WAISTBAND EXTENDER STRIP

Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to girth extenders for clothing, particularly to extenders for extending the girth of clothing so that a wearer can fit the clothing following girth expansion (e.g. due to pregnancy or weight gain).

Background of the Disclosure

A wide variety of garments are designed so that the portion encircling the wearer's waist or hips fits snugly. In articles such as jeans, skirts, trousers and similar lower body garments, the upper region of the garment is generally provided with an opening for allowing the garment to be pulled on at a loose fit and closed to a close fit, securing the garment on the wearer. However, difficulties can arise due to body dimension variations both from person to person in the general population and, for a given person, temporary changes in their girth. In particular, during early pregnancy the girth of the waist increases so that a user's normal garments do not readily fasten.

Various adjustment or extension features have been devised previously. However, these adjustments or extenders are frequently too large for the early term pregnancy and further these extenders change the appearance of the garment significantly, owing to providing the garment with a new panel and a new visible fastening means. This can render the garment distasteful to the wearer.

Summary of the Disclosure

According to the present innovation, there is provided a waistband extender strip, for use with a lower body garment having a waist opening which is selectively closable by a waist button and buttonhole arrangement, said extender strip comprising: • a first flat end portion and a second flat end portion;

• a button slit within each of said first and second flat end portions; and

• a central portion, intermediate said first and second flat end portions, having a width which is substantially narrower than the width of the first and second flat end portions; wherein: • at least one of the flat end portions is adapted to pass through the buttonhole of the garment;

• each button slit is adapted to engage the waist button; and

• the central portion is adapted in use to be located within the buttonhole of the garment.

Preferably, at least a section of the extender strip is formed of an elastic material. This enables the extender strip to be used in a way which accommodates a range of different sized girths. In a preferred embodiment, the entire extender strip is formed of an elastic material. Alternatively, the flat end portions of the extender strip (or parts of them) may be formed of non-elastic material and the section of the extender strip between the flat end portions may be formed of elastic material. The elastic material may be an elastomeric fabric.

In a particularly preferred embodiment,, the waistband extender strip is _t symmetrically shaped so that, when folded about its central portion, the first and second flat end portions abut one another in substantial alignment. A benefit of this feature is largely one of aesthetics. When the waistband extender is in use in a lower body garment, with both of the first and second flat end portions secured to the waist button via the button slits, all that can be observed is one of the flat end portions. This results in a very neat and tidy appearance.

In an alternative embodiment of the subject waistband extender strip, the first flat end portion or the second flat end portion, or both, may include more than one button slit. This may assist in making the waistband extender strip more adaptable to different sizes of girth. Further, each of the ^' button slits in each end portion may be of different sizes to enable the waistband extender strip to be used on a wider range of garments (having different sized waist buttons).

It will be readily appreciated that the above waistband extender strip allows for a user to extend the distance across the opening in a lower body garment and to more comfortably wear the garment during pregnancy or following weight gain.

Brief Description of the Drawings

It is convenient to describe the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a simplified front plan view of one embodiment of the waistband extender strip of the present invention; Figure 2 is a simplified plan view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 1 being positioned;

Figure 3 is a simplified plan view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 1 in use;

Figure 4 is a front plan view of a preferred embodiment of the waistband extender strip of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a rear plan view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a top view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a front perspective view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a rear perspective view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a front plan view of a preferred embodiment of the waistband extender strip of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a rear plan view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a top view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4; Figure 7 is a front perspective view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4; Figure 8 is a rear perspective view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4; Figure 9 is a front perspective view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 7 (in bent orientation);

Figure 10 is a rear perspective view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 8 (in bent orientation);

Figurei 1 is a top view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 6 (in bent-over orientation); and Figure 12 is a side view of the waistband extender strip of Figure 4

it is to be appreciated that the particularity of the drawings and their related description is to be understood as not limiting the preceding broad description.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

The above figures show a girth extender (or waist extender strip) 1 which is adapted to be positioned to extend the waist girth of a garment 2 having an opening at its waist. The extender is composed of fabric, which may be an elastomeric fabric (such as an elasticised fabric strip).

The extender 1 includes two flat end sections 3 and 4. Each end section has a connection element 5 and 6 positioned on the end sections. In the embodiments shown in the Figures, each of the connection elements 5 and 6 consist of a buttonhole. These connection elements 5 and 6 are adapted to be positioned over, and engage with, a button 7 positioned on the waist of the garment 2.

The extender 1 includes an intermediate section 9 which is located between the two end sections 3 and 4. The intermediate section 9 is relatively narrow when compared with the end sections 3 and 4. In the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 10 (see especially Figures 5, 8 and

10), mid portions 11 and 12 on the top edge 13 and the bottom edge 14 of the extender 1 are folded over and secured to the rear surface 15 of the extender, thereby providing a narrowing of the intermediate section of the extender 1. In the preferred embodiment shown in these Figures, the securing of these mid portions 11 and 12 is effected at a mid-point 16 of the extender. This securing can be achieved by any suitable means such as by sewing.

over and the second connection element 6 is connected to button 7 (also in a usual button/buttonhole connection) so that the intermediate section 9 remains positioned within the buttonhole 8 of the garment 2 while the connection elements 5 and 6 are both engaged with the garment 2 at button 7.

The design of the extender 1 is discrete so that it can be worn by people who may have gained weight or by women who are pregnant without the pregnancy yet having become significantly noticeable. The extender 1 provides additional centimetres between connection element 5 and intermediate section 9. This enables a person, whose waist has expanded (e.g. through weight gain or pregnancy) still to wear garments which otherwise would not fit or would be too tight. In the case of pregnant women, it may allow for the women's usual garments to be worn for several more weeks or months into the pregnancy than would otherwise be the case.

The extender 1 is preferably formed of an elastic or elastomeric material and this elastic nature of the material also allows for a certain amount of temporary expansion of the extender. Further, as can be appreciated, the button 7 that is usually shown in the pants may still be visible when using the extender. This allows for pants with a particular style of button (which match the pants) to be used without featuring a foreign button that is not usually used on those parents. As a result, the extender can be used on a wide variety of pants.

Obviously, if a user wishes to conceal the extender, this can readily be done by allowing a shirt, jumper or other garment to extend over the user's waist.

As disclosed in the drawings, the connection elements 5 and 6 are typically buttonholes. The buttonholes can be formed in horizontal, vertical or any other orientation and sho.uld, preferably, be of a size capable of accommodating a range of standard button sizes.

Instead of a single buttonhole on each end section, the invention contemplates having more than one buttonhole. Multiple buttonholes may provide the user with further flexibility for varying the tightness of the pants (or other relevant garment) when being worn. Also, each of the multiple buttonholes may be of a different size so as to accommodate a wider range of button sizes.

The extender of this invention has been described with a narrow intermediate section. The extender would still function adequately without it having this narrow intermediate section. The narrow intermediate section is desirable primarily for two reasons. Firstly, it facilitates the retention of this intermediate section within the buttonhole of the pants (or other relevant garment) so that, when in use, extender is folded over about this intermediate section, the two end sections

sit neatly over one another (which is aesthetically pleasing). Secondly, the narrow intermediate section is less likely to cause any deformation of the buttonhole of the pants or other garment than would be the case without this narrowing (which again provides an aesthetically pleasing result).

The detailed description of it should not be considered to limit the scope of the claims and broad description contained in this specification.

It is to be understood that a reference herein to a prior art document does not constitute an admission that the document forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" (or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising") is used in an inclusive sense, that is, to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.