IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert White, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Writer to the Signet, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS."
Sealed the 11th January 1860, and dated the 16th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert White at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
November 1859.
I, ROBERT WHITE, of Edinburgb, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Writer to the Signet, do hereby declare the nature, of the said In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS," to be as follows, that is to say: —
This Invention relates to the arrangement and manufacture or con-
struction of shirts of various classes and qualities, and styled "tunic shirts,"
the object of the improvements being the simplification of the making and
fitting of shirts, and the obtainment of superior comfort, convenience, and
general efficiency in the wear of such garments. The improved shirts are of
two kinds, single and double breasted. Each shirt is open all the way down
the front or side from the collar to the foot or skirt. The single breasted
tunic shirt is formed with the usual ornamental breast and the opening down
it, and down the skirt is made to fasten with a button or buttons, the two edges
or sides of the opening in the shirt being made to overlap somewhat, and the

page_text: overlaps to fasten with a button each at the top where the breast joins the
skirt. The double breasted tunic-shirt has a solid ornamental breast attached
to one side of the continuous longitudinal side opening, and extends across the
body of the wearer. The ornamental breast piece is made to fasten either
with a button, tie, or hook, at the top of the shoulder, the other side of the
breast and shirt being made plain and extended across the body beneath the
ornamental breast, and fastened by a button or other convenient means of
attachment at the top of the opposite shoulder. The whole is secured by a
button on each side at the lower extremities of the ornamental breast. As
these tunic shirts are quite open longitudinally, each wearer can put his shirt
on and off the arms like a coat. It does not get creased in putting on, and in
the double breasted form the ornamental breast being quite solid it is par-
ticularly free from the risks of creasing or soiling. It is also particularly easily
fitted and altered, these operations being effected simply by raising or lowering
the shoulder button at that part. The double breast also affords ample pro-
tection to the chest..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert White in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WHITE, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Writer
to the Signet, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
the said Robert White, Her special license that I, the said Robert White, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
White, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert White, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
'the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-

page_text: formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert White, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and manufacture or con-
struction of shirts of various classes and qualities, and styled "tunic shirts,"
the object of the improvements being the simplication of the making and
fitting of shirts, and the obtainment of superior comfort, convenience, and
general efficiency in the wear of such garments. The improved shirts are of
two kinds, single and double breasted; cach shirt is open all the way down the
front or side from the collar to the foot or skirt. The single breasted tunic
shirt is formed with the usual ornamental breast and the opening down
it, and down the skirt is made to fasten with a button or buttons, the two
edges or sides of the opening in the skirt being made to overlap somewhat,
and the overlaps to fasten with a button each at the top where the breast
joins the skirt. The double breasted tunic shirt has a solid ornamental breast
attached to one side of the continuous longitudinal side opening, and extends
across the body of the wearer. The ornamental breastpiece is made to fasten
either with a button, tie, or hook at the top of the shoulder, the other side of.
the breast and skirt being made plain and extended across the body beneath
the ornamental breast, and fastened by a button or other convenient means of.
attachment at the top of the opposite shoulder.. The whole is secured by a
button on each side at, the lower extremities of the ornamental breast.
As
these tunic shirts are quite open longitudinally each wearer can put his shirt
on, and off by merely slipping it on or off the arms like a coat. It does not
get creased in putting on, and in the double breasted form, the ornamental
breast being quite solid, it is particularly free from the risks of creasing or
soiling. It is also particularly easily fitted and altered, these operations being
effected simply by raising or lowering the shoulder button or other fastening
at that part. The double breast also affords ample protection to the chest.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in shirts may be
properly understood I shall now proceed to describe the several illustrative
Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which. I have hereunto
appended for the purpose of showing certain modifications under which my
improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to say:―.
i

page_text: Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents one modification
of my improved single breasted "tunic shirt." The front portion A of the body
of the shirt is cut from the piece of cloth in two parts or is divided by an
opening extending down the middle in the line B, so as to admit of the shirt
opening from the neck to the bottom of the skirt in the manner of an overcoat
or wrapper. The left hand portion of the body, as represented in Figure 1 of
the accompanying Drawings, extends from the side seam to the middle or
centre line B, an oblong or rectangular piece being cut out for the insertion of
the left hand half C, of the ornamental front. The right hand portion of the
body part is made to overlap the lower part, and extends to the full breadth of
the front C, and downwards to the bottom of the skirt, as shown by the
line D. The overlapping portion is fastened to the under part at the foot of
the front C by means of a button hole and button at E. The other or right
hand half F of the ornamental front is inserted in the body part in the
ordinary way, and is fastened down the front opening by means of buttons or
studs. The arrangement of the back part of the shirt, the collar. and sleeves,
being similar to the ordinary make, it is unnecessary for me to describe them
particularly. Shirts made according to these and the following improvements
possess many advantages over those of the: ordinary kind: They fit to the
body better, are much more easily put on or off, and without soiling or
creasing the front, or deranging the hair; whilst for invalids or persons who
are partially disabled these shirts afford a degree of comfort and convenience
greatly beyond those at present in use.
Figure 2 represents a modification of the single breasted tunic shirt. In
this arrangement the left hand portion of the body part A extends only a
short distance beneath the margin of the ornamental front, as indicated by the
dotted line B, which marks the edge of the body part. The upper extremity
of the body part is continued inwards beyond the central opening of the collar,
as shown by the dotted line. The right hand portion of the body part extends
over the lower or left hand part, its margin being shown by the line D. In
this modification the whole of the ornamental front. C is sewn to the right
hand portion A of the body part, and it overlaps the left hand part, and is
fastened at the top and bottom of the breast by means of buttons or other
fastenings at E and F. In this shirt buttons or studs are altogether dispensed
with down the front, but studs may as a matter of taste be used in the front to
give the same a more ornamental appearance. Thus the only fastenings
required for the attachment of the open part of the shirt are the buttons at the
top and bottom of the front C, at E and F, and one at the collar. The shirt
delineated in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings represents one modifi-.

page_text: cation of the "double-breasted tunic shirt," which is adapted for affording
increased protection to the chest of the wearer, as well as obtaining a smooth
and handsomely fitting front. The left-hand portion of the body part A of
the shirt is in this instance carried over as far as the dotted marginal line B,
the upper portion being hollowed out to fit the neck of the shirt, and the
corner of the body part fastened to a button on the shoulder strap. The
right-hand portion of the body part overlaps the lower part as far as tho
marginal line D, the plaited linen front C being sewn into this part from
which a piece of cloth of a corresponding size has been previously cut out.
The front C is sloped out to fit round the neck, and is fastened at its upper
corner to a button at E on the shoulder strap; it is also fastened at each of
the lower corners to buttons at F, which are sewn to the under or left-hand
portion of the body part A. According to this mode of making shirts the
chest of the wearer is protected by a double fabric from the influence of cold,
the smooth underlying surface of cloth causing the linen front to sit much
better than those of the ordinary make.
Another of my improvements in making double-breasted tunic shirts consists
in arranging them with two distinct linen fronts, either of which may be worn
outside at the option of the wearer. The first of these modifications is delineated
in Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings. In this garment the front parts
A are made similar to the preceding example, and extend over or under each
other to the extent indicated by the marginal lines B and D. But instead of
the left-band portion of the body part being extended under the breast part of
the shirt a picce is cut out of the same and a linen front is inserted. This
arrangement of the two fronts C and E is delineated in Figure
of my
illustrative Drawings, in which the two fronts are shown as inserted in the
right and left portions of the body part. The overlapping part of each front C
and E forms a projecting piece similar to the lapel of a coat, and the con-
vertibility of the fronts is attained by the following arrangement of the
fastenings:-Each lapel has a button hole made in it at the upper point or
corner F to fasten it to a button sewn on the shoulder strap, when it is placed
uppermost; there is also a button on each lapel contiguous to the button hole
to fasten it to a button hole in the shoulder strap when it is undermost.
There is also a button hole and a button G at each of the lower corners of the
ornamental fronts C and E, similar to the arrangement shown in Figure 3.
The wristbands of the shirts shown in Figures 4 and 5 are made wide enough
so as to dispense with buttons; to this end the usual opening above the linen
wristband is closed up, the sleeve being sewn down as far as the upper edge of
the wristband. In the modification shown in Figure 5 the shirt is made so

page_text: as to dispense with buttons altogether. Buttonholes are made at the upper
and lower parts of the fronts, and holes are also formed at F in the shoulder
straps to receive the studs, by means of which the lapels are fastened over.
The collar band and the lower parts of the fronts are in like manner secured
by means of studs or other similar detached fastenings.
Figure 6 on the accompanying Drawings represents another mode of securing
shirts made on the principle just described. According to this modification the
several parts are connected by means of links H, which serve to fasten the
overlapping parts. With shirts made according to these modifications the
wearer is enabled to reverse the front of the shirt at pleasure; the two fronts
may be made alike as regards the plaiting, or one may be adapted for morning
wear and the other for evening attire.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the system or mode of arranging and making single-breasted tunic
shirts, as herein-before described and delineated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of arranging and making double-breasted tunic
shirts with or without convertible ornamental breasts or fronts, as herein-.
before described and shown in Figures 3 to 6 of the accompanying Drawings,
or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert White, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
ROBERT WHITE. (L.S.)