Appearance modifying panty hose

Panty hose is provided with adjacent shaded areas with gradations in shading, in the calf portion, whereby when the panty hose is worn the appearance of the shape of the leg is modified. In one embodiment, legs with heavy calves and thighs are given a slimming appearance, and in another embodiment, skinny, shapeless legs are given a fuller appearance. The shaded areas may be printed directly on the hose by heat transfer paper printing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improvement in garments. Specifically, this 
invention relates to panty hose which provides a shape modifying 
appearance to the legs of the wearer. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Heretofore it was known to color a pair of stockings in different colors to 
achieve a decorative effect. In Blore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,164, the heel 
and toe portions were differently colored from the entire leg portion; and 
in British Pat. No. 1,266,927, the upper and lower leg portions were 
differently colored; and in French Pat. Nos. 1,357,782 and 2,267,714 
various designs were provided on leg garments. 
In Lewis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,419, a decorative design was provided on 
undergarments, which design provided a changing moire pattern with 
movement. 
While the prior art provided decorative and amusing patterns on leg 
garments, the prior art garments did not provide a change in the 
appearance of the leg shape. 
Now there is provided by the present invention an article of wearing 
apparel which when worn gives a more aesthetically pleasing shape to a 
portion of the body of the wearer. 
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an article 
of wearing apparel which when worn provides the appearance of a change in 
shape to a portion of the body of the wearer. 
It is another object of this invention to provide an article of wearing 
apparel as immediately aforesaid wherein the article is panty hose. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide hose which alters the 
appearance of heavy legs to appear to be thinner and more shapely. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide hose which alters the 
appearance of skinny legs to appear to be fuller and more shapely. 
It is still a further object of this invention to provide panty hose which 
may readily be imprinted with a shading configuration specifically suited 
to the base color of the hose, to provide a more aesthetically appealing 
leg shape to the wearer.

Broadly speaking, the present invention comprises an article of wearing 
apparel formed so as to closely fit the body and having gradations of 
shading in a portion of the apparel, whereby the apparel when worn 
provides an appearance modifying shape at said portion. In another aspect, 
the present invention comprises a pair of panty hose having gradations of 
shading in the calf regions so as to provide an appearance modifying shape 
to the legs. 
It has been found that where gradations of shading are imprinted on a 
contour fitting garment, there is provided a shape modifying appearance to 
that portion of the body subject to the contour fit. Specifically, it has 
been found that panty hose having a well-known commercially available base 
color, when imprinted in the calf region with adjacent areas of gradated 
shadings or hues of the base color, a shape modifying appearance to leg is 
provided. 
By the term "gradations in shading" it is meant that there is a deepening 
or increasing in intensity of a certain hue. That is to say, the base 
color comprises three component colors which are generally variations of 
the primary colors, to wit, red, yellow and blue. The "gradations of 
shading" would then be a change (i.e. increase or decrease) in the amount 
of one of the component colors from one area of the imprinted portion to 
the adjacent area. 
Specifically, it has been found that to modify the appearance of a 
thick-calved leg so as to appear slimmer and more shapely, the panty hose 
is provided with gradations in shading in the calf region extending 
radially outwardly from the side of the calf with a gradual decrease of 
the color in the blue end of the spectrum, and perhaps to some degree an 
increase of the color in the red end of the spectrum. 
Conversely it has been found, that to modify the appearance of a skinny-leg 
to appear fuller and more shapely, the panty hose is provided with 
gradations in shading in the calf region extending radially outwardly from 
the side of the calf, with a gradual decrease in the blue end spectrum 
component color, and a gradual increase in the red end spectrum component 
color. 
The shaded regions are annularly-shaped regions, circumscribing a central 
region, where the central region generally always exhibits more overall 
color or hue than the surrounding regions including the base color of the 
panty hose. This is true for both the heavy-legged version as well as the 
skinny-legged version. Otherwise worded, the overall hue decreases in the 
direction radially outwardly from the central shaded area. 
It is of course understood that the shaded areas are color-coordinated with 
the base color of the imprinted panty hose. Each shaded area comprises 
essentially the same component colors as the base color but in differing 
amounts according to the above teaching. 
Referring to FIG. 1a there is shown a panty hose 10 which is an embodiment 
of the present invention particularly suited to heavy-legged persons, 
particularly ones with heavy calves and thighs. One each of the outer 
surfaces 11 and inner surfaces 12 are shown. An imprinted region 13 is 
shown on surface 11 and an imprinted region 14 is shown on surface 12; 
with the outer and inner surfaces not shown having corresponding imprinted 
regions. 
Region 13 comprises four printed areas, namely 15, 16, 17 and 18. Area 15 
is a central elongated area extending from about the knee region 19 to the 
ankle region 20 and being disposed on the side of the calf region 21. Area 
15 is the deepest hued or most darkly shaded region. Surrounding area 15 
is area 16 which circumscribes area 15 in the forms of an annular region 
16a of varying thickness; and circumscribing area 16 in area 17 forming 
annular region 17a; and surrounding area 17 is area 18 forming annular 
region 18a. Areas 16, 17 and 18 extend in seriatim radially away from 
central area 15. The gradations in shading decrease in the radial outward 
direction from 15 to 18, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. 
The variations in hue may be expressed as follows. Panty hose 10 in the leg 
region 21a is of a base color which is comprised of three component colors 
which are generally variations of the primary colors; red (R), yellow (Y) 
and blue (B). The variations of hue are effected by increasing (+) or 
decreasing (-) one or more of the component colors. This is illustrated 
for panty hose 10 in Table I. 
TABLE I 
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Area Component Colors 
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21a R, Y, B, (e.g. taupe) 
18 R, -Y, +B 
17 R, Y, +B 
16 -R, -Y, +B 
15 -R, -Y, ++B 
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The shading or hue for each shaded area (15-18) is compared with the base 
color in area 21a. As can be readily discerned there is an increase in the 
amount of component color towards the blue end of the spectrum as one 
moves radially inwardly from 18 to central area 15. 
The inner printed region 14 is and has a similar four area or zone of 
imprinted shadings as outer region 13 with a principal variation. Region 
14 comprises two central deep hued areas 25a and 25b which are spaced from 
each other but both areas are commonly surrounded or circumscribed by 
adjacent area 26. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1b and 1c there is shown a pair of heavy-calved and 
heavy-thighed legs 30 wearing in FIG. 1b. a conventional panty hose 31, 
and wearing in FIG. 1c. the panty hose 10. It is readily discernible that 
the shaded areas of 10 contour the body and increase in size with the 
stretching of the fabric in contouring the legs. One effect of the 
stretching of the area size is to present a more gradual change in shading 
than appear on the unworn hose. In all the total effect is to provide a 
slimming appearance to the legs. 
It is of course understood that the invention is likewise suitable to other 
heavy-legged persons where the basic problem is that the legs are heavy 
and shapeless throughout rather than specifically limited to the calves 
and thighs. In such case the shaded areas tend to extend almost entirely 
throughout the lower leg portion on opposing sides of the calves. 
Referring now to FIG. 2a there is shown another embodiment of the present 
invention, namely, panty hose 40 which is suited for skinny-legged 
persons. Panty hose 40 comprises a base colored leg portion 50 having 
imprinted regions 41 and 42 on the outer and inner surfaces of the panty 
hose. Region 41 comprises two central areas of deepest hue, 43a and 43b, 
surrounded by area 44 and in turn 45, of decreasing shading in the radial 
outward direction from each of the central areas respectively. Inner 
surface 42 has three areas 143, 144 and 145 corresponding in hues to 43a; 
43b; 44; and 45 respectively. 
The variation in hues for panty hose 40 is illustrated in Table II. 
TABLE II 
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Area Component Colors 
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50 R, Y, B (e.g. taupe) 
45 ---R, +Y, -B 
44 --R, ++Y, --B 
43a, 43b -R, ++Y, ---B 
______________________________________ 
The component colors are compared with the component colors of the base 
color. That is area 45 has significantly less red than base color 50, 
while area 44 has not as much red removed from the base red, and areas 
43a, 43b even less so. Thus in the radial inward direction there is an 
increase in the red component color. 
Referring to FIGS. 2b and 2c, there is shown a pair of skinny-legs 55 
wearing in FIG. 2b a pair of conventional panty hose 60, and in FIG. 2c, 
said panty hose 40. In FIG. 2c there is the appearance of fuller and more 
shapely legs, while such is not the case in FIG. 2b. 
While the color schemes of Tables I and II are designed to the color taupe, 
the color schemes would be similarly applicable to the colors such as tan, 
sandstone, and the like, and are particularly suited to the several 
commercially available flesh tones. 
In the following Table III, specific commercially available colors are 
designated for the component colors as applied to the embodiment of FIG. 
1a.: 
TABLE III 
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Area (FIG. 1a No.) Component Colors 
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base hose color (21a) 
pale taupe 
more adjacent central (18) 
taupe 
next more adjacent central 
medium taupe 
area (17) 
most adjacent central (16) 
dusty taupe 
central area (15) smokey taupe 
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The various component colors may be readily blended and formulated by one 
skilled in the art, and the blended colors may be imprinted on the hose by 
well known commercially available methods such as screen printing and heat 
transfer printing. This invention is particularly suited to heat transfer 
paper printing, wherein the paper has the particularly shape modified 
appearance style desired by the user. 
Suitable substrate fabrics for imprinting include the well known material 
and synthetic fabrics, particularly nylon and polyesters, and blends of 
natural and synthetic fibers. 
It should be understood that the figures and the specific description 
thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating 
the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present 
invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the 
figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real 
invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions 
embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present 
invention.