Garment with wristwatch accommodations

Abstract

A shirt cuff has a cut-out opening providing a window through which a wristwatch can be viewed and accessed as it is being worn in an operative viewing position. A flexible fabric flap is attached to the cuff and is positioned under the viewing window, thus providing a saddle for supporting the watch body in the viewing window. The saddle flap allows a wristwatch or other wrist-mounted instrument to be loosely associated with the wrist and worn with utmost comfort and confidence, while preventing direct contact of the watch body against the wearer's wrist. In a French cuff embodiment, an outer cuff layer is intersected by a cut-out opening through which a wristwatch can be viewed, and an inner cuff layer prevents direct contact.

1 . A shirt cuff comprising:
 a band of fabric material intersected by a cutout opening and delimited by edge portions of the fabric band disposed on opposite sides of the cutout opening, the cutout opening providing a window for displaying the face of a wristwatch while it is being worn in an operative viewing position; and   a flap movably coupled to the band, the flap extending beneath the viewing window and in underlapping relation with the oppositely disposed edge portions of the fabric band.   
   
   
       2 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , the fabric band including a proximal edge portion adapted for attachment to a shirt sleeve and a distal edge portion, wherein the flap comprises a swatch of fabric material that is bounded on one side by a peripheral edge portion, the peripheral edge portion being attached to the band in alignment with the distal edge portion. 
   
   
       3 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the fabric band includes a proximal edge portion that is adapted for attachment to a shirt sleeve and a distal edge portion forming the end of a barrel cuff extension, and wherein the cutout opening is bounded on one side by the distal edge portion. 
   
   
       4 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the cuff is delimited by a first edge portion that defines a distal end of the cuff and by a second edge portion that defines the window opening. 
   
   
       5 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the flap is radially spaced from the cuff thereby providing a ventilation passage between a person's wrist and the body of a wristwatch disposed in an operative viewing position. 
   
   
       6 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the flap comprises a barrier layer that is situated between a person's wrist and the body of a wristwatch disposed in the operative viewing position. 
   
   
       7 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the flap is attached to the cuff in depending relation therewith. 
   
   
       8 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the flap comprises a swatch of two-ply fabric material. 
   
   
       9 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the flap comprises a two-ply woven fabric material having a yarn threads per-inch count in the range of from about 31.5 threads per-cm (about 80 threads per-inch) to about 86.6 threads per cm (about 220 threads per inch). 
   
   
       10 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the flap comprises 100 percent cotton yarn. 
   
   
       11 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the flap comprises a swatch of moisture absorbent material for opposing direct contact of a wristwatch body against the wearer's wrist. 
   
   
       12 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the flap is disposed in under-lapping relation with the cuff and is capable of spreading the forces of expansion band or strap engagement more or less uniformly around a substantial portion of the wearer's wrist. 
   
   
       13 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the band is folded and gathered to form overlapping inside and outside layers of a French cuff extension for attachment to a shirt sleeve, and the outside layer is intersected by the cutout opening. 
   
   
       14 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 1 , wherein the fabric band is folded about an intermediate fold line to form overlapping inside and outside layers of a French cuff extension for attachment to a shirt sleeve, and the cutout opening is delimited at least in part by the fold line. 
   
   
       15 . A shirt cuff comprising: a fabric band that is intersected by a cutout opening, the cutout opening providing a viewing window for displaying the face of a wristwatch as the wristwatch is being worn in an operative viewing position; and
 a flap movably coupled to the fabric band and disposed beneath the viewing window in subjacent relation to the fabric band.   
   
   
       16 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 15 , wherein the flap comprises a swatch of fabric material that is bounded on one side by a side edge portion, and the side edge portion is attached to the underside of the fabric band on laterally opposing sides of the viewing window. 
   
   
       17 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 15 , wherein the fabric band includes a first peripheral edge portion adapted for attachment to a shirt sleeve and- a second peripheral edge portion capable of being shaped and gathered to encircle the wearer's wrist, and wherein the cutout opening intersects the second peripheral edge portion. 
   
   
       18 . A shirt cuff according to  claim 15 , wherein the fabric band includes a first peripheral edge portion adapted for attachment to a shirt sleeve and a second peripheral edge portion capable of being shaped and gathered to encircle the wearer's wrist, and wherein the flap is stitched to the underside of the cuff portion along the second peripheral edge portion.