Abstract:
A garment such as a shirt, blouse, jersey, vest or jacket, having a plurality of fastening points for attachment of a shirt stay, shirt holder or other retaining harness therethrough. The fastening points ensure that the garment remains tucked in to promote a uniform, neat appearance. Also disclosed is a method of retaining a garment in proper orientation on a wearer by providing a plurality of fastening points in the garment, at least some of which are preferably in pairs, such that each fastening point within a pair can be aligned with the other of the pair, and the pair can cooperatively receive a fastening mechanism therethrough to anchor the garment in place. The fastening points are positioned so that when one or more shirt stays, holders, harnesses or the like are properly engaged in the fastening points, a desired appearance of the garment being worn is created and maintained.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Shirt stay devices are well-known, particularly for the pervasive use within the military services. They provide a method to promote the appearance of a squarely tucked and fitted wrinkle free shirt from both front and back views. These devices generally are used to constantly avoid tucking and re-tucking one&#39;s shirt into one&#39;s pants. Indeed, military appearance is a characteristic trait that is observed, graded and considered during promotion reviews in all services. Accordingly, use of shirt stays to enhance one&#39;s appearance is common. 
     Several different styles of shirt stays are commercially available. For example, individual four strand and stirrup styles are readily available as accessories sold at military exchanges, outposts or retail facilities where the required uniforms are also available for purchase. The clip ends of these accessories consist of a rubber male lead and female wire receptacle clevis which are designed to fasten together while grasping, clamping and securing a piece of the garment in place between the fasteners. The opposite or lower end of these devices is normally either fastened or secured to the upper region of the wearer&#39;s socks, or around the bottom of the heel if they are of the stirrup style. An adjustable clamp is often provided in order to lengthen or shorten the elongated flexible strap to fit the user. However, the clip and clevis attachment method is generally inadequate for firm and prolonged attachment; the upper garment clip ends often become loose or more often, unattached, particularly during moderate or excessive activity of the wearer. 
     It therefore would be desirable to provide a garment fastening mechanism and method that allows conventional shirt stay or shirt holder devices to fasten together without grasping and gathering garment material and using it as the mooring matter. 
     It further would be desirable to provide a garment with strategically placed fastening points in order to promote a square, symmetrical and wrinkle-free appearance of a tucked-in garment. 
     SUMMARY 
     The problems of the prior art have been overcome by the embodiments disclosed herein, which provide a mechanism and method for neatly affixing a garment on a wearer, such as in a tucked-in position within the waistband, and a garment configured to carry out the method. In certain embodiments, the garment is a garment that is worn on the upper torso, such as a shirt, blouse, jersey, vest or jacket, which is desired to be tucked into another garment worn on the lower torso, such as pants, shorts, skirts, kilts, knickers or trousers, particularly so that the garments are arranged properly, neatly and/or conventionally with respect to each other while being worn. In certain embodiments, the garment has a plurality of fastening points, which enable the attachment of a shirt stay, shirt holder or other garment retaining harness therethrough. In certain embodiments, the fastening points are perforations or apertures provided in the garment. In certain embodiments, the fastening points are perforations or apertures positioned on opposite sides of a crease in the garment. In certain embodiments, the garment is a shirt having shirt tails, and the apertures are located in the shirt tails. In certain embodiments, the perforations or apertures are reinforced about their perimeters. 
     In its method aspects, embodiments disclosed herein include a method of retaining a garment in proper orientation on a wearer by providing a plurality of fastening points in the garment, at least some of which are preferably in pairs, such that each fastening point within a pair can be aligned with the other fastening point within that pair, and the pair can cooperatively receive a fastening mechanism therethrough to anchor the garment in place. Non-paired fastening points similarly function to receive a fastening mechanism therethrough to anchor the garment in place. The fastening points are strategically positioned so that when one or more shirt stays, holders, harnesses or the like are properly engaged in the fastening points, a desired appearance of the garment being worn is created and maintained on the wearer. The fastening points are preferably perforations or apertures formed in the garment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a garment in accordance with certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 1A  is an enlarged detail of the back side of a portion of the garment of  FIG. 1  in accordance with certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of a garment in accordance with certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a fastening member of a conventional shirt stay device; and 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a portion of the fastening device of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a garment  10 , which in the embodiment shown, is a short sleeve shirt. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the particular type, size, style and configuration of garment shown is for illustrative purposes only, and the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited thereto. 
     In the embodiment shown, the garment  10  is configured to be worn on the upper torso of a person and may include a front panel  20 , a rear panel  21 , side panels (not shown) connecting the front and rear panels, optional opposite sleeves  11 ,  11 A extending generally radially from the upper or shoulder portions of the front and rear panels, and an optional collar  12  positioned on the upper portions of the front and rear panels and generally between the sleeves. The side panels can be eliminated, so that the front and real panels are joined directly. One or more buttons  13 , zippers or other fastening mechanism optionally can be provided to secure the garment  10  on the wearer. Alternatively, the garment can be a continuous unitary structure that is pulled over the head and thus requires no fastening mechanism to secure it on the wearer. The lower portion of the front and/or rear panel can terminate in shirttails, or portions which generally extend longitudinally lower than the side panels or other portions of the garment. The various front, rear and side panels can be a single integral piece of fabric or can be attached such as by sewing. One or more longitudinal pleats or crease lines  25  can be formed in the garment  10 . The garment  10  can be made of any suitable material typically used for clothing, including cloth, polyester, nylon, wool, cotton and combinations thereof. 
     Conventionally, such garments or the like have been held in a tucked-in relation with a garment worn on the lower torso by various shirt retaining devices, such as stays, holders or harnesses. Such retaining devices typically include elongated straps  50 , which can be elastic, that have connecting members at or near their respective ends. At least some of these connecting members fasten together, sandwiching the upper garment in between. The opposite or distal ends of the elongated straps secure elsewhere on the wearer, such as to the wearer&#39;s foot or socks, thereby biasing the upper garment to its tucked-in position. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the garment connecting members  60  generally include an male portion  61  such as a button, a disc-shaped member or the like extending axially from a preferably flexible substrate  65 , that functions as a latching member, and is configured to be received by a female portion  62 , such as a clip having an eyelet configured to removably receive the male portion  61  in locking engagement, such as the connecting members disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,669, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Thus, the female portion  62  has a portion  64  having an internal diameter greater than the largest outer diameter of the male portion  61 , and a portion  63  (e.g., the eyelet) having an internal diameter smaller than the largest outer diameter of the male portion  61 . The male portion  61  includes a slot or groove  66  formed under the top surface thereof ( FIG. 4 ), configured to receive the upper rim of the female portion  62 . The substrate (and thus the male portion  62 ) is movable (such as by a pivot motion) with respect to the female portion  62 , thereby allowing a garment to be inserted between the two and then subsequently clamped or secured by causing the female portion and male portion to move towards one another and engage with one another. 
     In accordance with certain embodiments, the lower portion or shirttail portion of the front panel  20  includes at least two spaced front panel fastening points  30 ,  31 . Preferably each front panel fastening point is located about the same distance from its respective side panel or the longitudinal edges  8  of the front panel  20 . In embodiments where the garment  10  has symmetrical longitudinal pleats or crease lines  25  (as in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ), preferably each front panel fastening point is located at or near a respective pleat or crease line  25 , most preferably bisecting the same. Where the garment  10  includes symmetrical spaced pockets  40 ,  41 , the fastening points  30 ,  31  can be along the respective longitudinal center line of those pockets. In certain embodiments, the fastening points are perforations or apertures provided in the garment  10 , which can be irregularly or regularly shaped. Regularly shaped apertures are preferred, such as square, rectangular, triangular, and most preferably circular apertures. Preferably the shape of the apertures is configured to receive the male portion of the fastening member, and thus matches the shape of the male portion of the fastening member. The size of the apertures should be sufficient to effectively receive therethrough the male portion of a fastening member in a shirt stay, holder or harness device. For example, where the male portion has a circular cross section, preferably the aperture also has a circular cross section, and has a diameter about the same as or slightly greater than (e.g., about 0-10% greater than) the largest diameter of the male portion of a fastening member. One suitable aperture is a circular aperture having a ⅜ inch diameter. Preferably the edges of the apertures are reinforced, such as by embroidering, embossing, or edging with grommet material such as metal the perimeter of the aperture, and/or by attaching a fasten point support material  34  about the periphery of the aperture, such as by sewing, gluing or ironing on (e.g., by using a heat activated adhesive) fabric to the garment  10  about the aperture ( FIG. 1A ). One suitable fastening point support material  34  is adhesive-backed cloth. One or both sides of the apertures (e.g., the front or outwardly facing side of the front panel  20  and the rear or inwardly facing side of the front panel  20 ) may be reinforced. By reinforcing the apertures, undesirable tearing of the garment caused by the force of the shirt stay device or the like is minimized or eliminated. In addition, reinforcing the apertures provides a more rigid area around the apertures, which facilitates attachment of the shirt stay, holder or harness connectors through the apertures. 
     Each front panel fastening point  30 ,  31  is preferably positioned just above the bottom edge  6  of the garment  10 , where it is not visible when the garment is being worn. For example, the center of each fastening points  30 ,  31  can be about ¼ to about 1 inch above the bottom edge, most preferably about ¾ inches above the bottom edge. Preferably they are horizontally aligned, e.g., a horizontal line can be drawn through their centers. 
     Any suitable means can be used to form the fastening points in the garment  10 , such as punching, cutting, tearing, etc., either manually or automatically, or the garment could originally by fabricated having such fastening points. 
     In accordance with certain embodiments, the lower portion or shirttail portion of the rear panel  21  includes at least two spaced front panel fastening points, preferably four fastening points  300 ,  301 ,  310 ,  311 . Preferably fastening point  300  and fastening point  311  are located about the same distance from their respective side panels or garment edges  8 ′. Similarly, preferably fastening points  301  and  310  are located about the same distance from their respective side panels or garment edges  8 ′. Where the rear panel of garment  10  has symmetrical pleats or crease lines  25  (as in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 ), preferably each rear panel fastening point is located at or near a respective pleat or crease line  25 . For example, an outer edge of each fastening point may be spaced about inches from the pleat or crease line  25  at its closest point. In the embodiment shown, four fastening points are provided in the rear panel  21 , preferably in spaced pairs, with a crease line  25  bisecting the two fastening points within each pair as shown in  FIG. 2 . As will become apparent below, so locating the fastening points helps ensure that the crease lines  25  remain vertically oriented while the garment  10  is being worn, and provide a tapered fit. Such a paired arrangement also can be used even if no crease lines  25  are present in the garment. In certain embodiments, as is the case with the fastening points in the front panel, the rear panel fastening points are perforations or apertures, which can be irregularly or regularly shaped. Regularly shaped apertures are preferred, such as square, rectangular, triangular, and most preferably circular apertures. Preferably the shape of the apertures is configured to receive the male portion of the fastening member, and thus matches the shape of the male portion of the fastening member. The size of the apertures should be sufficient to effectively receive therethrough the male portion of a fastening member in a shirt stay, holder or harness device. For example, where the male portion has a circular cross section, preferably the aperture also has a circular cross section, and has a diameter about the same as or slightly greater than (e.g., about 0-10% greater than) the largest diameter of the male portion. One suitable aperture is a circular aperture having a ⅜ inch diameter. Preferably the edges of the apertures are reinforced, such as by embroidering, embossing, or edging with grommet material such as metal the perimeter of the aperture, and/or by attaching a fasten point support material  34  about the periphery of the aperture, such as by sewing, gluing or ironing on fabric to the garment  10  about the aperture ( FIG. 1A ). One suitable fastening point support material  34  is adhesive-backed cloth. One or both sides of the apertures (e.g., the front or outwardly facing side of the rear panel  21  and the rear or inwardly facing side of the rear panel  21 ) may be reinforced. By reinforcing the apertures, undesirable tearing of the garment caused by the force of the shirt stay device is minimized or eliminated. In addition, reinforcing the apertures provides a more rigid area around the apertures, which facilitates attachment of the shirt stay, holder or harness connectors through the apertures. 
     Each rear panel fastening point  300 ,  301 ,  310 ,  311  is preferably positioned just above the bottom edge  6  of the garment  10 , where it is not visible when the garment is being worn. For example, the center of each fastening point can be about ¼ to about 1 inch above the bottom edge, most preferably about ¾ inches above the bottom edge. They are horizontally aligned, e.g., a horizontal line can be drawn through their centers. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that where no crease lines or pleats are visible or desired in the rear panel, paired fastening points are not necessary; two spaced single fastening points can be used as is the case with the front panel  20 . Alternatively, even if no permanent crease lines or pleats are present, by using paired fastening points, a tapered fit still can be created. 
     The plurality of fastening points facilitates the fastening of the garment  10  to the shirt stays, holders, harnesses and the like. They also reduce or eliminate the tendency of the garment to become unfastened, particularly when the wearer is engaged in activities that require significant bodily movements, such as exercise, jogging, running, etc., that place varied and/or excessive forces on the garment holder. Since the fastening points allow the shirt stay, holder or harness connecting member to pass through the garment, rather than sandwich the garment as in the prior art, a stronger fastening engagement is achieved. 
     In embodiments where the fastening points are provided in spaced pairs, such as that shown in  FIG. 2 , attachment of the garment holder is accomplished by folding the garment  10  in the vicinity of the paired fastening points such that the fastening points overlap or substantially overlap each other in an amount sufficient to receive therethrough the male portion of the fastening mechanism. For example, the lower 1-2 inches of the rear panel  21  of the garment  10  can be folded on the crease  25  such that fastening points  300  and  301  overlap. Even where no permanent creases or pleats are provided, this folding of the rear panel can create the appearance of such lines. The male portion of the fastening device is then guided through the overlapping apertures, and is engaged with the female portion of the fastening device, thereby securing the garment  10 . 
     In operation, the garment can be retained in a proper or desired orientation on a wearer as follows. The fastening devices on a shirt stay, holder, harness or the like are attached to the various fastening points, either prior to or after the wearer dons the garment. For example, the male portion  61  of a shirt stay fastening mechanism is moved away from the female portion and is guided through fastening point  30 , such as from the rear or underside of the garment  10 , until it protrudes through the aperture  30  a sufficient distance to enable it to be engaged by the female portion  62 . It is then inserted into the larger diameter portion  64  of the female portion, and the female portion is then moved radially in the direction of arrow  70  in  FIG. 3  until the male portion is forced into the smaller diameter portion  63 , whereupon the upper rim of the female portion snaps into or otherwise engages the slot  66 , locking the male portion in place. The garment  10  is now secured to the shirt stay through the fastening point  30 , between the substrate  65  and the female portion  62 . The same operation is performed with the fastening point  31 . 
     A similar operation is also performed with the fastening points in the rear panel  21 , except that where the fastening points are provided in pairs, a portion of the garment (e.g., the lower 1-2 inches of the garment in the vicinity of the paired fastening points) is folded such that each fastening point within a pair is substantially aligned with or overlapped with the other fastening point within a pair prior to guiding the male portion through. The opposite ends of the shirt stays, holders or harnesses are then secured as is conventional, such as by attachment to a respective sock or foot of the wearer at a location where sufficient tension is provided to bias the garment  10  to it proper position on the wearer.