An impact diffusing system for protecting a user's head includes a headpiece cage coupled to a thoracic framework. In one aspect, the headpiece cage includes at least two support bars, a plurality of rigid bars surrounding at least a portion of the forehead, top, and sides of the head, and a face mask that encloses at least a portion the user's face. The thoracic framework covers at least a portion of a chest, upper back, and shoulders of the user, and the thoracic framework is attached to the support bars of the headpiece cage in a manner that prevents movement of the headpiece cage relative to the thoracic framework. In another aspect, the system includes a helmet component (formed of e.g., carbon fiber) coupled to a thoracic cage, wherein the helmet component is a solid, unitary piece that surrounds the top, back, and sides of the user's head.

A garment designed to convert back and forth between a cover mode for nursing an infant and a carrier mode for carrying an infant or other animate or inanimate object has a first layer designed to loosely cover an attached inner layer or separate garment covering an upper torso of a wearer in the cover mode. The first layer has a neck opening, a back, a front, opposite sides, left and right arm openings, and a faux pocket slit on each side spaced below the respective arm opening and configured for insertion of a wearer's arm through the faux pocket slit and between the first layer and inner layer or garment. After inserting an arm, the wearer can turn a lower portion of the first layer inside out while moving the slit along the arm and over the shoulder to form a sling-like carrier in the carry mode.