Improvements in Ladies' Dresses or Skirts for Walking and Cycle Riding.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ladies' Dresses or Skirts for Walking and
Cycle Riding.
I, LILA AUSTIN, of East Grove, Cardiff, County of Glamorgan, Widow, 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 invention relates to ladies' dresses or skirts for walking and cycle riding, and
has for its object to produce a skirt which can be used for either of the purposes
aforesaid at the option of the wearer.
In carrying my invention into effect, I form the skirt in front with an open portion
for giving full play to the lower limbs, this opening being covered by an apron or
lappet, which however can be turned up over the knees when riding and give full
play to the rider's lower limbs. In walking, however, the apron or lappet is turned
down over the opening, and the wearer appears to be wearing a short tight skirt.
The skirt may be cut open behind to within four or five inches of waist and be heavily
weighted with shot to keep it from the spokes. In this dress a lady could even, if
necessary, ride a man's machine and get on and off at once, avoiding the heavy
dragging of a skirt across the knees and that ugly motion of the legs hampered by
a skirt.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a view of the skirt in use when walking, and
Figure 2, the same in use for cycle riding.
In these, A is the apron, lappet or flap, which hangs down over the opening when
the wearer is walking, as depicted in Figure 1, but which when she is riding, she
turns up over the knees and buttons at B. The flap or apron is, by preference, so
arranged as to slightly overlap the edges a of the skirt opening. There are several
ways of making the flap, but the most convenient way known to me is to so cut the
skirt in front, that the portion cut shall itself form the apron or flap. A skirt
designed on these lines combines both gracefulness and utility.
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 :-
1. The improvement in ladies' dress skirts, which consists in so cutting the skirt
in front as to form an apron or lappet, which can be turned up over the knees when
riding to allow free play to the limbs, and avoid the heavy dragging of a skirt across
the knees and in cutting the skirt behind to within some inches of the waist,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The improvement in ladies' dress skirts, which consists in forming the skirt
with an open portion in front for giving full play to the legs, and in placing over
this opening a flap or apron, which, when the skirt is used for walking, will hang
down over and cover the opening aforesaid, but which for cycle riding is turned up
over the knees and fastened by buttons or otherwise substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.

page_text: 3. As an improved article of manufacture, a ladies' skirt which can be used for
either walking or cycle riding at the option of the wearer substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of October 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.