Faux skirt

A garment that includes the attribute of a pair of shorts and which includes a front panel and a rear panel to span a gap formed between the legs of the shorts. The front panel and rear panel provide the appearance of continuous front and rear surfaces, normally associated with a skirt. Both the front panel and the rear panel extend from and are secured at one edge to the waist of the garment. The panels extend downwardly to the lowermost edge of the two leg portions of the shorts. Opposed side edges of the panels are secured approximately half-way along the height of the garment to the mid-section of the garment. The panels then become a free bottom portion, including hemmed edges which are detached from the garment so as to produce a free end swinging panel portion. This aids in providing the appearance of a skirt formed of a plurality of panel portions. Pockets are optionally included on the front of the garment and may optionally be included on the rear of the garment. Also, optional belt loops combined with an elasticized or partially elasticized waist may be included.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a garment designed to include the 
attributes of a pair of shorts while providing the appearance of a skirt. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Traditionally, clothing has been designed with an emphasis on fashion over 
function. Accordingly, often times, in a work environment, for example, 
women are expected to dress with a greater concern for appearance to the 
possible detriment of personal comfort. 
With the advent of "casual Fridays" in the work place, individuals have 
been given an opportunity to dress in more casual attire. This has 
resulted in a demand for casual attire which meets the dress code 
standards that have been invoked in certain work places. 
The trend towards causal days in the work place has caused a shift in the 
design world to accommodate a potential 20% reduction in demand for formal 
attire during a typical work week. Efforts to date have not achieved the 
desired goal of meeting the standards of dress codes in the work place, 
even relaxed dress codes, which may exclude the wearing of shorts. 
Accordingly, there is a need to satisfy the individual with comfortable 
clothing which provides the required appearance for attire. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a garment 
that includes the attributes of a pair of shorts and which includes a 
front panel and a rear panel to span a gap formed between the legs of the 
shorts. The front panel and rear panel provide the appearance of 
continuous front and rear surfaces, normally associated with a skirt. 
Accordingly, by the present invention, a garment having the favorable 
attributes of a pair of shorts provides the appearance of a skirt. 
Both the front panel and the rear panel, in a preferred embodiment, extend 
from and are secured at one edge to the waist of the garment. The panels 
extend downwardly to the lowermost edge of the two leg portions of the 
garment. Opposed side edges of the panels are secured approximately 
half-way along the height of the garment to the mid-section of the 
garment. The panels then include a free bottom portion, including hemmed 
edges which are detached from the garment so as to produce a free end 
swinging panel portion. This aids in providing the appearance of a skirt 
formed of a plurality of panel portions. Pockets are optionally included 
on the front of the garment and may optionally be included on the rear of 
the garment. Also, optional belt loops combined with an elasticized or 
partially elasticized waist may be included. 
By providing both a front and a rear panel, a gap between the two leg 
portions of the garment cannot be seen. Therefore, although the individual 
is in effect wearing shorts, to the remainder of the world, an appearance 
is provided of wearing a skirt. 
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a 
garment which includes a waist portion and two leg portions and includes a 
front panel and a rear panel which overly a gap formed between the two leg 
portions so as to provide the appearance of a skirt. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a garment 
having a waist portion and two leg portions with a gap formed between the 
two leg portions and a front panel and a rear panel extending from the 
waist portion to a lowermost edge of the leg portions which overlies the 
gap formed between the leg portions to provide the appearance of a skirt. 
It still yet another object of the present invention to provide a garment 
having a waist portion and two leg portions with a gap formed between the 
two leg portions and having a front panel and a rear panel partially 
secured to the leg portions and having a free end overlying the gap formed 
between the two leg portions so as to provide the appearance of a skirt. 
These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended 
advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is 
made to the following description taken in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the 
drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of 
clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the 
specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific 
term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner 
to accomplish a similar purpose. 
With reference to the drawings, in general, and to FIGS. 1 through 3, in 
particular, a faux skirt embodying the teachings of the subject invention 
is generally designated as 10. With reference to its orientation in FIG. 
1, the faux skirt 10 includes a waist portion 12, a mid-section 14 and two 
leg portions 16, 18. The various elements, taken in combination, have the 
attributes of forming a pair of shorts. 
In the front surface shown in FIG. 1, two pockets 20, 22 are shown. In 
addition, the waist portion includes elasticized portions 24, 26 located 
on opposite sides of a non-elasticized portion 28. Located between the 
elasticized portions 24, 26 and non-elasticized portion 28 are two belt 
loops 30a, 30b on one side of elasticized portion 28 and two belt loops 
32a, 32b located on the opposite side of non-elasticized portion 28. 
At the bottom of mid section 14 the inner edges of leg portions 16, 18 are 
separated, as indicated by phantom line 34. Continuing downwardly along 
the separation line 34, the inner edge 36 (shown in phantom line) of leg 
portion 16 is separated from the inner edge 38 (shown in phantom line) of 
leg portion 18 to form a gap 40 therebetween. 
A front panel 42 covers the gap 40. The front panel 42 extends from and is 
secured at its uppermost edge 44 in non-elasticized portion 28. The front 
panel extends downwardly from uppermost edge 44 along opposed side edges 
46, 48. The edges 46, 48 are secured to the mid-section 14 of the garment. 
The uppermost edge 44 and side edges 46, 48 of the front panel 42 are the 
only connection to the overall garment. Accordingly, the front panel 42 is 
separable from the garment. The garment includes material spanning between 
the edges 46, 48, but beneath the front panel 42. 
At a point 50, 52, of the side edges 46, 48, respectively, located 
approximately at the beginning of the separation line 34 between the leg 
portions 16, 18, the lower or remaining portion of the front flap 42 forms 
a free or unsecured portion 54. The free portion 54 hangs downwardly over 
the gap 40 between the leg portions 16, 18. The remaining side edge 
portions 56, 58 are folded under and secured by stitch lines 60, 62, 
respectively, to form a hemmed folded under the free portion 54. 
Similarly, stitch line 64 forms a hemmed edge 66 at the lowermost edge of 
the free portion 54. Hemmed edge 66 is aligned with the lowermost hemmed 
edges 68, 70 of the leg portions 16, 18, respectively. 
On the rear surface of the garment, as shown in FIG. 2, the elasticized 
portions 24, 26 continue onto the rear of the garment and are separated by 
a non-elasticized portion 72. Located between the elasticized portion 26 
and non-elasticized portion 72 is a belt loop 74. Similarly, between the 
elasticized portion 24 and the non-elasticized portion 72 is a belt loop 
76. 
On the rear surface, a rear panel 80 extends from an uppermost edge 82 
located at the non-elasticized waist portion 72 along two opposed side 
edges 84, 86 until reaching a point, 88, 90, respectively. As with the 
front panel, the rear panel is only secured to the garment along edges 82, 
84 and 86. The garment includes material spanning between the edges 84, 
86, but beneath the rear panel 80. 
At points 88, 90, a bottom free portion 92 of panel 80 hangs freely over 
the separation line 34, and the edges 36, 38 of the leg portions 16, 18, 
respectively. The panel 80 covers the gap 40 formed between the leg 
portions 16, 18. The edges 94, 96 of the free portion 92 extend to a 
lowermost seam 98 hemmed by stitch lines 100, 102, 104, respectively. 
As shown in FIG. 5, the free portion 92 is movable away from the leg 
portions 16, 18 at points 88, 90 where the side seam portions 94, 96 
separate from the garment as compared to opposed side seam portions 84, 
86. When the free portion 92 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 5, for 
illustrative purposes, the gap 40 formed between the leg portion 16, 18 is 
exposed to reveal the true nature of the garment, namely a garment having 
the attributes of a pair of shorts. 
The free portion 54 of the front flap 42 operates in exactly the same way 
as the rear flap 80. Accordingly, both the front flap 42 and the rear flap 
80 serve to cover the separation between leg portions 16, 18. The front 
panel and rear panel hanging downwardly to a lowermost edges 68, 70 of the 
leg portions provide the appearance of a paneled skirt, as shown in FIGS. 
1 and 2, unbeknownst to the world that in reality, the individual is 
wearing a garment having the attributes of a pair of shorts. Accordingly, 
the comfort and convenience known to be associated with a pair of shorts 
can be appreciated by the wearer, while presenting to the world the 
appearance of a garment, more formal in nature, namely a skirt. 
The foregoing description should be considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will 
readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, 
and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be 
resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.