Body armor vest anchoring system and method

A bullet proof vest comprising:

• a fabric shell having means thereon for maintaining bullet resistant wearer protective panels of impact absorbing anti-ballistic material in fixed positions thereon so as to form a non-stretchable enclosure to at least partially protectively surround the upper torso of a wearer when the vest is worn, the shell having a front and a back, a waist level extending around the front and the back thereof at the approximate height of a wearer's waist when the vest is worn, and means at the front and back of the waist level thereof for detachably fastening a lower garment thereto;
• a horizontally and vertically elastic lower garment having a waistband of an elastic material including an elastic fiber adapted to surround the waist of a wearer and having means for elastically interconnecting the front and back of the waistband in paths through and around the legs of the wearer including a body portion formed of an elastic fiber containing material that, when worn, extends between the legs of the wearer and horizontally encircles the thighs of the wearer;
• the front and back of the lower garment having means thereon for detachably fastening the front and the back thereof, in the vicinity of the waistband, to the front and back, respectively, of the shell, at the waist level thereof, by detachable engagement with the fastening means of the shell to elastically hold the back and the front of the shell both vertically and horizontally at the wearer's waist.

A method of anchoring a bullet resistant wearer protective vest in the vicinity of the waist level thereof to the waist of the wearer to thereby maintain bullet resistant wearer protective panels of impact absorbing anti-ballistic material carried thereby to form a nonstretchable enclosure which at least partially protectively surrounds the upper torso of a wearer when the vest is worn, wherein the vest includes a fabric shell having a front, a back and a waist level on the front and back thereof at the approximate height of the waist of the wearer when the vest is worn, the method including the steps of:

• providing a lower torso surrounding brief having an elastic waistband and a body portion attached to and extending downwardly from the waistband;
• permanently connecting at least one piece of one part of a hook and loop fastener material along a horizontal extent at the front and back of the shell, at the waist level thereof;
• and
• permanently connecting at least one piece of an opposite part, mateable with the one part, of the hook and loop fastener material along a horizontal extend at the front and back of the brief in the vicinity of the waistband.