GB2423234A

GB2423234A - Garment comprising an outer layer and a lining

Info

Publication number: GB2423234A
Application number: GB0608391A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Deborah Shulton; Sharon Togher; Mark Tarbard; Emma Douglas
Original assignee: Marks and Spencer PLC
Current assignee: Marks and Spencer PLC
Priority date: 2006-04-27
Filing date: 2006-04-27
Publication date: 2006-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-27
Also published as: GB0608391D0; GB2423234B

Abstract

A garment such as a dress top or skirt comprises an outer layer 2 and a lining 4. The lining is connected to the outer layer at an opening 22, 36 and at the edges of an open seam 19. 33 which is closed by fastening means such as a zip 20. The lining 4, in an unstressed condition, is slightly smaller than the outer layer 2, and is made from a stretchable knitted, body-shaping material, for example including elastane.

Description

A GARMENT COMPRISING AN OUTER LAYER AND A LINING

This invention relates to a garment comprising an outer layer and a lining, and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with womenswear garments such as dresses, skirts and tops. In this specification, the word "tops" is used in a broad sense to cover any garment which is worn over the upper torso.

Body shaping garments are known, in the form of undergarments which are made from stretchable fabrics and fit closely to the body of the wearer. Such undergarments are usually entirely separate from, and worn underneath, the wearer's normal apparel. A problem with such undergarments is that they do not match the apparel worn over it, in terms of colour or shape. Consequently, parts of the body shaping underwear may be visible beneath the dress or other garment worn over it, particularly in the shoulder and neck region. Furthermore, the shaping effect of the body shaping undergarment may not match the shape of the outer garment with which it is worn. It is also known for garments such as dresses to have a lining on the wearer side of the outer layer of the garment. Such linings are made of a light yet relatively non-stretch fabric such as polyester or silk, and are provided to avoid contact between the wearer's body and the outer layer to provide comfort for the wearer and proper drape of the outer fabric layer.

According to the present invention there is provided a garment comprising an outer layer and a lining, the garment having an opening for receiving a neck or torso of a wearer, and an open seam which extends from the opening and is closable by fastening means, the lining being attached to the outer layer at the opening, and at the opposite edges of the open seam, the lining comprising an elastic material having a modulus which is not less than 200 g.

The modulus of the elastic material is preferably the same as, or similar to, that of fabric used in body control lingerie, and so may fall in the range 500 g to 800 g, and more specifically 550 g to 750 g. However, if lighter body control is required, it will be possible to use an elastic material having a lower modulus, for example in the range g to 300 g.

In the context of the present invention, the term "modulus" refers to a property of a warp knit elastomeric fabric as determined by Marks & Spencer test procedure P14.

Such a test is performed on rectangular samples of the fabric having a width of mm x 50 mm, clamped so as to provide a test length of 100 mm. Separate samples are tested, with longer dimension of the sample being aligned with, or across, the direction of the elastomeric thread in the fabric.

The test is conducted in an atmosphere at a temperature of 200 2 C and a relative humidity of 65% 2%, and the samples may be conditioned in this atmosphere before testing, for example for at least 16 hours.

The modulus is determined by cycling each sample twice to a cycling load of 3.60 Kg and determining the load at 40% extension during the second extension cycle. This load is the modulus.

The lining may be made from a knitted fabric which includes a stretchable yarn such as a yarn containing elastane.

The lining may be smaller in overall dimension than the outer layer when measured off the body, so that the lining must be expanded against its resilience to bring it into contact with the outer layer over its entire circumference. This is particularly the case in the critical regions of bust, waist and hips, where the lining may be not less than 3 cm smaller than the outer layer.

The lining may extend over at least the torso-covering part of the outer layer. In some embodiments, the lining may extend downwards almost to the lower edge of the outer layer.

The garment may be any suitable garment, but the present invention is considered to be particularly applicable to a garment in the form of a dress, a skirt or a top.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a front view of a dress; Figure 2 is a rear view of the dress of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of a lining of the dress of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a rear view of the lining of Figure 3; and Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 1 but shows the outer layer of the dress cut away to reveal the lining.

The dress shown in the drawings will be described as an example of a garment to which the present invention may be applied. However, the invention may be applied to a variety of garments including, but not limited to, skirts and tops of various styles.

The dress shown in Figure 1 is intended as formal wear, having a tailored appearance.

The dress comprises an outer layer 2, shown in Figures 1 and 2, and a lining 4, shown in Figures 3 and 4. The outer layer may be made from a woven or knitted material comprising natural yarns such as wool or cotton, or synthetic yarns such as polyester, or a mixture of natural and synthetic yarns. The outer layer is made up from separate fabric pieces separated by seams indicated, for example, at 6, and includes various details such as gathered pleats 8, 10 and decorative buttons 12, 14.

A central rear seam 16 is open at both the bottom and the top. At the bottom, the seam 8 is unfinished to provide a split 18 extending to the bottom hem of the outer layer 2 from the region of the buttons 12.

At the top, the seam 16 extends as an open seam 19 which is provided with a zip 20.

In some designs, alternative fastening means may be provided for securing together the edges of the open seam 19. The open seam 19 opens into a neck opening 22 of the outer layer 2.

It will be appreciated from Figures 3 and 4 that the lining 4 is of generally the same shape as the outer layer, excluding the sleeves 24. However, the lining 4 is smaller overall than the outer layer 2 with the result that, when the finished garment is worn normally, the lining 4 is not visible.

The lining 4 is made from a stretchable, body-shaping material. The material is preferably a knitted material, such as a warp knitted material, and may include at least some yarns containing highly resilient fibres such as elastane. For example, the material of the lining may comprise not less than 15% and not more than 40% elastane. In one practical form of the dress, the elastane content of the lining is 20% to 25%. The material of the lining 4 can stretch by 40% or more and, when released, will return to its former state. In a preferred design, the modulus of the lining material is in the range 550 - 800 g. However, if light control is required, a modulus of 200 - 300 g may be adequate.

The lining 4 is made up of separate pieces which are joined together at seams 26 which correspond in position to the seams 6 of the outer layer, although an additional seam 28 is provided in the lining 4 below the bust.

As with the outer layer 2, the lining 4 has a central seam 30 at the back, which is open at the top and bottom ends. At the bottom, the seam 30 is unfinished to provide a split 32.

The upper end portion 33 of the back seam 30, from a point 34, is open and connects to a neck opening 36 which has the same shape as the neck opening 22 of the outer layer.

The lining 4 is attached to the outer layer 2 by stitching the two components together along the edges of the neck openings 22 and 36 and along the edges of the open seams 19 and 33. The zip 20 may be fitted during this process, or after the lining 4 and the outer layer 2 have been joined together.

The stitching together of the lining 4 and the outer layer 2 is performed with the components turned inside out, so that the seam is concealed between the lining 4 and the outer layer 2 when the garment is complete. However, the seams 26, 28 on the lining 2 are formed so that they face the wearer's body, so that the lining 4 presents a clean surface to the inner surface of the outer layer 2.

Figure 5 represents the finished garment, with the outer layer 2 cut-away on the right- hand side so that the lining 4 is visible. The right-hand side of the outer layer 2 is indicated in dotted outline, It will be appreciated that the lining 4 is slightly smaller than the outer layer 2, as represented by the dimension d. At least n the critical regions of bust, waist and hips, the dimension d may be, for example, 3 centimetres or more, and may vary from top to bottom of the garment. The effect of this is that, when worn, the lining 4 will fit relatively tightly over the wearer's body, especially over the critical regions, from the upper thighs to the bust, so providing a body shaping effect. The lining 4 will thus be stretched outwardly into contact with, or close to, the outer layer 2, so as to form a close-fitting garment over the wearer's body.

It will be appreciated that the lining 4 can be adapted to provide a desired shaping effect. Thus, for example, the modulus of the fabric from which the lining 4 is made can be varied to provide a greater shaping effect in some areas than in others. This variation in modulus may be achieved by cutting the lining material in different directions for the different pieces, in order to vary the modulus around the wearer's body to adjust the control characteristics of the lining to different parts of the wearer's body. The precise form of the lining is determined to conform to the aesthetic requirements of the outer layer.

Because the lining 4 is attached to the outer layer 2 only at the neck openings 22, 36 and at the open seams 19 and 33, the lining 4 is able to hang substantially free within the outer layer 2 and thus to move independently of the outer layer 2, at least at the front and sides of the garment. When the zip 20 is done up, the lining 4 is tensioned around the wearer's body and so is stretched to provide the desired shaping effect.

The lining 4 and the outer layer 2 may have generally the same colour as each other, to minimise the chances of the lining showing through the outer layer.

It will be appreciated that the present invention may be applied to garments other than dresses, as shown in the drawings. For examples, the same principle may be applied to a skirt, in which case the outer layer and the lining will be joined together at the waistband and at a zip opening, or a top which may or may not be provided with a zip fastener. If a zip fastener is provided in a top, it may be positioned at a position other than the back of the top, for example at the side, in which case the zip may run upwards from the bottom hem towards an armhole.

Claims

1. A garment comprising an outer layer and a lining, the garment having an opening for receiving a neck or torso of a wearer, and an open seam which extends from the opening and is closable by fastening means, the lining being attached to the outer layer at the opening, and at the opposite edges of the open seam, the lining comprising an elastic material having a modulus which is not less than 200 g.

2. A garment as claimed in claim 1, in which the modulus of the lining material is not greater than 800g.

3. A garment as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the modulus is not less than 550 g.

4. A garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the material of the lining is a knitted material.

5. A garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the material of the lining includes a stretchable yarn.

6. A garment as claimed in claim 5, in which the material of the lining includes elastane.

7. A garment as claimed in claim 6, in which the material of the lining comprises not less than 15% and not more than 40% elastane.

8. A garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the lining is smaller than the outer layer in the circumferential direction of a wearer's body.

9. A garment as claimed in claim 8, in which, over at least part of the lining, the circumferential length of the lining is not less than 3 cm smaller than that of the outer layer at the same position when measured off the body.

10. A garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the lining extends over at least a torso-covering part of the outer layer.

11. A garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is a dress.

12. A garment as claimed in any one of claims Ito 10, which is a skirt.

13. A garment as claimed in any one of claims ito 10, which is a top.

14. A dress substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.