed over the top of the panel opening  9 . By stretching the rectangular panel  25  more at the bottom (e.g., at the point where it joins the garment), there is less compression at the opening  9 , but the woman&#39;s stomach will be neatly compressed across the entire longitudinal length of the panel  25 . However, as shown in  FIG. 5B , when added to the bottom, the rectangular panel  25  does appear to take on a tapered shape (e.g., being narrower at the point near the opening  9 .) 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  shows this tapered profile of the panel  25 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the top portion  8  of the pants  10   a  is generally parabolic in shape (e.g., is concave upwards in shape). This means that the portion proximate the button  11  is vertically lower than the edges  13  of the pants  10   a . Likewise, when attached and stretched the bottom portion  17  of the rectangular control top panel  25  is similarly parabolic in shape such that the portion proximate the button  11  is vertically lower than the portion proximate the edges  13 . In other words, when stretched and attached, the bottom  17  of the rectangular control top panel  25  is sewn so that it corresponds to the top  8  of the pants  10   a . Many women want to have an “hourglass figure”, which is larger near the woman&#39;s chest and hips, but smaller in the middle near the woman&#39;s waistline. The purpose of having this taper when the panel is attached is for the control top panel  25  is to foster this hourglass shape in the woman&#39;s body. The control top panel  25  is designed to pull the woman&#39;s belly (stomach) inward, thereby helping it achieve an hourglass figure. In order to further this hourglass shape, the circumference of the top of the control panel  25 , when attached, is narrower, so that this portion of the woman&#39;s figure is also compressed, thereby further shaping the woman&#39;s figure. 
     The way in which the control top panel  25  works is illustrated by the above-recited provisional patent. The control top panel  25  is a “compression” panel made of nylon or another compressing fabric. The compression control top panel  25  works in a way that will push in the excess skin and stomach, thereby making a tighter and smaller midsection area. (The excess skin and fat on a woman is shown in  FIG. 3  as element  16 .) Thus, the control top panel prevents the softer excess skin from sagging over the waistband or the edges  13  of the pants  10   a . Further, the control top panel  10   a  also controls the midsection of the woman&#39;s stomach  23  by sucking it in with the compression nylon. The nylon fabric material is attached onto the pants  10   a  (such as denim pants) so that it is all one piece, allowing there to be no excess skin  16  or over hang over the denim waistband that is common in regular pairs of jeans. Generally, the woman wearing the pants  10   a  with the control top panel  25  will feel a “compressive” force being applied to her stomach, so that the woman will know that the pants  10   a  are indeed “slimming” her body. 
     It should be noted that the control top panel  25  is not intended and should not be in anyway used for maternity pants. (Maternity pants are designed to expand to accommodate the woman&#39;s belly increasing in size during pregnancy.) Rather, the control top panel  25  is a compression feature and should only be used to bring in the waist rather than allow the waist to expand and grow. The control top panel  25  is a product that helps women appear and actually measure immediately smaller and have a tighter, slimmer waistline. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1-5B  collectively, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail. As noted herein, the present embodiments relate to a woman&#39;s bottom garment, and more specifically, an item of women&#39;s clothing that is designed to cover the hip  27  and midsection (tummy)  23  of a woman. This item of clothing  10  may be a bottom such as a skirt, a pant, etc. 
     A control top panel  25 , which may also be referred to as a “narrowing” panel  25 , is added to the pant  10 . The panel  25  is attached to the waistband  15  via stitching or other means including hook and eye clasps, VELCRO®, zippers, etc. It should be noted that embodiments may be constructed in which the panel  25  may be removed, changed out for a different color, etc. The panel  25  (and more specifically, all or at least half of the panel  25 ) is made of a second material such as a nylon (or other similar materials). This material that is used for the panel may be different than the denim that is used for the bottom. In other words, there are two materials used on the pant, namely denim or woven fabric for the pant and a one-piece panel  25  made of nylon or another compression material such as nylon-spandex combinations. 
     The panel  25  defines an opening  9  that is located at the most remote portion of the panel (when measured from the waistband  15 ) in an axial direction  31 . When the panel  25  is attached, it appears in a “tapered” form, such that it looks as if the panel  25  decreases in circumference in the axial direction  31  away from the waistband  15 . 
     The purpose of the panel  25  is to exert an increasingly narrow radially inward force (e.g., to push the midsection  23  of the woman inward) so that she looks and measures smaller than her size before she put on the pant. The panel exerts an increasing narrow radially inward force in the axial  31  direction away from the waistband  15  in response to a radially outward force applied by the woman&#39;s body. 
     It should be noted that a sample group of women were measured with and without the compression panel and results showed and average loss of one to two inches at the circumference of their midsection while wearing the panel. Obviously, results may vary depending upon the particular woman being measured because every body shape is different.