Abstract:
A garment includes a first sleeve; a second sleeve; and means for fastening the first sleeve or the second sleeve in a variety of manner to therefore provide the garment with a plurality of looks. A breadth of the garment measured from a distal end of the first sleeve to another distal end of the second sleeve is equal to or greater than 1.5 meters, when the garment is laid flat with the first sleeve and the second sleeve placed substantially perpendicular to side lines of the garment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims foreign priority to French Patent Application No. 07 52629, filed Jan. 11, 2007. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention concerns a garment that can be worn in a vast number of ways. The invention concerns more precisely, but not restrictively, a garment that can be worn in a number of ways with its lengthened sleeves. 
         [0003]    There are different kinds of jerseys. What make them look different are the variety of materials used, their colours, their dimensions or else the fact that they have or do not have sleeves. Measurements of a jersey remain its characteristic features. Especially, when a jersey has sleeves, their ends are generally designed to come up to the elbow of the person wearing it (short sleeves), or to fit her wrists (long sleeves). However, conventionally, each jersey can only be worn in a single way, that is the only way in which the person slips each arm in each sleeve. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    One objective of the present invention is to offer a garment with technical features allowing the implementation of numerous ways of wearing the garment. 
         [0005]    In order to reach this objective, a garment in size 1, 2 or 3 is proposed within the scope of the present invention, wherein the length L between the ends of the sleeves, called the breadth of the garment, measures at least 1.5 meters. According to one embodiment of the invention, the garment includes at least one of the following features:
       1) the breadth of the garment measures at least 1.55 meters;   2) the garment including complementary fastening means, that are fixed or sewed on the garment;   3) at least one of the sleeves with at least one fastening means, fixed at the level of the end that is proximate to sleeve cuff, complementing another fastening means of the garment;   4) a neck of which at least one of the corners has at least one fastening means, complementing another fastening means of the garment;   5) fastening means comprised of complementary elements such as hooks and eyes, wherein a first eye fixed at the left corner of the neck is designed to be interdependent with a first hook fixed at the level of the end that is proximate to the cuff of the right sleeve, and a second eye fixed at the level of the end that is proximate to the cuff of the left sleeve is designed to complement a second hook fixed at the right corner of the neck;   6) other fastening means fixed at half-distance more or less between the two corners of the neck;   7) that the garment can be a jumper, a bodysuit, a short dress, a long dress, a semicircular dress, a jumper/pants suit, or a jumper/shorts suit; and   8) that the neck is flat.       
 
         [0014]    In order to reach this objective, it is also proposed within the scope of the present invention a first knotting process of a garment such that a person may:
       1) lay the sleeves of the garment in a plan that is more or less perpendicular to side lines of the garment;   2) on this plan, tie the sleeves to one another on a first side of the garment;   3) bring the sleeves onto the other side of the garment; and   4) knot the sleeves together on that other side, at a predetermined distance d 1  from the ends of the sleeves in order to ensure the fitting of the garment on the person wearing it.       
 
         [0019]    The first knotting process further offers at least one of the following features:
       1) crossing the sleeves to tie them up on the first side of the garment;   2) knotting the sleeves on the first side of the garment after the sleeves are crossed; and   3) passing each sleeve through a stiff ring and folding back each sleeve on its side of the garment, without crossing the sleeves, to tie the sleeves on the first side of the garment.       
 
         [0023]    In order to reach this objective, it is also proposed within the scope of the present invention a second knotting process of a garment. According to the second knotting process, the sleeves are tied to one another at a predetermined distance d 1  from their respective ends, so as to form a necklace fit to maintain the garment on the person wearing it. This second process offers at least one of the following features:
       1) crossing the sleeves at another predetermined distance d 2  from the ends of the sleeves, longer than the predetermined distance d 1 , thus forming a crossing point fit to maintain the garment on the person wearing it;   2) passing each sleeve through a stiff ring at a predetermined distance d 2  from the ends of the sleeves, longer than the predetermined distance d 1 , to maintain the garment on the person wearing it; and   3) the predetermined distance d 2  being so chosen that the double of the difference d 2 −d 1  corresponds more or less to the collar measurement of the person wearing the garment.       
 
         [0027]    In order to reach this objective, it is also proposed within the scope of the present invention a third knotting process of a garment. According to the invention, at least one first fastening means, fixed at the level of the end that is proximate to the cuff of the sleeve, is clipped to another fastening means of the garment, fixed at a corner of the neck and which is complementary to the first fastening means in order to form a strap fit to maintain the garment on the person wearing it. This third process offers at least one of the following features:
       1) crossing the sleeves before fastening one or all of the complementary fastening means to one another, thus forming a crossing point fit to maintain the garment on the person wearing it; and   2) knotting the sleeves at the level of the crossing point.       
 
         [0030]    Furthermore, all these processes offer at least the feature of twisting one or both sleeves around its or their longitudinal axis. 
         [0031]    Other features, aims and advantages of the present invention will come to light while reading the following detailed description and viewing the appended drawings that are given as non-restrictive examples. The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0032]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic front view of a garment in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0033]      FIGS. 2   a  to  21   a  show a number of front views of a garment knotted and/or clipped based on various processes in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIGS. 2   b  to  21   b  show a number of rear views of the garment respectively shown in  FIGS. 2   a  to  21   a  in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0035]      FIG. 1  shows a garment laid crosswise in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The garment has two sleeves  2  and  3 . Each sleeve  2  or  3  includes an area called sleeve cuff  7  or  8  at the level of the sleeve ends. Each sleeve cuff  7  or  8  is delimited by a respective proximal end  71  or  81  and a respective distal end  21  or  31  of each sleeve  2  or  3 . The total breadth of garment  1 , defined by the length L between the distal end  21  of sleeve  2  and the distal end  31  of sleeve  3 , has a value of at least 1.5 meters regardless the garment size being 1, 2 or 3. Typically, the breadth of the garment defined by the length L is approximately 1.55 meters. Furthermore, a typical model of the garment  1  may for instance offer a height H of about 0.64 meters, and a neck  4  with a width E of about 0.35 meters. This typical model will offer for instance a cuff with length L 1  and height H 1  of equally about 0.105 meter. For this typical model, an area of the garment  1  designed to be at the level of a pelvis has for instance width L 2  of about 0.45 meter and height H 2  of about 0.12 meter. This area along with the cuffs  7  and  8  offers an elastic feature allowing them to fit the body of a person wearing the garment. 
         [0036]    Preferably but not restrictively, sleeves  2  and  3  have the same length. In the case where the garment  1  has a size of 2, the sleeve is about 0.745 meters long, with the length measured from the corner  40  or  41  of neck  4  to the respective end of sleeve  2  or  3 . The minimum value of the total breadth L of the garment  1  makes it possible to have numerous knotting processes, which allow the garment to be perfectly maintained on the person wearing it—a feature that is difficult if not impossible to realize with a conventional garment. In fact, a conventional garment offers a much shorter breadth with the sizes taken into account. For all sizes  1 ,  2  and  3  conventional garments, their breadths are generally shorter than 1.6 meters. Consequently, the present invention proposes garments with long or lengthened sleeves that separate from the conventional ones. 
         [0037]    The sleeve cuffs  7  and  8  are made of a material or a knitting mode different from that of the garment  1 , so that they ensure a close fitting of sleeves  2  and  3  on the forearms of a person wearing the garment  1 . A similar material or knitting mode can be used in the lower part of garment  1 , when the latter is in the form of a jersey in order to ensure a proper fitting on the hips or the pelvis of the person. Fastening means  5 ,  6 ,  9 , and  10  complementary of one another are fixed or sewed on the garment  1 . More precisely, one or both sleeves  2  and  3  include at least one fastening means  5  or  6  fixed respectively at the level of the proximal end  71  or  81  of the sleeve cuff  7  or  8 . Fastening means  9  and  10  complementary to fastening means  5  and  6  are fixed at the level of the corners  40  and  41  of the neck  4 . More precisely, fastening means  5 ,  6 ,  9 , and  10  are made of complementary elements like eyes and hooks. 
         [0038]    Considering the front view of the garment  1  in  FIG. 1 , a first eye  9  placed at the left corner  40  of the neck  4  is designed to complement a first hook  6  placed at the level of the proximal end  81  of cuff  8 . A second eye  5  placed at the level of the proximal end  71  of cuff  7  is designed to complement a second hook  10  placed at the right corner  41  of the neck  4 . Fastening means  5 ,  6 ,  9  and  10  enable one or both sleeves  2  and  3  to be attached to the neck  4  in order to form one or two straps that maintain the garment  1  on the shoulders of the person wearing it. 
         [0039]    It is understood by a person skilled in the art of fashion designs that it is possible to switch the positions of the eyes and hooks on the garment, i.e. to use hooks  5 ,  9  and eyes  6 ,  10  or any other complementary means without altering the intended technical effect. Placing fastening means  5  and  6  at the level of proximal ends  71  and  81  of sleeves cuffs  7  and  8  allows, when these fastening means  5  and  6  are clipped to their complementary fastening means  9  and  10 , the cuffs  7  and  8  to be hanging, thereby offering an aesthetic aspect. 
         [0040]    It is understood by a person skilled in the art of fashion designs that, on a technical level, the invention is not limited to having the fastening means  5  and  6  precisely at the places shown in  FIG. 1 , and it is perfectly conceivable to place the fastening means  5  and  6  closer to or farther from the distal ends  21  and  22 . Similarly, it is not necessary to place the fastening means  5  and  6  on the lower parts  22  and  32  of the sleeves  2  and  3  as shown in  FIG. 1 . They can be placed on the higher parts  23  and  33  of the sleeves  2  and  3  as well, without altering the expected technical effect. However, it is understood by a person skilled in the art of fashion designs that placing the fastening means  5  and  6  on the lower parts  22  and  23  of the sleeves  2  and  3  is flattering because the fastening means  5  and  6  are hidden from view. 
         [0041]    The neck  4  of the garment  1  is flat, i.e. it offers level sides when garment  1  is laid flat. This aspect is illustrated on the example of  FIG. 1  where the neck  4  forms a straight line in alignment with the sleeves  2  and  3 . The fact that neck  4  is flat enables a variety of knotting and/or fastening processes, which are illustrated as non-restrictive examples in  FIGS. 2   a  to  21   b.    
         [0042]    The invention is not limited to the above description, but covers any embodiments, alternatives and variations complying with its spirit. The invention can be applied to various types of garments, such as a jumper, a bodysuit, a short dress, a long dress, a semicircular dress, a jumper/pants suit, and a jumper/shorts suit. The proposed garment can be worn together with accessories such as rings, clips or other kinds in combination with the sleeves to offer specific technical functions and aesthetic features. Other fastening means  15  can also be provided, for example, at more or less half-distance between the corners  40  and  41  of the neck  4 , in order to offer additional fastening processes for the garment. As another example, fastening means  16 ,  17 ,  18  and  19  can be fixed or sewed at side lines of the garment  1  or at the distal ends  21  and  31  of the cuffs  7  and  7  to provide a variety of ways of wearing the garment  1 . 
         [0043]    One particular embodiment of the present invention is proposed to provide the garment  1  shown in  FIG. 1  with specific dimensions. The distance between fastening means  9  and  10  is approximately 43 cm. The vertical distance between the fastening means  9  and  16  or between 10 and 17 is approximately 20 cm. The distance between the fastening means  15  and  6  or between the fastening means  15  and  5 , in a position where the garment  1  is laid flat and the sleeves  2  and  3  are extended outwardly with respect to the body of the garment  1 , is approximately 93 cm. In the same position, the distance between the fastening means  9  and  5  or between the fastening means  10  and  6  is approximately 60 cm. The length of the sleeve cuff  7  or  8  is approximately 15 cm. These placements of fastening means set this invention apart from conventional clothing, which typically has a column of buttons disposed from the middle of the neck down to the waist. 
         [0044]    In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, it is conceivable to knot, fasten and finally use the garment  1  in a number of manners that are illustrated as non-restrictive examples in  FIGS. 2   a  to  21   b . Various view of the garment  1  obtained from a first knotting process and its variants are, for example, illustrated in  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  3   a ,  3   b ,  4   a ,  4   b ,  17   a ,  17   b ,  18   a , and  18   b.    
         [0045]    In the first process, the sleeves  2  and  3  are laid on a plan that is more or less perpendicular to side lines  13  and  14  of the garment  1 . The sleeves  2  and  3  are linked to one another on a first side  11  or  12  of the garment  1 , and then the sleeves  2  and  3  are brought onto the other side  12  or  11  of the garment  1 , with the end sleeves  2  and  3  knotted to one another on that other side. The first side can either be the front  11  or the rear  12  of the garment  1 . In this process, the sleeves  2  and  3  are knotted (knot  50 ) to one another on the other side at a predetermined distance d 1  from the respective distal sleeves ends  21  and  31 . This predetermined distance d 1  can, for example but not restrictively, more or less correspond to the sleeve cuffs  7  and  8 . 
         [0046]    In an embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , the sleeves  2  and  3  can be knotted (knot  51 ) together on the first side  11  following the above steps, after they are brought together onto the first side  11 . To bring the sleeves  2  and  3  together, they can be crossed as shown in  FIG. 2   b  or  3   a . It is understood that the sleeves  2  and  3  must be pulled down in order to tighten the garment  1  to fit the person wearing it. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIGS. 17   b  and  18   a , to link the sleeves  2  and  3  to one another on the first side  11  or  12  of the garment, each sleeves  2  or  3  can be passed through a stiff ring  60 , and each sleeves  2  or  3  can be pulled down onto its respective side of the garment  1 , without crossing each other. As a result, it is understood that the sleeves  2  and  3  available for knotting are doubled in length, and the sleeves  2  and  3  must be pulled down from their respective ends in order to tighten as much as necessary to make the garment  1  fit the person wearing it. This first process aims to ensure maintaining the garment  1  well enough around the chest of the person wearing it, particularly with knots  50  and  51  that reinforce the maintenance. 
         [0048]    Various embodiments of the garment  1  obtained from a second knotting process are illustrated in  FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b ,  6   a ,  6   b ,  7   a ,  7   b ,  8   a ,  8   b ,  9   a ,  9   b ,  19   a ,  19   b ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  21   a , and  21   b . In this process, the sleeves  2  and  3  are knotted together at a predetermined distance d 1  from their respective distal ends  21  and  31  so that a necklace  52  is formed with the sleeves  2  and  3  fitting on the person wearing the garment  1 . This predetermined distance d 1  can correspond to the length of the sleeve cuffs  7  and  8 . The necklace  52  offers a maintaining function of the garment  1  on the person wearing it, as it is designed to be worn either by the nape of the neck (see  FIGS. 6   a ,  7   a ,  8   a ,  19   a ,  21   a  and  6   b ,  7   b ,  8   b ,  19   b ,  21   b ), by the neck (see  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b ), or around the neck and the nape (see  FIGS. 9   a ,  20   a  and  9   b ,  20   b ) of this person. 
         [0049]    In another embodiment of this process, the sleeves  2  and  3  can be crossed, thus forming a crossing point  53 , as it is illustrated in  FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b ,  6   a ,  6   b ,  7   a ,  7   b  and  9   a ,  9   b , to maintain the garment  1  on the person wearing it. In a particular case where the necklace  52  is designed to be worn around the neck and the nape of the neck (see  FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b ), the crossing point  53  is fixed at a predetermined distance d 2  from the respective distal ends  21  and  31  of the sleeves  2  and  3 . It is understood that this predetermined distance d 2  is longer than the predetermined distance d 1  designed for the knot  50 . More precisely, the predetermined distance d 2  is so chosen that the double of the difference d 2 -d 1  corresponds more or less to the neck measurement of the person wearing the garment  1 . 
         [0050]    In another embodiment of this process, each sleeve  2  or  3  can be passed through the stiff ring  60  at a predetermined distance d 2  from the distal ends  21  or  31 , longer than the predetermined distance d 1 , for maintaining the garment  1  on the person wearing it. Whether with a crossing point  53  or a stiff ring  60  at the predetermined distance d 2  as described above, it is understood that the maintenance of the garment  1  is reinforced because both ways allow the part of the garment  1  designed to be at the chest height closely fitting the person wearing it. Particularly, the crossing point  53  or the stiff ring  60  provides a bra function. To strengthen the maintenance around the neck (and the nape of the neck), the crossing point  53  made at the predetermined distance d 2  can be replaced with a knot  54 . These fastening processes can thus complete the sleeves knotting (knot  50 ) at the predetermined distance d 1 . In combination with the knot  50 , it is possible to make a collaret out of the necklace  52  that fits at best to the neck of the person, for a good maintenance of the garment  1  ( FIGS. 9   a ,  20   a  and  9   b ,  20   b  for example). 
         [0051]    Various embodiments of the garment  1  obtained by a third process are illustrated in  FIGS. 10   a ,  10   b ,  11   a ,  11   b ,  12   a ,  12   b ,  13   a ,  13   b ,  14   a ,  14   b ,  15   a ,  15   b ,  16   a  and  16   b . In this process, at least one fastening means  5  or  6  placed at the level of the proximal end  71  or  81  of the sleeve cuff  7  or  8  is fastened to another fastening means  9  or  10  of the garment, placed at the corner  40  or  41  of the neck  4 , and complementary to the first fastening means  5  or  6 . Considering the placement of the fastening means  5 ,  6 ,  9 , and  10  on the garment  1  where non-complementary means are placed on the same side of the garment  1  (eyes on one side, hooks on the other side), the process provides a stage, in which the sleeves  2  and  3  are crossed to form a crossing point  55 , before fastening one or more fastening means complementary to one another. The crossing point  55  offers a flattering feature as it allows a better fitting of the garment  1 . 
         [0052]    In another embodiment, the crossing point  55  can be strengthened while forming a knot. In most of the examples illustrated, both sleeves  2  and  3  are fastened with respective complementary fastening means  5 ,  6 ,  9 , and  10  of the garment  1 . However, this is not the case according to an embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 16   a  and  16   b . The complementary fastening means are needed on the same side of the garment  1 . On the other hand, in the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 15   a  and  15   b , the clipping means placed at the corners of the neck  4  are not necessary, but a similar fastening means  15  placed at more or less half-distance along the neck between both corners  40  and  41  is. As shown in the attached drawings, in some variants of the processes, at least one of the sleeves  2  and  3  is twisted around its longitudinal axis. 
         [0053]    It is understood that the knotting and fastening processes described above do not limit the scope of the invention that extends to all knotting and/or fastening process of a garment proposed in accordance with the spirit of the invention. The above illustration provides many different embodiments or embodiments for implementing different features of the invention. Specific embodiments of components and processes are described to help clarify the invention. These are, of course, merely embodiments and are not designed to limit the invention from that described in the claims. 
         [0054]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not designed to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.