System, method and apparatus for a garment that is convertible between a jacket and a vest/leggings

Abstract

A garment can include a body having arm openings. Sleeves can be removably mounted adjacent the arm openings. Each sleeve can have a shoulder end and a wrist end. The garment also can include a jacket configuration where the sleeves are removably mounted to the body at the arm openings. In this mode, the body can be worn as a jacket on a torso and arms of a user. The shoulder ends of the sleeves can be removably fastened to fasteners on the body located adjacent the arm openings. The garment can further include a vest/leggings configuration wherein the sleeves are unfastened and removed from the body. The body can be worn as a vest on the torso of the user such that the garment does not cover the arms of the user. Each sleeve can be worn as a legging on a respective leg of the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A garment, comprising:
 a body having a front, a back, a head opening, a hood extending from the head opening and arm openings;   sleeves configured to be removably mounted adjacent the arm openings, and each sleeve has a shoulder end and a wrist end; wherein the garment comprises:   a jacket configuration wherein the sleeves are configured to be removably mounted to the body at the arm openings, such that the body and sleeves are configured to be worn as a jacket on a torso and arms of a user, respectively, wherein the shoulder ends of the sleeves are removably fastened to fasteners on the body located adjacent the arm openings, and the wrist ends of the sleeves extend away from the arm openings; and   a vest/leggings configuration wherein the sleeves are configured to be unfastened and removed from the body, wherein the body is configured to be worn as a vest on the torso of the user such that the garment does not cover the arms of the user, and each sleeve is configured to be worn as a legging on a respective leg of the user, wherein the shoulder ends of the sleeves are located adjacent feet of the user, and the wrist ends of the sleeves are located adjacent knees of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeves and the leggings are the same respective items, whether worn in the jacket configuration or in the vest/leggings configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein each sleeve tapers down in size from the shoulder end toward the wrist end, a minimum dimension of each sleeve is defined adjacent to but spaced apart from the wrist end, and each sleeve tapers up in size from the minimum dimension to the wrist end to define a flare at each wrist end. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 3 , wherein, in the vest/leggings configuration, the minimum dimensions of the sleeves are configured to be located below the knees of the user, and the flares extend upward from the minimum dimensions to surround at least portions of the knees of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeves comprise permanently fastened, closed tubes that are not configured/intended to be unfastened to become open tubes during use. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein, in the jacket configuration, each sleeve is configured to completely surround and envelop an arm of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein, in the vest/leggings configuration, each sleeve is configured to completely surround and envelop a lower portion of a leg of the user, from a foot of the user to about a knee of the user, such that the leggings are not configured to extend to thighs of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 7 , wherein, in the vest/leggings configuration, the sleeves are configured to extend past ankles of the user and cover at least portions of the feet of the user. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 7 , wherein, in the vest/leggings configuration, the sleeves are configured to substantially completely cover the feet of the user. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein a fabric pattern for each sleeve is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the fabric pattern. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein each shoulder end is generally diamond-shaped and each wrist end is substantially conical. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein, in the jacket configuration, the sleeves are configured to be secured to the body with zippers comprising respective mating zipper portions and, in the vest/leggings configuration, the sleeves are configured to be secured to legs of the user with drawstrings. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 12 , wherein the garment is configured to be reversibly worn by the user with different first and second materials exposed to an exterior of the garment when worn in each reversible orientation, and the zippers are visible from the exterior of the garment when worn in each reversible orientation. 
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 12 , wherein the zipper portions on the sleeves are configured to act as fabric protectors adjacent the feet of the user when worn as leggings by the user. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein, in the jacket configuration, the shoulder end of each sleeve comprises a top configured to be located adjacent a top of a shoulder of the user, and a bottom configured to be located adjacent an underarm of the user; and
 in the vest/leggings configuration, the tops of the sleeves are configured to be located adjacent toes of the user, and the bottoms of the sleeves are configured to be located heels of the user.   
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the hood further comprises an inner drawstring channel, and a drawstring located at least partially in the inner drawstring channel, the drawstring comprises ends that extend to an exterior of the hood outside of the inner drawstring channel, and the ends of the drawstring comprise earplugs coupled thereto; and wherein the garment comprises:
 a retracted configuration wherein the drawstring is configured to be primarily located within the inner drawstring channel of the hood; and   a cinched configuration wherein the hood is configured to be at least partially cinched such that lengths of the drawstring to the earplugs are extended, and the earplugs are configured to be mounted in ears of the user.   
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising equipment configured to detect ambient audible levels. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 17 , wherein the equipment comprises sound detection and a processor configured to control one or more lights. 
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 17 , wherein the equipment is configured to detect a threshold audible level of at least about 85 dB, the processor is configured to activate the one or more lights to signal the user of the garment with a hearing protection mode. 
     
     
         20 . The garment of  claim 19 , wherein the equipment is coupled to backpack.