Abstract:
The present invention relates to a fully functioning dress which may be stored in an integrated small pouch or pocket and carried independently or placed within a purse or handbag. Additionally, when the dress is removed from its storage position within the pouch and placed in the ready to wear position the storage pouch is not viewable similar to a tag within a garment that is secured within the inside.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Ser. No. 61/608,249 filed Mar. 8, 2012 the entire content is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention generally relates to an easy pack and carry dress and more specifically to a dress that is stored within a small compartment of itself when not worn, and quickly removed from the storage compartment and worn at users discretion, wherein the storage compartment may additionally serve as the tag for the dress. 
         [0004]    2. Background Information 
         [0005]    As people are more constantly on the go and away from home for extended periods of time, they are often required to make changes on the fly. Although, various outer garments which can be folded into a pouch located on the garment itself are present in the art, these garments appeal mainly to hikers, campers, and other sportsmen who appreciate the convenience of a jacket or other outer garment which can be folded into a compact package and placed into a backpack, clipped to a belt, or carried easily by hand. 
         [0006]    Additional garments in the art were created to provide a better variety of convertible outerwear garments including pajamas, nightshirts and sleepers which may fold into a carrying bag which can be worn on ones back, these simpler designs were designed with an emphasis for easily carried and convertible children&#39;s clothing. But these designs also required the outer garments to incorporate straps and/or other features to the outerwear to support the additional functions which may not always be desirable as a component of the outerwear but were necessary for converting the garment into a carrier. 
         [0007]    There is a void in the art for garments which may be stored in a very small space, easily carried and not comprise additional straps, belts or other accessories which are often not desired in outerwear. For women a dress is a single garment which may serve as a day&#39;s primary garment or as an emergency set of clothes should another garment get ripped, soiled or generally become un-wearable. A dress is a single garment that can serve as a change of clothes (complete outerwear change) when necessary or desired. 
         [0008]    Unfortunately, a condensed easily stored complete outerwear change set has not previously been described. Thus, a need exists for a easily packed and stored complete outerwear garment which may serve as a change of clothes to be worn in an emergency or due to a quick change of plans wherein a dress is ideal for the occasion. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The embodiments of the present invention were created to allow women to have a stylish outerwear change of clothes that may be easily carried and stored for a period of time and removed and worn when a situation arises. 
         [0010]    The present invention relates to a fully functioning dress which may be stored in a small bag and carried independently or placed within a purse or handbag, and that when removed from its storage position and placed in the ready to wear position the storage pouch is not viewable just as a tag within a garment is secured within the inside. Additional embodiments include a dress that is designed with an appropriate styling to be sufficient for semi-formal attire. Further additional embodiments allow for the dress to be styled such that either side of the dress may serve as the front or back of the dress. 
         [0011]    Additional embodiments may feature the storage pouch additionally having a drawstring or elastic pouch closure feature. Further additional embodiments may include a storage pouch that is made of the same material as the dress. While alternative embodiments may include a storage pouch that is made of a different material than the dress, some contemplated storage pouch materials are highly elastic fabrics and/or mesh or mesh-like materials. 
         [0012]    Yet further embodiments feature the storage pouch serving as the tag or label for the dress garment. Yet still further embodiments feature specific blends of wrinkle-free or wrinkle-resistant fabrics such that the dress garment can be wearable with no further preparation such as ironing or steaming, without appearing sloppy or ill-prepared. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The principles of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like components: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  consists of  FIGS. 1A-1E  which show a front plan view of a contemplated dress garment when in the inside out position but in the wearing mode in  FIG. 1A  and the steps for making and attaching the pouch shown in  FIGS. 1B-1E . 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  consists of a front plan view of a contemplated dress garment when in the inside out position but in the wearing mode. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  consists of a front plan view of a contemplated dress garment when in the pouch and in the stored position with the pouch opening facing away from the viewer. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  consists of a front plan view of another embodied dress garment when in the inside out position but in the wearing mode wherein the storage pouch also serves as the tag for the dress garment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  consists of a front plan view of a contemplated dress garment when in the pouch and in the stored position with the pouch opening facing the viewer. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  consists of another embodied dress garment showing a front plan view of a contemplated dress garment when in the pouch and in the stored position with the pouch opening facing the viewer. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  consists of another embodied dress garment showing the storage pouch made of a different material than the dress itself and having an elastic opening. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The present invention contemplates a dress garment with a carrying pocket located on the inside side portion when the garment is in the wearing mode. The dress garment has the pouch/pocket fastened into the side seams of the dress garment. 
         [0022]    Although the pouch is designed to be placed almost anywhere within the inside of the dress garment, it is preferable for the pouch to be located along a side seam, and most preferable for the pouch to be located on the side seam in an area that corresponds with the general midsection of the wearer. The strategic location of the pouch ensures the best concealment so that the pouch is not easily visible and does not negatively impact the visible aesthetics of the outer surface of the dress when worn by a user. 
         [0023]    In some contemplated embodiments when an embodied dress garment is folded into its stored carrying position within the storage pouch, the dress garment is turned inside out from its wearing mode so that the pouch is fully accessible. The pouch is also in the inside out position before the dress is stuffed inside. The dress is folded or stuffed into the pouch and the pouch becomes right side out when the dress is stored inside. But when the dress is in the wearing position the attached pouch is inside out. Additionally, when the pouch serves as the garment tag for the dress or a tag is attached to the pouch the tag writing is on the inside of the pouch and when the dress is in the wearing position, the pouch remains inside out and the tag is thus viewable. Once the dress is folded or stuffed into the pouch a drawstring or other closing mechanism such as elastic bands, hook and loop fasteners (such as Velcro), snaps or magnets can be used to close the pouch with the dress stuffed inside. The dress is then protected within the pouch from dirt or grime because it is stuffed within the pouch. The pouch resides on the inside of the dress (similar to a tag on a shirt) and is therefore, not easily visible when the dress is worn in wearing mode. Thus, any blemishes created on the pouch while storing the dress are not easily viewed by a third party when the dress is in wearing mode. 
         [0024]    Another additional embodiment includes the inside pouch is placed discreetly near the waist area of the wearer, and based on its placement and the cut and style of an embodied dress, the dress may be able to be worn with either side serving as the front or back of the dress. 
         [0025]    Additionally, the embodiments contemplated include wrinkle free dress materials comprising but not limited to polyester/spandex blends, rayon/spandex blends or all polyester. 
         [0026]    Additional embodiments, include versions of sufficient style as to be appropriately worn for semi-formal events. 
         [0027]    Additional embodiments relate to the storage pouch, which may be made of the same materials as the dress, or may be of different materials. The size of the pouch will vary based on the size of the dress garment and the elasticity properties of the pouch. Generally the pouch will range in size from about 2 inches by 2 inches up to about 6 inches to about 6 inches. With a smaller size generally preferred, especially when the pouch also serves as the garment tag. The more preferable size is about 2 inches by 2 or 3 inches. The pouch need not be exactly square so any size ranges in inches of 3 by 4, 2 by 3, and 3 by 5 are contemplated in the present invention. Pouches, made of highly elastic materials such as condensed meshes may be preferable because these meshes contain less material and allow the manufacturer to make the pouch smaller, yet still elastic enough to contain the entire dress garment. Additionally, the meshes are very lightweight and are easy to conceal on the inside of the dress garment. 
         [0028]    Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
       EXAMPLES DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
       [0029]    As shown in the drawings of  FIGS. 1-7 , the invention comprises various embodied dress garments shown as  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  and  500  in the subsequent drawings. As illustrated and exemplified in  FIG. 2 , the dress garment  200  generally comprises the dress portion  210  and pouch portion  220 . The dress garment  200  is in wearing mode in  FIG. 2  (even though the dress garment  200  is shown inside out to show pouch  220 ) and stored mode in  FIG. 3 . 
       Example 1 
     Dress to Go 
       [0030]      FIGS. 1-3  show an example of embodied dress garments contemplated in the present invention. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  depicts a contemplated dress garment  100  and shows a template of how the dress garment is made comprising the dress portion  110  and the pouch storage portion  120 .  FIG. 1A  shows the patterns for a contemplated dress garment  100  pattern showing both a small/medium scaling and a medium/large scaling. The dress garment  100  is shown in the inside out view so that the pocket or pouch  120  is viewable, as it is not viewable when the dress garment  100  is properly worn on a user. Additionally, dress side seams  115  are shown which are used to sew the dress garment  100  together and serve as the seam for attaching the pouch portion  120 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 1B-1E  demonstrate the  5  steps for making the pocket/pouch portion.  FIG. 1B  represents step  1  wherein a drawstring seam  121  is created by folding over a the top  1  inch of material and stitching across at the ½ mark to create the drawstring seam  121 , which may be used to hold a drawstring  122  (not shown) which is used to secure the pocket/pouch when the dress garment  100  is in a stored position.  FIG. 1C  represents step  2  wherein the pocket/pouch portion  120  is folded in half with the top seam out.  FIG. 1D  represents step three wherein stitches are applied to close the pouch on two of the three open sides, leaving only the top drawstring seam side  121  as the only open portion  124  remaining  FIG. 1E  represents step  4  wherein the drawstring  122  (not shown) is threaded in the drawstring seam  121 . In step  5  (not shown) the folded side of the pocket (non-stitched) is sewn into the waist guideline portion of the dress  110  at the side seam  115  (not shown). 
         [0033]      FIGS. 2 and 3  demonstrate a contemplated Dress to Go dress garment  200 .  FIG. 2  shows the dress garment  200  when in the wearing mode but inside out. The dress portion  210  of the garment  200  is attached to the pocket/pouch portion  220  along the side seam  215  of the dress  210 . When being placed into the stored position the dress  210  is folded, rolled or stuffed into the pocket  220  through the open end  224  portion of the pouch/pocket  220  and the open end  224  is closed with a drawstring  222 . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 3 and 5  show the dress garment  200  when in the stored mode. In  FIG. 3  the dress portion  210  is no longer visible because it is completely contained within the pocket/pouch  220  and the drawstring  222  has been drawn taut to close the open end  224  of the pouch  220  and secure the dress portion  210  in its place.  FIG. 5  shows the pocket/pouch  220  at an alternative angle from  FIG. 3  so that the opening of the pouch and drawstrings  222  are visible. 
         [0035]    The dress garment is desirably formed of a soft, pliable material, that also has wrinkle-free or wrinkle resistant properties, such as a polyester/spandex blend, rayon/spandex blend or all polyester or knitted cotton material, a knitted fleeced material or lightweight woven materials. This permits the dress garment to be more easily converted into the wearing mode, from the stored mode with minimal to no garment preparation such as ironing or steaming necessary to achieve a finished or wrinkle free look. 
         [0036]    Both the dress portions  110  or  210  and the pouch/pocket portions  120  and  220  of the exemplified embodiments may be made of the same or different fabric materials. It is however preferred that the dress portion  110  or  210  be a low maintenance wrinkle free or resistant material so that the dress can be converted from stored mode to wearable mode with minimal maintenance. It is also preferred that the pouch/pocket portions  120  and  220  be made of a highly stretchable and resilient material so that the pouch can be as small as possible yet still able to store a full dress garment. 
       Example 2 
     Tag Along 
       [0037]      FIG. 4  shows an example of an embodied version of the dress garment  300  shown in the wearable mode but inside out so that pouch  320  is viewable, and wherein the storage pouch  320  further serves as the tag  325  for the dress  310 . 
       Example 3 
     Elastic Pouch 
       [0038]      FIG. 6  shows an example of another embodied version of a dress garment  400  similar to that shown in  FIG. 5 , but different in that the embodied dress garment  400  comprises a pocket pouch  420  utilizes a different pocket/pouch closure mechanism comprising of an elastic band  422 . 
       Example 4 
     Mesh Pouch 
       [0039]      FIG. 7  shows an example of another embodied version of the dress garment  500  wherein the attached storage pouch  520  with (not shown) or without a tag portion (as shown) comprises of a highly elastic mesh material attached to the dress portion  510 . In this embodiment the storage pouch  520  is made of a different material than the dress portion  510 . Additionally, the embodiment is shown as utilizing and elastic band  522  as the storage pouch closing mechanism. 
         [0040]    Although the invention has been described with reference to the above example, it will be understood that modifications and variations are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims.