Costume having puppeted sleeve

Abstract

A costume for simulating an animal comprises an upper torso covering portion which extends to at least one shoulder, a sleeve and a hand puppet. The fabric, texture, pattern, look and feel of the sleeve coordinates with that of the shoulder to which the sleeve is attached so that the costume presents a realistic and whimsical long necked animal whereby the neck is the sleeve surrounding the contained arm of the wearer. Preferably, the hand puppet is worn by the wearer's hand and has an upper jaw or beak and a lower jaw or beak and the fingers within the hand puppet control the movement of the beak to visual and entertaining advantage.

1 . A costume comprising:
 an upper body clothing component comprising:
 at least a partial covering, upper torso costume component simulating an animal body; 
 a first sleeve for an arm extending from said partial covering, upper torso costume component, said first sleeve being a visual continuation of said partial covering, upper torso costume component of said animal body; and 
 a hand puppet head corresponding to said animal body and attached to an end of the first sleeve. 
   
     
     
         2 . The costume of  claim 1 , wherein the hand puppet is a foamed puppet glove with a lower jaw movable with respect to the upper jaw by the fingers contained within said hand puppet. 
     
     
         3 . The costume of  claim 1 , wherein the hand puppet comprises a mouth element including a lower jaw portion configured to cover a wearer's thumb and an upper jaw portion configured to cover a wearer's remaining fingers. 
     
     
         4 . The costume of  claim 1 , wherein the first sleeve comprises one or more fabric elements disposed thereon which simulate at least a portion of said animal body. 
     
     
         5 . The costume of  claim 1 , further comprising an opening provided between the end of the first sleeve and the hand puppet. 
     
     
         6 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The costume of  claim 1  wherein a shoulder of said upper torso costume component is a color, texture, pattern and/or look and feel of said simulated animal body and coordinates with said sleeve. 
     
     
         10 . The costume of  claim 9 , wherein the shoulder of said upper torso costume component comprises a faux fur overlay. 
     
     
         11 . The costume of  claim 1 , further comprising a lower body clothing element. 
     
     
         12 . The costume of  claim 1  wherein said simulated animal is from the group comprising an ostrich, a giraffe, a llama, a long-necked dinosaur, a flamingo, and a multi-headed dragon. 
     
     
         13 . The costume of  claim 1 , further comprising a second sleeve attached to the upper torso costume component and also simulating at least a portion of said animal body. 
     
     
         14 . The costume of  claim 13 , further comprising a second hand puppet simulating the head of said animal body and attached to an end of the second sleeve. 
     
     
         15 . The costume of  claim 14 , further comprising an opening provided between the end of the second sleeve and the second hand puppet. 
     
     
         16 . The costume of  claim 13 , further comprising animal simulating decorations disposed on either said upper torso costume component simulating an animal body; and/or on one or both of said sleeves.