Patent Abstract:
A reversible bridesmaid dress, evening gown or evening dress with a hem facing that allows the dress to have one color or pattern on one side and another color or pattern on the other side. When the dress is flipped inside out, it has a completely different appearance than on the other side. The reversible dress can come in a variety of different shapes, types and sizes. The long dresses can bubble up to short ones, and dresses of different colors and lengths may be created from a single reversible dress.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application is a nonprovisional application of, and claims priority to, provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/733,073 filed on Dec. 4, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to reversible dresses and a method for creating a reversible dress. More specifically, the present invention is two reversible bridesmaids&#39; dresses and a method for creating a reversible bridesmaid dress. 
     This invention was not made pursuant to any federally-sponsored research and/or development. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Reversible garments are well-known in the art. A number of reversible dresses, jackets, children&#39;s clothing and the like have been designed and produced. However, no reversible bridesmaids&#39; dresses are known because of the difficulties typically associated with producing a reversible bridesmaid dress because of dress color issues, length issues and the difficulty of producing a dress hem that does not have bits of either color peeking through. The problem with the current methods is that there is no factory-produced hem that is easy to produce, which can ensure that bits of the other color are not peeking through. A typical factory-produced hem becomes uneven and difficult to sew without the method disclosed as the present invention. What is needed is a reversible bridesmaid dress that allows the change of a color and length of a dress after it is used as a bridesmaid dress. Such a reversible dress and a method for creation of the dress are provided. 
     A wedding is a time where people can dress up nicely and celebrate a marriage between two people. Oftentimes at a wedding, there will be bridesmaids to help the bride. The bridesmaids will have to go through a few different types of dresses depending on the different events throughout the day of the wedding. However, bridesmaids&#39; dresses are typically color-coordinated, and are frequently not usable outside of the particular wedding they are purchased for because of a particular style and color. Typically, the bridesmaids will have to spend money on a bridesmaid dress only to have no use for it later and have to let it collect dust after just one wedding. A similar problem exists for evening dresses and gowns that are color and length-coordinated for particular events, but may have no use outside of these events. It is therefore an object of the present invention to introduce a reversible bridesmaid dress and a method for creation therefor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a reversible bridesmaid dress and a method for the creation of a reversible bridesmaid dress with a hem facing that allows the dress to have one color on one side and another color on the other side. Hence, when the dress is flipped inside out, it looks completely different than when it was on the other side. The present invention can come in a variety of different types and sizes. The long dresses can bubble up to short ones as well creating two color and length dresses. 
     The long dress (the colored side) preferably has hidden attachment means, such as buttons, at the waistband. On the other side (black side) of the dress, there are hidden button loops that are at the hem that allow the user to button up the bottom of the dress to form a bubble dress when it is flipped over to the other side (black side). This creates a long colored dress that someone can wear as a short black dress on the other side. When the wearer wants to convert the long evening gown or bridesmaid dress into a short dress, the user attaches the buttons at the waistband to the loops at the hem (bottom) of the dress on the long (usually colored) side. This reduces the length of the dress&#39; skirt by half, as measured from the waistband. The user then reverses the buttoned-up dress, or, in other words, flips it inside out to change colors. 
     An alternative embodiment of the present invention is a short reversible dress that allows the users to get two different color dresses in one. The dress is manufactured using two different layers of fabric, having two different colors or design patterns. The fabric on one side of the garment is patterned and sewn to be a little longer than the other, thus creating a two tier effect on one side (the side with the shorter fabric). The hem facing on the longer side helps create a dress that is completely reversible and does not show the inside color of the garment when being worn longer-side-out. The wearers of the dress and the external observers cannot tell that the dress is reversible or that the dress is of two different colors, each of which is wearable independently of the other, because the inside fabric does not peek through the hem because of the special hem facing. The hem facing present on the longer side is in the same color as the body of the dress (the shorter side), so the external observers cannot see the inside fabric. All the external observers see is the two-tier bottom of the dress. If desirable, a multi-tier effect can be accomplished using the method and reversible dress of the present invention, while still maintaining the reversibility of the dress. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The features, aspects and advantages of the novel reversible dresses will become further understood with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings where 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a colored side of the long dress of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of the colored side of the long dress of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of another embodiment of the colored side of the long dress of the present invention, illustrating the button loop detail along the hem; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear view of the colored side of the long dress of  FIG. 3 , illustrating a reversible zipper, buttons hidden underneath the belt, and button hoops hidden at inside of the hem when the bottom of the long dress is rolled up slightly; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the colored side of the long dress of  FIG. 1  converted into the short dress, before it is turned inside out to the reverse side; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the reverse side of the long dress of  FIG. 5 , converted into a short dress, after it is turned inside out to the reverse side; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of a colored side of the short dress of the present invention, illustrating the hem facing, which is in the same color as the body of the short dress; 
         FIG. 8  is a rear view of the colored side of the short dress of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of the reverse side of the short dress of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a rear view of the reverse side of the short dress of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of a colored side of another embodiment of the short dress of the present invention, illustrating a blind stitch  155  hem facing; and 
         FIG. 12  is a rear view of the colored side of the short dress of  FIG. 11 , using a reversible zipper. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to the drawings, and particularly  FIGS. 1-4 , the long dress  10  of the present invention includes a first layer of fabric  20  and a second layer of fabric  30 . The first layer of fabric  20  and the second layer of fabric  30  are preferably fabrics of different colors and/or patterns. The first layer of fabric  20  has a top end  22  and a bottom end  24 , and the second layer of fabric  30  has a top end  32  and a bottom end  34 . The top end  22  of the first layer of fabric  20  and the top end  32  of the second layer of fabric  30  are connected together, preferably by sewing or stitching them to one another. Together, the first layer of fabric  20  and the second layer of fabric  30  form the reversible dress  10 , where the first layer of fabric  20  is preferably of a selected color or pattern, and the second layer of fabric  30  is of a different color of pattern, preferably black color. Each layer of fabric has an internal side and an external side, where the internal sides of the layers of fabric are in contact with one another, and the external sides form two visible, usable, and wearable sides of the reversible dress. 
     Also with reference to the  FIGS. 3-5 , the button loops  60  are located along the hem (hidden at inside hem) that button up to the colored side of the dress using the buttons  65  hidden in the waistband (under the heath belt  40 ). The colored side of the dress is folded over to the black side hem, so that the black side is not visible when wearing the colored side of the dress. The black side of the dress is bustle/buttoned up to create a bubble skirt. 
     The bottom end  24  of the first layer of fabric  20  and the bottom end  34  of the second layer of fabric  30  are preferably also connected together by sewing or stitching. A hem  50  is formed on the reverse side (black side) of the reversible dress  10  by folding over the bottom end  24  of the first layer of (colored) fabric  20  onto the reverse side of the dress  10 . Because of this, the length of the first layer of fabric  20  (the colored fabric) is preferably slightly longer than the length of the second layer of fabric  30 . 
     The hem  50  along the bottom end  34  of the second (black) layer of fabric  30  does not have to be wide, but one of the purposes of the hem  50  is that the reversible dress  10  includes button loops  60  disposed along the hem  50 , at the bottom end  24  of the first layer of fabric  20 . Another purpose of the hem  50  is that the second layer of fabric  30  (preferably black fabric) is not visible by external observers when the long, colored side of the dress is worn. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the reversible dress  10  also includes a belt  40  around the waistline area of the dress  10 , and the reversible dress  10  may include fastening means  70  for securely fastening the dress  10  after it is worn. The fastening means  70  may be elastic attachments, ties or ribbons, zippers, such as a #3 reversible zipper or any reversile zipper, elastic, hook and loop fasteners, snaps, hook and bars, hook and loop, buttons, and other attachment means known in the art. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the reversible dress  10  also includes cooperating attachment means at the waistband level on the colored (long) side, which attachment means are preferably buttons  65 . The buttons  65  cooperatively couple with the button loops  60  when the wearer wishes to convert the long, colored dress of the present invention into a short black dress. Specifically, the buttons  65  are preferably hidden under the heath belt  40  of the reversible dress  10  when the dress  10  is worn on the colored (long) side. The attachment means may also be a snaps system, hook and eye system, hook and bars system, hook and loop system, or other attachment means known in the art. 
     The button loops  60  at the hem  50  on the reverse side (black side) of the dress allow the user to button up the lower half of the dress skirt to form a short bubble dress when flipped over to the other side (black side). This creates both a long colored dress and a short black dress that someone can wear. Thus, the dress  10  is completely reversible so that the user has one color dress in a long form and another color dress in the short form. 
     When the wearer wants to convert the long evening gown or bridesmaid dress into a short dress, the user unties the belt  40  exposing the buttons  65 , and attaches each corresponding button  65  at the waistband level to its cooperating button loop  65  at the hem  50  at the bottom of the reversible dress  10  on the long (colored) side. This reduces the length of the dress&#39; skirt by half, as measured from the waistband level. At that point, the outside observers would see the colored side of the bodice, which is the first layer of fabric  20 , but the second layer of fabric  30  (the black side fabric) would be visible at the bottom since the colored side is folded up and buttoned up. The user then reverses the buttoned-up dress  10 , or, in other words, flips it inside out to change colors. 
     The final result, the short black dress, is illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7  which are the front and rear view of the reverse side of the long dress converted into a short dress, after it is turned inside out to the reverse side. The inside fabric is preferably also black fabric, which allows the reverse side of the dress to be a very utilitarian, multi-purpose black dress. However, any color or pattern fabric may be used for the reversible side because it will not be seen until it is actually reversed to be worn. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , only the second layer of fabric  30  is visible, including the top end  32  of the second layer of fabric  30 . The remaining elements of the reversible dress  10 , including the buttons, button loops and fabric folds, are hidden from sight on the other (colored) side of the dress  10 . 
     With reference to the drawings, and particularly  FIGS. 7-10 , another embodiment of the present invention is a short reversible dress  100 . The short reversible dress  100  of the present invention includes a first layer of fabric  120  and a second layer of fabric  130  that is longer than the first layer of fabric  120 . The first layer of fabric  120  and the second layer of fabric  130  are preferably fabrics of different colors and/or patterns. The first layer of fabric  120  has a top end  122  and a bottom end  124 , and the second layer of fabric  130  has a top end  132  and a bottom end  134 . The top end  122  of the first layer of fabric  120  and the top end  132  of the second layer of fabric  130  are connected together, preferably by sewing or stitching them to one another. 
     Together, the first layer of fabric  120  and the second layer of fabric  130  form the short reversible dress  100 , where the first layer of fabric  120  is preferably of a selected color or pattern, and the second layer of fabric  130  is of a different color of pattern, preferably black color. Each layer of fabric has an internal side and an external side, where the internal sides of the layers of fabric are in contact with one another, and the external sides form two visible, usable, and wearable sides of the reversible dress. 
     The first layer of fabric  120  and the second layer of fabric  130  may also be attached to each other between the top end  122  and the bottom end  124  of the first layer of fabric  120  and between the top end  132  and the bottom end  134  of the second layer of fabric  130 , preferably at the waistband level, and preferably also attached together by sewing or stitching. 
     The difference in lengths between the first layer of fabric  120  and the second layer of fabric  130 , where the second layer of fabric  130  is longer than the first layer of fabric  120 , creates a layered or two-tier look because the first layer of fabric  120  is shorter. The difference is filled in by hem facing  150  that uses the same color or pattern fabric as the first layer of fabric  120 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 11 , the hem facing  150  has a top hem end  152  and a bottom hem end  154 . The bottom hem end  154  of the hem facing  150  is attached to the bottom end  134  of the second layer of fabric  130  on the front side (black side) of the reversible dress  100 . The top hem end  152  is attached to the second layer of fabric  130  so that the top hem end  152  is on the same level, or preferably above, the bottom end  124  of the first layer of fabric  120 . The top hem end  152  is preferably attached to the second layer of fabric  130  by a blind stitch  155 . Having the hem facing  150  of the same color as the first layer of fabric  120 , with the bottom hem end  154  being aligned with the bottom end  134  of the second layer of fabric  130 , and with the top hem end  152  being on the same level or above the bottom end  124  of the first layer of fabric  120 , the bottom part of the second layer of fabric  130  is completely covered by the hem facing  150  of the same color or pattern as the first layer of fabric  120 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 11-12 , the hem facing  150  is preferable stitched using the blind stitch  155  to make sure that the inside color does not shwo through the botton of the dress. This process also makes the hem feasible to make using the production method. Without this feature, the factory cannot quickly hem the garment without the other side showing at the bottom (the hem becomes uneven). Currently, no one has created a reversible short dress where the manufacturer can make sure that the hem does not have bits of the other color peeking through. The hen becomes uneven and difficult to sew for the factory without the hem facing  150 . 
     The result is such that the inside color (typically black) is not visible at the bottom because of the hem facing  150 , so the inside (reverse side) color does not show through the hem facing  150  at the bottom. Thus, the second layer of fabric  130  (preferably black fabric) is not visible by external observers when the colored side of the dress  100  is worn because it is covered by the hem facing  150 . This method also makes the hem facing  150  feasible in production: without this kind of hem facing, a factory cannot quickly hem the garment without the reverse side color showing at the bottom (the hem becomes uneven and the color peeks out). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 12 , the difference between the lengths of the first layer of fabric  120  and the second layer of fabric  130  and the corresponding width of the hem facing  150  determine the overall look of the dress  100  on the colored side (i.e., the layered or two-tiered look). 
     With referenced to  FIG. 12 , the reversible short dress  100  may include fastening means  170  for securely fastening the dress  100  after it is worn. The fastening means  170  may be elastic attachments, zippers, such as a #3 reversible zipper or any reversible zipper, elastic, hook and loop fasteners, snaps, hook and bars, and other attachment means known in the art. The short reversible dress  100  may also include a belt (not shown) around the waistline area of the dress  100 . 
     Thus, the short dress  100  is completely reversible so that the user has one color dress in a colored form and another dress in the short form. 
     When the wearer wants to convert the short colored dress  100  into a short black dress, the user just need to flip the dress  100  inside out to change colors. The inside fabric is preferably black fabric, which allows the reverse side of the dress  100  to be a very utilitarian, multi-purpose, short black dress. However, any color or pattern fabric may be used for the reversible side because it will not be seen until it is actually reversed to be worn. 
     The final result, the short black dress, is illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10  which are the front and rear view of the reverse side of the short dress converted into a short black dress, after it is turned inside out to the reverse side. Only the second layer of fabric  130  is visible, including the top end  132  and the bottom end  134  of the second layer of fabric  130 . The remaining (color) elements of the reversible dress  100 , including the two-tier look, are hidden from sight on the other (colored) side of the dress  100 . 
     The inside fabric is preferably black fabric, which allows the reverse side of the dress to be a very utilitarian, multi-purpose black dress. However, any color or pattern fabric may be used for the reversible side because it will not be seen until it is actually reversed to be worn. Various integral or removable belts, back straps and other retaining means may be used with the reversible dress of the present invention. 
     The present invention is a dress that is lovely, makes a statement, and is a practical investment. The present invention is a two-in-one dress that gives the user the versatility to transform from a demure bridesmaid (or attendee of other black tie occasions) to a diva in a chic “little black dress.” 
     The above description of the disclosed preferred embodiments of the present invention is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to and variations of these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention and the subject matter of the present invention, which is broadly contemplated by the Applicant. The scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may be or become obvious to those skilled in the art.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0