Water Shorts

Abstract

An article of apparel, which may be a pair of water shorts, may include a stretch woven textile. More particularly, a pelvic region and a pair of leg regions may include the stretch woven textile element. A waistband region may also include the stretch woven textile elements, or may be formed from a variety of other material elements. In order to limit stretch in the waistband region, a variety of waistband elements may be utilized. For example, the waistband elements may be (a) a layered structure with a textile layer and a polymer layer, (b) a layered structure joined with stitching, (c) a layered structure joined with bonds, (d) a layered structure formed from a folded material element. In order to limit stretch in the waistband region, a tensile component may be utilized.

1 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a pelvic region for covering a pelvic area of a wearer, a majority of an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface of the apparel in the pelvic region being formed from a woven textile with at least twenty percent stretch;   a pair of leg regions extending outward from the pelvic region for covering at least a portion of legs of the wearer, a majority of the exterior surface and the interior surface of the apparel in the leg regions being formed from the woven textile; and   a waistband region joined with the pelvic region opposite the leg regions for extending around a waist of the wearer, the waistband region including a waistband element formed from a first layer and a second layer that are secured together, the first layer being a textile element and the second layer being a polymer element, and the waistband element having less stretch than the woven textile.   
     
     
         2 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first layer is the woven textile. 
     
     
         3 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first layer forms a portion of the exterior surface of the apparel. 
     
     
         4 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first layer is a non-stretch woven textile. 
     
     
         5 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second layer is a thermoplastic polymer sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are secured with thermal bonding. 
     
     
         7 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the waistband element includes a third layer located adjacent the second layer and opposite the first layer, the third layer being secured to the second layer. 
     
     
         8 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a pelvic region for covering a pelvic area of a wearer, a majority of an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface of the apparel in the pelvic region being formed from a woven textile with at least twenty percent stretch;   a pair of leg regions extending outward from the pelvic region for covering at least a portion of legs of the wearer, a majority of the exterior surface and the interior surface of the apparel in the leg regions being formed from the woven textile; and   a waistband region joined with the pelvic region opposite the leg regions for extending around a waist of the wearer, the waistband region including a waistband element formed from a first layer, a second layer, and at least one strand that extends through the first layer and the second layer in a plurality of stitch locations to join the first layer and the second layer to each other, the stitch locations being located in a peripheral area of the first layer and the second layer, and the stitch locations being located in a central area of the first layer and the second layer, the waistband element having less stretch than the woven textile.   
     
     
         9 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer is the woven textile. 
     
     
         10 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer is a non-stretch woven textile. 
     
     
         11 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 8 , wherein a portion of the strand lays against a surface of the first layer between two of the stitch locations. 
     
     
         12 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 11 , wherein the portion of the strand is unsecured to the first layer between two of the stitch locations. 
     
     
         13 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 8 , wherein the stitch locations are spaced from each other by at least five millimeters. 
     
     
         14 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 8 , wherein the waistband element includes a third layer located adjacent the first layer and secured to the first layer, the third layer being a polymer element, and a portion of the strand being embedded within the third layer. 
     
     
         15 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 8 , wherein the strand is absent from areas between the stitch locations. 
     
     
         16 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a pelvic region for covering a pelvic area of a wearer, a majority of an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface of the apparel in the pelvic region being formed from a woven textile with at least twenty percent stretch;   a pair of leg regions extending outward from the pelvic region for covering at least a portion of legs of the wearer, a majority of the exterior surface and the interior surface of the apparel in the leg regions being formed from the woven textile; and   a waistband region joined with the pelvic region opposite the leg regions for extending around a waist of the wearer, the waistband region including a waistband element formed from a first layer and a second layer that are located adjacent to each other, the first layer and the second layer being joined to each other by a plurality of discrete bonds that are located in (a) a peripheral area of the first layer and the second layer and (b) a central area of the first layer and the second layer, the waistband element having less stretch than the woven textile.   
     
     
         17 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer is the woven textile. 
     
     
         18 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer is a non-stretch woven textile. 
     
     
         19 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 16 , wherein the bond areas are evenly spaced from each other. 
     
     
         20 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 16 , wherein the waistband element includes a plurality of indentations at the bond areas. 
     
     
         21 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 16 , wherein a polymer material is located between the first layer and the second layer, the polymer material forming thermal bonds to join the first layer and the second layer at the bond areas. 
     
     
         22 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a pelvic region for covering a pelvic area of a wearer, a majority of an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface of the apparel in the pelvic region being formed from a woven textile with at least twenty percent stretch;   a pair of leg regions extending outward from the pelvic region for covering at least a portion of legs of the wearer, a majority of the exterior surface and the interior surface of the apparel in the leg regions being formed from the woven textile; and   a waistband region joined with the pelvic region opposite the leg regions for extending around a waist of the wearer, the waistband region including a waistband element having a first layer and a second layer positioned adjacent to each other, each of the first layer and the second layer having an elongate and curved shape, and a central area of the first layer being unitarily-joined to a central area of the second layer, the waistband element having less stretch than the woven textile.   
     
     
         23 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 22 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are the woven textile. 
     
     
         24 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 22 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are non-stretch woven textiles. 
     
     
         25 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 22 , wherein each of the first layer and the second layer have a concave edge and an opposite convex edge extending through a length of the waistband element, the convex edge of the first layer being unitarily-joined to the convex edge of the second layer. 
     
     
         26 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 22 , wherein the waistband element includes a fold at the central area of the first layer and the central area of the second layer. 
     
     
         27 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 22 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are divided into two separate portions at the central area of the first layer and the central area of the second layer. 
     
     
         28 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 22 , wherein a polymer material is located between the first layer and the second layer, the polymer material forming a thermal bond to join the first layer and the second layer. 
     
     
         29 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a pelvic region for covering a pelvic area of a wearer, a majority of an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface of the apparel in the pelvic region being formed from a woven textile with at least twenty percent stretch;   a pair of leg regions extending outward from the pelvic region for covering at least a portion of legs of the wearer, a majority of the exterior surface and the interior surface of the apparel in the leg regions being formed from the woven textile; and   a waistband region joined with the pelvic region opposite the leg regions for extending around a waist of the wearer, the waistband region including at least one material layer, and the waistband region including a tensile component adjacent to the material layer and extending around at least thirty percent of the waistband region, and the tensile component having less stretch than the woven textile.   
     
     
         30 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 29 , wherein the material layer is the woven textile. 
     
     
         31 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 29 , wherein the material layer is a non-stretch woven textile. 
     
     
         32 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 29 , wherein the at least one material layer is a first layer and a second layer, the tensile component being located between the first layer and the second layer. 
     
     
         33 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 29 , wherein an end of the tensile component is secured adjacent to a lace area of the waistband region, and the tensile component extends from the lace region to a rear area of the waistband region. 
     
     
         34 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 29 , wherein a first end of the tensile component is secured adjacent to a first side of a lace area of the waistband region, and a second end of the tensile component is secured adjacent to a second side of the lace area. 
     
     
         35 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 34 , wherein a central area of the tensile component is located in a rear area of the waistband region. 
     
     
         36 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 34 , wherein the waistband region includes a length adjustment mechanism for the tensile component. 
     
     
         37 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a pelvic region for covering a pelvic area of a wearer, a majority of an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface of the apparel in the pelvic region being formed from a woven textile with at least twenty percent stretch;   a pair of leg regions extending outward from the pelvic region for covering at least a portion of legs of the wearer, a majority of the exterior surface and the interior surface of the apparel in the leg regions being formed from the woven textile; and   a waistband region joined with the pelvic region opposite the leg regions for extending around a waist of the wearer, the waistband region including a waistband element formed from at least one layer and at least one strand that extends through the layer in a plurality of stitch locations located in both a peripheral area and a central area of the layer, the waistband element having less stretch than the woven textile.   
     
     
         38 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 37 , wherein the layer is the woven textile. 
     
     
         39 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 37 , wherein a portion of the strand lays against a surface of the layer between two of the stitch locations. 
     
     
         40 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 37 , wherein the stitch locations are spaced from each other by at least five millimeters.