1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of hooded garments, and particularly to a garment having an integrated hood and circular knitted collar.
2. Background of the Invention
Many types of cool or cold weather apparel exist for protecting a wearer's upper torso, including coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, and other similar outerwear. In many cases, different items of apparel may be worn together, such as a coat and a hat, to improve the overall protection for the wearer. Similarly, certain apparel may combine features, such as a coat liner or removable hood, to increase the circumstances in which the apparel might be appropriately used.
It is well known that a significant percentage of a person's body heat is radiated through his or her head. For this reason, various apparel exist that are designed to cover the head and neck when worn. Among these various items of apparel include face mask, hats, caps, knitted hats, and others. As discussed generally above, at least some of these head and neck protections have been combined with coats and jackets.
In addition to separate apparel, in some designs, outerwear may include combinations of protective elements in an integrated design. For example, some coats, jackets, sweaters, include a hood that is integrally formed or removable. This allows the user to cover the head and neck when exposed to the elements and lower (or remove) the hood when not needed.
In addition to the face and head, protection of the neck is also a desired objective in cool and cold weather garments. For example, scarves are traditionally worn to protect the neck of a wearer during cool or cold weather. The combination of a scarf with a jacket has proven effective in creating a wind barrier for protecting the entire upper torso of a user and to maintain body heat within the combination.
In this same regard, circular knitted fabric collars, commonly known as “turtleneck” collars have been used in other apparel for similar purposes. In essence, the collar comprises a tube formed of porous stretchable knitted fabric connected to a primary garment which covers the torso of the wearer. Not withstanding the collar's stylistic desirability, the turtleneck, similar to the scarf, provides a barrier to prevent wind and other elements from the neck and torso of the user.
However, current apparel designs require wearing combinations of multiple cool and cold weather protection since one garment alone may not be comfortably worn or provide the desired protection needed in a range of temperatures. Depending on the circumstances, users may combine face masks, hooded garments, scarves, turtleneck shirts, long underwear and other garments in combination as a defense against the elements. This is both inconvenient and expensive.