Patent ID: 8898820

Claim:
A garment for attenuating impact forces comprising: an inner layer and an outer layer positioned adjacent to the inner layer such that an outwardly-facing surface of the inner layer contacts an inwardly-facing surface of the outer layer, the outwardly-facing surface of the inner layer and the inwardly-facing surface of the outer layer each having a first part of a fastening system, wherein the first part of the fastening system of the inner layer and the first part of the fastening system of the outer layer have the same structure; and an attachment element with an outwardly-facing surface that has a second part of the fastening system attached thereto, and an inwardly-facing surface that also has the second part of the fastening system attached thereto, wherein the second part of the fastening system has the same structure on each of the outwardly-facing surface and the inwardly facing surface of the attachment element; wherein the inner layer underlies substantially all of the outer layer in at least one region of the garment, said at least one region of the garment being one of a torso region, a pelvic region, a left arm region, a right arm region, a left leg region and a right leg region; wherein the second part of the fastening system has a structure that is different from and is complementary to the first part of the fastening system; the first part of the fastening system being joinable to the second part of the fastening system to secure the attachment element to the garment such that the attachment element is attached to the inwardly-facing surface of the outer layer and to the outwardly-facing surface of the inner layer, and the first part of the fastening system being separable from the second part of the fastening system on both the inwardly-facing surface of the attachment element and the outwardly-facing surface of the attachment element to separate the attachment element from the garment; and wherein the attachment element includes at least one through aperture, the at least one through aperture extending through the second part of the fastening system on the inwardly facing surface, through the attachment element and through the second part of the fastening system on the outwardly facing surface.