Convertible garment

Abstract

A convertible garment may be converted between a top configuration for covering the torso of a person and bottom configuration for covering the lower half of the person, and vice-versa. The garment has in the top configuration a removable front panel having a right side having a first elongate fastener half extending along the right side and a left side having a second elongate fastener half extending along the left side. Preferably, the bottom configuration has a front portion, a back portion, a right side having a third elongate fastener and a left side having a fourth elongate fastener. The front and the back portions of the bottom configuration form the back of the top configuration when the third and fourth fasteners are at least partially undone. Methods of converting between the two configurations are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for changing a garment from a bottom configuration having a back, a seat in the back, and a front to a top configuration having a back, the method comprising (a) undoing elongate fasteners along opposed sides of the garment in the bottom configuration, the elongate fasteners extending through a waist portion of the bottom configuration, and (b) unfolding the back of the top configuration, the back of the top configuration comprising the seat and a portion of the front of the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the garment comprises a front panel of the top configuration, further comprising attaching the front panel to the garment after undoing the elongate fasteners. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the front panel is separable into two halves, the method further comprising fully detaching the front panel halves from inside of the garment before the attaching of the front panel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein attaching a front panel comprises zipping a first zipper half on a first side of the front panel with a mating second zipper half on the garment and zipping a third zipper half on a second side of the front panel with a mating fourth zipper half on the garment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bottom configuration has right and left legs, further comprising moving the legs of the bottom configuration away from each other for converting them into sleeves for arms in the top configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the legs remain connected to the back of the top configuration during the moving the legs of the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the elongate fasteners extending through the waist portion also extend along an outside of the left and along an outside of the right leg and through the bottom of the legs. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein undoing elongate fasteners comprises undoing an elongate fastener on the right side of the bottom configuration and undoing an elongate fastener on the left side of the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the unfolding comprises unfolding a fold through a crotch of the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         10 . A method for changing a garment from a top configuration having a back to a bottom configuration having a back, a seat in the back, and a front, the method comprising (a) in the top configuration, folding the back of the top configuration, the back comprising the seat of the bottom configuration and a portion of the front, and (b) fastening elongate fasteners which are located along opposed sides of the garment in the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the garment comprises a front panel of the top configuration, further comprising detaching the front panel from the garment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising separating the front panel into two halves. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising attaching each half of the front panel to the garment and placing each half of the front panel inside and along a different sleeve of the garment. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the top configuration has arm sleeves, further comprising moving the arm sleeves of the top configuration towards each other for converting them into leg sleeves of the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the arm sleeves remain connected to the back of the top configuration during the moving the arm sleeves. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the elongate fasteners extend through the waist portion and through the bottom of the legs of the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein undoing elongate fasteners comprises undoing an elongate fastener on an outside of one leg sleeve and undoing an elongate fastener on the outside of the other leg sleeve. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  wherein each of the elongate fasteners comprises a zipper having a zipper pull, the method further comprising covering each zipper pull with a corresponding flap of the garment after the fastening of the elongate fastener. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising tightening a waist portion of the bottom configuration using at least one of the flaps. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the folding comprises folding through a crotch of the bottom configuration. 
     
     
         21 . A garment having a top configuration for covering the torso of a person and a bottom configuration for covering the lower half of the person, the garment being interchangeable between the two configurations, the garment having in the top configuration a removable front panel having a right side having a first elongate fastener half extending along the right side and a left side having a second elongate fastener half extending along the left side.