Patent Publication Number: US-8522362-B1

Title: Clothing systems

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/305,777, filed Feb. 18, 2010 and entitled CLOTHING SYSTEMS AND METHODS, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to clothing. 
     2. Background Technology 
     Women often wear maternity clothing during their pregnancies. Unfortunately, maternity clothing can be very expensive and is typically worn for only a few short months. Moreover, saving and reusing the maternity clothing to help spread the maternity clothing&#39;s cost over multiple pregnancies is typically not a good option given that the maternity clothing may be outdated at the time of the subsequent pregnancies. 
     In addition, women often buy multiple swimsuits. Unfortunately, this can be expensive. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect is a clothing system that may include a first two-piece swimsuit. The first two-piece swimsuit may include a swimsuit top and a swimsuit bottom. The swimsuit top may include at least one fastener member. The clothing system may further include a midsection cover sized and configured to be selectively connected to the swimsuit top to form a second two-piece swimsuit. For example, the first two-piece swimsuit may be a bikini, and the second two-piece swimsuit may be a tankini. The midsection cover may include an upper edge and a lower edge. The upper edge may include at least one engaging portion sized and configured to engage the at least one engaging portion of the swimsuit top. The lower edge may be configured to be connected to the swimsuit bottom, such that the midsection cover, when connected to the swimsuit top, is positionable independent from the swimsuit bottom. 
     A further aspect is a plurality of midsection covers that may be sized and configured to be selectively connected to the swimsuit top to form a variety of two-piece swimsuits. For instance, a woman may connect a first midsection cover to the swimsuit top to form a first tankini swimsuit that she may wear when she is not pregnant and/or during the first months of her pregnancy. The woman may later disconnect the first midsection cover from the swimsuit top and then connect a second midsection cover to the swimsuit top to form a second tankini swimsuit, which she may wear during her latter months of her pregnancy and/or during her recovery from pregnancy. To better accommodate the woman&#39;s pregnant belly, the second midsection cover may have a larger circumference and/or length, and/or may flair outwardly more than the first midsection cover. 
     A still further aspect is the swimsuit top may include at least one snap member with a lip or groove, and an upper edge or portion of a midsection cover may include at least one snap member with a lip or groove sized and configured to engage the lip or groove of the swimsuit top&#39;s snap member. For example, the swimsuit top may include a plurality of snap members that may be secured to an elastic and/or expandable lower portion of the swimsuit top. In particular, the swimsuit top may include a lower portion made from an elastic and/or expandable material, and the snap members may be independently secured to the swimsuit top&#39;s lower portion. Desirably, if some or all of the snap members are independently secured to an elastic and/or expandable material lower portion of the swimsuit top, this may allow the snap members to be connected to a plurality of different-sized midsection covers. 
     For purposes of summarizing, some aspects, advantages and features of a few of the embodiments of the invention have been described in this summary. Some embodiments of the invention may include some or all of these summarized aspects, advantages and features. However, not necessarily all of (or any of) these summarized aspects, advantages or features will be embodied in any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, none of these summarized aspects, advantages and features are essential. Some of these summarized aspects, advantages and features and other aspects, advantages and features may become more fully apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The appended drawings contain figures of preferred embodiments to further clarify the above and other aspects, advantages and features. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict only preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit its scope. These preferred embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary clothing system, illustrating a first two-piece swimsuit including a swimsuit top and a swimsuit bottom; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the clothing system shown in  FIG. 1 , illustrating another two-piece swimsuit including the swimsuit top, the swimsuit bottom and a midsection cover; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the clothing system shown in  FIG. 1 , illustrating yet another two-piece swimsuit including the swimsuit top, the swimsuit bottom and another midsection cover; and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of the clothing system shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , illustrating exemplary fastener members that may be used to connect the midsection covers to the swimsuit top. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in the accompanying figures, a clothing system may include one or more components of an article of clothing, for example, a swimsuit or other suitable article of clothing. These components may be interconnected in a variety of different combinations to allow the article of clothing to have various styles or designs, configurations and/or functionality. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a clothing system  100  may include a first component and one or more additional components that may be sized and configured to be selectively connected to and disconnected from the first component. Significantly, the additional components may be sized and configured to be interchangeably connected to and disconnected from the first component, if desired. 
     In further detail, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the clothing system  100  may include a swimsuit, such as a bikini  102  that may include a top  104  and a bottom  106 . The swimsuit top  104  is configured to cover a wearer&#39;s breasts. The swimsuit bottom  106  is configured to cover the wearer&#39;s groin and buttocks. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , the clothing system  100  may further include one or more covers  108 ,  110  configured to cover and encircle the wearer&#39;s midsection. The midsection covers  108 ,  110  are sized and configured to be selectively connected to and disconnected from the swimsuit top  104 . Thus, the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may be interchangeably connected to and disconnected from the swimsuit top  104 . 
     The swimsuit top  104  may be connected to a variety of midsection covers. For example, the midsection cover  108  may have a first, relatively smaller circumference and/or length. Accordingly, a woman may connect the midsection cover  108  to the swimsuit top  104 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , to form a first tankini swimsuit  112  that she may wear when she is not pregnant and/or during the first months of her pregnancy. The woman may later disconnect the midsection cover  108  from the swimsuit top  104  and then connect the midsection cover  110  to the swimsuit top  104  to form a second tankini swimsuit  114  shown in  FIG. 3 , which she may wear during her latter months of her pregnancy and/or during her recovery from pregnancy. 
     To better accommodate the wearer&#39;s pregnant belly, the midsection cover  110  may have a second, relatively larger circumference and/or length. For example, the length and/or circumference of the midsection cover  110  may be at least five percent, ten percent, fifteen percent, twenty percent, thirty percent, forty percent, fifty percent, sixty percent and/or seventy percent greater than the length and/or circumference of the midsection cover  108 . 
     In addition, to better accommodate the wearer&#39;s pregnant belly, the midsection cover  110  may flair outwardly more than the midsection cover  108 . For example, the midsection cover  110  may flair outwardly at an angle that is at least five degrees, ten degrees, fifteen degrees, twenty degrees, twenty-five degrees, thirty degrees, forty degrees, fifty degrees or more from the orientation of the midsection cover  108 . 
     After her pregnancy and/or her recovery, the woman may disconnect the midsection cover  110  from the swimsuit top  104 . If desired, the woman may then choose not to use any midsection cover  108 ,  110  and thus wear the bikini  102  shown in  FIG. 1 . Alternatively, the woman may choose to connect the midsection cover  108  to the swimsuit top  104  to form the tankini swimsuit  112  shown in  FIG. 2 . Of course, the woman need not disconnect the midsection cover  110  from the swimsuit top  104  after her pregnancy and/or her recovery and may choose to continue to wear the tankini swimsuit  114  shown in  FIG. 3 . Thus, by using various midsection covers (or none at all), the clothing system  100  may be used before, during and/or after pregnancy, which may help avoid some of the costs associated with swimsuits generally and maternity swimsuits in particular. 
     An upper edge or portion of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may be sized and configured to be selectively and/or interchangeably connected to and disconnected from the swimsuit top  104 . For example, the upper edge of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may, for example, include attachment portions that may be sized and configured to be selectively and/or interchangeably connected to and disconnected from an attachment portion of the swimsuit top  104 , and the attachment portions of the swimsuit top and midsection covers may include at least a portion of one or more zippers, buttons, snaps, hooks, hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro) and/or any other suitable means for connecting the swimsuit top and upper components. 
     In further detail, the swimsuit top  104  may include one or more fastener members, and the upper edge or portion of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may include one or more fastener members sized and configured to be selectively and/or interchangeably connected to and disconnected from the swimsuit top&#39;s one or more fastener members. Exemplary fastener members may include, but are not limited to, zipper teeth of a zipper, snap members of a snap fastener, a hooked or looped portion of a hook-and-loop fastener, and other fastener members of other fasteners. 
     To help selectively and/or interchangeably connect and disconnect the fastener members, the fastener members of the swimsuit top  104  and the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may include one or more engaging portions that may be sized and configured to engage each other. For example, the swimsuit top  104  may include zipper teeth, and an upper edge or portion of a midsection cover  108 ,  110  may include zipper teeth having portions sized and configured to engage portions of the swimsuit top&#39;s zipper teeth. 
     Also, for example, the swimsuit top  104  may include a hooked or looped portion of a hook-and-loop fastener, and an upper edge or portion of a midsection cover  108 ,  110  may include a hooked or looped portion of a hook-and-loop fastener that is sized and configured to engage the swimsuit top&#39;s hooked or looped portion. 
     Moreover, for example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the swimsuit top  104  may include at least one snap member  116  with a lip or groove, and an upper edge or portion of a midsection cover  108 ,  110  may include at least one snap member  118  with a lip or groove sized and configured to engage the lip or groove of the swimsuit top&#39;s snap member. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the swimsuit top  104  may include a plurality of snap members  116  that may be secured to an elastic and/or expandable lower portion  120  of the swimsuit top. In particular, the swimsuit top  104  may include a lower portion made from an elastic and/or expandable material, and the snap members  116  may be independently secured to the swimsuit top&#39;s lower portion. 
     Desirably, if some or all of the snap members  116  are independently secured to an elastic and/or expandable material lower portion of the swimsuit top  104  (instead of forming part of a single, fixed-length tape of snap members that are sewn to the swimsuit top&#39;s lower portion), this may provide a more comfortable swimsuit top  104 . In addition, if some or all of the snap members  116  are independently secured to an elastic and/or expandable material lower portion of the swimsuit top  104 , this may allow the snap members  116  to be connected to the snap members  118  of both midsection covers  108 ,  110 . For instance, because the midsection covers  108 ,  110  could have substantially different circumferences and also could include the same number of snap members, the average distance between adjacent snap members  118  in the midsection cover  110  may be at least five percent, ten percent, fifteen percent, twenty percent, thirty percent, forty percent, fifty percent, sixty percent and/or seventy percent greater than the average distance between adjacent snap members  118  in the midsection cover  108 . Desirably, if some or all of the snap members  116  are independently secured to an elastic and/or expandable lower portion of the swimsuit top, this may allow the distance between adjacent snap members  116  to vary when the lower portion is stretched/expanded. This may help the average distance of the snap members  116  to be increased or decreased for connection to the snap members  118  of the midsection covers  108 ,  110 . If desired, however, the average distance between adjacent snap members  118  in the midsection cover  108  may be similar to, or the same as, the average distance between adjacent snap members  118  in the midsection cover  110 . Moreover, if desired, the average distance between adjacent snap members  116  of the swimsuit top  104  may be similar to, or the same as, the average distance between adjacent snap members  118  in the midsection cover  108  and/or the average distance between adjacent snap members  118  in the midsection cover  110 . 
     In some embodiments, when a midsection cover  108 ,  110  is connected to the swimsuit top  104 , the top and midsection cover&#39;s line of connection may be at least partially hidden and/or may form part of a design element of the article of clothing. For example, one or more seams sewn into the swimsuit top  104  and/or the midsection cover  108 ,  110  may be disposed proximate to and/or may cover all or at least a substantial portion of the top and midsection cover&#39;s line of connection. Also, flaps or other structures may be disposed proximate to and/or may cover all or at least a substantial portion of the top and midsection cover&#39;s line of connection. 
     In further detail, the swimsuit top  104  and an upper edge of a midsection cover  108 ,  110  may—when the top and midsection cover are connected—at least partially abut and/or overlap to cover all or at least a substantial portion of their line of connection. For example, when the swimsuit top  104  and the upper edge of the midsection cover  108 ,  110  include zipper teeth that engage each other, the top and the upper edge of the midsection cover may at least partially abut and/or overlap to cover all or at least a substantial portion of their engaged zipper teeth. In addition, the top  104  and the upper edge of the midsection cover  108 ,  110  may have a seam finish, for instance, when the top and the upper edge of the midsection cover form part of an “open-end invisible zipper” type of zipper (also known as an “invisible separating zipper”). It will be appreciated, however, that the zipper teeth and/or line of connection of the swimsuit top  104  and the midsection cover  108 ,  110  need not be hidden at all. It will also be appreciated that an open-end invisible zipper is not required and that other types of zippers and/or fasteners may be used to selectively and/or interchangeably connect the top  104  and the upper edge of the midsection cover  108 ,  110 . 
     Although the upper edge or portion of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may be sized and configured to be connected to the swimsuit top  104 , the lower edges or portions of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  are preferably not configured to be connected to the swimsuit bottom  106 . For example, in some embodiments, the lower edges or portions of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  have no fastener members configured to be used to be connected to the swimsuit bottom  106 . Desirably, if the lower edges or portions of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  are not configured to be connected to the swimsuit bottom  106 , the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may be used to form a two-piece swimsuit—such as the tankini swimsuits  112 ,  114  in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In addition, if the lower edges or portions of the midsection covers  108 ,  110  are not configured to be connected to the swimsuit bottom  106 , the midsection covers may be sized and configured to be positioned independent from any position of the swimsuit bottom. 
     Thus, as shown above, the swimsuit top  104 , the swimsuit bottom  106 , and the midsection covers  108 ,  110  may be used to create a plurality of two-piece swimsuits, in particular, a bikini  102  shown in  FIG. 1 , a first tankini  112  shown in  FIG. 2  and a second tankini  114  shown in  FIG. 3 . Desirably, this may provide a wearer with a more versatile swimwear wardrobe that may be used before, during and/or after pregnancy, which may help avoid some of the costs associated with swimsuits generally and maternity swimsuits in particular. 
     After pregnancy, a swimsuit, such as a tankini swimsuit or a one-piece swimsuit, may help facilitate breastfeeding. For example, as noted above, a midsection cover  108 ,  110  may be connected to the swimsuit top  104  to form the tankini  112 ,  114 . If desired, the midsection cover  108 ,  110  may be partially disconnected from the swimsuit top  104  to form an access opening through which a baby may be breastfed. To form this access opening, at least some of the fastener members of the swimsuit top  104  are disengaged from corresponding fastener members of the midsection cover  108 ,  110 , while at least some of the fastener members of the swimsuit top  104  remain engaged with corresponding fastener members of the midsection cover  108 ,  110 . This may advantageously allow a woman to easily, yet discreetly, breastfeed her baby while wearing the swimsuit. If desired, to form a one-piece swimsuit that facilitates breastfeeding, the midsection cover  108 ,  110  could be connected to the swimsuit bottom  106  using, for example, one or more fastener members. 
     The methods and systems described above require no particular component or function. Thus, any described component or function—despite its advantages—is optional. For example, it will be appreciated that an article of clothing does not require any expandable maternity waistband or any other kind of waistband or expandable portion. It will be further appreciated that the article of clothing needs not be an article of maternity clothing and may be any other suitable type of clothing. Also, some or all of the described components and functions described above may be used in connection with any number of other suitable components and functions. 
     Although this invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by the claims which follow.