Expandable garment closure

Abstract

An expandable button assembly for a garment having a tab portion with a button mounted thereon. The tab portion is at least partially made of an elastic material to allow for the tab to expand or stretch during a pulling of the button. When the button is incorporated into a collar of a shirt, the design allows for the collar to be expanded as far as the elastic material in the tab will allow. Thus, if the collar is too small for the wearer in an un expanded condition, the collar will expand to allow the shirt to be worn without discomfort and without any additions to the shirt.

1 . An attachment assembly for a garment comprising: 
 a second section having a button hole therein, and    a first section having a button attached thereon for insertion through the button hole to maintain the first and second sections in relative positions to one another,    wherein the button is affixed to a tab attached to an inner location of the first section and extending through a tab hole in the first section.    
   
   
       2 . The attachment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises an elastic portion and a portion made of material.  
   
   
       3 . The attachment assembly of  claim 2  wherein the elastic portion is attached to the inner location and the button is attached to the material portion.  
   
   
       4 . The attachment assembly of  claim 3  wherein the elastic portion is attached to the inner location via stitching.  
   
   
       5 . The attachment assembly of  claim 2  wherein the material portion is made of the same material as the rest of the garment.  
   
   
       6 . The attachment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first section comprises two layers of material and the tab extends between the layers and out through the tab hole.  
   
   
       7 . The attachment assembly of  claim 6  wherein the tab comprises an elastic portion and a portion made of material.  
   
   
       8 . The attachment assembly of  claim 7  wherein the elastic portion is located between the layers and attached to one of said layers.  
   
   
       9 . The attachment assembly of  claim 8  wherein the elastic portion is attached to said one of said layers via stitching.  
   
   
       10 . The attachment assembly of  claim 8  wherein the material portion meets the elastic portion between the layers and extends through the tab hole.  
   
   
       11 . The attachment assembly of  claim 10  wherein the material portion and the elastic portion are attached via stitching.  
   
   
       12 . The attachment assembly of  claim 10  wherein the material portion is made of the same material as the rest of the garment.  
   
   
       13 . The attachment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the assembly is part of a collar for a shirt and the first and second sections are ends of the collar.  
   
   
       14 . The attachment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the assembly is part of a waist attachment means on a pair of shorts.  
   
   
       15 . A garment having an attachment assembly comprising a button in a first section for insertion into a buttonhole in a second section, wherein the insertion of the button into the buttonhole maintains the first section in relative positions to the second section, wherein the button is attached to a tab extending from between material layers of the first section through a tab hole, and wherein the tab comprises an elastic portion allowing the tab to be expanded or contracted.  
   
   
       16 . The garment according to  claim 15 , wherein the tab is attached to the first section via stitching.  
   
   
       17 . The garment according to  claim 15 , wherein the tab further comprises a material portion.  
   
   
       18 . The garment according to  claim 17 , wherein the material portion is made from the same material as the rest of the shirt.  
   
   
       19 . The garment according to  claim 15 , wherein the first section comprises two layers of material and the tab extends between the layers and out through the tab hole.  
   
   
       20 . The garment according to  claim 19 , wherein the elastic portion is located between the two layers of material.  
   
   
       21 . The garment according to  claim 20 , wherein the elastic portion is attached to one of the two layers.  
   
   
       22 . The garment according to  claim 21 , wherein the elastic portion is attached via stitching.  
   
   
       23 . The garment according to  claim 20 , wherein a material portion attached to the elastic portion extends from between the two layers through the tab hole and is attached to the button.  
   
   
       24 . The garment according to  claim 23 , wherein the material portion is made of the same material as the rest of the garment.  
   
   
       25 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the garment is a shirt and the first and second sections are ends of a collar for the shirt.  
   
   
       26 . A button-up shirt having at least one button and buttonhole as claimed in  claim 15 .  
   
   
       27 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the garment is a pair of shorts and the button and buttonhole are part of a waist attachment means on a pair of shorts.