Lower body garment with inflatable flotation device

A method of using a garment for flotation, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a garment, comprising:
• a garment portion and a flotation device attached to the garment portion, wherein the flotation device comprises an inflatable bladder, wherein the garment is configured to convert between a garment configuration in which the garment is worn on a user's lower body and a flotation configuration in which the flotation device is harnessed to the user's upper body,
• wherein the garment portion comprises two leg portions designed to at least partially cover legs of the user when the garment is worn in the garment configuration, wherein the inflatable bladder comprises two opposing bladder portions, wherein each of the bladder portions is disposed at least partially within a respective one of the leg portions, wherein each of the bladder portions has a loop attached to a lower end of the bladder portion,
• wherein the garment further comprises a first strap and a second strap each attached to the garment, wherein the first strap has a first fastener member attached to the first strap and the second strap has a second fastener member attached to the second strap, wherein the first and second fastener members are designed to removably attach to each other, and
• wherein the first and second straps are configured to loop around a waist of the user to removably attach the first and second fastener members to each other on a front side of the garment when the garment is worn in the garment configuration, and wherein the first and second straps are configured to harness the flotation device to the user's upper body when the garment is converted into the flotation configuration;
• and
• converting the garment from the garment configuration into the flotation configuration by the steps of:
• removing the first and second straps from around the waist of the user;
• removing the garment from the user's lower body;
• placing the flotation device around a neck of the user with the bladder portions being generally positioned over opposing sides of a chest of the user;
• looping each of the first and second straps from a back side of the user's upper body, under a respective one of opposing arms of the user, and then around a front side of the user's chest
• placing each of the first and second straps through a respective one of the loops attached to each of the bladder portions;
• harnessing the flotation device to the user's upper body by removably attaching the first fastener member of the first strap to the second fastener member of the second strap;
• and
• inflating the inflatable bladder.