Wig having stretchable foundation covered by hair wefts

Abstract

A wig includes a foundation made from generally circular blank of stretchable netting formed into a bowl shape as worn on a wearer's head. The bowl shape is formed by radially folding over the blank upon itself at a plurality of pairs of fold lines to form a plurality of radially-spaced triangular pleats. An elastic band is looped and attached to an outer periphery of the blank at a stretchable seam to maintain the pleats and the bowl shape. A plurality of hair wefts are attached to a convex outer surface of the foundation in a layered, spaced relationship at respective seams. Attachment areas of the hair wefts to the foundation hidden by overlapping adjacent hair wefts. The hair wefts are arranged to simulate natural hair growth patterns with hair wefts disposed transversely of the foundation pointing forwardly, downwardly, upwardly, or a combination thereof. Hair wefts at a crown of the foundation are centered about the crown pointing radially outwardly from the crown.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A wig for covering hair on a wearer's head, comprising: 
 a foundation made of a stretchable netting formed into a generally bowl-shaped configuration with a convex outer surface and having a stretchable peripheral edge, said foundation being sized to closely fit over the hair retained on the wearer's head; and    a plurality of elongate hairs attached to said foundation extending from said convex outer surface thereof.    
     
     
         2 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the wig is of full size such that the hairs completely cover a normal fully hair covered portion of the wearer's head.  
     
     
         3 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the wig is of partial size such that the hairs cover a thinning hair portion of a normal fully hair covered portion of the wearer's head adjacent a remaining hair covered portion thereof, said hairs being arranged to blend in with the hair on the wearer's head.  
     
     
         4 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable netting is primarily made of materials chosen from the group consisting of latex rubber, other rubber compounds, and nylon with strands of spandex.  
     
     
         5 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable netting has a multiplicity of substantially rectangular openings defined by respective groups of evenly spaced, parallel elastic fibers which intersect at substantially a right angle.  
     
     
         6 . The wig according to  claim 5 , wherein the rectangular openings are substantially square in shape with the elastic fibers of the groups are evenly spaced at between about eight and fourteen strands per inch.  
     
     
         7 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the hairs are chosen from the group consisting of natural hairs, artificial hairs, and a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the hairs are in the form of a plurality of hair wefts attached to the foundation in a spaced relationship.  
     
     
         9 . The wig according to  claim 8 , wherein at least some of the hair wefts are of a weaved type.  
     
     
         10 . The wig according to  claim 8 , wherein the hair wefts are attached to the foundation at respective expandable weft seams which allow said foundation to substantially freely stretch and contract beneath said hair wefts.  
     
     
         11 . The wig according to  claim 10 , wherein the weft seams comprise sewn seams.  
     
     
         12 . The wig according to  claim 11 , wherein the sewn weft seams are of a zig-zag type.  
     
     
         13 . The wig according to  claim 8 , wherein the hair wefts are arranged in a layered configuration to hide respective attachment areas thereof to the foundation from view and to blend together said hairs of adjacent hair wefts to provide a natural look.  
     
     
         14 . The wig according to  claim 8 , wherein the hair wefts each comprise a plurality of hair bundles each including a plurality of the hairs which are doubled-over such that opposite ends thereof are juxtaposed, and respective folded middles of said hairs in each hair bundle are sewn together at a transverse seam in a linearly aligned configuration comprising the attachment areas of said hair wefts.  
     
     
         15 . The wig according to  claim 8 , wherein the hair wefts are cut to length from longer raw lengths of hair wefts.  
     
     
         16 . The wig according to  claim 8 , wherein the hair wefts are attached to the foundation at least initially extending substantially tangential to the outer surface thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the foundation is made from generally circular blank of the stretchable netting having an outer periphery to which an elastic band is attached extending along at least a portion thereof to form the generally bowl-shaped configuration for said foundation.  
     
     
         18 . The wig according to  claim 17 , wherein the circular blank is radially folded over upon itself at respective pairs of fold lines and retained at respective section seams to form at least one generally triangular section of triple thickness.  
     
     
         19 . The wig according to  claim 18 , wherein the circular blank is radially folded over upon itself at a plurality of pairs of the fold lines to form a plurality of the triangular sections which are radially spaced about the foundation.  
     
     
         20 . The wig according to  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of the triangular sections are substantially equally-spaced radially about the foundation.  
     
     
         21 . The wig according to  claim 17 , wherein the elastic band is formed into a looped configuration which extends substantially entirely around the outer periphery of the blank.  
     
     
         22 . The wig according to  claim 21 , wherein the elastic band is attached substantially to an entirety of the outer periphery of the blank at an expandable peripheral seam which allows the blank to freely stretch and contract.  
     
     
         23 . The wig according to  claim 22 , wherein the peripheral seam comprises a sewn seam.  
     
     
         24 . The wig according to  claim 23 , wherein the sewn peripheral seam is of a zig-zag type.  
     
     
         25 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the hairs are arranged on the foundation to simulate natural hair growth patterns.  
     
     
         26 . The wig according to  claim 25 , wherein the hairs are in the form of a plurality of hair wefts attached to the foundation in a spaced relationship, at least some of said hair wefts being disposed generally transversely of said foundation starting at a front of said foundation extending from a left side to a right side thereof, adjacent hair wefts being attached toward a rear portion of said foundation, respective ends of a majority of the hairs of said hair wefts pointing generally in a direction chosen from the group consisting of forwardly, downwardly, upwardly, and a combination thereof to simulate the natural hair growth pattern at respective front and sides on the wearer's head.  
     
     
         27 . The wig according to  claim 25 , wherein the hairs are in the form of a plurality of hair wefts attached to the foundation in a spaced relationship, at least some of said hair wefts being disposed in a configuration generally centered about a crown of said foundation, with respective ends of the hairs pointing generally radially outwardly from said crown to simulate the natural hair growth pattern at a crown of the wearer's head.  
     
     
         28 . The wig according to  claim 27 , wherein the configuration in which some of the hair wefts are disposed generally centered about the crown of the foundation chosen from the group consisting of triangular, rectangular, circular, and linear.  
     
     
         29 . The wig according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a pair of drawstrings; and    wherein the foundation has a plurality of drawstring holes adjacent the peripheral edge thereof, respective first ends of said drawstrings being attached to said foundation in a laterally spaced relationship at respective drawstring seams, and are threaded through respective opposed linear groups of said drawstring holes to meet centrally therebetween, respective second ends of said drawstrings which may be pulled and tied together to pull said foundation tighter about the head of the wearer.    
     
     
         30 . The wig according to  claim 29 , wherein the drawstring seams comprise sewn seams and the second ends are knotted to prevent said drawstrings from feeding back through the drawstring holes.  
     
     
         31 . The wig according to  claim 1 , wherein the foundation includes a cutout into the peripheral edge thereof filled in by an elastic sheet attached thereto to which hairs are attached, said elastic sheet fitting closely to the wearer's head to produce a more natural looking hairline.  
     
     
         32 . The wig according to  claim 31 , wherein the elastic sheet is made of a material chosen from the group consisting of natural rubber and synthetic rubber.  
     
     
         33 . The wig according to  claim 31 , wherein the cutout and elastic sheet are disposed at a front of the foundation.  
     
     
         34 . The wig according to  claim 31 , wherein the hairs are in the form of a plurality of hair wefts attached to the foundation in a spaced relationship, at least one hair weft being attached directly to the elastic sheet.  
     
     
         35 . A wig for covering hair on a wearer's head, comprising: 
 a foundation made of a stretchable netting formed into a generally bowl-shaped configuration with a convex outer surface and having a stretchable peripheral edge, said foundation being sized to closely fit over the hair retained on the wearer's head; and    a plurality of elongate hairs attached to said foundation extending from said convex outer surface thereof arranged on the foundation to simulate natural hair growth patterns, said hairs being in the form of a plurality of hair wefts attached to said foundation in a spaced relationship on the outer surface thereof, at least some of said hair wefts being of a weaved type, said hair wefts being arranged in a layered configuration to hide respective attachment areas thereof to said foundation from view and to blend together said hairs of adjacent hair wefts to provide a natural look.    
     
     
         36 . The wig according to  claim 35 , wherein the foundation is made from generally circular blank of the stretchable netting having an outer periphery to which an elastic band is attached which is formed into a looped configuration which extends substantially entirely around said outer periphery thereof to form the generally bowl-shaped configuration for said foundation, said circular blank being radially folded over upon itself at a plurality of pairs of fold lines and retained at respective section seams to form a plurality of the triangular sections of triple thickness which are radially spaced about said foundation.  
     
     
         37 . The wig according to  claim 36 , wherein the hair wefts are attached to the foundation at respective expandable weft seams comprising sewn seams which allow said foundation to substantially freely stretch and contract beneath said hair wefts, the elastic band being attached substantially to an entirety of the outer periphery of the blank at an expandable peripheral seam which allows the blank to freely stretch and contract, the section seams which retain the triangular sections comprising portions of said peripheral seam.  
     
     
         38 . The wig according to  claim 35 , wherein the hairs are in the form of a plurality of hair wefts attached to the foundation in a spaced relationship, at least some of said hair wefts being disposed generally transversely of said foundation starting at a front of said foundation extending from a left side to a right side thereof, adjacent hair wefts being attached toward a rear portion of said foundation, respective ends of a majority of the hairs of said hair wefts pointing generally in a direction chosen from the group consisting of forwardly, downwardly, upwardly, and a combination thereof to simulate the natural hair growth pattern at respective front and sides on the wearer's head, and at least some of said hair wefts being disposed in a configuration generally centered about a crown of said foundation, with respective ends of the hairs pointing generally radially outwardly from said crown to simulate the natural hair growth pattern at a crown of the wearer's head.  
     
     
         39 . The wig according to  claim 38 , wherein some of the hair wefts are disposed generally in a configuration centered about the crown of the foundation chosen from the group consisting of triangular, rectangular, circular, and linear.  
     
     
         40 . The wig according to  claim 35 , wherein the foundation includes a cutout into the peripheral edge thereof filled in by an elastic sheet attached thereto which fits closely to the wearer's head to produce a more natural looking hairline, said elastic sheet is made of a material chosen from the group consisting of natural and synthetic rubber, said cutout and elastic sheet being disposed at a front of said foundation.  
     
     
         41 . A wig for covering hair on a wearer's head, comprising: 
 a foundation made of a stretchable netting formed into a generally bowl-shaped configuration with a convex outer surface and having a stretchable peripheral edge, said foundation being made from generally circular blank of said stretchable netting having an outer periphery to which an elastic band is attached which is formed into a looped configuration which extends substantially entirely around said outer periphery thereof to form the generally bowl-shaped configuration for said foundation, said circular blank being radially folded over upon itself at a plurality of pairs of fold lines and retained at respective section seams to form a plurality of the triangular sections of triple thickness which are radially spaced about said foundation, said foundation being sized to closely fit over the hair retained on the wearer's head; and    a plurality of elongate hairs attached to said foundation extending from said convex outer surface thereof arranged on said foundation to simulate natural hair growth patterns.