Shape retaining collar devices and articles of wearing apparel using same

A shape retaining collar device for use with garments of wearing apparel as for example, a shirt having a torso covering segment. The shape retaining collar device in the garment construction includes a first fabric portion which is attachable to the torso covering segment and which is generally non-exposed to a viewer. This first fabric portion may be in the form of a band for attachment to the garment and extending outwardly from the first fabric portion is a second fabric portion in the form of a collar which essentially forms a neckline for the garment. Moreover, the second fabric portion terminates in a pair of edges which are forwardly presented to a viewer of the collar. A channel is formed within the second fabric portion for receiving a collar stay and a channel is also formed in the first fabric portion for receiving an integrally formed tab on this collar stay. The tab is located at an acute angle with respect to the collar stay and is relatively rigid to retain the shape of the collar at least at an acute angle with respect to the first fabric portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in 
shape retaining collar devices and garments of wearing apparel utilizing 
such collar devices and more particularly, shape retaining collar devices 
which enable a collar to maintain a neat and somewhat rigid position but 
nevertheless a natural looking position with respect to the remaining 
portion of the garment. 
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
The use of collar stays with shirts, and particularly decorative and 
so-called dress shirts, has been known and commercially available for a 
long period of time. In many shirt constructions, for example, the collar 
stays are permanently imbedded in the collar and in other shirt 
constructions, a channel is formed within the collar for receiving the 
collar stay. These shirt collars typically have forwardly presented edges 
extending from a neckline and which edges terminated at lower collar 
points or tips. 
These prior art constructions utilized a plastic collar stay which had 
somewhat of a tapered lower end. The collar stay was inserted in the shirt 
collars to extend from the neckline or in proximity to the neckline near 
each of the forwardly presented edges thereof toward the tips of the 
collar. Further, the prior art collar stays extended upwardly from there 
at an angle of about 45.degree. with respect to the forwardly presented 
edges of the collar. Moreover, the collar stays were preferably of a 
straight segment and did not include any angularly disposed portions. In 
addition, the collar stays were fairly rigid and non-bendable as such. 
These collar stays and the garments utilizing the same were primarily 
designed for garments where the collar was normally retained in a fairly 
rigid position around the shirt by means of a collar button and button 
hole. Thus, the garment had the torso covering segment extended upwardly 
toward the collar and was provided with a button and button hole. In this 
way, the collar did more or less retain its shape so long as the shirt was 
buttoned. The collar stays were provided to keep the collars fairly 
straight or unbended. 
Heretofore, there has been no effective means for enabling a shirt with a 
collar and particularly of a somewhat flexible construction to retain a 
particular shape with respect to the torso covering section, and even more 
so with V-neck shirts on the torso covering portion. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a 
shape retaining collar device for use with garments of wearing apparel and 
which collar device includes a first fabric portion attachable to a torso 
covering segment of the garment and a second fabric portion which extends 
outwardly therefrom at an acute angle with respect to the first fabric 
portion to represent a collar along with a shape retaining collar stay on 
the second fabric portion and a tab extending through a portion of the 
first fabric portion. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shape retaining 
collar device of the type stated which can be effectively utilized with a 
wide variety of shirts and other garment constructions. 
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a shape 
retaining collar device of the type stated which utilizes relatively rigid 
but yet bendable collar stays and where a portion of the stay in the form 
of a tab is bent at an acute angle so as to cause a portion of the collar 
device to retain an acute angle with respect to at least the neck portion 
of the garment of wearing apparel. 
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a shirt utilizing 
the shape retaining collar device and which permits the collar thereof to 
always assume a relatively rigid but yet naturally looking and neat 
appearance. 
It is a salient object of the present invention to provide a method of 
making a shirt with a shape retaining collar by attaching a first fabric 
portion of a collar on a shirt body and permitting a second portion of the 
fabric to extend outwardly therefrom and locating a collar stay with an 
acutely bent tab through the first fabric portion and the stay itself 
through the second fabric portion so as to maintain a relatively rigid but 
yet natural looking collar appearance with respect to the shirt. 
With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel 
features of form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts 
presently described and pointed out in the claims. 
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
A shape retaining collar device for use with garments of wearing apparel 
and a shirt using such collar device. The shape retaining collar device 
could be used essentially with any garment of wearing apparel which has a 
torso covering segment, as for example, shirts, jackets, sweaters and the 
like. 
This first fabric portion may be in the form of a band which is located on 
the interior portion of the torso covering segment in proximity to the 
upper end thereof which may constitute the neckline or which may be in 
proximity to the neckline of the garment. A second fabric portion, in the 
form of a collar, extends outwardly from the first fabric portion. This 
second fabric portion has as least one edge which is forwardly presented 
to a veiwer of the collar and preferably, a pair of edges which are 
forwardly presented to a viewer. The collar has a tip at the edge portion 
which is spaced from the neckline at this forwardly presented edge. 
A retaining means is formed with the collar and usually with the first 
fabric portion as well to retain a collar stay at least with respect to 
the shirt and collar. A collar stay is located at or at least in proximity 
to the forwardly presented edge of the second fabric portion of the collar 
and preferably at both of the forwardly presented edges of the collar. 
Further, the collar stay will extend from at least the neckline to the tip 
portions of the collars, or at least for a major portion of the distance 
from the neckline to the tip portion. The collar stay is preferably 
parallel to the edge of the collar. 
A tab is formed with the collar stay and is bent at an acute angle with 
respect to the collar stay. This tab extends along the first fabric 
portion at an acute angle with respect to the stay in order to enable the 
second fabric portion to establish an acute angle with respect to the 
first fabric portion. In this way, the collar which extends outwardly from 
the shirt will maintain a fairly rigid shape with respect to at least the 
first fabric portion which is located on the interior of the shirt and 
appears to be part of the torso covering segment to the viewer. Further, 
by virtue of the fact that the stay is at least fairly rigid, it is 
capable of holding the collar up so that it always presents a neat 
appearance. 
The stay is preferably integrally formed with respect to the tab. Moreover, 
the stay and the tab are formed of a plastic or metal strip, and 
preferably a bendable metal strip which is provided with an outer 
covering, the latter being formed of a plastic or a fabric material. The 
metal or interior strip should be at least bendable so that the stay can 
be bent at the desired angle with respect to the tab and also to retain 
this position. 
This invention possesses many other advantages and has other purposes which 
may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of the forms in 
which it may be embodied. These forms are shown in the drawings forming 
and accompanying part of the present specification. They will now be 
described in detail for the purposes of illustrating the general 
principals of the invention, but it is to be understood that such detailed 
descriptions are not to be taken in a limiting sense.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings 
which illustrate practical embodiments of the present invention, A 
designates a shirt having a torso covering segment 10 and which is 
conventionally formed with a V-shaped so-called "plunging" neckline 12 in 
the front portion thereof. This type of shirt as illustrated is a typical 
"slip-over" shirt although it should be understood that the shape 
retaining collar device of the invention could be used with a wide variety 
of shirts, as well as other garments, as heretofore described. 
The portion of the shirt forming the neckline 12 extends around to form an 
upper margin 14 as illustrated on a rear portion of the torso covering 
segment 10, as shown in FIG. 1. Suitably attached along this upper margin 
14 of the torso covering segment 10 is a label 16 conventionally provided 
in shirts of this type. 
A shape retaining collar device 20 is secured to the upper portion of the 
shirt 10 and is comprised of a first fabric portion 22 which is secured to 
the torso covering segment of the shirt through a seam line 24, which is 
preferably a line of stitching. Beyond the region of the V-shaped neck 12, 
the first fabric portion 22 is folded under the margin of the torso 
covering segment, which would define the neckline in absence of the collar 
device of the invention, and is secured thereto by means of the aforesaid 
line of stitching 24. This construction is more fully illustrated in FIGS. 
3 and 4 of the drawings. 
The first fabric portion 22 integrally merges into a second fabric portion 
28 which actually functions as the collar on the shirt or other garment. 
The point of integral merger to the first fabric portion 22 forms a neck 
line 30, in the manner as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, the 
collar device and particularly the first fabric portion 28 has two 
forwardly presented edges 32 which extend from the neck line 30 to tips 34 
and which, in turn, define the end points of a lower or outer edge 36 of 
the collar or second fabric portion. The collar 28 may have a hem that is 
the side not visible to a viewer formed by folding material at the outer 
edge 36 under the collar and securing by a line of stitching 38. 
A collar stay retaining means, preferably in the form of a channel 40, is 
formed within the first fabric portion 26. In like manner, a second 
channel 42 is formed within the second fabric section 28 and is 
effectively a continuation of the first channel. 
The first fabric portion 26 and the second fabric portion 28 at least in 
the region of the channel 40 and the channel 42, is provided with a pair 
of spaced apart plys of material 44 and 46 which are used to form such 
channels. The pair of plys could be formed by folding the material at the 
forward edge 32 under and securing the material of the second ply 46 to 
the first ply 44 by a line of stitching 48, much in the manner as 
illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The outer ends of the channels 
would be closed by the sealing of the outer and in-turned edge portions to 
form the hem through the line of stitching 38. However, it should be 
understood that any means of forming the channels could be used in the 
present invention. 
A collar stay 50 is located within the channel 42. A reversely bent tab 52 
which is integral with the stay 50 is located within the channel 40. This 
collar stay 50 along with the integrally formed tab 52 is hereinafter 
described in more detail. However, by reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, it can 
be observed that the collar stays 50 are located within the channels 42 in 
very close proximity to the forward edges of the collar. Moreover, the 
collar stays 50 extend substantially from the neckline 30 to the tips 34. 
In this respect, it should be understood that the collar stays 50 and in 
addition the tabs 52 have been shown as being located at or adjacent to 
the front edges 32. However, it should be understood that they could also 
be located in close proximity to the edges. It is also important that the 
stay and the tabs extend in a generally parallel planes with respect to 
the edges 32. The stays could be off-set slightly with respect to a 
parallel arrangement with the edges 32 although they should not deviate 
from a true parallel arrangement with the edges 32 by any substantial 
amount. The stays and their integrally formed associated tabs 46 are 
inserted in the channels as indicated above. However, it should be 
understood that they could be physically attached to the collar as for 
example, the second fabric section as well as the first fabric section by 
means of adhesives or the like. 
One of the preferred forms of the collar stays used in the shape retaining 
collar device of the invention is more fully illustrated in 
cross-sectional view in FIG. 7 of the drawings. These collar stays 50 (and 
for that matter the tabs 52) have the same construction and are comprised 
of an inner strip 60 preferably formed of a bendable material as for 
example, a thin gauge metal, such as aluminum or the like. However, any 
bendable metal could by employed including, for example, aluminum, iron or 
other metals. Moreover, bendable plastics which are capable of having some 
resiliancy when bent and yet which are capable of retaining their shape 
could be employed. These inner strips 60 are covered by a suitable cover 
material 62, preferably formed of a fabric or for that matter, a suitable 
plastic. In like manner, the covering material 62 would also be bendable 
and would also retain its shape after being bent to the desired shape. As 
indicated previously, it is necessary to have the tab 52 located at an 
acute angle with respect to the stay 50 and the inner strip enables this 
structure to be achieved. 
Another one of the unique advantages achieved by the shape retaining collar 
device as used with the garment is that it prevents the seam, as for 
example, the inner seam 24 from being viewable. In many cases, heretofore, 
the collar would tend to pull the V-neck portion 12 over such that at 
least a portion of the seam 24 would be apparent to the viewer. By virtue 
of the fact that the stay 50 and the tab 52 form a fairly rigid structure, 
the V-neck 12 always retains its shape and the collar always retains its 
shape on the garment. The same advantage is achieved whether or not the 
shape retaining collar is used in a garment which has a V-neck or other 
form of neckline. 
The shape retaining collar device of the invention is also highly effective 
in that it enables the user to position the collar of the garment at a 
desired angle with respect to the garment so as to create the desired 
appearance. Moreover, inasmuch as the stay and the tab have a substantial 
degree of rigidity, the collar will remain in the position selected by the 
user, e.g., the position in which the collar has been disposed. Further, 
the design of the collar device is such that the stay along with the 
integrally formed tab, permits the collar to maintain a rather neat 
appearance and prevent wrinkling of the material thereof. The collar also 
has a more uniform appearance by virtue of the construction of the present 
invention. 
Thus, there has been illustrated and described an unique and novel shape 
retaining collar device which utilizes collar stays along forward edges of 
the collar and reversely bent acutely angled tabs on an inner portion of 
the collar, as well as unique and novel articles of wearing apparel using 
such collar. Thus, the invention devices, fulfills all of the objects and 
advantages sought therefore. It should be understood that many changes, 
modifications, variations and other uses and applications will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification 
and the accompanying drawings. Therefore, any and all such changes, 
modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not 
depart from the spirit and scope of the invention or deemed to be covered 
by the invention which is limited only be the following claims.