Abstract:
Garments are provided with an integral athletic jersey (e.g., of a variety having shoulder straps) formed of one fabric material and a hooded portion joined to the jersey at a neckline seam thereof which is formed of a different fabric material. According to certain embodiments, the fabric material forming the jersey portion is a woven fabric of synthetic yarns or blends of synthetic and natural yarns which provide a visual sheen to the jersey, whereas the fabric material forming the hooded portion may be a knit jersey fabric (e.g., a knit fleece of natural cotton yarns and/or yarns of cotton blended with synthetic fibers).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is related to commonly owned U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Design For: COMBINED ATHLETIC JERSEY AND HOODED SWEATSHIRT” (Atty. Dkt. No. BHD-6472-0002) filed concurrently herewith, the entire content of such application being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to hooded garments. In especially preferred forms, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed toward hooded garments that include an integral athletic jersey. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Sports team jerseys having relatively thin shoulder straps connecting the front and back torso panels are worn in a number of athletic endeavors, notably basketball. Fans desiring to wear such shoulder strap team jerseys during cold weather conditions for casual attire typically must wear the jerseys under an outer jacket for warmth thereby effectively hiding the team logo and the like. 
         [0004]    It would therefore be highly desirable if a garment could be provided with resembles a sports team jersey but is an integral part of an outer garment. It is towards providing such a need that the embodiments disclosed herein are directed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The embodiments disclosed herein provide an integral athletic jersey formed of one fabric material and a hooded portion joined to the jersey. The athletic jersey and the hooded portion of the garment may be formed of a different material, e.g., different fabric materials or combinations of fabric and non-fabric materials. According to certain embodiments, for example, the material forming the jersey portion may be a woven fabric of synthetic yarns or blended synthetic and natural yarns which provide a visual sheen to the jersey, whereas the fabric material forming the hooded portion may be a knit jersey fabric, for example conventional sweatshirt fleece fabric formed of natural cotton yarns and/or yarns of cotton blended with synthetic fibers (e.g., a blend of cotton and polyester fibers), a denim fabric or a woven fabric of synthetic yarns (e.g., polyester, nylon and the like) as well as blends of natural and synthetic yarns (e.g., blends of cotton and polyester). Alternatively or additionally, the material forming the hooded portion may be a non-fabric material, such as leather. In this manner, the visual appearance of the garment will be that of the woven jersey being layered over a hooded knit sweatshirt. 
         [0006]    Some embodiments will be provided with a shoulder strap jersey portion which includes front and rear torso panels and right and left shoulder strap portions which define a continuous generally circular neckline seam and right and left continuous generally circular arm line seams, respectively, and a hooded portion integrally joined to the shoulder strap jersey portion at the neckline seam, wherein the jersey portion and the hooded portion are formed of different fabric materials (e.g., as described briefly above). 
         [0007]    Certain embodiments of the garment will include right and left shoulder sections formed of the same material as the hooded portion integrally joined to the right and left shoulder seams, respectively. If provided, the right and left shoulder sections define right and left shoulder seams which may be integrally joined to right and left sleeve sections, respectively. If present, each of the right and left sleeve sections may either be either short or long sleeves. 
         [0008]    The hooded portion may include a conventional draw string with the front seam defining the hood opening. The garment may be a pull-over type of garment. Alternatively, the front torso panel of the jersey portion may be split lengthwise and provided with a lengthwise extending zipper for closure (e.g., so as to form a cardigan-type garment). 
         [0009]    These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the following detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The disclosed embodiments of the present invention will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of exemplary non-limiting illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the drawings of which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a left front perspective view of an embodiment of a combined athletic jersey and hooded sweatshirt; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view thereof; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view thereof; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a left rear perspective view thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Accompanying  FIGS. 1-4  depict a combined jersey and hooded sweatshirt garment  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As can be seen, the garment  10  includes a shoulder strap athletic jersey portion  12  that may include a team logo and/or other identifying indicia, such as player name and number, as shown by dashed lines. The jersey portion  12  is comprised of front and back torso panels  12   a ,  12   b , respectively, that are connected to one another along substantially vertically oriented right and left underarm seams  14   a ,  14   b  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0016]    Right and left shoulder strap portions  16   a ,  16   b  extend over the wearer&#39;s shoulders and are preferably formed as a unitary part of the front and rear torso panels  12   a ,  12   b  so as to define therewith a continuous generally circular neckline seam  18  and right and left continuous generally circular arm line seams  20   a ,  20   b . Important to the embodiments disclosed herein, the jersey portion  12  is integrally connected to a hooded portion  22  at the neckline seam  18  and to right and left shoulder sections  24   a ,  24   b  and right and left sleeve sections  26   a ,  26   b  at the right and left arm line seams  20   a ,  20   b , respectively. The right and left shoulder and arm sections  24   a ,  24   b  and  26   a ,  26   b  are connected to one another at right and left shoulder seams  28   a ,  28   b , respectively. 
         [0017]    The presence of the hooded portion  22  and the right and left shoulder and sleeve sections  24   a ,  24   b  and  26   a ,  26   b , respectively, provide increased warmth to the wearer as such portions are most preferably formed of conventional sweatshirt material (e.g., interlock jersey knit fabric). Alternatively, as noted previously, the material forming the hooded portion  22  and the right and left shoulder and sleeve sections  24   a ,  24   b  and  26   a ,  26   b , respectively, may be formed of other materials as may be desired by fashion design, for example, leather, denim fabric, polyester blend fabrics and the like. As may be conventional, draw strings  22   a ,  22   b  may be provided within the front seam of the hooded portion  22  defining the opening thereof so as to reduce the size of the opening  22   c  and thereby provided additional warmth and protection to the wearer&#39;s face against the elements. Optionally, a hand-warming pouch  30  formed of the same jersey knit sweatshirt material as the hooded portion  22  and, if present the shoulder and sleeve sections  24   a ,  24   b  and  26   a ,  26   b , respectively, may be attached onto the lower portions of the front torso panel  12   a  near waist of the wearer. 
         [0018]    The interior of jersey portion  12  may itself be lined with a suitable liner material, e.g., fleece (not shown), comparable to the interior of the interlock jersey knit fabric that may form the hooded portion  22  and the right and left shoulder and sleeve sections  24   a ,  24   b  and  26   a ,  26   b , respectively, to thereby provide additional warmth to the wearer. The visible exterior of the jersey portion  12  is however formed of a woven fabric of conventional synthetic yarns that are typically used for athletic jerseys, e.g., nylons, polyolefins, polyesters or the like or blends of such synthetic yarns with natural fibrous yarns (e.g., cotton). As such, the visual appearance of the jersey portion  12  presents a visible sheen as compared to the sweatshirt material (e.g., knit jersey fabric of, for example, cotton and/or a blend of cotton and synthetic fibers) forming the hooded portion  22  and, if present, the right and left shoulder and sleeve sections  24   a ,  24   b  and  26   a ,  26   b , respectively, to thereby provide a visual appearance of garment layering even though the various components are integrally seemed to one another as described previously. It will be understood that the hooded portion  22  and the right and left shoulder and sleeve sections  24   a ,  24   b  and  26   a ,  26   b , respectively, do not necessarily need to be formed of the same fabric material (even though forming such components of the same jersey knit fabric material represents one presently preferred embodiment) provided that the distinct visual appearance as compared to the jersey portion  12  is maintained (e.g., so as to not detract from the appearance of an athletic jersey being layered over another garment). 
         [0019]    The sleeve sections  26   a ,  26   b  are depicted as being in the form of so-called long sleeves, i.e., the sleeve sections  26   a ,  26   b  cover the entire length of a user&#39;s arms to the wrist region. The sleeve sections  26   a ,  26   b  may however be in the form of so-called short sleeves (i.e., whereby the end of the sleeve terminates at a desired location near the user&#39;s elbows (e.g., at a location between the shoulder seams  28   a ,  28   b  and the vicinity (either above, at or below) of the wearer&#39;s elbow). As yet another alternative, the garment  10  may be sleeveless, e.g., in the form of a hooded vest type garment whereby the sleeve sections  26   a ,  26   b  would be omitted and the shoulder sections  24   a ,  24   b  may or may not be omitted. Thus, the garment  10  may be provided in a number of styles to suit consumer desires. 
         [0020]    The jersey portion  12  is depicted in the accompanying  FIGS. 1-4  as being a conventional pull-over type of garment. However, the jersey portion  12  could be provided as a cardigan type of garment by splitting the front torso portion  12   a  and including a lengthwise extending front zipper (not shown) to allow closure. 
         [0021]    The accompanying  FIGS. 1-4  depict a shoulder strap type of jersey portion  12 . However, the invention is not to be limited to such an embodiment as other types of athletic jersey&#39;s (e.g., full shoulder jerseys of the variety typically worn for soccer, football, hockey and the like) may also benefit from certain attributes and elements of the disclosed embodiments herein. 
         [0022]    Therefore, while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope thereof.