Articles and methods of using and making adaptive garment portions are provided. An adaptive garment portion is one that has shifting surfaces with apertures that shift from an aligned to an offset orientation depending on environmental conditions/stimuli. For example, a first surface material and a second surface material may be coupled by a responsive material portion. The responsive material portion may physically change in response to a change in environmental conditions internal or external to the garment (e.g., thermal energy, moisture) and/or stimuli (e.g., light energy, electrical energy, magnetic fields). The physical change in the responsive material portion facilitates the planar shift of the first surface material relative to the second surface material.

An article of apparel is disclosed that includes zones with a textile having a structure than changes or is otherwise modified by a physical stimulus, such as the presence of water or a temperature change, to modify a property of the textile. The zones may be along a center back area and/or side areas of the apparel, and the textile may increase in air permeability when exposed to water. In some embodiments, slits are formed in the textile.

A garment, especially a sports garment, having a section which at least partially covers the body of a wearer, wherein the section has at least one venting element for allowing an air flow to flow from the outside of the garment through the section into the inner of the garment for cooling a part of the body of the wearer. To improve the cooling during the movement of the wearer of the garment an actuating mechanism is arranged for opening and closing the venting element in dependence of the movement of a part of the body of the wearer during the use of the garment.

Aspects herein are directed to an article of apparel having a vent opening formed by overlapping the edges of a first panel and a second panel. A plurality of discrete overlay film structures are applied to the second panel adjacent to the vent opening. When the article of apparel is exposed to an external stimulus, the film structures undergo a reversible increase in dimension in at least the z-direction which cause the second panel of material to undergo a reversible decrease in dimension in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the vent opening thereby causing the vent opening to dynamically transition from a closed state to an open state.

Protective combat clothing (PCC) may include a shirt and trousers, wherein the shirt and the trousers are at least partially made of woven fabric made of a composition of the materials comprising flame-resistant fiber, flame-resistant meta-aramid fiber, heat-resistant fiber, polyamide and anti-static fiber.

Discloses is a smart opening and closing apparatus. More particularly, the smart opening and closing apparatus includes an opening/closing means configured to be opened or closed depending upon application of a stimulus, a fixation means configured to maintain an open state of the opening/closing means by selectively interfering with the opening/closing means depending upon application of a stimulus, and a controller configured to control opening/closing of the opening/closing means by applying a stimulus to the opening/closing means and the fixation means and, in a state in which the stimulus is released, to control the fixation means to interfere with the opening/closing means so as to maintain a shape of the opening/closing means. In accordance with such a configuration, the shape of the opening/closing means may be maintained also in state in which a stimulus is not applied, whereby low-power operation may be accomplished.

A multilayered thermally-insulating garment with ventilating inserts uses a thermally-insulative unitard, multiple venting inserts, and a chest opening to encourage perspiration of a user while exercising. The thermally-insulative unitard is a garment that is designed to be worn by a user and to promote perspiration. To accomplish this, the thermally-insulative unitard makes use of a multilayered construction that includes an interior layer, an intermediate layer, and an exterior layer. This construction enables the thermally-insulative unitard to trap the user's body heat, prevent sweat penetration, and remain flexible. The venting inserts are sections of a flexible and air-permeable material that are integrated into various portions of the thermally-insulative unitard. These sections are worn over the user's armpits, crotch, and buttock to enable air to flow past these portions of the user's body; thus, preventing odors. The chest opening is a cutout that exposes the user's chest through the thermally-insulative unitard.

A multifunctional forearm band incorporating modulated airflow control to regulate temperature and moisture of a user's lower arm, hand, and fingers. The forearm band has a tubular member with openings at a first and a second end thereof. The forearm band can encapsulate or cover the lower arm in a first position and the lower arm, fingers, and hand in a second position. The second end can include at least one storage cavity, while the first end includes a first cavity for encapsulating the fingers and a second cavity for encapsulating the thumb when the forearm band is used in the second position. The user can open and close the opening in the first end of the tubular member to permit or restrict airflow or fluid flow across the lower arm, fingers, and hand allowing fully modulated airflow and fluid flow control to regulate the temperature and moisture about the lower arm, fingers, and hand.

Aspects herein are directed to an article of apparel having a vent opening formed by overlapping the edges of a first panel and a second panel. A plurality of discrete overlay film structures are applied to the second panel adjacent to the vent opening. When the article of apparel is exposed to an external stimulus, the film structures undergo a reversible increase in dimension in at least the z-direction which cause the second panel of material to undergo a reversible decrease in dimension in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the vent opening thereby causing the vent opening to dynamically transition from a closed state to an open state.

An article of apparel can include an aperture. An electroadhesive clutch device can be coupled to, or integrated with, the article of apparel, and the clutch device can be configured to selectively open and close the aperture. An electric signal generator can be coupled to the clutch device and configured to provide one or more signals to the clutch device to thereby open or close the aperture.