Patent Publication Number: US-6698025-B1

Title: Multi-garment outfit with nontraditional access

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally in the field of infants&#39; and children&#39;s clothing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Infant clothing is often provided in one-piece outfits for ease of dressing and changing, using special infant access features such as crotch and shoulder snaps and zippers to make it easier to slip the outfit on and off and for changing diapers. Such outfits look distinctly like infants&#39; clothing, and by the time a child is two or three are relegated to pajama wear or simply not used so that the child can be dressed in more “grown-up” looking multi-piece outfits. Multi-piece outfits comprising separate items of clothing are also generally easier to put on and take off an older child. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a one-piece outfit especially for infants, in which adult-looking or “grown-up” separates not traditionally worn by infants are combined in a single garment that maintains the grown-up, multi-garment appearance of the separates while providing discreet, customary infant access, top and/or bottom, and while providing the overall practicality of a one-piece outfit that simplifies dressing and undressing and stays intact during activity. 
     This outfit is especially designed for infants because one-piece outfits tend to be less practical for active older children. However, the inventive outfit may also be useful for certain handicapped and elderly individuals where the circumstances warrant a one-piece outfit. In these cases the individual can maintain a sophisticated “separates” appearance while eliminating twisting and untucking of layers and complex mixing and matching of separates which may be beyond the ability or patience of the individual or a caregiver. The customary infant access features provide easy access for bathroom needs or undergarment changing. 
     The seams where the separates are joined are minimized or camouflaged, and the infant access features are also minimized or hidden by blending them in color- or pattern-wise or hiding them underneath false “adult” closures or clothing features such as non-functional button plackets, epaulettes, and seams. Minimizing or hiding these customary infant access features is desirable especially since the separates being combined are not normally provided with such features. 
     The outfit may also include integrated “false” or partial garments that give the impression of full garments layered with the other garments in the outfit. 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the specification below in light of the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an infant&#39;s outfit according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows the customary infant access features of the outfit of FIG. 1 opened up, and further illustrates a manner in which at least some of the access features can be camouflaged. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of an alternate outfit according to the present invention, with the upper shirt portion having customary infant access features as well as non-functional adult access and fastening features. 
     FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 in showing both customary infant access and adult closures, representing a girl&#39;s outfit according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary infant&#39;s outfit  10  according to the invention includes a shirt portion  12 , a shorts or pants portion  14 , and a false t-shirt portion  16  layered under the shirt  12 . These normally separate garments are joined into one-piece outfit  10  by a waist seam  18  joining lower portions of the shirts circumferentially to the shorts, and one or more placket seams  20  joining t-shirt  16  to the inside of the buttonhole placket  24 . Outfit  10  is accordingly put on an infant in one piece, and taken off in one piece. 
     Because the separate items of clothing integrated into outfit  10  do not have infant access features as adult or older-child separates, customary infant access features are provided top and bottom on outfit  10  to facilitate dressing, undressing, and diaper changing. Male snaps  30   a  of a type commonly used in infant clothing are secured to the inside of button placket  22 , hidden underneath the placket as indicated by the phantom lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 and preferably placed in-between the locations where the exterior buttons  22   a  are sewn through. Mating female snaps  30   b  are secured to the inside hem  16   a  of false t-shirt  16 , also hidden underneath the button placket  22  when the snaps are mated, as shown in FIG.  1 . The front and rear inseams  14   d  of shorts  14  are not sewn together, but are openable and closable in customary infant fashion via male and female snaps  40   a  and  40   b  that preferably are visually minimized by coloring the snaps to match the inseam fabric, and possibly hidden from view using a tucked seam or by placing an extra layer of fabric over the snaps on each seam. Accordingly, outfit  10  has the appearance of three separate, layered, “grown-up” items of clothing. 
     The illusion of an outfit chosen from and donned as separates is further enhanced by the non-functional “adult” closure or access features retained or built into one or more of the shirt  12 , shorts  14 , and t-shirt  16 . Shirt button placket  22  with buttons  22   a  and buttonhole placket  24  with buttonholes  24   a  give the appearance of a shirt capable of being buttoned and put on or taken off in normal fashion, but are non-functional in the sense that the shirt portion  12  cannot be buttoned because the plackets are spaced too far apart and are sewn to the t-shirt portion underneath, and cannot be put on or taken off in normal fashion because it is joined at the waist with shorts portion  14 . Waist  14   a  with standard snap or button closure  14   b  and fly  14   c  give the appearance of shorts that can be pulled on and off and otherwise accessed in normal fashion, but from the standpoint of putting the shorts on and taking them off are non-functional. The standard neckline  16   b  on false t-shirt  16  gives the appearance of a separate t-shirt that can be pulled on and off over the head in normal fashion. 
     Other features that can enhance the impression that outfit  10  actually comprises separates include leaving the bottom hem  12   a  of the shirt free-hanging; leaving ample material in the false t-shirt above the waist  14   a  to give the appearance of it being baggy or loosely tucked-in; using contrasting, adult colors and patterns for each of the items in the outfit, rather than typical infant-style coordinate schemes; and minimizing or hiding joinder seams  18  and  20  by using thread matching the outermost layer in color, covering them with accessories, or using normal “separates” seams for double-duty. The joinder seams  20  in buttonhole placket  24  are the same seams normally visible in buttonhole plackets, but in outfit  10  the seams are sewn through t-shirt  16  as well. The visible portion of waist joinder seam  18  between the open plackets of shirt  12  can be the same seam normally found on the waist of a separate pair of shorts or pants. Such subtle attributes can greatly enhance the subjective impression outfit  10  makes on those around the wearer, reinforcing the impression of adult-style separates. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the clothing art that outfit  10  can be fashioned from actual clothing separates (shirt, t-shirt, and shorts) by altering and/or sewing them together as described above and adding the infant access features. However, because such adult-style separates are not commonly found in infant sizes and may not be easily altered or sewn together to achieve the look of a properly layered outfit, and because even if available as infant-size separates they do not need the access features common in more typical one-piece infant outfits, the outfit  10  can be manufactured originally as a one-piece outfit from suitable fabrics. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a two-garment embodiment is illustrated as outfit  50  having the appearance of a “polo” shirt  52  and pants  54 . Shirt portion  52  is sewn circumferentially to pants portion  54  around waist  54   a  at a seam  58  (phantom line). The hem of the shirt is left hanging freely over the waist of the pants, rather than being tucked in, to enhance the look of a separates outfit. The upper hem line of the shirt and the seam  58  joining the shirt to the pants are the same to further enhance the appearance of a normal, separate shirt of this type with no apparent connection to the pants. Vents or side slits  52   d  typical of this shirt style are also provided on each side of the hem below the joinder seam  58 . By way of example the polo shirt can be a navy blue and the pants a khaki color. 
     Shirt portion  52  has a two-button placket closure  52   a,    52   b  at the neck in typical adult fashion, which, although it can be buttoned or unbuttoned for aesthetic purposes, is non-functional in the sense that the shirt portion cannot be put on or taken off over the head via the unbuttoned neck opening alone. Instead, customary infant access slit or placket opening  59  with snaps  60  is formed along one sleeve and shoulder seam and under one side of the collar to allow one complete side of the top edge of the outfit to be opened up for dressing and undressing. Some of snaps  60  are hidden under the collar  12   b  (phantom lines), while along the shoulder opening, where hiding them completely is less practical, the snaps are minimized by making them the same color as the shirt portion. The adult-style two-button collar opening will tend to draw attention away from any visible snaps  60  in any event. 
     In addition to, or instead of, top infant access opening  59 , pants portion  54  is provided with customary infant snaps  62  along openable inseams  64 , preferably hidden under an outer layer of seam material or at least minimized by blending them in colorwise. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, a girl&#39;s two-piece outfit  70  includes a blouse portion  72  and a capri-length pants portion  74 . Joinder of the two disparate-looking garments is again via a circumferential waist seam  76  that doubles as the normally-visible seam for attaching a lower ruffle portion  72   a  to the blouse  72 . By way of example, blouse  72  may be of a typical light blouse material in a flower print or plaid, while the pants portion  74  may be a solid linen or denim fabric. The more different the materials and fabrics, the more that outfit  70  maintains the appearance of separates. A button placket  77  and buttons  77   a  grace the front of the blouse portion (with corresponding buttonholes). Customary infant access is additionally provided in pants  74  with a row of camouflaged or hidden snaps  80  (phantom lines) along the inseam. Buttons  77   a  can be real buttons capable of opening and closing the front of the blouse  72  partially or to the waist, although the blouse cannot be put on and taken off like a separate blouse due to its being sewn to pants  74 ; buttons  77   a  and any opening they provide complement the customary infant access snaps at the inseam of the pants. Alternately, buttons  77   a  could be sewn in place without any true opening in the front of the blouse, and customary infant access snaps  78  along a shoulder seam opening  79  could be provided to complement the inseam access in the pants. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing illustrated examples of the invention are but a few of the possible ways to carry it out. While two and three piece outfits have been shown, outfits that appear to have more than two or three pieces are certainly possible and within the scope of the invention. The number and type of adult-looking accessories that can be added permanently or temporarily, such as a false or even a real belt in the outfit of FIG. 1, is unlimited. Shirts, blouses, pants and shorts are but a few possible combinations, since dresses, sportcoat and suit combinations, athletic outfits, and many casual fashions and even formalwear can be adapted to the inventive outfit. The exemplary infant access features shown as slit or placket-type openings or openable seams with snaps are only a few of the possible variants that can be used to provide top and/or bottom access, including but not limited to full and partial openings in different locations on the garments and the use of other known types of fasteners such as zippers, hook-and-loop, and buttons. Outfits according to the invention are readily adaptable to larger-than-infant sizes for use by the handicapped and elderly or their caregivers. These and other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art now that I have disclosed the foregoing embodiments.