A smart belt and a method for controlling the same are provided. The smart belt includes a body having a front surface and side surfaces and allowing a strap to be inserted through the side surfaces to be movable in a first direction, a gear unit provided in the body and configured to adjust an amount of tightening of the strap, and a cover configured to cover a rear surface of the body, wherein the gear unit includes a first shaft provided in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and having a first gear, and a second shaft intersecting with the first shaft and having a second gear engaged with the first gear, wherein the amount of tightening of the strap is adjusted as a rotation force of the second shaft is transferred to the first shaft through the first and second gears.

A small device, substantially flat, used to shorten the length or circumference of a fabric, or other type of materials, while at the same time making the item being altered look appealing by forming a pleat-like appearance. The device is simple and is made of metal, plastic or other rigid material suitable for its purpose. Configured of one body, this device disappears into the folds of the material and disappears as if it was not even there. It is easy to use and virtually undetected by the wearer.

A wearable soaking garment. The garment adapted to be worn by a user around their pelvic region. The garment forming a cavity for the placement of water and allowing a user to comfortably soak the pelvic region, similar to a Sitz Bath.

A waistband tightening device has a generally horizontal crank arm with a first and second leg at one end extending vertically therefrom in parallel spaced relation defining a vertical slot therebetween, and a fastener element at the opposed end disposed in outwardly spaced relation to the legs. The device is installed downward onto the waistband with the legs straddling the waistband, and the crank arm and fastener element are rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction with the slot being the center of rotation such that the waistband becomes looped partially around the first and second legs and upon further rotation becomes wound around both of the legs to reduce the circumference of the waistband and thereafter the fastener element is engaged on an inner or outer facing surface of the waistband to prevent unwinding and maintain the waistband in a tightened condition.

A support belt (10) includes an elongate belt (12) having a dead end region (14) and a live end region (16) and buckling (18) to releasably connect the dead and live end regions (14,16) in a relaxed tightness condition of the support belt (10) and secure the dead and live end regions (14,16) in a tightened closed condition of the support belt (10) in which a free end (20) of the live end region (16) overlies a free end (22) of the dead end region (14). The buckling (18) comprises a first anchor portion (24) fixedly secured to the live end region (16), a second anchor portion (26) configured to releasably engage apertures (28) provided in the dead end region (14) and a locking mechanism (30) pivotally connected with the first and second anchor portions (24,26) and operable to draw the first anchor portion (24) towards the second anchor portion (26) to change the tightness condition of the support belt (10) from the relaxed tightness condition to the tightened closed condition.

A method of forming a resilient band for an article of apparel includes stretching a first fabric having a first resiliency to a first stretched position and stretching a second fabric having a second resiliency to a second stretched position. The second resiliency is greater than the first resiliency. The method further includes securing the first fabric to the second fabric while the first fabric is in the first stretched position and while the second fabric is in the second stretched position. Moreover, the method includes releasing the first fabric from the first stretched position and the second fabric from the second stretched position after securing the first fabric to the second fabric.

An adjustment device includes a housing supporting a rotatable spool that is operably coupled to a tension line. The spool is configured to rotate about a first axis in a first direction to wind the tension line around the spool and is configured to rotate about the first axis in a second direction opposite the first rotational direction to unwind the at least one tension line from the spool. The device includes a lever pivotally coupled to the housing and configured to rotate about a second axis. The lever is selectively coupled to the spool to drive rotation of the spool in the first direction. The device also includes a release mechanism that is configured to selectively release the spool such that the spool is free to rotate in either the first or second direction in response to manual forces applied to the release mechanism.

A wearable dressing device for teaching children and adults with special needs to independently manipulate (fasten and unfasten) clothing fasteners that are correctly positioned at the waist. The dressing device resembles an apron and comprises a variety of clothing fasteners. It is an improved dressing device in that the fasteners are positioned in the same spot on the dressing device as they would be positioned on a lower body article of clothing, such as pants, shorts, or a skirt, thereby making the acquired dressing skill generalizable to the aforementioned lower body items of clothing.

A method for forming a double-sided loop strap includes: receiving a continuous longitudinal strip of loop material including a strip-form base bearing a field of upstanding loops on a fastening side of the strip bounded by opposite longitudinal edges, folding each of the longitudinal edges away from the fastening side, such that the base overlaps itself, and securing the folded edges in place by permanently bonding together overlapped areas of the base to form the double-sided loop strap.

A trim piece assembly is provided herein comprising a first set of apertures providing access to a drawstring channel, and a second set of apertures that do not provide access to the drawstring channel. The trim piece assembly may be incorporated into various apparel items, such that the trim piece assembly allows for a drawstring to be positioned on an interior surface or exterior surface of the apparel item.