Patent ID: 8763164

Claim:
A convertible maternity garment comprising a first garment configured and arranged as a maternity garment to be worn by a woman during her maternity term; said garment being convertible from a maternity garment to a non-maternity garment, wherein said non-maternity garment is constructed from a portion of said maternity garment to provide a garment having a configuration for non-maternity use; wherein said garment includes at least a portion that is detachable therefrom such that when said portion is detached from said garment the non-maternity garment is formed; the garment having first means for holding the convertible maternity garment on the body of a wearer when the convertible maternity garment is configured as a maternity garment, and second means for holding the convertible maternity garment on the body of a wearer when the convertible maternity garment is configured as a non-maternity garment; wherein said first means for holding the convertible maternity garment on the body of a wearer comprises a maternity band that is a stretchable member, wherein said second means for holding the convertible maternity garment on the body of a wearer comprises an alternate waistband; and wherein said maternity band is expandable to a greater extent than said alternate waistband; and wherein said alternate waistband has an inside layer that faces a wearer, a first end with a button and a second end with a button hole; and wherein the first end and the second end of the alternate waistband are selectively engageable with each other; and wherein the garment includes a configurable member that provides alternate engaging for the alternate waistband when the maternity band is present and when said garment is configured as a maternity garment, wherein said configurable member comprises an elastic member and has a first end that is free and a second end that is held on the inside layer of the alternate waistband at a location that is spaced apart from said button hole of said alternate waistband second end; and wherein when said configurable member is stretchable from the location on said alternate waistband second end at which said configurable member second end is held, said configurable member first end is selectively engageable with said first end of said alternate waistband to alternately engage the alternate waistband first end and second end together.