Adjustable length garment

Claim 2

An adjustable length garment that hangs downwardly when worn including in combination a downwardly extending outer portion and an upwardly extending inner portion that meet with one another at a fold which constitutes a bottom edge of the garment, the garment having a lining secured to said inner portion and extending upward therefrom, a connection securing the lining directly to an upper part of the garment to prevent downward movement of said inner portion with respect to the outer portion and thus determine a location of the fold, connecting means including two parts which are separable from one another and which will repeatedly re-engage with one another when again brought together, said parts including a first part of the connecting means that is continuously supported from an upper part of the lining on the side facing the wearer, and a second part of the connecting means that is continuously connected with said lining on the side facing the wearer, and supported in a position spaced downward below the first part of said connecting means when the garment is of maximum length, the material of the garment being pliant so that part of the lower end of the garment can bend inward and be moved upwardly when the second part of the connecting means is moved to a raised position and engaged with the first part of the connecting means with the part of the lining that was between the sEparated connecting means folded down between the outer portion and the rest of the lining whereby the lowermost material of the full length garment is folded inward and upward and the bottom edge of the garment is raised and the garment thereby shortened.

Claim 3

The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the garment being a skirt with the lower part of the inner portion a continuation around the fold of the same material as the outer portion.

Claim 4

The garment described in claim 2 characterized by the lining material being more pliant than the material of the outer portion of the garment.

Claim 5

The garment described in claim 2 characterized by the lining material being sewed to that part of the material of the outer portion that extends around the fold and that constitutes the the inner portion of the skirt, the sewing being limited to a single line of stitching.

Claim 6

The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the connecting means constituting a slide fastener, one side of which is attached to the lower region of the lining and the other side of which is attached to the upper region, the length of the slide fastener extending generally parallel to the bottom edge of the garment, and both parts of the slide fastener being visible and accessible at any time, and whether connected or disconnected, by turning up the lower end of the garment to expose the inside thereof.

Claim 7

The garment described in claim 5 characterized by the garment being a skirt, both parts of the slide fastener being sewed to the lining on the side facing the wearer and along lines spaced from one another lengthwise of the skirt.

Claim 8

A garment that hangs downwardly when worn including in combination a downwardly extending outer portion and an upwardly extending inner portion that meet with one another at a fold which constitutes a bottom edge of the garment, the inner portion having an upper region and a lower region, connecting means securing the upper region of said inner portion directly to an upper part of the garment to prevent downward movement of said inner portion with respect to the outer portion and thus determine a location of the fold, the inner portion being pliant so that at least part of the lower region thereof can be moved upwardly to a raised position with respect to the upper region and outer portion so as to change the position of the fold and to displace the lowermost material of the outer portion inward around the fold so that the displaced material becomes part of the inner portion, and the bottom edge of the garment is raised and the garment thereby shortened, and detachable fastening means connected with the lower region and with the garment above the raised position of the lower region for holding the lower region in the raised position, and characterized by the detachable fastening means constituting a slide fastener, one side of which is attached to the lower region of the inner portion and the other side of which is attached to the upper region, the length of the slide fastener extending generally parallel to the bottom edge of the garment, and further characterized by the garment being a skirt and part of said inner portion constituting a lining of the skirt, both parts of the slide fastener being sewed to the lining on the side of the lining facing the wearer and along lines spaced from one another lengthwise of the skirt, and further characterized by the upper region of the lining being sewed to form a pleat of the lining extending around substantially the full circumference of the skirt on the side of the lining facing the wearer and at a distance above the lower side of the slide fastener, and the upper side of the slide fastener being sewed to the free edge of the pleat, the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener being fully separable from one another but each having enough space between its opposite ends to provide clearance for a slider and for manipulation of the slider to align with and engage and disengage the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener, said clearance being nearer to one side of the skirt and in front of the right leg on a person wearing the skirt.

Claim 9

A garment that hangs downwardly when worn including in combination a downwardly extending outer portion and an upwardly extending inner portion that meet with one another at a fold which constitutes a bottom edge of the garment, the inner portion having an upper region and a lower region, connecting means securing the upper region of said inner portion directly to an upper part of the garment to prevent downward movement of said inner portion with respect to the outer portion and thus determine a location of the fold, the inner portion being pliant so that at least part of the lower region thereof can be moved upwardly to a raised position with respect to the upper region and outer portion so as to change the position of the fold and to displace the lowermost material of the outer portion inward around the fold so that the displaced material becomes part of the inner portion, and the bottom edge of the garment is raised and the garment thereby shortened, and detachable fastening means connected with the lower region and with the garment above the raised position of the lower region for holding the lower region in the raised position, and characterized by the detachable fastening means constituting a slide fastener, one side of which is attached to the lower region of the inner portion and the other side of which is attached to the upper region, the length of the slide fastener extending generally parallel to the bottom edge of the garment, and further characterized by the garment being a skirt and part of said inner portion constituting a lining of the skirt, both parts of the slide fastener being sewed to the lining on the side of the lining facing the wearer and along lines spaced from one another lengthwise of the skirt, and further characterized by the upper region of the lining being sewed to form a pleat of the lining extending around substantially the full circumference of the skirt on the side of the lining facing the wearer and at a distance above the lower side of the slide fastener, and the upper side of the slide fastener being sewed to the free edge of the pleat, the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener being fully separable from one another but each having enough space between its opposite ends to provide clearance for a slider and for manipulation of the slider to align with and engage and disengage the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener, said clearance being nearer to one side of the skirt and in front of the right leg on a person wearing the skirt.

Claim 10

The garment described in claim 7 characterized by the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener being spaced from one another, when the lower edge of the skirt is at its lowest position, by a distance equal to twice the intended adjustment of the skirt length, the skirt being part of a long-waisted dress, and the upper side of the slide fastener being at a level of the skirt below the region of continuous contact of the skirt with the hips and buttocks of the wearer.

Claim 11

The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the inner and outer portions of the garment being made of soft material that rolls smoothly over a fold and the material of both the inner and outer portions being straight cut.