Improvements in Ladies' Petticoats.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ladies' Petticoats.
I, SUSANNAH CROWSLEY of 58, and 60, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, 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:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in ladies' petticoats and has for object to
construct same of any desired fulness and stiffness in a simple and effective
manner.
Petticoats constructed in accordance with this invention may be worn with great
comfort and without the inconvenience caused as when in order to obtain a
required stiffness, whalebone or steel hoops and bands are made use of as heretofore
has been the custoin.
According to this invention I form the petticoat with a series (of any desired
number according to the amount of stiffness and fullness required) of longitudinal
flutes or pleats extending from the bottom edge of the petticoat to the waistband.
These flutes or pleats I stitch throughout, and to further stiffen them I bind them
with a braid or tape or other suitable binding material, and the same then form ribs
or stays throughout the length of the petticoat, serving to support stiffly and
strongly any required fullness of skirt.
The petticoat may be made of any suitable material such as horsehair moreen
and the like.
For greater comfort and ease I prefer to form the said flutes or pleats only for a
portion of the length of the petticoat in front leaving the part covering the
abdomen of the wearer soft and pliable. At the back the same may be carried
right up to the waist band and by suitable transverse connecting straps or bands
add any required fullness to the back of the dress, dispensing with the use of the
separate "bustle."
And in order that this my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will now proceed to describe same with reference to the accompanying
drawings and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, that is to
say:
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of a petticoat constructed in accordance with my
invention in which any desired amount of stiffness and fullness is imparted without
the use of steel or whalebone bands or hoops and their consequent inconveniences
and disadvantages.
The lines marked a shew the longitudinal ribs or stays formed by gathering in,
upon the inner side of the petticoat flutes or pleats from the bottom edge of the
petticoat upwards and stitching or sewing same throughout their lengths and then
binding the edges of the flutes or pleats so formed with a tape, braid, or other
suitable binding material.
The form of these flutes or pleats will be more readily comprehended by reference
to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings which are respectively a view in elevation of
the petticoat as constructed in accordance with this invention having a portion of
the petticoat cut away that the interior arrangement and form of the flutes or
pleats may be plainly visible; and a view to an enlarged scale of a portion of the
bound pleat or flute.
a. a. are the flutes or the pleats constructed as herein before described and shewn
extending from the bottom edge of the petticoat upwards to the waistband b at the
back, but terminating at e in front leaving a portion of the front of the petticoat
soft and pliable that it may readily and comfortably adapt to the body of the

page_text: wearer. dd are the transverse connecting straps or bands previously alluded to at
the back of the petticoat.
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 1
claim is.
Constructing ladies' petticoats with longitudinal flutes or pleats extending from
the bottom edge upwards, stitched and bound for additional stiffness; all sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein before described and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of February 1893.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.