US20070101481A1

US20070101481A1 - Garment for surfing

Info

Publication number: US20070101481A1
Application number: US11/253,986
Authority: US
Inventors: Jen-ai Stokesbary
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-10-20
Filing date: 2005-10-20
Publication date: 2007-05-10

Abstract

A garment for the lower torso of the body, and in particular a sport skirt that hangs from the hips or waist of the user which comprises a skirt assembly including at least two slits to eight inches above or below the user's hip joint allowing for unrestricted leg movement while providing coverage of the buttocks and crotch area in various sport related positions.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a garment, a sport skirt. Throughout the application description the coined word “skqurt” is used in place of “the garment of this invention”. The English word “garment” is used in the claims.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a garment for a part of the body, and in particular to a sport skirt, a skqurt. Particular examples are described in relation to surfing and skiing, which are preferred sports for application, but the garment described here can be adapted for use in other sports.
2. Background Information
Skqurts can be seen as similar to many historic garments including loincloths, which have historically been worn as the sole piece of lower torso clothing. Loincloths are noted for their ability to offer glimpses of pubic hair, which is precisely what skqurts aim to prevent. In Borneo the purpose of the loincloth is to cover the male genitals, it leaves the buttocks bare. http://www.ikanlundu.com/literary/borneo_loincloth.html.
The Wikipedia definition of loincloth: The loincloth is the simplest form of underwear, and it was probably the first undergarment worn by human beings. A loincloth may take two major forms. The first consists of a long, triangular piece of fabric with strings or strips of cloth sewn to the corners. The strings are tied around the waist, and the cloth is brought up between the legs and tucked into or otherwise fastened to the resulting band. The alternate form is more skirt-like: a cloth is wrapped around the hips several times and then fastened with a girdle. In warmer climates, the loincloth may be the only clothing worn (making it effectively not an undergarment), but in colder temperatures, the loincloth often forms the basis of a person's clothing and is covered by other garments. In most ancient civilizations, this was the only undergarment available (King Tutankhamun was buried with 145 of them). The loincloth continues to be worn by people around the world (it is the traditional form of undergarment in many Asian societies, for example).
Other historic garments that bear resemblance include a belted harem skirt of Egypt circa 48BC as depicted in the Jean-Leon Gerome 1866 painting From Gerald M. Ackerman, Les Orientalistes: Jean-Léon Gérome, ACR Edition Internationale, Courbevoie, Paris, 1986, p. 70. 2 pictures. These are very long and have potential for entangling the user if it is subject to strong currents of wind or water.
A dhoti in Indian culture, or a sarong of Malayan culture, or other historic and current forms of mantle draping and tying do not offer the same mobility as skqurts. In addition to other limiting factors, they have excess fabric, which bunches when worn in a manner similar to the skqurt, this adds weight and bulk in opposition to the performance ideal of a surfer.
A skirted panty circa 1946 Mel Juffe, The New York Post [?], date unknown but c. 1982. No photo credit. 1 picture, is an early incarnation of the skqurt. Appealing to an entirely different aesthetic, the tight ‘skirt’ is actually an extra layer of fabric folded back over a panty. It is permanently attached to the undergarment, has no slits for keeping coverage over the crotch in the event of straddling or squatting. This aspect of exposure is quite clear in pin-up photos of the 40's and 50's including some famous shots of actress Marilyn Monroe.
Similar more contemporary garments from outside of the surfing world include newer Yoga skirts (pictured at www.sportees.com/imported_pics/yoga %20skirts.JPG), beach skirts, Tennis skirts, and other sports skirts of today. Besides using fabrics unsuitable for salt-water exposure, these are limited in the respect that they generally have elastic waistbands that easily fall off or up when pulled by strong ocean surges. Some do employ fixed circumference waistbands and full skirts, pleats, or excess fabric, however these skirts do not offer the coverage or mobility of skqurts, as when seated with legs spread wide they tend to flip up in the middle to form an “m” shape with the lower edge of the fabric exposing the crotch. They also lack a means of securing to an undergarment. Often these are made with built in undergarments, which limits the convenience and ability to wear the same skirt with any bikini bottom, thus precluding many combinations from one purchase.
Sports kilts like those offered at www.sheplayssports.com/spmarket.html are made for vertical sports and are perfectly useful for sports such as telemark skiing and lacrosse, however they do not have tabs to secure to undergarments and so they can shift and twist on the user especially when she is in heavy surf. They also will not cover the crotch area when squatted deeply as they form an “m” like others mentioned above.
The cheerleading skirt of U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,279 is closer to functional for surfing. The multiple partially attached panels provide for free leg movement while probably providing sufficient crotch coverage for a surfer straddling her surfboard. However, it would not be as useful in the water where rough water easily shifts skirts. And the plurality of skirt panels and seams might make for some very uncomfortable rashes especially if seams corresponded to the protrusions of the hip bones on the user, which is a place on the body that receives a lot of pressure while paddling.
As with many sports, surfing is dependent on good timing, good position, and quick action when the time is right. Though not always the case depending on the break, usually a large part of surfing is paddling belly down on the surfboard from inshore out through whitewash and breaking waves to get in position to catch a wave. After the surfer bails off the wave she must get her belly back on her board and paddle back out through the whitewash and breaking waves. Each moment spent inside requires a lot of energy fighting the force of the water pushing in toward shore; so the faster the surfer can paddle out the better. If the garments a surfer is wearing move around or fall off, the surfer suffers in energy and time lost to rearranging clothing rather than paddling back out immediately. Or worse, loose or inappropriate garments can restrict the movements of the surfer or even entangle her in the event of getting ‘maytagged’ or joggled by severe water hydraulics.
Lower torso surf apparel waistbands suffer from one or more of the following deficiencies: seams around the waist and hip area create friction while the surfer is lying on the board; ties and closures in the front of the waistband also create friction while the surfer is lying on the board; non elastic and thin elastic waistbands allow the garment to be pulled off, to move up the torso, or to spin or twist around the user.
In addition, because a substantial amount of time in surfing is spent paddling, there are places on the body which can get raw or rashed called ‘hotspots’. Typical ‘hotspots’ on females include where the bottom ribs come in contact with the board, the lower abdomen and the protrusions of the hipbones. This rawness can be amplified by any garment seams that are in contact with the areas of the body that are in pressured contact with the board.
In warm water surfing traditional surf trunks work well enough for female surfers. They stay up in rough water and require little in-water attention. Many women choose to wear them because they completely cover the crotch area when straddling the board and they cover the buttocks when lying on the board. However they are shorts, an historically male garment, with an aesthetic quality that many women do not want.
One of the only functional lower torso garment alternatives for warm water female surfers is bikini bottoms or a one-piece bathing suit. The positives of these tight fitting garments is they allow for full leg mobility and if tight enough only shift or get pulled off by extremely strong ocean hydraulics. However a problem many women surfers find is that both of these options do not fully cover their crotch when they are straddling their surfboard.
Newer surf skirts are more true to the female aesthetic and they do not fall off as they have a fixed diameter non-stretch waistband usually with a short closure secured by grommets and ties in the middle in the front of the garment. However they are free to spin around the surfer's torso and float up on the body off of the hips or waist. This means time lost to rearranging in the crucial time between bailing off the wave and paddling out. Also, surf skirt assemblies are made of non stretch or low stretch fabric with no slits so that the skirt must bunch up toward the user's waistline in order for her to straddle her board, lunge deeply, or stride fully all of which expose the crotch and buttocks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention, called the ‘Skqurt’, is a skirt-like garment that comprises a fixed circumference waist opening, high slits, and, in certain embodiments where required, tabs or connective devices adapted to attach the skqurt securely to an undergarment such as a bikini bottom or ski pant.
This invention is based on the realization that female athletes, specifically surfers, want more choices in their surfwear. They do not want to be limited to surf shorts, one-piece bathing suits, or bikini bottoms. But they also want to keep their performance capacity, which hinges on conserving energy by means of a well-timed, quick paddle out. Due to aesthetics most women would enjoy wearing surf skirts in the water if they were fully functional. The unique design of skqurts allows for full range of motion in the legs, full frontal coverage when straddling a surfboard and an aesthetic many female surfers prefer over surf shorts, bikinis, and one-piece bathing suits.
The fixed circumference waist opening of the skqurt keeps the garment from being pulled off in powerful hydraulics.
High slits allow for complete leg mobility and complete coverage in sport specific positions such as straddling a surfboard. By freeing portions of fabric the slits allow fabric to fall with gravity to cover the frontal crotch area when the surfer is straddling her board and to cover the buttocks when she is straddling her board and lying on her board. This coverage allows the surfer to fully focus on the waves rather than the position of her bikini while retaining a distinctly female aesthetic.
The tabs or the parts of a connective device of the skqurt connect it with an undergarment providing more stability in both garments. For example, when the skqurt is connected to a bikini, the stability of the bikini from the strip of cloth between the legs translate to stability for the skqurt against twisting and floating higher than desired while the fixed circumference waist opening of the skqurt keeps the bikini bottoms from getting pulled off.
Skqurts also attempt to reduce rashing around the waistline of the athlete. The waistband of the skqurt is seamless in the main area of waist and hip contact with sports equipment. When intended for use as surfwear, the front is seamless and all closures, attachment seams, and embellishments are placed away from the ‘hotspots’ of the surfer by keeping them below, medial to, or lateral to the hip bone protrusions on the side or back around the upper edge of the garment, allowing for frictionless paddling and lying on a surfboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a donned skqurt comprising a skirt assembly of back and front panels partially attached by seams.
FIG. 1B shows a frontal view of a surfer wearing the skqurt of FIG. 1A while straddling her surfboard.
FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a donned skqurt comprising back and front panels partially attached by seams and tie type tabs at the attachment seams.
FIG. 2B shows a back perspective view of the skqurt of FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a donned skqurt comprising a skirt assembly, wide waistband, wax pocket, short zipper and button closure, stitch and button type tabs.
FIG. 3B shows a side perspective view of the donned skqurt of FIG. 3A allowing full view of the tab orientation, closure, and pocket.
FIG. 4A shows a close up view of the link formed by a simple snap type tab and a bikini bottom.
FIG. 4B shows the link of a snap type tab with a one-piece bathing suit.
FIG. 4C shows the link formed by a tie type tab and a bikini bottom.
FIG. 4D shows the link formed by a button and buttonhole connective device with a bikini bottom. Though no figures are to scale, FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are particularly out of scale for clarity.
FIG. 5 shows a skqurt comprising a front and back panel skirt assembly including buttonholes that are part of a connective device and gussets of elasticized fabric attached at the left and right edges.
FIG. 6 shows a skqurt comprising a wide waistband, a one panel skirt assembly with binding finished slit edges, and Velcro style tabs.
These and other objects, along with advantages and features of the present invention herein disclosed, will become apparent through reference to the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. Furthermore it is to be understood embodiments herein are not mutually exclusive combinations and all can exist in various combinations and permutations.
In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to an arrangement of seams, slits, tabs, connective devices, and closure elements suitable for the garment stressing dynamics peculiar to surfing, and in FIG. 6 the somewhat less garment stressing dynamics of telemark skiing. It is however, to be understood that the present invention can also be adapted for garments for use in other sports with differing dynamic interactions between the garment, the sports equipment, and the athlete's body, like hiking. It is also to be understood that though the singular indirect pronoun ‘her’ is used instead of ‘his’, there is in no gender restriction on the user.
In FIG. 1A skqurt J can be seen. The embodiment J in FIG. 1A, preferred for mellow surf, is donned over the head. There is no closure, and so, less hotspot amplifiers (flesh-irritating bulges) and, no chance of mechanical failure in a closure apparatus such as a tie tearing or a zipper getting stuck. However to don this embodiment J, one must slip the garment J over her head and shoulders and down to the hips. The skqurt is constructed of a skirt assembly 1 comprising two panels, 1 and 2, and edge finishers 6. Both the front 1 and back 2 panels comprise two layers 31 and 32 of contrasting colored stretch material creating contrasting interior and exterior faces for visual stimulation. The front panel 1 is symmetrically shaped and aligned on the user with the upper edge 17 dipping gently to fit the contours of the user. The lower edge 3 of the front panel is closer to the upper edge 17 of the front panel than the lower edge 4 of the back panel is to the upper edge 33 of the back panel 2. Because the user generally has buttocks that stick out further than her lower belly, the lower edge of the garment falls to about the same height above the user's knees in the front and back as shown. The upper skqurt edge 5 defines the circumference of the user's lower torso at the height she wishes to wear it and is fixed by virtue of the non-stretch nature of the binding 6 used to finish the edge. The lower garment edge is split into two main sections, front 7 and back 8 by the two slits 9 and 10 symmetrically positioned lateral to the hipbone protrusions. The two panels 1 and 2 are attached at seams 11 and 12 that are formed by partially joining the left edge 13 of the front panel with the right edge 14 of the back panel, and the right edge 15 of the front panel with the left edge 16 of the back panel. This basic embodiment of the skqurt allows for gentle gripping against the skin by the elastic nature of the garment, which helps prevent any twisting that might occur in a mellow session without it, whilst the fixed circumference upper edge 17 prevents the skqurt J from slipping off.
The skqurt J is shown on the user while straddling her surfboard in FIG. 1B. This view shows how the deep slits allow for the skirt assembly to fall with gravity and cover the crotch area of the user from the view of others. Skqurt J is suitable for comfortable surf sessions, which can be described as sessions that do not push the surfer's ability to the point where they cannot exit the wave cleanly and under control. Comfortable sessions do not require the added stability of the tabs featured in other embodiments.
Another skqurt embodiment K as illustrated in the front perspective view of FIG. 2A and the back perspective view of FIG. 2B comprises two panels 18 and 19 and two sets of tie style tabs 20 and 21. These sets of tabs are sewn to the upper edge 22 of the skirt assembly 23 at each of the attachment seams 24 and 25. One tie 26 is sewn to the exterior face 27 of the skirt assembly and one tie 28 is sewn to the interior face 29 of the skirt assembly. Thus, the tie sewn to the interior may be threaded through the user's bikini bottoms underneath and back out through the slit 30 to tie a knot with the tie 26 sewn to the exterior of the skirt assembly 23 at the same attachment seam 24. These tie tabs 20 and 21 create more stability in the skqurt because they link the bikini bottoms to the skqurt so that the skqurt cannot slip up or twist and the bikini bottoms cannot slip down. The tie tabs 20 and 21 make this embodiment preferable for less comfortable surf sessions where the user may fall unexpectedly or get ‘maytagged’. This embodiment K stands up to extreme water pressures keeping both the bikini and skqurt in place.
Another preferred skqurt embodiment L for surfing, illustrated in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, is an easy step-in design with a short closure 35 placed off center at the back of the garment so it does not increase pain or irritation from lying belly down on a surfboard. The closure apparatus can comprise any combination of devices including but not limited to zippers, buttons, buttonholes, snaps, Velcro, ties, laces, cords, hooks, eyes, grommets. The closure in this particular illustration is a zipper 36, suitable for use in salt water and sun such as a thick plastic zipper, with a top button 37. In this skqurt L the closure reaches through the height of the waistband 38 and into the skirt assembly 39. This skqurt L has a thick and wide waistband 38 contoured to fit snuggly against the low back, low abdomen, and hips. The width of the waistband 38 is a style preference but also provides a bit of extra padding for the hipbones against the board and a seamless front area around the hips, which helps to reduce rashing. Attached to the lower edge 41 of the waistband are the upper edges of the front and back 45 panels. The panels are unattached to one another. The front panel comprises irregularly shaped panellettes 42, 43, 44 for visual style. The back panel 45 has a wax pocket 46 and a key loop 47 sewn to its exterior face. The key loop 47 is inside the wax pocket 46 and can be pulled out fed through the hole in a key, around the key, and then dropped back into the pocket 46. The pocket 46 has a strip 48 of Velcro sewn to it at the top and to the corresponding location on the back panel 45 of the skirt assembly 39. The wax pocket 46 is an obvious addition for a user who likes to bring wax into the water with them and for the user who likes to safe guard their key on their person. The pocket 46 has a small grommet hole 49 in the bottom to let water and sand out of the pocket. In this embodiment two tabs 50 are adapted vertically with the lower edge of the tab 50 attached by stitches 51 to the garment and the upper edge attachable by a button 52 and 53 and button holes 52 and 53. This allows the user to feed the tab 50 up through the bikini bottoms 54 worn underneath and feed it back to button through the garment. A person skilled in the art will realize the thread used for attaching the buttons on the tabs is heavily stressed and should be very strong and not degrade easily when exposed to sun, salt, and water. This button type tab 50 allows for a stable transfer from the bikini bottoms to the skqurt and vice versa. Due to its fixed circumference, waistband 38 the skqurt L cannot be pulled down off the body over the buttocks. Due to the strip of fabric 56 that goes between the legs the bikini cannot be pulled up and does not twist. Combining the two garments' qualities of stability with the tabs 50 creates a unit which will not fall down, come up or twist about the body.
FIG. 4A is an expanded view of a tab 60 employing a snap 61 at the upper end and attached by stitches 62 at the lower end to the skirt assembly 63. The tab can be fed up through the bikini bottoms 64 worn underneath the skqurt and snapped to the corresponding snap piece 65 that is attached to the upper edge 66 of the skirt assembly.
FIG. 4B shows a tab 71 that employs special snaps that can attach to each other through certain thicknesses of fabric. Thus allowing for the snaps of the tabs to function with a layer of fabric 67 in between both the male 68 and female 69 pieces of the snap. This is important for user's wearing wide hip band type bikinis, short style swim suit bottoms, one piece bathing suits, or the like. The lower end of the tab is attached to the skirt assembly 70 by stitches 72. The tab 71 can be fed under the swimsuit fabric 67 and snapped with the swimsuit fabric 67 to the skqurt body 70 at points where the corresponding snap pieces 69 are so that the succession of the connection is skqurt fabric 70—snap end 69—undergarment fabric 67—snap end 68—tab 71 fabric. These types of tabs are preferably installed in greater number than tie, regular snap, button, or other style tabs so that the stress on localized points of undergarment fabric is spread out. These snaps can be used for securing skqurts over swimsuits, ski pants, and many other garments.
FIG. 4C is a view of tie type tabs, like those in the skqurt of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, used in conjunction with bikini bottoms. The upper ends of the tabs are attached by stitches 73 to the upper edge 74 of the skirt assembly. The interior tab 75 is fed through the bikini bottoms 76 and fed out the slit 77 in the skirt assembly between the left edge 78 of the front panel and the right edge 79 of the back panel to be tied with the exterior tab 80.
FIG. 4D shows an expanded view of a simple button 81 and buttonhole 82 type connective device as adapted for use with bikini bottoms 83. The bikini 83 has a button 81 attached to its hip strap at a location that corresponds to the buttonhole 82 sewn into the skirt assembly 84 near the upper edge 85 at points lateral to the hip bone protrusions. This connective device 81 and 82 allows the user to button her bikini to her skqurt and enjoy hassle free activities.
FIG. 5 is a view of a skqurt embodiment M that employs elasticized fabric gussets 90 and buttonholes 88 and 89. The buttonholes 88 and 89 are placed laterally of the hip-bone protrusions so they will not aggravate hotspots. They, like the buttonholes in FIG. 4D can receive buttons that are attached at corresponding points to bikini bottoms, ski pants, or other undergarments. Other connective devices that can be employed in a similar fashion as the buttons and buttonholes include but are not limited to snaps, ties and loops, toggles and loops, frogs (Chinese knots) and loops, ties and ties, laces and grommets, laces and bites, laces and eyes, zippers, hooks and loops, hooks and eyes. They can be adapted in a way so that one part of the device is attached or built into the skqurt and one part is attached or built in to an undergarment. The gussets 90 are attached to the side edges 91 and 92 of the skirt assembly fabric at the slits. The gussets 90 provide skin coverage without hampering the mobility of the user. A person of ordinary skill will realize the gussets 90 must be wide at the lower edge in order to allow for sufficient mobility without degrading the crotch-coverage-while-straddling-a-surfboard characteristic of the skqurt.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a skqurt N for use in snow sports. This skqurt N comprises a simple, wide, low-stretch quick-drying waistband 93 attached at its lower edge 94 by clean edge lap seams by bonding to the upper edge 95 of a generally rhomboidal one piece skirt assembly 96 of low-stretch fabric in such a way that the left 97 and right 98 edges of the piece meet slightly medial to where the left hip bone protrudes in the front. The two edges 97 And 98 may overlap or overlap at angles, however in this embodiment the edges are finished with binding 99 and 100 and do not overlap but meet. The left edge 97 and the right edge 98 edges of the fabric piece are finished with binding 99 and 100. The skirt assembly includes a second slit 101 asymmetrically placed and cut to a height slightly lower than the lower edge 94 of the waistband 93. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the need for finishing the second slit with binding, stitching, or another form of edge work, which might include accents for style. This embodiment N includes a binding 102 to finish the edges 103 of the second slit 101. It also includes a flexible weighted material hem 110 finishing the lower edge 111 of the skirt assembly, which keeps the skqurt N from flipping up while the user is speeding down the mountain. In other skqurts this weighted material might take the form of small circular or rhomboidal panels of heavy fabric sewn into the skirt assembly, small metal or plastic washers secured between two layers of skirt assembly fabric, or external embellishments such as sequins, beads, or decorative stitching. These weighted materials combat flipping up in windy or speedy conditions. This snow skqurt N includes simple Velcro tabs 104 and 105 positioned horizontally at lateral points on the upper waistband so that they can feed through belt loops of the user's ski pants and be secured to the skqurt waistband again. The tabs comprise a softer loop face 106 of the Velcro whose edges 107 are sewn to the waistband 93 so that it lies flat with the waistband fabric. The hook side 108 faces the garment N and not the skin. It is sewn, fused, melted, or bonded at one end 109 to the waistband 93 and loop side 106 of the Velcro and is otherwise free to be unattached and attached to the loop side 106. The elastic nature of the wide waistband 93 serves to keep the skqurt relatively stationary on the user's body, the Velcro tabs are for extra stability if and when required. If not used, it can be left closed to itself on the face of the waistband. There are no tabs or extra seams in the back of the skqurt N as it is common for backcountry skiers to wear backpacks, which often create hotspots on the lower lumbar region of the back and hips. A person skilled in the art will notice many pants may not be compatible with this type of tab adaptation.
In all embodiments the preferred materials are non-stretch unless specifically stated non-stretch; the preferred method of attaching the waistband to the garment is bonding, although sewing is also suitable. The preferred method of attaching any type of closure is bonding, sewing or stitching. The preferred adaptation of tabs or connective devices relies heavily on what activity the user will do and what undergarment the user will wear. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other methods can be used to secure or attach the waistband to the skirt assembly, to secure or attach closure devices, tabs and connective devices to the skqurt, or to join two panels together. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize all contours of the waistband, skirt assembly, and the height of slits are subject to the preference, body size, and body shape of the user and the intended activity for use.

Claims

1. A garment comprising a composite skirt assembly having an interior face, an exterior face, an upper edge, a lower edge, wherein the upper edge defines the circumference equal to the circumference of the user's lower torso at a location, for an adult, between zero and nine inches below the user's belly button, wherein at minimum two slits extend from the lower edge toward the upper edge to a height that when the garment is worn properly corresponds to a point that is between nine inches above and nine inches below the major crease that forms at the hip when the user lifts her femur to form roughly a ninety degree angle with the lower torso of the body

2. The garment of claim 1 in which the slits are placed at any points inversely situated to the point on the waist, hip, and lower torso area that are exposed to repeated contact, including pressured contact, with sporting equipment and other body parts while the user is engaged in a sporting activity.

3. The garment of claim 1 made of at least one of all non-stretch materials, non-stretch and stretch materials, or all stretch materials.

4. The garment of claim 1 wherein the skirt assembly comprises multiple layers of fabric.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein the skirt assembly comprises stretch materials and the upper edge is finished with at least one of stitching, hemming, binding, bias tape, ribbon, or piping.

6. The garment of claim 1 including a waistband assembly joined at the top edge of said skirt assembly panels.

7. The garment of claim 1 including at least one of: a tab arrangement allowing an openable loop to be secured around hip strap or belt loop portions of an undergarment at the hip so that the loop encircles a portion of the undergarment and the loop is at least one of: snapped, buttoned, velcroed, tied, laced, hooked, sewn, glued, bonded, melted, fused to the garment; a portion of a connective device attached to the garment wherein said connective device' is one of: button and buttonhole, snap assembly, tie and tie, tie and loop, lace and loops, lace and grommet, lace and eye, Velcro, hook and eye, toggle and loop, toggle and hole, zipper.

8. The garment of claim 1 including at least one tie type tab assembly sewn to the interior face and exterior face of the garment wherein the interior face tie may be laced through the hip strap portion of bikini bottoms and be brought to the outside through the corresponding slit to tie a knot with the exterior face tie.

9. The garment of claim 1 wherein the skirt assembly includes weighted materials.

10. The garment of claim 1 including gussets of stretch fabric attached to the right and left edges of the skirt assembly at the slits.

11. The garment of claim 1 wherein at least one closure of at minimum 1 inch extends from the top edge of the garment at any location inversely situated to all locations of the waist, hip, and lower torso area that are exposed to repeated contact with sporting equipment and other body parts while the user is engaged in a sporting activity.

12. A garment comprising a composite skirt assembly having an interior face, an exterior face, an upper edge, a lower edge, wherein the upper edge defines the circumference equal to the circumference of the user's lower torso at a location, for an adult, between zero and nine inches below the user's belly button, wherein at minimum two slits extend from the lower edge toward the upper edge to a height that when the garment is worn properly corresponds to a point that is between nine inches above and nine inches below the major crease that forms at the hip when the user lifts her thigh to form roughly a ninety degree angle with the lower torso of the body wherein the composite skirt assembly is formed by a front panel having an upper edge, a lower edge, a left edge, and a right edge and a back panel having an upper edge, a lower edge, a left edge, and a right edge, wherein the right edge of the front panel is attached to the left edge of the back panel and the left edge of the front panel is attached to the right edge of the back panel to form attachment seams extending only partially along the length of the respective right and left edges.

13. The garment of claim 12 wherein the front and back panels comprise at least one of: a plurality of panelettes, multiple layers of fabric, stretch materials, stretch and non-stretch materials, or non-stretch materials.

14. The garment of claim 12 wherein the panels are generally rhomboidal.

15. The garment of claim 12 wherein the panels are asymmetrical

16. The garment of claim 12 wherein the height of the panels vary such that toward the middle of the upper edge of the front panel there is a gentle dip toward the lower edge, toward the middle of the lower edge of the front panel there is a dip away from the upper edge which is more pronounced than the dip at the upper edge, toward the middle of the top edge of the back panel there is a slight rise away from the lower edge of the back panel, and toward the middle of the lower edge of the back panel there is a slight dip away from the upper edge of the back panel and wherein the average height of the front panel is less than the average height of the back panel, and wherein the average width of the front panel from the left edge to the right edge is less than the average width of the back panel from left edge to right edge.

17. The garment of claim 12 including at least one of a waistband assembly joined at the top edge of said skirt assembly panels; a tab arrangement that allows an openable loop to be secured around portions of an undergarment at the hip so that the loop encircles a portion of the undergarment and wherein the tab is at least one of: snapped, buttoned, Velcroed, tied, laced, hooked, sewn, glued, bonded, melted, fused to the garment; a tie type tab assembly sewn to the interior face and exterior face of the garment wherein the interior face tie may be laced through the hip strap portion of bikini bottoms and be brought to the outside through the corresponding slit to tie a knot with the exterior face tie; a portion of a connective device attached to the garment wherein said connective device comprises one of: button and buttonhole, snap assembly, tie and tie, tie and loop, lace and loops, lace and grommets, lace and eye, Velcro, hook and eye, toggle and loop, toggle and hole, zipper; weighted materials; gussets of stretch fabric attached to the right and left edges of the front and back panels at the slits; a closure of at minimum 1 inch extending from the top edge of the garment at any location inversely situated to all locations of the waist, hip, and lower torso area that are exposed to repeated contact with sporting equipment and other body parts while the user is engaged in a sporting activity.

18. A garment comprising a front panel having a top edge, a hem edge, a left edge, and a right edge; a back panel having a top edge, a hem edge, a left edge, and a right edge; a waistband assembly joined to the top edges of the said panels; wherein the front and back panels are not attached to one another.

19. The garment of claim 18 including at least one of: a tab arrangement that allows at least one openable loop to be secured around portions of an undergarment at the hip so that the loop encircles a portion of the undergarment and wherein the tab is at least one of snapped, buttoned, Velcroed, tied, laced, hooked, sewn, glued, bonded, melted, fused to the garment; a portion of a connective device attached to the garment wherein said connective device is one of: button and buttonhole, snap assembly, tie and tie, tie and loop, lace and loops, lace and grommet, lace and eye, Velcro, hook and eye, toggle and loop, toggle and hole, zipper; a tie type tab assembly sewn to the interior face and exterior face of the garment wherein the interior face tie may be laced through the hip strap portion of bikini bottoms and be brought to the outside through the corresponding slit to tie a knot with the exterior face tie; weighted materials; gussets of stretch fabric attached to the right and left edges of the front and back panels at the slits; a closure of at minimum one inch extending from the top edge of the garment at any location inversely situated to all locations of the waist, hip and lower torso area that are exposed to repeated contact with sporting equipment and other body parts while the user is engaged in a sporting activity.