Clothing systems and methods

Abstract

A clothing system that may include a lower component of an article of clothing and one or more upper components of an article of clothing that may be sized and configured to be selectively and/or interchangeably connected to and disconnected from the lower component. For example, a first upper component may include a generally fixed waistband, and a second upper component may include an expandable maternity waistband. Desirably, a woman may connect the first upper component to the lower component to form an article of clothing that she may wear when not pregnant and/or during her first months of her pregnancy. The woman may later disconnect the first upper component from the lower component and then connect the second upper component to the lower component to form an article of clothing that she may wear during her latter months of her pregnancy and/or during her recovery from pregnancy.

1 . A method of using a lower component of an article of clothing and a first upper component of an article of clothing, the method comprising:
 disconnecting the first upper component from the lower component, the first upper component including:
 an expandable maternity waistband; and 
 at least one fastener member sized and configured to be connected to and disconnected from at least one fastener member of the lower component; 
   wherein disconnecting the first upper component from the lower component comprises disconnecting the at least one fastener member of the first upper component from the at least one fastener member of the lower component.   
   
   
       2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the first upper component is sized and configured to be connected to the lower component along a generally under-the-belly connection line. 
   
   
       3 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 connecting a second upper component of an article of clothing to the lower component, the second upper component including:
 at least one fastener member sized and configured to be connected to and disconnected from the at least one fastener member of the lower component; 
   wherein connecting a second upper component of an article of clothing to the lower component comprises connecting the at least one fastener member of the second upper component to the at least one fastener member of the lower component.   
   
   
       4 . The method as in  claim 3 , wherein the second upper component further 
   
   
       5 . A method of using a lower component of an article of clothing, a first upper component of an article of clothing and a second upper component of an article of clothing, the method comprising:
 by a person, wearing a first article of clothing, the first article of clothing including the lower component and the first upper component, the first upper component being connected to the lower component along a first connection line;   the lower component including at least one fastener member; the first upper component including an expandable maternity waistband and at least one fastener member connected to the at least one fastener member of the lower component;   disconnecting the first upper component from the lower component;   wherein disconnecting the first upper component from the lower component comprises disconnecting the at least one fastener member of the first upper component from the at least one fastener member of the lower component; and   connecting the second upper component to the lower component to create a second article of clothing that includes the lower component and the second upper component; the second upper component including at least one fastener member;   wherein connecting the second upper component to the lower component comprises connecting the at least one fastener member of the second upper component to the at least one fastener member of the lower component.   
   
   
       6 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned within four inches of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       7 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned within three inches of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       8 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned within two inches of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       9 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned within one inch of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       10 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of four inches above of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       11 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of three inches above of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       12 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of two inches above of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       13 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of one inch above of the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       14 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below the person's hip joints. 
   
   
       15 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein the first article of clothing comprises a pair of pants including the lower component and the first upper component;
 wherein the lower component includes a crotch of the pair of pants; and   wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of nine inches above of the crotch of the pair of pants.   
   
   
       16 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein the first article of clothing comprises a pair of pants including the lower component and the first upper component;
 wherein the lower component includes a crotch of the pair of pants; and   wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of eight inches above of the crotch of the pair of pants.   
   
   
       17 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein the first article of clothing comprises a pair of pants including the lower component and the first upper component;
 wherein the lower component includes a crotch of the pair of pants; and   wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of seven inches above of the crotch of the pair of pants.   
   
   
       18 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein the first article of clothing comprises a pair of pants including the lower component and the first upper component;
 wherein the lower component includes a crotch of the pair of pants; and   wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of six inches above of the crotch of the pair of pants.   
   
   
       19 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein the first article of clothing comprises a pair of pants including the lower component and the first upper component;
 wherein the lower component includes a crotch of the pair of pants; and   wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of five inches above of the crotch of the pair of pants.   
   
   
       20 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein the first article of clothing comprises a pair of pants including the lower component and the first upper component;
 wherein the lower component includes a crotch of the pair of pants; and   wherein wearing the first article of clothing comprises wearing the first article of clothing with the first connection line generally positioned at or below a height of four inches above of the crotch of the pair of pants.