Abstract:
A garment with fringes includes a pocket for securing a fringe, and a retraction cord terminating in a ring encircling the fringe for pulling the fringe into the pocket during a time when a freely hanging fringe is to be avoided. Preferably, an entrance to the pocket is provided with a circumferential resilient stiffening device to facilitate entry of the fringe into the pocket, and the entrance may be provided also with a closure, such as a snap, to prevent the fringe from falling out of the pocket. The entrance may be provided also with a closure, such as a snap, to prevent the fringe from falling out of the pocket. A tether may be provided attached to the ring to facilitate a pulling of the ring out of the pocket for the resumption of normal deployment of the fringe.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is based on and claims right of priority in a provisional patent application having Ser. No. 60/685,064, filed May 27, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to a garment that has fringes which may be permitted to depend from the garment, such as by hanging from the corners of the garment, while the garment is being worn by a person, and wherein means are provided for retraction and securement of the fringes at times when such hanging of the fringes would constitute an inconvenience to the person.  
         [0003]     One form of garment, in a manner of being worm by a person, is allowed to drape over the person&#39;s shoulders, and to hang from the shoulders. For reasons of style, or to provide a ceremonial form of dress, or for practice of the ritual of a religion, by way of example, the garment may be provided with fringes that are attached to the garment, possibly at corners of the garment. In the normal wearing of the garment, the fringes hang down. By way of example, such fringes may depend from a location at the person&#39;s waist to a location alongside the person&#39;s thighs. Such fringes may be composed of one of more strands of thread, may include knots formed of the threads, and may have plain or colored threads, by way of example. While various ways of attachment of a fringe to the garment are possible, such as by sewing the fringe to the garment, or by use of a hook to attach the fringe to the garment, it is convenient, for purposes of demonstrating the present invention, to connect the fringe to the garment by passing a set of threads of the fringe through a hole formed in a corner of the garment, and then to complete the fringe by the formation of one or more knots in the threads of the fringe. Such a garment may be worn in conjunction with other garments, in which case the fringed garment may be worm outside of the other garments, or underneath one of the other garments.  
         [0004]     A disadvantage in the use of such a fringed garment is experienced during dressing or undressing, or in a state partial dress, wherein the fringes may tangle with other articles of clothing, or may simply get in the way of a person attempting to sit down. The fringes might become soiled in the use of a restroom. Also, during laundering, the fringes may become entangled.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The aforementioned disadvantages are overcome and other advantages are provided by modifying the fringed garment, in accordance with the invention, to include a pocket for receiving a fringe, and to include a retraction cord which is operated by the person wearing the garment to draw the fringe into the pocket. Preferably, an entrance to the pocket is provided with a circumferential resilient stiffening device to facilitate entry of the fringe into the pocket, and the entrance may be provided also with a closure, such as a snap, to prevent the fringe from falling out of the pocket. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a ring is attached to the retraction cord, and wherein the ring encircles the fringe so as to allow the fringe to hang freely during a normal wearing of the garment, but pulls the fringe into the pocket upon operation of the retraction cord by the person wearing the garment. The pocket may have a width in the range of approximately 1-4 inches, 3.5 inches being employed in a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is advantageous also to provide a further string attached to the ring to facilitate a pulling of the ring out of the pocket for the resumption of normal deployment of the fringe. The pocket provides protection from a tangling of the fringes during a laundering of the garment.  
         [0006]     An additional guide thread may be passed through the ring, wherein opposed ends of the guide thread are secured, as by sewing, to guide movement of the ring along a central axis of the pocket, and to limit movement of the ring to a nominal depth within the pocket, thereby to facilitate extraction of the fringe from the pocket for resumption of normal deployment of the fringe. The guide thread provides sufficient control of the position of the ring, during a pulling of the ring by the retraction cord, so that the fringes can be properly retracted even without the presence of the pocket. However, omission of the pocket from the garment diminishes the protection from tangling of the fringes during a laundering of the garment. It is possible also to further reduce the complexity of the structure of the pocket and the guide thread by omission of the pocket and the guide thread, and then securing the retraction cord to the garment in the vicinity of the corner site wherein a fringe is anchored. Thereupon, a pulling of the retraction cord pulls up a corner of the garment along with the fringe.  
         [0007]     In all of the foregoing embodiments of the invention, it is advantageous to provide a pair of holes near the right side of the garment and a further pair of holes near the left side of the garment, wherein, in each pair, one hole is in a forward part of the shoulder and a second hole is toward the back of the shoulder. The holes on each side of the garment serve as a guide for the retraction cord on that side of the garment, upon a passing of the retraction cords through the holes on the respective sides of the garment. This insures a positioning of the retraction cords at desired locations on the shoulders of the person wearing the garment. It is also preferable to construct each of the retraction chords such that a surface of the cord has minimal friction to facilitate a drawing of the retraction chord through the shoulder holes as well as through a pocket, if present. This can be obtained by use of a low friction coating, possibly of a plastic material; alternatively the retraction cord can be constructed of a low friction plastic material wherein the term “low friction” means lower than the friction of a string of twisted cotton fibers rubbing against a pocket made of cotton fabric. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0008]     The aforementioned aspects and other features of the invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures wherein:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a stylized view of a fringed garment constructed in accordance with the invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a fragmentary perspective view of an edge region of the garment of  FIG. 1 , including a pocket, fringes and a retraction cord of the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a fragmentary perspective view, similar to that of  FIG. 2 , wherein a ring of the retraction cord and a fringe engaged by the ring is drawn into the pocket;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the pocket of  FIG. 2 , taken along the line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  shows a fragmentary perspective view, similar to that of  FIG. 2 , presenting a tether secured to a ring of the retraction cord of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a portion of the pocket of  FIG. 2 , presenting a resilient stiffening device in the form of plastic stays inserted in pouches along an opening of the pocket;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a stylized side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6  showing the locations of stay pouches;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a stylized view, similar to that of  FIG. 7 , presenting alternative locations of stay pouches;  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a plan view, similar to the view of  FIG. 6  showing a placement of snaps, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, at the location of the stiffening device of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  shows an alternative configuration of an attachment ring with a clamp for the garment of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is a fragmentary view of the garment showing an alternative form of construction of the clamp ring of  FIG. 10 , wherein the clamp ring is constructed of stiff fabric sewn to the garment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a fringe retraction ring, of  FIG. 3 , constructed with a flexible vane to signal a direction of a pulling of the fringe through the ring;  
         [0021]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the retraction ring of  FIG. 12 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 14  is a side view of the retraction ring, corresponding to the view of  FIG. 13 , but being sectioned along a line  14 - 14  in  FIG. 12 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the retraction ring, corresponding to the view of  FIG. 13 , but showing the vane pulled through the ring by the fringe;  
         [0024]      FIG. 16  is a stylized view of a stress-relief safety device, shown with an outer casing partially cut away to disclose interior components of the safety device; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 17  is a fragmentary perspective view including a sliding interior component of the safety device of  FIG. 16 . 
     
    
       [0026]     Identically labeled elements appearing in different ones of the figures refer to the same element but may not be referenced in the description for all figures.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a fringed garment  20  suitable for demonstration of the features of the present invention. The garment  20  has a generally rectangular form with four corners  22 , and a central opening  24  through which a person&#39;s head can be placed to enable the person to wear the garment  20 , wherein shoulder portions  26  of the garment rest on the person&#39;s shoulders during a wearing of the garment  20 . Four fringes  28  are secured respectively to the four corners  22  via attachment sites  30  (shown in greater detail in  FIG. 6 ) at respective ones of the corners  22 . Each of the fringes  28  is portrayed, by way of example, as being constructed of a plurality of threads  32  connected together at a knotted region  34  of the fringe  28 . Each of the fringes  28  is encircled by a ring  36 , and the rings  36  are connected to the ends of retraction cords  38 , which, upon activation by the wearer of the garment, draw the respective fringes  28  into pockets  40  formed on the garment  20 . The wearer activates a retraction cord  38  by pulling on the cord  38 . One retraction cord  38  is shown on the right side of the garment  20  and a second retraction cord  38  is shown on the left side of the garment  20 .  
         [0028]     With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , operation of the retraction cord  38  on the right side of the garment  20  (with reference to the portrayal in  FIG. 1 , this corresponding to the left side of the person wearing the garment) is readily demonstrated. Prior to activation of the cord  38 , the cord  38  extends from a location in front of an opening  42  of the pocket  40 , through the opening  42  and along the interior of the pocket  40 . An access region  44  for the cord  38  is provided in sidewall  46  of the pocket  40  on the right side of the garment  20 . A corresponding access region  44  (not shown in  FIGS. 2-3 ) is located on the left side of the garment  20 . The access region  44  may be formed as a window, or opening, of sufficient size for the wearer of the garment  20  to insert his fingers to grab the cord  38 , or preferably as a pair of holes  48  and  50  through which the cord  38  is enabled to pass along the exterior of the pocket sidewall  46  to facilitate a grabbing of the cord  38  by the wearer&#39;s fingers. The pair of holes  48  and  50  also serve as a guide for positioning the cord  38  along a centerline (to be described with reference to  FIG. 6 ) of the pocket  40 .  
         [0029]     Prior to a grabbing of the cord  38 , the ring  36  is located outside of the pocket  40  (as shown in  FIG. 2  for the ring  36  at the front of the garment  20 ). After a grabbing of the cord  38 , possibly by use of a stress-relief safety device  51  (to be described with reference to  FIGS. 16-17 ), the ring  36  is drawn into the pocket  40  (as shown in phantom at  52  in  FIG. 3  for the ring  36  at the front of the garment  20 ). As the ring  36  is drawn into the garment  20 , it carries the fringe  28  (shown in  FIG. 3  at the front of the garment  20 ) into the pocket  40  as is also indicated at  52  in  FIG. 3 . The ring  36  can be drawn into the pocket  40  to a depth that is limited by the location of the hole  50 . Since the ring  36  cannot be drawn through the hole  50 , the hole  50  serves as a stop to further movement of the ring  36 . By a threading of the retraction cord  38  through a hole  50 , for each of the corner mounted fringes  28 , a stop is provided to limit the depth of travel of a retraction ring  36  into its respective pocket  40 .  
         [0030]     The foregoing discussion of the ring  36  at the front of the garment  20  applies also to the retraction of the fringe  28 , at the back of the garment, by its ring  36 . By way of example in  FIGS. 2-3 , a single retraction cord  38  is provided with the ring  36  in the front corner of the garment  20  being secured to one end of the cord  38 , and with the ring  36  in the back corner of the garment  20  being secured to the opposite end of the cord  38 . Thereby, the wearer of the garment  20 , by pulling on the single retraction cord  38 , can retract both the front and the back fringes  28  on the right side of the garment. The  FIGS. 1-3  also show a shoulder guide  54 , there being one shoulder guide  54  in each of the shoulder portions  26  of the garment  20 , wherein each of the shoulder guides  54  is formed of a pair of holes  56  and  58  in the sidewall of the corresponding pocket  40 . At a shoulder guide  54 , the retraction cord  38  associated therewith passes through both of the holes  56  and  58 , whereby the cord  38  exits from its pocket  40  via one of the holes  56  and  58 , and then returns to the pocket via the second of the holes  56  and  58 . By virtue of the passage of the cord  38  through both of the holes  56  and  58  of the guide  54 , the guide  54  maintains the cord  38  in a desired location on the shoulder of the wearer of the garment  20 .  
         [0031]      FIGS. 2-3  also show further detail in the connection of a fringe  28  to the garment  20  at an attachment site  30  located in a corner  22  of the garment. In the practice of the invention, a fringe may be attached to the attachment site  30  in a convenient manner such as by sewing or clipping (not shown) the fringe  28  to the attachment site  30 . However, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, threads  32  of the fringe  28  are passed through a hole  60  in the attachment site  30 , after which the threads  32  are secured to each other via knots of the knotted region  34  of the fringe  28 , as depicted in  FIG. 2 . It is also advantageous to reinforce the attachment site  30  by use of a further layer  62  of material shown in  FIG. 6 . Thus, the garment  20  is constructed of a base layer  64  of a material, such as cotton or wool, by way of example, and the further reinforcing layer  62 , which may also be of cotton or wool, is secured on the base layer  64  of material by sewing, the sewing being indicated by stitching  66  in  FIG. 6 . The hole  60  extends through both of the base layer  64  and the reinforcing layer  62 .  
         [0032]     The double layer form of construction described above for the attachment site  30  is employed also for construction of each of the pockets  40 . Thus, with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the aforementioned sidewall  46 , which may be referred to as the top sidewall  46  of the pocket  40 , is formed as a second layer of material that is secured, as by sewing, to the base layer  64  to form the pocket  40 , wherein the sewing is indicated by stitching  70 . In the pocket  40 , the base layer  64  serves as a bottom sidewall  72  of the pocket  40 .  
         [0033]     To facilitate portrayal of the garment  20 , the pockets  40  are depicted as being on the outside surface of the garment  20 . However, it is understood that the form of the garment  20  allows it to be worn in reversible fashion such that the pockets  40  could be on the inside of the garment  20 . To accommodate the reversible nature of the garment  20 , the holes  56  and  58  of the shoulder guide  54  may extend through both the second layer (the top sidewall  46 ) and the base layer  64  (bottom sidewall  72 ) of the pocket  40 . It is also possible to place the holes  56  and  58  of the shoulder guide  54  in either the top sidewall  46  or the bottom sidewall  72  depending on whether the garment  20  is to be worn in the normal or the reversible mode. Similar comments apply also to the holes  48  and  50  of the access region  44  for accessing the retraction cord  38 . These holes  48  and  50  may be located in the top sidewall  46 , or extend through the top sidewall  46  and the bottom sidewall  72 , or be located in the bottom sidewall  72  of the pocket  40  depending on whether the garment is to be worn in the normal mode, in either of the normal mode and the reversible mode, or in the reversible mode.  
         [0034]     In accordance with a further feature of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a tether  74  may be secured to a ring  36  to facilitate its withdrawal from the pocket  40 . Thus, after a retraction of the ring  36  and its fringe  28  into a pocket  40 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , the wearer pulls on the tether  74  to draw the ring  36  and its fringe  28  out of the pocket  40 . For this purpose, the tether  74  may have a length of several inches. If desired, an elastic tether  76 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , may be employed, instead of the non-elastic tether  74 , wherein the elastic tether  76  is secured at one end, away from the ring end of the tether  76 , to the interior of the pocket  40 , near to the opening  42 . Thereby, upon release of the retraction cord  38 , the elastic tether  76  pulls the ring  36  toward the opening  42  so as to facilitate extraction of the ring  36  from the pocket  40  by the fingers of the wearer. If desired, by way of alternative embodiment, the end of the elastic tether  76 , away from the ring end of the tether  76 , may be secured to the location of the garment as depicted in  FIG. 5 , but to the exterior of the pocket  40 , rather than to the interior of the pocket  40 .  
         [0035]     By way of example in the use of the elastic tether  76 , and with reference to  FIG. 1 , a tab  78  may be secured to the retraction cord  38  on the right side of the garment  20 , and further tabs  80  are located on the right side and on the left side of the garment  20 , wherein the tabs  78  and  80  are releasably securable to each other, such that, upon attachment of a tab  78  to its corresponding tab  80 , the retraction cord  80  is held in the withdrawn position. Upon release of the tabs  78  and  80  from each other, the elastic tether  76  pulls the cord  38  with its ring  36  towards the opening  42  of its pocket  40 . The tabs  78  and  80  may be provided with an adhesive or clip, by way of example, to provide for releasably securing the retraction cord  38 , or be provided preferably with micro-teeth engaging in fabric loops as in Velcro (trademark) to obtain the releasable securement. Also, if desired, a third cord  82  may interconnect the two retraction cords  38  so that by pulling on the third cord  82 , the wearer can retract all four of the fringes  28  at the four corners  22  of the garment  20 . Also, as a further optional way of temporarily securing one or more of the fringes  28 , additional securement elements, shown as enlarged rings  84 , may be located on the garment  20 , as by being sewn to the garment, as indicated in  FIG. 1  by stitching  86 , thereby to hold one of more of the fringes  28  upon being drawn through one or more of the rings  84  by the wearer of the garment. Alternatively, the ring  84  can be can be fashioned, as shown at  84 A in  FIG. 10 , with an extension in the form of a clamp  85 . In the use of the ring  84 A, a portion of a fringe  28  is inserted into the ring and then forced into the clamp  85  which holds the fringe securely.  
         [0036]     The rings  84 , as well as the rings  36 , may have a circular shape, or may have some other shape such as elliptical or triangular, by way of example. The rings  84 , as well as the rings  36  may be made of metal or plastic, by way of example. Also, by way of alternative embodiments of the invention, it is noted that each of the retraction cords  38 , which is presented as extending from a corner  22 , in the front of the garment  20 , to a corner  22 , in the back of the garment  20 , may be replaced by two separate retraction cords extending to the corresponding two corners  22 , thereby providing for independent operation of the four retraction rings  36 . In such case, an additional access region  44  would be provided on each of the right and the left sides of the garment  20  to access the additional retraction cords. One way of creating the four independent retraction cords is to secure a central region of each of the cords  38  to the respective shoulder portion  26 , or alternatively, by replacing the retraction cord  38  by a shorter retraction cord  87  (indicated partially in phantom in  FIG. 3 ) that exits the pocket  40  via the hole  50 , and is terminated by a tab  78 . Such a tab  78  has already been described with respect to  FIG. 1 . To retract a fringe  28 , the wearer pulls on the retraction cord  87 , and secures the tab  78  to a tab  80  on the garment  20 .  
         [0037]     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , a further optional feature of the invention is the capability to close a pocket opening  42  after emplacement of the corresponding fringe  28  in the pocket  40 . This is accomplished by use of a snap fastener  88  having a male part  90  and a female part  92  located in sidewalls  72  and  46  of the pocket  40 , adjacent the pocket opening  42 . After retraction of the fringe  28  into the pocket  40 , the parts  90  and  92  of the fastener  88  are snapped together to retain the fringe  28  within the pocket  40 . This feature of the invention is useful, during a laundering of the garment  20 , for keeping the fringes  28  within their respective pockets  40  so as to prevent a tangling of the fringes. After the laundering, the fasteners  88  are opened to free the fringes  28  from their respective pockets  40 .  
         [0038]     With reference also to  FIGS. 6, 7  and  9 , further inventive features are presented with respect to the construction of a pocket  40  and its corresponding attachment site  30  located in the right front corner  22  of the garment  20 , it being understood that the description of  FIGS. 6 and 7  applies also to the other corners  22  of the garment  20 . Also shown in  FIGS. 6, 7  and  9  is the stitching  66  on the side of the attachment site  30 , as disclosed above, the stitching  70  along the side of the pocket  40  as disclosed above, and a further stitching  94  along the edge of the attachment site  30  facing the pocket opening  42 . The stitching  94  aids in securing the reinforcing layer  62  to the base layer  64  of the attachment site  30 .  
         [0039]     A guide thread  96  may be passed through the retraction ring  36  and secured at a first end of the thread  96 , as by a sewing tack  98 , to the attachment site  30 , and secured at the second end, as by a sewing tack  100 , to the base layer  64  within the pocket  40 . During operation of the ring  36  in a retraction of the fringe  28 , the ring  36  slides along the thread  96  so as to be guided along a centerline of the pocket  40  as the ring  36  passes through the pocket opening  42 . The sewing tacks  98  and  100  serve to limit the movement of the ring  36  along the thread  96  so that the ring  36  does not move beyond the first end and the second end of the thread  96 . Due to the restriction in movement of the ring  36 , it is possible to construct the garment  20  without a pocket  40  but with the guide thread  96  since, upon a retraction of the ring  36  by the cord  38 , the ring is held at the location of the second sewing tack  100 . Thus the fringe  28 , carried by the ring  36 , is secured in a retracted position, even in the absence of the pocket  40 . However, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, both the guide thread  96  and the pocket  40  are employed concurrently for securing the fringe  28  in the desired position of retraction, and to prevent entanglement of the fringe, as during a laundering of the garment  20 .  
         [0040]     In the construction of the opening  42  of the pocket  40 , it is advantageous to provide the opening  42  with a circumferential resilient stiffening device  102  to facilitate entry of the fringe  28  into the pocket  40 . Such a device may be constructed, by way of example, as a ring of soft rubber or flexible plastic that encircles the opening  42  and has adequate stiffness to maintain the opening  42  with a configuration for receiving the ring  36  and the fringe  28 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, construction of the stiffening device  102  is facilitated by use of a plurality of plastic resilient stays  104 , preferably four of the stays  104 , wherein two of the stays  104  are located in the top sidewall  46  of the pocket  40 , and positioned transversely of and symmetrically to a centerline  106  of the pocket  40 . The remaining two stays are similarly positioned transversely of and symmetrically to the centerline  106  of the pocket  40  but are located in the attachment site  30  in front of the opening  42 , as shown in  FIGS. 6, 7  and  9 . For locating the stays  104  on the top sidewall  46 , an additional layer of material is obtained by folding over an edge region of the top sidewall  46 , in the manner of a hem. The additional layer of material is sewn via stitching  108  to the top sidewall  46  to form pouches  110  for holding respective ones of the stays  104 . Further pouches  110  are formed in the attachment site  30  between the reinforcing layer  62  and the base layer  64  via further stitching  112  for holding further ones of the stays  104 . Slits  114  are formed in the fabric of the pouches  110  to provide for entrances to the pouches  110  to enable insertion of the stays  104  into the respective pouches  110 .  
         [0041]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are similar in their portrayals of the garment base layer  64 , the reinforcing layer  62  of the attachment site  30 , and the top sidewall  46  of the pocket  40 .  FIG. 7  shows the location of the stay pouches  110  on the top sidewall  46 , identified also by the letter A, and the location of the stay pouches  10  on the attachment site  30 , identified also by the letter B, corresponding to the view of  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 8  shows an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the location of the stay pouches  110  on the top sidewall  46  is retained, as indicated by the letter A, but wherein the remaining stay pouches  110  are moved from the attachment site  30  to an alternative position, indicated by the letter C, beneath the stay pouches  110  at the location A. The stay pouches  110  at location C may be fabricated by use of an additional layer of fabric stitched to the bottom sidewall  72  of the pocket  40 . By way of further embodiment, the stay pouches  110  at the location C may be located further from the pocket opening  42  at a location D, indicated in phantom in  FIG. 8 , wherein fabrication of the pouches  110  at location D is also accomplished by stitching a layer of fabric on the bottom sidewall  72  of the pocket  40 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 9  shows a corner  22  of the garment  20 , as does  FIG. 6 , and also shows an alternative placement of the snap fastener  88  by placing the male part  90  and the female part  92  at the stiffening device  102  such that the part  90  is located between the stays  104  on the top sidewall  46 , and the part  92  is located between the stays  104  on the attachment site  30 . Closure of the pocket  40  is obtained by folding a corner portion of the garment  20  at the opening  42  of the pocket  40 , and snapping the part  90  into the part  92  of the snap fastener  88 . In the view of  FIG. 9 , the attachment site  30  would be folded up, from the plane of the drawing, so as to cover the pocket opening  42 . Thereby, the closed snap fastener  88  holds the garment  20  folded at the pocket opening  42  so as to insure that a retracted fringe  28  is retained in the pocket  40 . The foregoing locations of the parts of the fastener  88  are provided by way of example, it being understood that the fastener parts  90  and  92  can be placed along the pocket centerline  106  at a greater distance from the pocket opening  42 , or on the same side of the pocket opening  42 , and still be able to hold the garment in a folded configuration in the vicinity of the pocket opening  42 , so as to retain a retracted fringe  28  in the pocket  40 .  
         [0043]     By way of further embodiments, with respect to  FIG. 3 , attachment devices, shown as a loop  116  and a hook  118  are secured to a side edge of the garment  20 , with a further loop and hook (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) being secured to the opposite side edge of the garment  20 . The loop  116  and the hook  118  may be made of plastic or metal, by way of example, and may be secured, as by being sewn to the garment. During a wearing of the garment  20 , it is advantageous to engage the hook in the loop so as to maintain the garment  20  in a desired position on the wearer of the garment  20 . This advantage is particularly useful during operation of the third retraction cord  82  ( FIG. 1 ) to hold the garment  20  steady as the cord  82  is pulled.  
         [0044]     Also shown in  FIG. 3  is an alternative utilization of a retraction cord  120 , indicated in phantom line, wherein use of the pocket  40  is avoided, and the cord  120  is attached directly to the bottom of the garment, near the corner  22 , at a site  122 . The shoulder guide  54  is retained in this embodiment of the invention to position the cord  120  at the wearer&#39;s shoulder, but the cord  120  exits the guide  54  at a site  124 . A further cord  120  (not shown) is employed also on the opposite side of the garment  20 . A tab  78  is attached to the cord  120  to be secured at a tab  80  located in the upper central part of the garment  20  ( FIG. 1 ) during use of the cord  120 . This enables the wearer to retract a fringe  28  by lifting an entire corner  22  of the garment.  
         [0045]     In  FIG. 2 , there is shown an alternative connection of a tether to a fringe, shown by connection of a tether  126  (indicated in phantom) to a fringe  28 , instead of use of the tether  74 . The tether  126  is secured, at a first end thereof to a thread  32  of the fringe  28 , as by tying or by use of a Velcro (trademark) loop  128  on the thread  32 . The second end of the tether  126  is secured, as by being sewn, to the corner  22  of the garment  20 . This arrangement aids in extracting a retracted fringe  28  from a pocket  40 , and is particularly useful for pulling the fringe  28  back into the retraction ring  36 , in the event that the fringe  28  starts to fall out of the ring  36 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 11  shows a clamp ring  130  which is an alternative form of the clamp ring  84 A of  FIG. 10 . In  FIG. 11 , the ring  130  is constructed of a patch  132  of stiff fabric, such as buckram, sewn to the garment  20 , as indicated by stitching  134 . Alternatively, the stiff fabric may be made of leather, this being a useful form of construction in the situation wherein the garment  20  is made of leather. Preferably, the patch  132  is sewn to the inside surface of the garment  20  but, if desired, the patch  132  may be sewn to the outside surface of the garment  20 . A central portion of the patch  132  is cut away to form a window  136  having the same, or essentially the same, configuration as the window of the clamp ring  84 A. Access to the window  136  is provided by a slit  138  cut into the garment  20 . The window  136  has a wide portion  140  for receiving a fringe  28 , and a narrow neck  142  into which the fringe  28  is slid to effect a clamping of the fringe  28  within the clamp ring  130 .  
         [0047]     As used herein, the patch of stiff fabric is understood to be dimensionally stable even if standing upright on an edge of the fabric. In contrast, a fabric that is not stiff would be a fabric such as cotton cloth used in the construction of sheets and shirts, wherein the fabric would crumple into a pile if someone attempted to stand the fabric on an edge.  
         [0048]     In operation, a person wearing the garment  20  grabs a fringe  28 , possibly be means of a thumb  144  and a forefinger  146 , and pushes the grabbed portion of the fringe through the slit  138 , and into the wide portion  140  of the window  136 . Then the grabbed portion of the fringe is slid into the neck  142  to secure the fringe  28  in the clamp ring  130 . Subsequently, upon withdrawal of the fringe  28  from the ring  130 , via the slit  138 , the slit  138  closes to hide the clamp ring  130  from view.  
         [0049]      FIGS. 12-15  show a retraction ring  148  which is an alternative form of the retraction ring  36  described previously with reference to  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 12 , the ring  148  is secured to an end of a retraction cord  38  via a bent cross piece  150  at the top of the ring  148 . The ring  148  includes two side arms  152  and  154  which are joined together by the top cross piece  150 , a straight middle cross piece  156  and a straight bottom cross piece  158 . A flexible vane  160  is mounted pivotally about the middle cross piece  156 . The vane  160  may be constructed of a metal foil, as indicated in  FIG. 14 , or alternatively of a flexible plastic sheet. The vane  160  is provided with a curvature  162 , near to the middle cross piece  156 , to facilitate a flexing of the vane  160 , and with a curved extremity  164  that also facilitates a flexing of the vane  160 .  
         [0050]     As shown in  FIG. 14 , a fringe  28 , having the knotted region  34  and threads  32 , passes between the bottom cross piece  158  and the vane  160 . There is asymmetry between the left and the right sides of the vane  160  where it passes over the bottom cross piece  158  so that, upon a pulling of the fringe  28  by the threads  32  (pulling towards the right), there is a greater drag on the fringe  28  by the vane  160  than in the alternative situation in which the fringe  28  is pulled by the knotted region  34  (pulling towards the left). As a result, there is relatively little drag force on the fringe during a retraction of the fringe  28  by a pulling on the retraction cord  38 .  
         [0051]     However, upon retrieval of the fringe  28  from a pocket  40  ( FIG. 3 ), if the person retrieving the fringe pulls by the threads  32 , then, upon overcoming the drag force, the vane  160  moves to the right of the side arm  152  ( FIG. 15 ), at which point, it is easy to pull on the fringe without dislodging the fringe  28  from the retraction ring  148 . The person retrieving the fringe initially experiences a drag force, followed by a diminution of the drag force, this serving as an indication that the fringe is being pulled in the correct manner for retrieval. If the person accidentally pulled the fringe in the opposite direction, the drag force would be much smaller, possibly unnoticed, the absence of the drag force serving as a warning that the fringe may become dislodged from the retraction ring.  
         [0052]      FIGS. 16-17  show details in the construction of an optional safety feature  51 , mentioned above with reference to  FIG. 3 . In the use of the present invention during the wearing of the garment  20 , it is presumed that, at times, the garment may be worn by a child. A child may pull on the retraction cord  38  for the purpose of playing with the cord. Such play might involve the placement of the cord  38  around the neck of the child. In the situation wherein two children are playing together, one child may place the cord  38  around the neck of the other child.  
         [0053]     The safety device  51  prevents an excessive tightening of the cord  38  around the child&#39;s neck, and thereby avoids the hazard of choking the child. The safety device  51  is installed into the cord  38 , at a location shown in  FIG. 3 , by cutting the cord  38  into two sections  38 . 1  and  38 . 2 , as depicted in  FIG. 16 , and then securing the two sections  38 . 1  and  38 . 2  to opposite ends of the safety device  51 . Tension between the two cord sections  38 . 1  and  38 . 2  is communicated within the safety device  51  via a frangible element  166 , such as a thread of plastic material, that has a maximum breaking strength preset to a value in the range of  2 - 3  pounds, by way of example. An excessively hard pull on the cord  38  would overcome the breaking strength of the frangible element  166 , and the two cord sections  38 . 1  and  38 . 2  would separate from each other, thereby protecting the child from a choking situation.  
         [0054]     The safety device  51  comprises a first connector  168  for connecting the cord section  38 . 1  to a first end of the frangible element  166 , and a second connector  170  for connecting the cord section  38 . 2  to a second end of the frangible element  166 . A casing  172 , having essentially cylindrical symmetry about a central axis  174  ( FIG. 17 ), encloses the connectors  168  and  170 . A central disk  176  is disposed perpendicularly to the axis  174 , and extends across an interior space of the casing  172  at a location between the two connectors  168  and  170  for positioning the casing  172  approximately symmetrically about the connectors  168  and  170 . There is sufficient spacing between the connectors  168  and  170  to provide clearance of the disk  176 . A central aperture  178  in the disk  176  provides a space for passage of the frangible element  166  from the first connector  168  to the second connector  170 .  
         [0055]     With reference to  FIGS. 16 and 17 , it is noted that  FIG. 16  provides a side view of the safety device  51 , sectioned along the axis  174 , while  FIG. 17  is an enlarged fragmentary view of the safety device  51  showing a portion of the casing  172  in phantom, and only one of the connectors  168  and  170 , namely, the first connector  168  enclosed by the casing  172 . The two connectors  168  and  170  are formed with mirror symmetry, so that a description of the construction of one of the connectors applies also to the other of the connectors  168  and  170 .  
         [0056]     Each of the connectors  168  and  170  is provided with a round hole  180  located in an end wall  182  of the connector adjacent the disk  176 . This is shown enlarged in the fragmentary view of  FIG. 17  for the first connector  168 , it being understood that a corresponding construction applies to the second connector  170 . The diameter of the hole  180  is essentially equal to the diameter of the thread of plastic material of the frangible element  166 , and is smaller than the diameter of a bead  184  disposed on each end of the thread of the frangible element  166 . Thereby opposed ends of the frangible element  166  are held securely within the end walls  182  of the respective connectors  168  and  170 . To facilitate emplacement and replacement of the frangible element  166  within the safety device  51 , a portion of the casing  172  is formed as a cover  186 , which is removed or opened to provide access to the connectors  168  and  170 . In each of the connectors  168  and  170 , a portion of the end wall  182  is cut out to form a passage  188  extending from the hole  180  to the cover  186 , and also a portion of the aperture  178  of the disk  176  extends to the cover  186  so that, upon an opening of the cover  186 , the frangible element  166  can be inserted into its location, approximately at the casing axis  174 , and secured within the holes  180  of the respective connectors  168  and  170 .  
         [0057]     It is noted that, prior to insertion of the frangible element into each of the connectors  168  and  170  within the casing  172 , the connectors  168  and  170  can be slid out readily from the open ends of the casing  172 . This provides opportunity, during installation of the safety device  51  to the garment  20 , to secure an end of the first cord section  38 . 1  about a strut  190  of the first connector  168  and to secure an end of the second cord section  38 . 2  about a corresponding strut  190  of the second connector  170 . After securing the ends of the cord sections  38 . 1  and  38 . 2  to the respective connectors  168  and  170 , the connectors  168  and  170  are inserted into the casing  172 , whereupon the opposite ends of the frangible element  166  are inserted into the holes  180  of the respective connectors  168  and  170 , thereby to complete the interconnection of the cord sections  38 . 1  and  38 . 2  by the safety device  51 .  
         [0058]     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments of the invention are illustrative only, and that modifications thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, this invention is not to be regarded as limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is to be limited only as defined by the appended claims.