Non-Stretch Garment Having Knit Stretch Panels

Abstract

A garment formed of a woven limited-stretch fabric includes knit stretch panels to provide stretch in key areas of the garment.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A garment, comprising:
 a plurality of limited-stretch garment panels each forming one of a plurality of major portions of the garment, each limited-stretch garment panel having a pattern defined with a plurality of seam edges; and   a plurality of stretch panels, wherein the garment panels are sewn together to include the stretch panels at preselected portions of preselected seam edges.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the stretch panels has a second stretch percentage that is at least double a first stretch percentage of each of the limited-stretch garment panels. 
     
     
         3 . A garment, comprising:
 a plurality of garment panels each made using a first fabric, the first fabric having a limited stretch characteristic, each garment panel forming one of a plurality of major portions of the garment, each garment panel having a plurality of seam edges; and   a plurality of stretch panels each made using a second fabric, the second fabric not having a limited stretch characteristic, each stretch panel affixed between the seam edges of one or more of the plurality of garment panels.   
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein first fabric is a woven fabric and the second fabric is a knit fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 3 , the garment panels comprising at least a first pair of corresponding major portions, each of the first pair of corresponding major portions having a pair of side seams, each side seam disposed on an opposite edge of the major portion, wherein each one of a first pair of the plurality of the stretch panels is affixed between the side seams of corresponding major portions. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5 , each of the first pair of corresponding major portions further including at least a first pair of shoulder seams, each shoulder seam disposed on a top edge of the major portion and separated by a neckline portion, wherein each one of a second pair of the plurality of the stretch panels is affixed between the shoulder seams of corresponding first pair of major portions. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 6 , each of the first pair of corresponding major portions further including a pair of arm openings disposed on opposite edges of the major portions between the respective side seam and shoulder seam, the garment panels further comprising a second pair of major portions, each of the second pair of corresponding major portions is formed as a sleeve and affixed to respective arm openings, each of the second pair of corresponding major portions having a pair of underarm seams, wherein each one of a third pair of the plurality of the stretch panels is affixed between the underarm seams of respective ones of the second pair of major portions. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 4 , wherein the woven fabric comprises a natural fiber, a synthetic fiber, or a blend of natural and synthetic fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 8 , wherein the natural fiber comprises wool, silk, cashmere, cotton, linen, or mohair. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 3 , wherein the first fabric has a fabric stretch percentage that does not exceed  15  percent. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the second fabric has a fabric stretch percentage that exceeds  15  percent. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 3 , wherein the second fabric has a second stretch percentage that is double a first stretch percentage of the first fabric. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 one of the plurality of garment panels is a front panel; and   one of the plurality of stretch panels is a rear panel.   
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 at least one pair of additional stretch panels affixed between the front panel and the rear panel.   
     
     
         15 . A garment, comprising:
 a plurality of garment panels each made using a first fabric, the first fabric having a limited stretch characteristic, including:
 a front panel having a neckline seam edge and a pair of shoulder seam edges on opposite sides of the neckline seam edge along a top edge of the front panel, a pair of side seam edges on corresponding side edges of the front panel, and a pair of arm seam edges connecting respective side seam edges to respective shoulder seam edges, formed across opposite top corner portions of the front panel; 
 a rear panel having a neckline seam edge, a pair of shoulder seam edges corresponding to the shoulder seam edges on the front panel along a top edge of the rear panel, a pair of side seam edges corresponding to the side seam edges on the front panel, and a pair of arm seam edges corresponding to the shoulder seam edges on the front panel; and 
   a plurality of stretch panels each made using a second fabric, the second fabric not having a limited stretch characteristic, including:
 each one of a first pair of the stretch panels is affixed between the corresponding side seams of the front and rear panels; and 
 each one of a second pair of the stretch panels is affixed between the corresponding shoulder seams of the front and rear panels. 
   
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein first fabric is a woven fabric and the second fabric is a knit fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 the garment panels include a pair of sleeve panels each having a generally cylindrical shape and each having a pair of underarm seam edges, each of the sleeve panels affixed to respective arm seam edges of the front and rear panels; and   the stretch panels include a third pair of the stretch panels affixed between the underarm seams of the respective sleeve panels.   
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the second fabric has a second stretch percentage that is double a first stretch percentage of the first fabric. 
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 the stretch panels include a pair of sleeves each having a generally cylindrical shape and each having a pair of underarm seam edges, each of the sleeves affixed to respective arm seam edges of the front and rear panels.   
     
     
         20 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the second fabric has a second stretch percentage that is double a first stretch percentage of the first fabric.