A New or Improved Combined Garter and Skirt Distender for Cycling and other Skirts.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Combined Garter and Skirt Distender for
Cycling and other Skirts.
I HELENA WILSON of 76 Regent Street, London, W. Costumier do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This inventicn has for object a new or improved combined garter and dress.
distender for the use of ladies when cycling, riding on horseback and in similar
outdoor exercises, where it is found expedient to dispense with the usual description.
of undergarments and to replace them by knickerbockers worn below a plain skirt..
The latter dress although eminently adapted for the purposes described has the
disadvantage of frequently and undesirably outlining the shape of the lower limbs.
by too closely clinging to them, especially when travelling at some speed against
a head-wind, and also impeding the free movement of the legs as required for-
pedalling and the like. My new or improved device taking the shape of a broad
garter having an outward covering of rouched pleated, box-pleated and kilted or
goffered material of a suitable degree of inherent stiffness, such for instance as
thick silk, holland, horse-hair, cloth and the like, may be worn over, on or under
the knee of the person using it and has for purpose to give the fulness, otherwise
provided by various underwear, and requisite for the proper fitting of the skirt and
avoiding unpleasant clearness of the outline of the knees and lower extremities.
without in anyway exercising a hampering or impeding effect. A pneumatic band,.
or plain rubber band may encircle the leg and be covered with the rouching or other
device.
In order to make the nature of my invention more readily understood I have
appended hereunto a sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view of a lady cyclist
in the act of mounting her machine, part of the skirt being cut away, to expose the
knickerbockers and show the application of my new or improved device to the leg
of the figure, Fig. 2 is a view of the device itself on an enlarged scale and Fig. 3.
a section of the same.
Throughout the figures a indicates the garter proper made as usual of elastic
band or other suitable material and having either the form of an endless ring to be
slipped over the foot and part of the leg until the proper place for it is reached, or
it may be adapted to be fastened by means of a buckle or like contrivance. 6 is-
the rouche intended to have a distending, expanding or swelling effect on the skirt,.
as described.
This rouche may be made in convenient fashion and of any suitable material
having the requisite stiffness and resiliency, such as silk, stiff linen, horse hair cloth..
or the like; the edges of the material may be hemmed or provided with any
convenient ornamentation and the whole may be finished off with an ornamental
bow, a buckle or similar embellishment, or two or more descriptions of suitable
material may be used for the manufacture of the rouching, as for instance horse
hair cloth covered with silk. My new or improved dress distender may also be
made to take the shape of a so called knee cap, having one elastic band above and.
one below the knee.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A new or improved combination garter and dress distender for the use of ladies
when cycling, riding on horseback, and in similar athletic exercises where the usual
undergarments are conveniently replaced by knickerbockers worn below a skirt,
for the purpose of distending the skirt and preventing it from clinging closely to
the limbs, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December 1896.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
For the Applicant.