Neckline fitting system

Abstract

The neckline fitting system provides an adjustable and customizable fit for apparel worn on the upper torso, such as shirts or blouses. The system includes one or more channels integrated into the neckline of the garment, each housing an elastic member. The elastic member can be adjusted to modify the tightness of the neckline around the wearer's neck. One of the elastic members are adjustable using a fastening mechanism, such as a cord lock, allowing the wearer to fine-tune the fit.

Claims

1. A neckline fitting system comprising a piece of apparel with a neckline, a set of channels, a set of elastic members, and a fastening tab, a. with the piece of apparel being a shirt or dress; b. with the neckline configured to surround a wearer's neck and having a front side, a back side, a left side, and a right side, with the left and right sides each being attached to each of the front and back sides; c. with the piece of apparel configured to be worn such that the front side of the neckline is approximately below a wearer's chin and the back side of the neckline is approximately below a wearer's nape; d. with the set of channels being formed by material of the neckline, with the material sewn so that each of the set of channels form hollow spaces through which the set of elastic members are disposed; e. with the set of channels comprising a first channel and a second channel; f. with the first channel spanning the left side, front side, and right side of the neckline; g. with the second channel spanning the left side, back side, and right side of the neckline; h. with the second channel having an opening in approximately a middle of the back side; i. with the set of elastic members comprising a first elastic member and a second elastic member; j. with the first elastic member being disposed in the first channel and the second elastic member being disposed in the second channel; k. with the first elastic member being a substantially flat band, i. with the first elastic member having a first and second end, with the first end of the first elastic member being attached to the left side of the neckline and the second end of the first elastic member being attached to the right side of the neckline; l. with the second elastic member having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion, i. with the first end of the second elastic member being attached to the left side of the neckline and the second end of the second elastic member being attached to the right side of the neckline, ii. with the middle portion of the second elastic member being positioned between the first and second ends of the second elastic member; iii. with the middle portion of the second elastic member protruding through the opening of the second channel; m. with the fastening tab being coupled to the middle portion of the second elastic member and configured to control a length of the middle portion of the second elastic member protruding through the opening of the second channel.

2. The neckline fitting system of claim 1, with the first and second elastic members being distinct elastic members.

3. The neckline fitting system of claim 1, with the first end of the first elastic member being attached to the first end of the second elastic member.

4. ON The neckline fitting system of claim 1, with the first elastic member being made of rubber.

5. The neckline fitting system of claim 1, with the second elastic member being an elastic string or cord.

6. The neckline fitting system of claim 1, with the second elastic member being a drawstring.

7. The neckline fitting system of claim 1, with the first elastic member having higher elasticity than the second elastic member.

8. The neckline fitting system of claim 1, with the elastic member being a drawstring.

9. A neckline fitting system comprising a piece of apparel with a neckline and a first elastic member; a. with the piece of apparel being a shirt or dress; b. with the neckline configured to surround a wearer's neck and having a front side, a back side, a left side, and a right side, with the left and right sides each being attached to each of the front and back sides; c. with the piece of apparel configured to be worn such that the front side of the neckline is approximately below a wearer's chin and the back side of the neckline is approximately below a wearer's nape; d. with the first elastic member having an upper perimeter and a lower perimeter; e. with the upper perimeter sewn along an edge of the neckline and the lower perimeter sewn along an area running adjacent to the edge of the neckline; f. with the first elastic member being a substantially flat band.

10. The neckline fitting system of claim 9, with the first elastic member sewn along the front side of the neckline.

11. The neckline fitting system of claim 9, with the first elastic member sewn along the front and back sides of the neckline.

12. The neckline fitting system of claim 9, with the first elastic member sewn along the front side but not the back side of the neckline.

13. The neckline fitting system of claim 9, additionally comprising a back channel, a second elastic member, and a fastening tab, a. with the second elastic member being disposed through the back channel, b. with the back channel comprising an opening; c. with the opening configured to enable a middle portion of the second elastic member to pass through forming a loop; d. with the fastening tab being coupled to the middle portion of the second elastic member and configured to control a length of the middle portion of the second elastic member protruding through the opening of the back channel.

14. The neckline fitting system of claim 9, with the first elastic member having a first and second end, with the first end of the elastic member being attached to the left side of the neckline and the second end of the elastic member being attached to the right side of the neckline.

15. The neckline fitting system of claim 9, with the first elastic member having a first and second end, with the first end and second end of the elastic members each being attached to a given side of the neckline, with the given side being the front side, the back side, the left side, the right side of the neckline, between the front and left side, between the front and right side, between the back and left side, or between the back and right side of the neckline.

16. A neckline fitting system comprising a piece of apparel with a neckline, a back channel, an elastic member, and a fastening tab, a. with the piece of apparel being a shirt or dress; b. with the neckline configured to surround a wearer's neck and having a front side, a back side, a left side, and a right side, with the left and right sides each being attached to each of the front and back sides; c. with the piece of apparel configured to be worn such that the front side of the neckline is approximately below a wearer's chin and the back side of the neckline is approximately below a wearer's nape; d. with the back channel being formed by material of the neckline, with the material sewn so that the back channel forms a hollow space through which the elastic member is disposed; e. with the back channel spanning at least the left side, back side, and right side of the neckline; f. with the back channel having an opening in approximately a middle of the back side; g. with the elastic member being disposed in the back channel; h. with the elastic member having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion, i. with the middle portion of the elastic member being positioned between the first and second ends of the elastic member; ii. with the middle portion of the elastic member protruding through the opening of the back channel; i. with the fastening tab being coupled to the middle portion of the elastic member and configured to control a length of the middle portion of the elastic member protruding through the opening of the back channel.

17. The neckline fitting system of claim 16, with the first end of the elastic member being attached to the left side of the neckline and the second end of the elastic member being attached to the right side of the neckline.

18. The neckline fitting system of claim 16, additionally comprising a front channel; a. With the front channel spanning at least the left side, front side, and right side of the neckline; b. with the first end and second end of the elastic member each being attached to a given side of the neckline, with the given side being the front side, the back side, the left side, the right side of the neckline, between the front and left side, between the front and right side, between the back and left side, or between the back and right side of the neckline.

19. The neckline fitting system of claim 18, with the elastic member being configured to pass freely through the front and back channels.

20. The neckline fitting system of claim 16, with the elastic member being an elastic string or cord.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary neckline fitting system.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a cut-away view of a front channel of the exemplary neckline fitting system.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a cut-away view of a back channel of the exemplary neckline fitting system.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a cut-away view of a back channel of the exemplary neckline fitting system.

(5) FIG. 5 shows an exterior view of an exemplary neckline fitting system.

(6) FIG. 6 shows an interior (i.e., inside-out) view of an exemplary neckline fitting system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) As shown in FIG. 1-3, the neckline fitting system may comprise a piece of apparel 100, such as a shirt or dress, although the system may be used for any variety of apparel with a neckline 102. The neckline may have a front side 104, a back side 106, a left side 108, and a right side 110. The neckline may comprise a single channel, a single channel conceptually and/or physically divided into two channel segments, or two distinct channels, including a front channel 112 and a back channel 114. The front channel may span from the left to the right side of the neckline through the front side and the back channel may span from the left to the right side of the neckline through the back side.

(8) Within the channels may be a set of elastic members including a first elastic member 116 and a second elastic member 118. The first elastic member may be substantially flat like a band to retain the flatness of the front channel and the second elastic member may be substantially cylindrical to facilitate tightening of the back channel.

(9) The back side of the neckline may include an opening 120 via an eyehole. Through this opening, a middle portion of the back elastic member may protrude, with the middle portion bunched into a loop 122. This loop may pass through a fastening tab 124, with the fastening tab configured to clasp the middle portion and prevent it from passing back through the opening and back into the back channel. The length of the middle portion protruding through the opening may be controlled by the fastening tab which may be operated by a wearer to release and then reclasp the middle portion along a different length.

(10) The opening may be disposed on a top edge 126 of the back side, a bottom edge 127 of the back side, the front face 128 of the of the back side, or a back face (not shown) of the back side.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a cut-away view of the front channel 112, the hollow space 113 within the front channel, and the first elastic member 114. The first elastic member may have a first end 202 and a second end 204, which may be attached to the left and right side of the neckline, respectively.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a cut-away view of the back channel 114, the hollow space within the back channel 115, the second elastic member 118, the opening 120, the loop 122, and the fastening tab 124. The second elastic member may have a first end 302 and a second end 304, which may be attached to the left and right side of the neckline, respectively.

(13) FIG. 4 shows the same as FIG. 3 except with a different length of the middle portion protruding through the back channel.

(14) FIG. 5 shows a primarily exterior view of the fourth embodiment described previously, in which the upper 500 and lower 502 perimeters of the first elastic member 504 are sewn onto the interior portion 506 of the neckline. The sew lines 510 of the lower perimeter can be seen on the exterior portion 508 of the neckline.

(15) FIG. 6 shows a primarily interior view (i.e., inside-out view) of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 5. As seen, the neckline fitting system here lacks a bound bias.