Who Really Invented the Wearable Blanket? The Forgotten Story of The Slanket

With wearable blankets now trending across Australia and beyond — from couch essentials to viral gift ideas — it's easy to believe they were dreamed up by a modern brand. But as with many great inventions, the original story has quietly been buried beneath marketing noise.

So, who really invented the wearable blanket?

🧠 It Began in 1998 — Long Before the Viral Boom

The origin of the wearable blanket traces back to Gary Clegg, a college student at the University of Maine. In 1998, battling the brutal chill of his dorm room, he cut a hole in a sleeping bag so he could stay warm while keeping his hands free. That small idea became the Slanket.

With support from his brother Jeff Clegg, Gary turned the idea into a business. The Slanket officially launched in 2007 and was soon featured in major U.S. media outlets, kicking off what would later become a multi-brand craze.

• Bangor Daily News
• Rooster Magazine
• Mangalorean Interview

❓ Why Wasn’t It Patented?

“Essentially, the sleeved blanket is just a robe that’s on backward… so there’s no way to patent that.”
— Jeffrey Schox, Patent Attorney
Source: TheStreet

Gary reportedly attempted to patent the Slanket but was unsuccessful due to its functional similarity to a robe — which left the market wide open for other brands to capitalize on the concept.

🎯 Why This Story Matters Now

Many modern companies have heavily marketed wearable blankets — some even implying they were the first to create them. While these brands helped popularize the category, the innovation wasn’t born in a boardroom. It came from a freezing student, a sleeping bag, and a clever cut with scissors.

🧵 Our Perspective at Hoodie Haven

At http://hoodiehaven.com, we’re proud to offer our own version of wearable blankets — oversized, sherpa-lined, and built for Australian winters — but we don’t claim to be the original creators.

We share this story because it deserves to be told. And we hope other creators, journalists, and brands will help ensure the real inventor — Gary Clegg — isn’t forgotten in the warmth of modern marketing.

🛒 Browse Our Hoodie Blanket Collection

This article is provided for historical and educational purposes. Hoodie Haven acknowledges Gary Clegg as the originator of the wearable blanket concept and makes no claim to its invention or associated intellectual property.