Adjustable Fashion Clothing Accessories and Methods of Using Same

Abstract

A fashion clothing accessory is adjustable, and may be removable or permanent. Two ornamental members have fastening mechanisms for attachment to the clothing at discrete areas thereon, and are attached or attachable to two flexible elongate members that can be secured together at different possible intermediate points therealong using an adjustment mechanism. With the accessory attached to the clothing, the mechanism provides adjustments to both the accessory and clothing by changing its position on the flexible members in order to pull the ornamental members closer together or allow them to drift further apart. The adjustment mechanism may also feature ornamental elements. In addition to this function of changing the appearance and fit of clothing, the ornamental elements provide additional style.

1 . A clothing accessory comprising:
 first and second ornamental members each comprising a respective fastening mechanism arranged for fastening of said ornamental member to a respective one of two discrete areas on a piece of clothing in a respective position placing a respective ornamental exterior of said ornamental member outwardly visible at said respective one of the two discrete areas on the piece of clothing;   first and second flexible elongate members comprising respective attachment ends that are connected or connectable to the first and second ornamental members, and respective free ends located distal to said attachment ends;   an adjustment member arranged for selective securing together of the first and second flexible elongate members at any one of a plurality of possible intermediate points along the attachment members between the attachment ends and free ends thereof, whereby adjustment of the adjustment member to move from a first intermediate point on the flexible elongate members to a selected intermediate point that is located closer to the attachment ends of the flexible elongate members acts to draw together the first and second ornamental members and thereby gather the first and second discrete areas of the piece of the clothing toward one another.   
     
     
         2 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  wherein each ornamental member comprises a respective outer piece defining the ornamental exterior of said ornamental member and a separate inner piece, and the fastening mechanism of each ornamental member comprises a magnet on one of said inner and outer pieces and a magnetically attractable element on the other of said inner and outer pieces to magnetically couple the inner and outer pieces together through the piece of the clothing at the respective discrete area of the piece of the clothing. 
     
     
         3 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  wherein each ornamental member comprises a coupling element at which the respective flexible elongate member is releasably connectable to said ornamental member. 
     
     
         4 . The clothing accessory of  claim 3  wherein each flexible elongate member comprises an attachment clasp at the attachment end thereof for selective connection and release of said attachment clasp to and from the coupling element of the respective ornamental member. 
     
     
         5 . The clothing accessory of  claim 3  in combination with a separate necklace, where the coupling element of each ornamental member allows disconnection thereof from the respective flexible elongate member and attachment of said ornamental member to said necklace for wearing of said ornamental member in a neck-worn position. 
     
     
         6 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  wherein each flexible elongate member comprises a respective chain. 
     
     
         7 . The clothing accessory of any one  claim 1  wherein the first and second elongate members comprises first and second chains, respectively, in which intermediate links of said chains located between the attachment ends and free ends of said chains define the intermediate points at which the adjustment member is engagable to said chains. 
     
     
         8 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  wherein the adjustment member comprises a decorative exterior for facing outwardly away from the piece of the clothing for decorative effect. 
     
     
         9 . The clothing accessory of  claim 8  wherein the adjustment member comprises an outer unit defining the decorative exterior of said adjustment member, a separate inner unit, a magnet on one of said inner and outer units, and a magnetically attractable element on the other of said inner and outer units to enable magnetically coupling of the inner and outer units together through an area of clothing at an intermediate location between the discrete areas at which the ornamental members are received. 
     
     
         10 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  wherein the adjustment member is a spring loaded cord stop, and each flexible elongate member comprises a respective flexible cord feedable through the cord stop for automatic securing thereto via a spring loaded clamping action of said spring loaded cord stop. 
     
     
         11 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  wherein the adjustment member comprises a fastening device operable to fasten the adjustment member to an area of clothing at an intermediate location between the discrete areas at which the ornamental members are received. 
     
     
         12 . The clothing accessory of  claim 11  wherein the adjustment member comprises an outer unit and a separate inner unit, and the fastening device of the adjustment member comprises a magnet on one of said inner and outer units and a magnetically attractable element on the other of said inner and outer pieces to magnetically couple the inner and outer units together through the area of clothing at the intermediate location. 
     
     
         13 . The clothing accessory of  claim 2  wherein the magnetically attractable element is another magnet, whereby the magnets attract one another when oriented to face opposing poles of said magnets toward one another. 
     
     
         14 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  wherein the adjustment member and the first and second flexible elongate members are arranged to freely suspend the free ends of said flexible elongate members from the adjustment member while said adjustment member secures together said flexible elongate members at a selected intermediate point on said flexible elongate members. 
     
     
         15 . The clothing accessory of  claim 1  in combination with the piece of clothing, wherein the piece of clothing comprises an opening therein and the discrete areas are disposed on opposing sides of said opening, whereby gathering the first and second discrete areas of the piece of the clothing toward one another using the clothing accessory acts to draw said opposing sides of the opening together to thereby reduce a size of said opening. 
     
     
         16 . The combination of  claim 15  wherein the opening in the piece of clothing is a front-torso opening that runs longitudinally and centrally at a front side of a wearer's torso in a worn position of said piece of clothing, whereby the gathering of the first and second discrete areas together by the clothing accessory at least partially closes up the front-torso opening of the piece of clothing and tightens a circumferential fit of the piece of clothing around the wearer's torso. 
     
     
         17 . A method of creating a gathering effect between two discrete areas on a piece of clothing that are normally spaced apart by a first distance when said piece of clothing is worn in a natural position, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) with first and second ornamental members respectively fastened to first and second ones of said two discrete areas on said piece of clothing, and with first and second flexible elongate members respectively connected to the first and second ornamental members at respective attachment ends of said flexible elongate members, drawing intermediate points on the flexible elongate members together at an intermediate area between the two discrete areas on said piece of clothing, thereby pulling the two ornamental members toward one another across said intermediate area in order to pull the discrete areas of the piece of clothing toward one another into a gathered relationship; and   (b) securing the intermediate points of said flexible elongate elements together at said intermediate area to thereby retain the gathered relationship of the discrete areas on said piece of clothing.   
     
     
         19 . The method of claim  18  wherein the ornamental members and flexible elongate members are those of the clothing accessory of any one of  claims 1  to  16 , and step (b) comprises using the adjustment mechanism of said clothing accessory to secure the intermediate points of the flexible elongate elements together.