Background

Skirts come in many different shapes, sizes, patterns, and materials; the appropriateness of each varies depending on the occasion.

Consequently, individuals may own many different sized, and colored skirts for different occasions.

For instance, an individual may opt to wear a knee-length, calf- length, or ankle-length skirt at work or school. On the other hand, an individual may opt to wear a shorter skirt, such as a mini skirt for casual occasions. So there are many different types of skirts, including colors, shapes, and lengths depending on the occasion.

Unfortunately, purchasing different skirts to correspond to different occasions is expensive.

Summary

Described is a customizable skirt apparatus for allowing individuals to create different lengths, styles, and colored skirts by inserting or removing interchangeable skirt extensions.

For instance, in one embodiment, the skirt apparatus includes a first- skirt portion, including a circularly-shaped fabric having an inner side for placement against a wearer of the skirt, a waistband, a hem located at a bottom edge of the first-skirt portion, and a first-fastening device positioned proximal to the hem on the inner side of the fabric. The first-skirt portion serves as a base of the skirt for securing around the waist, buttocks, and upper thighs of the wearer. The first-skirt portion can have several configurations allowing for skirts of various styles including but not limited to A-line, chino, pencil, and tube.

The apparatus also includes a second-skirt portion worn below the first-skirt portion. The second-skirt portion includes a circularly-shaped fabric having an inner side for placement against a wearer of the skirt, a top hem located at a top edge of the second-skirt portion, a second- fastening device positioned proximal to the top hem on the inner side of the fabric, and a third-fastening device positioned proximal to the bottom hem on the inner side of the fabric. The second-fastening device is configured to cooperatively fasten to and engage the first-fastening device such that the second-skirt portion can be removably attached to the first- skirt portion thereby extending the length, shape, and potentially color of the skirt apparatus. Additional skirt portions may be attached to the first and/or second skirt portions in a similar manner, each adding additional lengths to the overall length of the skirt apparatus. These additional skirt portions can come from the same skirt or other skirts as long as they are the proper size and shape to be attached.

In addition, each skirt portion may change the color, pattern, and/or shape of the skirt. That is, additional skirt portions may be coupled between the first-skirt portion and the second-skirt portion, or after the second-skirt portion, allowing for greater variability in length, color(s), pattern, and shape. In other words, because skirt portions may come in various colors, shapes, and patterns and because each is interchangeable with other skirt portions, it provides the wearer with the flexibility to adjust the length, size, color, pattern, and overall look of the skirt apparatus.

When the skirt apparatus is worn, the fasteners in between each skirt portion (i.e., extensions) may be hidden from view, or may be visible on the exterior surface of the skirt.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below. This summary is not necessarily intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it necessarily intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The foregoing outlines examples of this disclosure so that those skilled in the relevant art may better understand the detailed description that follows. Additional embodiments and details will be described hereinafter. Those skilled in the relevant art should appreciate that they can readily use any of these disclosed embodiments as a basis for designing or modifying other structures or functions for carrying out the invention, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Reference herein to“one embodiment,”“an embodiment,”“an aspect,”“an implementation,”“an example,” or similar formulations, means that a particular feature, structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, different appearances of such phrases or formulations herein do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, various particular features, structures, operations, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Fig. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of a skirt apparatus with three connected skirt portions.

Fig. 2 shows a front view of an embodiment of a skirt apparatus with two of three skirt portions connected.

Fig. 3A shows a front view of an embodiment of a skirt apparatus with an asymmetrical first-skirt portion.

Fig. 3B shows a front view of an embodiment of a skirt apparatus with an asymmetrical second-skirt portion.

Fig. 4 shows a front view of an embodiment of a skirt apparatus with a reversible skirt portion.

Fig. 5 shows a front view of an embodiment of a skirt apparatus on a wearer with five skirt portions.

Detailed Description

Described is a skirt apparatus where interchangeable portions of the apparatus can be added or removed to change the shape, color, and pattern of the skirt apparatus. Some embodiments of the apparatus may be described with reference to Figs. 1 through 5.

Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the skirt apparatus 100. Apparatus 100 may include a first-skirt portion 110, a second-skirt portion 120, and third-skirt portion 130.

First-skirt Portion

In Fig. 1 , first-skirt portion 110 includes a fabric 112, a waistband 114, a hem 116, and a fastening device 118. First-skirt portion 110 is configured to fit around the waist, buttocks, and upper thighs of a person wearing apparatus 100.

Waistband 114 is located along a top edge 113 of first-skirt portion 110. Hem 116 is located along a bottom edge 115 of first-skirt portion 110. First-skirt portion 110 has an exterior side and an inner side (not visible in Fig. 1) for placement closest to a person wearing apparatus 100.

Fabric 112 can be composed of any suitable clothing material such as cotton, denim, polyester, leather, or other suitable materials or a combination of the foregoing. In addition, fabric 112 may be constructed of various patterns, colors, and textures. First-skirt portion 110, fabric 112 in particular, is tubular or circular in construction.

Waistband 114 secures first-skirt portion 110 around the waist of a person wearing apparatus 100. Any suitable waistband fastening mechanism may be used to fasten the first-skirt portion 110 around the waist, such as a clasp fastener (not visible in Fig. 1 ), an adhesive fastener (not visible in Fig. 1), a press-stub (not visible in Fig. 1 ), a hook and loop fastener (not visible in Fig. 1 ), a belt (not visible in Fig. 1), a rope (not visible in Fig. 1), snaps (not visible in Fig. 1 ) and other connecting devices.

Fastening device 118 is secured to the inner side of fabric 112. For instance, in the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 1 , fastening device 118 is the top track of a zipper, and is positioned proximal, i.e., almost at the bottom of hem 116. As shown in Fig. 1 , the fabric of hem 116 may extend over fastening device 118 to help hide the device from view when a person wears apparatus 100.

Although Fig. 1 shows a zipper as fastening device 118, one skilled in the art will appreciate after having the benefit of this disclosure that fastening device 118 may also be a hook and clasp fastener, an adhesive fastener, a belt, a rope, a press-stub, a hook and loop fastener system, snaps, and/or buttons or any other suitable fastening device.

Second-skirt Portion

Still referring to Fig. 1 , second-skirt portion 120 includes fabric 122, a top hem 124, a bottom hem 126, a fastening device 128, and another fastening device 129.

Hem 124 is located along a top edge 123 of second-skirt portion 120. Hem 126 is located along a bottom edge 125 of second-skirt portion 120

In a similar manner to first-skirt portion 110, second-skirt portion 120 has an exterior side and an inner side (not visible in Fig. 1 ) for placement closest to a person wearing apparatus 100. Second-skirt portion 120, fabric 122 in particular, is also tubular or circular in construction.

Fabric 122 can be composed of any suitable clothing material such as cotton, denim, polyester, leather, or other suitable materials or a combination of the foregoing. In addition, fabric 122 may be constructed of various patterns, colors, and textures.

Fastening device 128 is on the inner side of fabric 122 proximal to top hem 124. In Fig. 1 , fastening device 128 is shown as the

complimentary bottom track of the zipper for interlocking with the top track of the zipper associated with fastening device 118. Fastening device 129 is also on the inner side of fabric 122, but is instead proximal to bottom hem 126. Although shown in Fig. 1 as the tracks from a zipper, fastening device 128 and fastening device 129 can also be hook and clasp fasteners, adhesive fasteners, belts, rope, press-stubs, hook and loop fastener systems, snaps, and/or buttons or any other suitable fastening device. Third-skirt Portion

Fig. 1 also shows a third-skirt portion 130, which in the illustrated embodiment includes a fabric 132, a top hem 134, a bottom hem 136, and a fastening device 138.

Hem 134 is located along a top edge 133 of third-skirt portion 130. Hem 136 is located along a bottom edge 135 of third-skirt portion 130.

Much like first-skirt portion 110 and second-skirt portion, third-skirt portion 130 has an exterior side and an inner side (not visible in Fig. 1 , but visible in Fig. 4) for placement closest to a person wearing apparatus 100. Third-skirt portion 130, fabric 132 in particular, is also tubular or circular in construction.

Fabric 132 can be composed of any suitable clothing material such as cotton, denim, polyester, leather, or other suitable materials or a combination of the foregoing. In addition, fabric 132 may be constructed of various patterns, colors, and textures.

Fastening device 138 is on the inner side of fabric 132 proximal to top hem 134. In Fig. 1 , fastening device 138 is shown as the

complimentary bottom track of the zipper for interlocking with the top track of the zipper associated with fastening device 129. Although shown in Fig. 1 as the track of a zipper, fastening device 138 can be a hook and clasp fastener, an adhesive fastener, a belt, a rope, a press-stub, a hook and loop fastener system, snaps, and/or buttons or any other suitable fastening device.

Third-skirt portion 130 can also include a fastening device proximal to bottom hem 136, similar to fastening device 129 (not shown).

Operation

A person wearing apparatus 100 can change the shape, color, and pattern of apparatus 100 by adding or removing skirt portions. This is possible because the fastening devices are configured to couple with each other. Fastening device 118 is configured to cooperatively fasten to and engage fastening device 128, which removably attaches first-skirt portion 110 to second-skirt portion 120. Likewise, fastening device 129 is configured to cooperatively fasten to and engage fastening device 138, which removably attaches second-skirt portion 120 to third-skirt portion 130.

Fastening device 118 can also cooperatively fasten to and engage fastening device 138, which removably attaches first-skirt portion 110 to third-skirt portion 130 without the use of second-skirt portion 120, when first-skirt portion 110 and third-skirt portion 130 are shaped to allow such a configuration (not shown).

Fig. 2 shows how two skirt portions appear before being connected with the demonstrated separation of second-skirt portion 120 and third-skirt portion 130. Fig. 2 also shows that when two skirt portions are connected, the fastening devices can be hidden. This may allow for a seamless look. As appreciated by those skilled in the art after having the benefit of this disclosure, the fastening devices can be hidden in several ways including but not limited to using a cover flap from the hem to extend over the fastening devices. Alternatively, the fastening device may remain visible.

First-skirt portion 110 can have several configurations allowing for skirts of various styles including but not limited to A-line, chino, pencil, and tube. Skirt portions of differing style or shape can be attached to each other as long as their fastening devices cooperatively fasten and engage. For instance, if the circumferences of the fastening devices match, then the fastening devices are more likely to cooperatively fasten and engage.

Skirt portions can also have asymmetrical configurations. In an asymmetrical configuration, the sides of the skirt portion will have differing lengths, which causes either the top or bottom hem to be angled toward the ground when worn. Fig. 3A shows an embodiment of apparatus 100 where first-skirt portion 110 is modified such that hem 116 and fastening device 118 are angled downward at about a 30° angle. Hem 124 and fastening device 128 are correspondingly angled allowing fastening device 128 to cooperatively fasten to and engage fastening device 118. Fig. 3B shows another asymmetrical configuration where first-skirt portion 110 is unmodified, but hem 126 on second-skirt portion 120 is angled downward. These asymmetrical configurations can be contrasted with the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 where the hems of the skirt portions are all parallel to the ground when worn.

The skirt portions can be made of numerous materials with varied colors and patterns. This gives a person wearing apparatus 100 a great number of skirt configuration and appearance choices. Making certain skirt portions reversible with a different color on the reversed side further increases the number of choices. Fig. 4 demonstrates this using third-skirt portion 130 as the reversible component.

In addition to increasing wardrobe options, apparatus 100 can also be used for expression. Mixing and matching different colored skirt portions can be used to express support for a sports team. A person wearing apparatus 100 can express national pride by configuring apparatus 100 to have the colors of a national flag. Apparatus 100 can also be used to express a holiday mood for certain holidays that have associated colors like Christmas or Halloween.

Using apparatus 100 also has environmentally friendly implications. Apparatus 100 reduces the number of skirts an individual needs to own, which cuts down on the materials and energy that would have been used in producing those additional skirts. Also, Apparatus 100 requires less energy and resources to clean than regular skirts, because soiled skirt portions can be removed and washed separate from that of clean skirt portions.

Using apparatus 100 saves money by reducing the number of skirts an individual needs to buy. This also allows families to save money on school uniforms, because those uniforms can easily be modified into casual wear.

As used in this description, a“skirt” means a person’s outer garment fastened around the waist, and for primarily encircling and covering a lower-portion of the body, but not including any clothing covering both legs individually such as slacks, pants, or shorts. In addition, as used herein a skirt may include all lengths and configurations including, but not limited to microskirts, miniskirts, mid-calf, high-low/hi-lo skirt with asymmetrical hemlines, long skirt, or near-floor length.

Additional Skirt Portions

In another embodiment, apparatus 100 is not limited to three skirt portions. Fig. 5 shows an embodiment with a plurality of skirt portions: first- skirt portion 110, second-skirt portion 120, third-skirt portion 130, and three additional skirt portions 400.

Additional skirt portions 400 have a similar shape and configuration as second-skirt portion in that they each include fabric with a tubular shape, a top hem, a bottom hem, and fastening devices proximate to both their top and bottom hems. The fastening devices are configured to cooperatively fasten to and engage the fastening devices of any other skirt portion. In this configuration, any skirt portion with fastening devices positioned near the top and bottom hems will be interchangeable. This embodiment allows for a high degree of customizability in terms of apparatus length, shape, and color.

For example, apparatus 100 may be modified from a mini skirt into a full-length skirt simply by adding skirt portions (i.e., extensions).

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the claims.