WO2005119162A2 - Ballistic carrier garment - Google Patents

Abstract

A garment is described comprising a front and back pocket. The pockets are oversized for receiving protective plates of varying sizes and dimensions. The garment is sized so that protective plates meant to be bullet proof may be positioned at preferred locations within the pockets. Further the pockets have straps for holding the plates at a given location over the human torso. The garment additionally has side straps to secure a front plate in close proximity, or contact, with a back plate. In this manner individual wearers of the garment, each having a unique size and shape, can custom fit the position of the protective plates to his or her anatomy. The garment will also decrease the likelihood of protective plates shifting on the wearer's body. The garment further includes wicking material to increase the comfort and hygiene of the garment.

Description

BALLISTIC CARRIER GARMENT

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/548,480, filed February 27, 2004, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/603,988, filed August 23, 2004. FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to an improved garment for carrying body armor wherein the garment^'allows for improved positioning of protective plates or armor over the wearer's body. The garment holds armored plates in close proximity to a human torso while also protecting vital portions of the upper human torso. The garment further provides increased comfort to the wearer by providing materials to wick perspiration away from the body. The wearer of the garment experiences improved comfort over other garments, and the increased comfort thus promotes wearing and usage of the armored garment.

BACKGROUND Armored protection for use by police officers, military, and other security personnel has grown in recent popularity. Ballistic or armored protection takes several forms. In one common application, protective plates that can withstand the forces of small to medium caliber ballistic projectiles are fashioned to protect vital areas of the human anatomy. A garment such as a jacket or vest carries the ballistic plates so that when the garment is worn the plates protect desired areas of the wearer. Such a garment may popularly be called a "bullet proof vesfX In military applications, stronger ballistic plates are also capable of withstanding high-velocity rounds.

The armored or ballistic resistant plates that are used come in a variety of designs, materials, and shapes. One popular form of soft body armor is sold under the trade name KEVLAR ® and is manufactured by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. KEVLAR ® ballistic plates are understood to be multiple layers of ballistic resistant materials encased in an outer covering. A KEVLAR ® layer is a fabric woven from aramid fibers. Multiple layers of the fabric are glued or secured together to form a desired thickness. The layers of KEVLAR ® fabric may be held in a casing such as a vinyl or plastic material. One outer covering is known in the industry by the term Nylon- Pac and is a rip stop form of nylon fabric.

Other protective body armor is sold under the tradename SPECTRA®.

SPECTRA® is also a composite material with ballistic resistance that is made of polyethylene based fibers. Honeywell of Morristown, NJ is a manufacturer of

SPECTRA materials. Other forms of protective body armor also exist and include ceramic and metallic materials.

The ballistic plates demonstrate high energy absorption. Thus the plates can absorb and distribute the energy of a ballistic round that impacts on a ballistic plate. The loss of energy to the projectile decreases its linear momentum and thus decreases its penetrating power. Increased ballistic resistance can be achieved by increasing the number of sheets in a plate where, for example, the plate is a KEVLAR ® material. Body armor of other materials similarly provides greater stopping power through increasing the thickness of the plate. Thus, it is sometimes desired to exchange the body armor in a vest from that which is designed for low caliber, low velocity projectiles to that designed to protect against higher velocity projectiles. It would be desirable to have a single garment design that could accept such an exchange of body armor so that the wearer would know that, regardless of the situation, his protective garment can hold whatever type of body armor the situation calls for.

The garments and means that are now in use with protective body armor suffer from several disadvantages. Various plates are manufactured by different designers and manufacturers. The plates can thus be made in different shapes and sizes. Further, the human anatomy varies widely. Thus, a protective plate that is an appropriate size for a first-sized individual may not be appropriate for a different-sized individual. A further disadvantage is that the garments, designs, and materials used to hold the plates do not allow for adjustment of the position of the plate relative to the wearer's body. A further disadvantage is that the plates, themselves wrapped in plastic, and the garments, are hot. The garment and plates tend to make the wearer perspire and thus wearing the protective clothing is accompanied by personal discomfort. Personal discomfort discourages use of armored protection, and can lead to tragic consequences.

A further need has been identified over the years that ballistic resistant plating has been available. The fact is that ballistic or armored plating can significantly outlast the garment or clothing that carries them. KEVLAR plating and other ballistic armor does not appreciably deteriorate or wear, as compared, to conventional cotton or synthetic clothing. Thus while a cotton, nylon, or synthetic vest that typically houses a KEVLAR plate will wear out over a period of years, the protective plates worn in the garment can still provide useful service for an additional period of years. As a result, organizations such as a police force, find themselves with an inventory of armored or ballistic plates long after the original garments associated with a particular plate have been thrown out. This inventory of protective gear will be of differing sizes and dimensions. It would be advantageous if a single replacement garment could be purchased that would accommodate the various sizes of plates.

Hence, there is a need for an improved garment. There is a need for a garment that allows the wearer to adjust the position of the protective plates relative to the individual wearer's body. There is a need for a garment that is adaptable to different sized individuals. There is a need for a garment design that accounts for varying body armor designs. There is a need for a garment that can immediately replace an existing body armor cover without forcing the wearer to wait for a customized replacement. There is also a need for a garment with less discomfort associated with wearing the garment. The present disclosure addresses one or more of these needs. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides an improved armored garment. In a first embodiment, by way of example only, the garment generally fits over a human torso. The garment includes pockets. The pockets are oversized in that they are sized to accept different sizes and dimensions of protective plates. In an embodiment the garment includes a front pocket and a back pocket. The front pocket generally corresponds to the front of the human torso, and the back pocket generally corresponds to the back area of the human torso. The interior of the pockets include adjusting straps. In one embodiment, the adjusting straps may comprise VELCRO ® fabric which will also correspond to VELCRO ® fabric on the corresponding area within the pocket. Through the use of the adjusting straps the wearer of the garment positions the protective plate within the pocket to a position that corresponds to a desired position when worn over the wearer's body. The adjustable VELCRO ® fabric straps also ensure the protective plates will not shift within the pocket. As such the intended level of safety and protection the wearer seeks by wearing protective armor will not differ.

In an embodiment, the garment further includes side straps. The side straps, in one embodiment, include VELCRO ® fabric that also corresponds to a VELCRO ® receiving area in the front of the garment. The side straps can secure a front pocket to a back pocket. In this step of securing the front pocket to the back pocket the protective plate within the front pocket is brought in to make contact with the protective plate in the back pocket at the region corresponding to the wearer's side or ribs. Thus, use of the side straps ensures the protection of the protective plates at the wearer's vulnerable side or lower rib area. The side straps also secure the plates against the body of the wearer and prevent excess shifting of the plates on the wearer's front and back torso. In a further exemplary embodiment, the garment comprises a wickable material. The wickable material is selected from any material that provides wicking of human perspiration. The wickable material can be positioned at selected locations of the garment. The wickable material is positioned at the interior of the garment where the garment is in contact with the front and back of the human torso. This position also generally corresponds to the interior of the front and back pocket. Placing wickable material at these positions thus provides increased comfort at those points on the human body that would otherwise be subject to perspiration associated with the plastic or vinyl material that encases the protective plates. The wickable material can be placed at the areas corresponding to the lower ribs on each side of the human torso.

Other independent features and advantages of the ballistic carrier garment will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of a garment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a back view of a garment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a further embodiment of a garment.

FIG. 4 is a back view of a further embodiment of a garment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of adjustable straps used in a garment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a front view of a ballistic carrier garment and a corresponding back view in FIG. 2. In an embodiment garment

10 is a generally shirt shaped item of apparel that can fit over the torso of a wearer. As common with this kind of apparel, garment has a neck opening 1 1 , torso opening 12, right sleeve 13, and left sleeve 14. Further garment 10 generally defines an interior area and an exterior area. The interior area is that portion of the garment in contact with the wearer's body.

As shown in FIG. 2, 3, and 4 a front torso piece 21 and rear torso piece 22 are defined by garment 10. In one embodiment, the front and rear torso pieces 21 , 22 are separate pieces joined together, as by stitching, to form a body of garment 10. In this' embodiment, front and rear torso pieces 21 , 22 are cut and joined such that they create a vest-like shape; i.e., a garment that covers the front and rear human torso but lacks sleeves. Front torso piece 21 includes a front exterior layer 23 and a front interior layer 24. Likewise rear torso area 22 includes a rear exterior layer 25 and a rear interior layer 26.

The front exterior layer 23 and front interior layer 24 are joined together, as by stitching, at the outer boundary of front torso piece 21 shown in dashed line, except for the area corresponding to the waist area. Thus, front exterior layer 23 and front interior layer 24 define an opening or pocket between them, and the front opening or pocket is further opened at the waist area.

Similarly, the rear exterior layer 25 and rear interior layer 26 are joined together, as by stitching, at the outer boundary of rear torso piece 22, which is shown in dashed line. The area corresponding to the waist area is not joined or stitched. Thus rear exterior layer 25 and rear interior layer 26 define an opening or pocket between them, and the rear opening or pocket is further opened at the waist area. By joining the front exterior and interior pieces in this fashion, joining or stitching at the exterior boundary, the pocket defined by these pieces essentially encompasses the entire area defined by the front piece. Likewise with rear piece, its pocket encompasses the entire area defined by rear piece due to the stitching at the outer boundary.

In an embodiment, front and rear torso pieces 21 , 22 are joined together by shoulder area stitching, and at the sides at a location under the arms. In an embodiment, garment 10 includes side pieces 27 which are located at the sides of the garment at the location under the arms where front torso piece 21 and rear torso piece 22 meet.

Side pieces 27 play a role in different functions of garment 10. In one aspect, side pieces 27 comprise a light, stretchable material including, but not limited to a material such as nylon. This flexibility, and the area provided by side pieces 27 between front torso piece 21 and rear torso piece 22, allows movement or expansion of the garment 10. The side pieces thus provide room which assists the wearer in donning the garment as the wearer's head and upper body passes through the torso opening 12. Once the garment is tightened, as described further below, the side pieces 27 are light and flexible enough such that they fold and do not obstruct positioning of the front and rear torso pieces 21 , 22.

In an embodiment, the front and rear exterior layers 23, 25 of front and rear torso pieces 21 , 22 are comprised of a cotton material. Also in an embodiment, front and rear interior layers 24, 26 of front and rear torso pieces 21 , 22 are comprised of a synthetic wickable material such as nylon. One acceptable material is HYDROFIL nylon, which may be used as front and rear interior layers 24, 26, in order to wick moisture from the skin of the wearer.

Optionally, though in one aspect, additional items are added to create an armored garment 10. Joined to front and rear torso pieces 21 , 22 are sleeves 30, a neck piece 31 , and a waist piece 32. In one embodiment, neck piece 31 takes the form of a crew neck shirt or a v-neck shirt. Certain organizations, such as police departments, may have regulations regarding what kind of clothing can be visible under a uniform shirt. Thus, the style of the neck piece 31 may vary to suit the user's particular needs. Further, the style of the neck may be fashioned in order to conceal from the general public, that the user is wearing the ballistic carrier garment. For example, not only can the neck piece be fashioned as a crew or v-neck, but it may also take the form of a collared neck, turtleneck, t-shirt type, a sweater-type material on the neck, or any other material suitable for the user's needs in concealment. Thus, the neck piece 31 can be adapted to comply with these kinds of requirements or needs.

As shown in FIG. 2 right strap 15 and left strap 16 are affixed to rear torso piece 22. Stitching is a preferred means of attachment. In one embodiment straps 15 and 16 are affixed in a position that generally corresponds to the lower rear torso area of a wearer. Straps 15 and 16 include attachable fabric 17 and 18 (or other attachment means). In one aspect, attachable fabric 17, 18 comprise hook and loop type fabric as is commonly identified by the tradename VELCRO ®. Referring now to FIG. 3 in one embodiment, garment 10 has left strap receiving area 33 and right strap receiving area 34. In an embodiment, strap receiving areas 33 and 34 are positioned to correspond to the lower front torso of a wearer. Strap receiving areas 33, 34 in one aspect comprise hook and loop type fabric, commonly identified by the tradename VELCRO ®, or other attachment means designed to affix to the attachment means on straps 15 and 16.

Straps 15 and 16 are in one aspect comprised of a fabric material. In one aspect, the fabric is a generally non-stretchable fabric such as cotton. Strap receiving areas 33 and 34 are positioned on front torso piece 21 so as to receive and affix with left and right straps 15, 16 when straps are pulled from the rear torso piece 22, around the waist, to the front torso piece 21. The attachable fabric (or other attachment means) on straps 15, 16 can be secured to strap receiving areas 33, 34. Securing left and right straps 15, 16 to left and right strap receiving areas 33, 34 secures rear torso piece 22 to front torso piece 21. In particular securing straps closes the space between rear torso piece 22 and front torso piece 21 at side pieces 27.

Left and right straps 15, 16 and left and right strap receiving areas 33, 34 are sized so as to allow various adjustments of garment 10. For example, there is adequate length to straps 15, 16 such that garment 10 can be adjusted to a tight fit or a loose fit. Further, the areas of left and right strap receiving areas 33, 34 that comprise hook and loop fabric (or other attachment means) is also sized large enough so that straps 15, 16 can be secured at various positions thereon. Thus, for example, straps 15, 16 can be affixed at a high position, a low position (relative to the wearer's torso) or a snug fit or a loose fit.

As previously described, front torso piece 21 defines a front pocket 41 , and rear torso piece 22 defines a rear pocket 42. As in FIG. 5, the Front pocket 41 is thus positioned in an area of the garment that generally corresponds to the front of the wearer's torso, and rear pocket 42 is also positioned in an area of the garment that generally corresponds to the back of the wearer's torso.

In an embodiment, front and rear pockets 41 , 42 may include a closing means. Speaking now of front pocket 41 closing means comprises corresponding strips of hook and loop fabric (or other attachment means), such as VELCRO ® fabric attached to front exterior layer 23 and front interior layer 24 along the waistline of each such piece. Affixing the attachment fabric on front exterior layer 23 to the reciprocal attachment fabric on front interior layer 24 closes front pocket 41. Rear pocket 42 similarly has reciprocal attachment fabric (or other attachment means) attached along the waistline of rear interior and exterior layers 25, 26 so that rear pocket may be closed.

Front pocket 41 and rear pocket 42 are oversized areas designed to receive protective ballistic plates such as KEVLAR ® body armor. Front and rear pockets 41 , 42 are oversized in that they can receive ballistic plates of differing sizes and dimensions. Not only can the pockets physically receive plates of differing size, but the pockets are. also large enough so that a wearer can then adjust the position of the plates within the pocket so as to cover a preferred area on the wearer's anatomy as further described below. Further front and rear pockets 41 , 42 have enough depth to receive ballistic plates of varying thickness.

Front pocket 41 and rear pocket 42 also include adjusting straps 43, 44. In one embodiment front pocket 41 and back pocket 42 each include two generally vertically arranged adjusting straps. As shown in FIG. 5 in one aspect,, front adjusting straps 43 are affixed, as by stitching, to front exterior layer 23. Alternatively, front adjusting straps 43 may be affixed to front interior layer 24. Adjusting straps 43, 44 may include a hook and loop fabric such as VELCRO ® fabric or other attachment means. A corresponding receiving fabric, or other attachment means, is affixed to front interior piece 24. Thus front adjusting strap 43 can be secured to the receiving fabric (or attachment means) affixed to front interior layer 24. Affixing front adjusting strap 43 in this manner prevents further movement of the strap beyond the limits of the movement allowed when affixed. However, the position at which front adjusting strap 43 is set can be varied in order to position a ballistic plate at a relatively higher or lower position. In one aspect, the adjusting straps are of a sufficient width to ensure the stability of the plates within the front and back pockets. In one embodiment, a width of approximately two inches is preferred.

A similar arrangement of adjusting straps, hook and loop fabric (or other attachment means), and receiving hook and loop fabric (or other attachment means) is also positioned within rear pocket 42. Rear adjusting strap 44 is disposed therein. In operation, a wearer places protective plates in the front and rear pockets 41 , 42. Front and rear adjusting straps 43, 44 are wrapped around the protective plates such that the adjusting straps support the weight of the plate at the bottom edge of the plate. The wearer then adjusts the position of each plate within the front and rear pocket by affixing each front and rear adjusting strap 43, 44 at a desired height on the receiving fabric (or other attachment means). For example, when VELCRO ® fabric is used, the wearer can affix the VELCRO ® fabric of the adjusting strap to the receiving VELCRO® material of the garment. In doing so adjusting straps 43, 44 support and hold the plate in a desired position. The wearer selects this position to correspond to areas of the anatomy that are desired to be protected. Various authorities such as police departments and the National Institute of Justice have defined preferred areas of protection such as from the sternum to the navel in the front torso area.

In using the garment a wearer can further pull right strap 15 so that the attachment fabric 17 of right strap 15 affixes to right receiving area 34. Likewise left strap 16 can be pulled so that attachment fabric 17 of left strap 16 affixes to left receiving area 33. It is noted that right strap 15 and left strap 16 are positioned so that the wearer pulls the straps from a rearward position, around the wearer's sides and to a secure position in the front torso area. In doing so the wearer pulls the plate that is positioned in front pocket 41 into proximity to the plate positioned in rear pocket 42 at the areas of the wearer's sides. In one aspect, the wearer pulls the front plate into direct contact with the back plate. This area, corresponding to the rib area under a wearer's arm pits, is an area that may be unprotected if the front and back plate do not match closely, or make contact, at those points. Affixing straps 15, 16 as described, acts to close any unprotected areas in the side/underarm area. The fact that straps 15, 16 are adjustable means that garment 10 can be adapted so that plates of different size can be used in the garment and the wearer is still able to position these plates in desired locations over the wearer's torso.

The wickable material that comprises front interior layer 24 and rear interior layer 26 improves the comfort of the garment. A wearer's perspiration and heat can be carried away by this material. Further side pieces 27, comprised of thin nylon, can act as an escape for the heat and perspiration from within the interior region of garment 10.

As noted, garment 10 also includes waist piece 32 in one embodiment. Waist piece 32 can further act to hold the garment in place over the torso when it is tucked, as for example under a wearer's belt or pants.

The above description has spoken of protective plates and KEVLAR ® plates. It is understood that KEVLAR ® material represents but one kind of ballistic protective material. The protective plates that may be used in the present disclosure may be made of any material used for ballistic protection, bullet proofing or armoring. Thus metal and alloy plates may also be used. Plastics and laminates may also be used. Adjusting straps, side straps, and the closing means on front pocket 41 and rear pocket 42 may also be used with joining or affixing methods other than attachment fabric such as hook and loop or VELCRO ® material. Hook and loop attachment fabric is preferred. Other fasteners may be used including belts, zippers, buttons, snaps, drawstrings, hooks, and double loop fasteners. Thus, in the above description and the following claims, the term "attachment means" encompasses hook and loop attachment fabric, belts, zippers, buttons, snaps, drawstrings, hooks, and double loop fasteners. Furthermore, the adjusting straps, side straps, and closing means on the front pocket could each have a particular and perhaps different attachment means. For example purposes only, the adjusting straps could be made of one type of attachment means such as a drawstring, while the closing means on the front and back pocket could be made of a zipper. Thus, the adjusting straps, side straps, and the closing means on front pocket 41 and rear pocket 42 may utilize any combination of attachment means.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to an embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt to a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A garment for carrying ballistic plates over a human torso comprising: a front torso piece comprising a front exterior piece and a front interior piece wherein said front exterior piece is affixed to said front interior piece by stitching along the outer perimeter of the front exterior and interior pieces except at the waistline such that front torso piece defines a pocket there between; a rear torso piece comprising a rear exterior piece and a rear interior piece wherein said rear exterior piece is affixed to said rear interior piece by stitching along the outer perimeter of the rear exterior and interior pieces except at the waistline such that rear torso piece defines a pocket there between; a first strap affixed to said rear torso piece said first strap further comprising attachment fabric; a second strap affixed to said rear torso piece, said second strap further comprising attachment fabric; a receiving attachment fabric attached to said front torso piece wherein said receiving attachment fabric is capable of receiving said first strap and said second strap; at least one front adjustment strap disposed within said front pocket; at least one rear adjustment strap disposed within said rear pocket.

2. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising at least two front adjustment straps.

3. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising at least two rear adjustment straps.

4. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising at least two front adjustment straps and at least two rear adjustment straps.

5. The garment according to claim 1 wherein said front adjustment strap and said rear adjustment strap further comprise hook and loop fabric, and wherein said front torso piece and said rear torso piece further comprise hook and loop fabric whereby the front adjustment strap can be set at a single position within said front pocket and whereby the rear adjustment strap can be set at a single position within said rear pocket, and whereby both front adjustment strap and rear adjustment strap can be moved to other positions.

6. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising side panels

7. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising a neck piece.

8. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising a v-neck.

9. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising a crew neck.

10. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising a waist piece.

11. The garment according to claim 1 further comprising sleeves.

12. The garment according to claim 1 wherein said front interior piece and said rear interior piece comprise wickable material.

13. A garment for carrying ballistic plates over a human torso comprising: a front torso piece comprising a front exterior piece and a front interior piece wherein said front exterior piece is affixed to said front interior piece by stitching along the outer perimeter of the front exterior and interior pieces except at the waistline such that front torso piece defines a pocket there between; a rear torso piece comprising a rear exterior piece and a rear interior piece wherein said rear exterior piece is affixed to said rear interior piece by stitching along the outer perimeter of the rear exterior and interior pieces except at the waistline such that rear torso piece defines a pocket there between; attachment means attached to the waistline of said front exterior piece and said front interior piece whereby said front torso piece may be closed at the waistline; attachment means attached to the waistline of said rear exterior piece and said rear interior piece whereby said rear torso piece may be closed at the waistline; a first strap affixed to said rear torso piece said first strap further comprising attachment fabric; a second strap affixed to said rear torso piece, said second strap further comprising attachment fabric; a first receiving area comprising attachment fabric attached to said front torso piece wherein said first receiving area is capable of affixing said first strap to said front torso piece; a second receiving area comprising attachment fabric attached to said front torso piece wherein said second receiving area is capable of affixing said second strap to said front torso piece; a pair of front adjustment straps comprising attachment means disposed within said front pocket; attachment means disposed within said front pocket capable of receiving said pair of front adjustment straps whereby said front adjustment straps are capable of supporting a ballistic plate in said front pocket; a pair of rear adjustment straps comprising attachment means disposed within said rear pocket; and attachment means disposed within said rear pocket capable of receiving said pair of rear adjustment straps whereby said rear adjustment straps are capable of supporting a ballistic plate in said rear pocket.

14. The garment according to claim 13 wherein said pair of front adjustment straps are attached to said front exterior piece and the attachment means to which said pair of front adjustment straps affix is attached to said front interior piece; and wherein said pair of rear adjustment straps are attached to said rear exterior piece and the attachment means to which said pair of rear adjustment straps affix is attached to said rear interior piece.

15. The garment according to claim 13 wherein the attachment means attached to the waistline of the front exterior piece, the waistline of the front interior piece, the waistline of the rear exterior piece, and the waistline of the rear interior piece comprises hook and loop fabric; wherein the attachment fabric attached to said first strap and said second strap, said first receiving area, and said second receiving area comprises hook and loop fabric; and wherein the attachment means attached to said pair of front adjustment straps, to said pair of rear adjustment straps, disposed within said front pocket, and disposed within said rear pocket comprises hook and loop fabric.

16. The garment according to claim 13 wherein said pair of front adjustment straps can be positioned at different locations on said attachment means so that ballistic plates of varying sizes can be supported within said front pocket by said pair of front adjustment straps; and wherein said pair of rear adjustment straps can be positioned at different locations on said attachment means so that ballistic plates of varying sizes can be supported within said rear pocket by said pair of rear adjustment straps.

17. A method of positioning ballistic plates within a garment over a human wearer's torso comprising the steps of: providing a garment comprising a front pocket, a rear pocket, a left strap, a right strap, a pair of front adjustment straps, and a pair of rear adjustment straps; placing a front ballistic plate in a front pocket; supporting said front ballistic plate by a pair of front adjustment straps; placing a rear ballistic plate in a rear pocket; supporting said rear ballistic plate by a pair of rear adjustment straps; and affixing said left and right straps to a front piece of the garment thereby drawing a front ballistic plate and a rear ballistic plate together at the wearer's side.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the step of providing a garment further comprises providing a garment with a front pocket defined by a front exterior piece and a front interior piece, and a rear pocket defined by a rear exterior piece and a rear interior piece, and wherein said garment further comprises a pair of front adjustment straps attached to said front exterior piece and a pair of rear adjustment straps attached to said rear exterior piece, and wherein the step of supporting the front ballistic plate further comprises contacting said pair of front adjustment straps with the front interior piece; and wherein the step of supporting the rear ballistic plate further comprises contacting said pair of rear adjustment straps with the rear interior piece.

19. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of closing said front pocket after placing the front ballistic plate therein, and further comprising the step of closing said rear pocket after placing the rear ballistic plate therein.

0. The method according to claim 17 wherein the step of providing a garment further comprises providing a garment comprising a tail piece, and the method further comprising the step of tucking said tailpiece so as to hold the front ballistic plate and the rear ballistic plate against the wearer's body.