Improvements in Combination Garments.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combination Garments.
I, ELIZABETH LEE, of Little Falls, in the County of Herkimer and State of
New York, United States of America, Housekeeper, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying drawings:
-
My invention relates to that class of garments for women's wear which are
known as "combination" garments and are designed to remove the weight of the skirts
from the hips and waist and to transfer it to the shoulders. So far as known to
me, garments of this class hitherto not only have failed to accomplish fully all the
hygienic results aimed at, particularly the most essential result, namely, to relieve
the abdomen of all pressure, but they have also failed to be adopted extensively
because it was impossible for women while using them, to dress in a thoroughly
neat and tasteful manner. Those who have a tendency to embonpoint have been
obliged to discard them on account of the uncomfortable and altogether undesir-
able multiplication of thicknesses of fabric about the waist, and all have found
them unbecoming on account of the ungraceful draping or lack of draping given
to the outer or dress-skirts, and uncomfortable because of their tendency to cling to
the limbs and interfere with the person in walking. My invention is intended
to obviate all these difficulties; to increase the comfort-giving qualities of such
garments; to remove all weight and pressure from the abdomen, to permit all
parts of the body of the wearer to be clad with uniform thickness of fabric and
warmth to provide a garment which can be taken apart readily for the laun-
dering of one part or the other, or for the replacing of one part by a new one
(as the bodice portion will become soiled much sooner and wear out much quicker
than the skirt portion) or for change of the material of one part or the other
according to the temperature or the occupation of the wearer; and to provide a garment
which shall be acceptable to those who desire to exercise freely by reason of its non-
interference with the person, and to those who desire to dress fashionably by reason
of its peculiar adaptability for fitting over in dress-making and particularly by
reason of the easy and graceful flow which it imparts to the skirts and the avoid-
ance of unnecessary and unsightly accumulation of material about the waist and
upper portion of the hips. To these ends my invention consists in the improved
garment hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a front view of one form of my improved garment as it would appear
in use, the upper portion only of the skirt part being shown, and the dress-skirt
being indicated in section.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, partly broken out.
Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same, the upper portion of the bodice part being
broken away.
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the dress-skirt, my
improved garment, and the petticoat to one another and to the body of the
wearer.
Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing more clearly the construction of the
garment and the mode of attaching the other skirts thereto.
Fig. 6 is a similar view of a form to be described hereinafter.
The bodice portion 1 of the improved garment is made to fit snugly to the form
and to extend below the waist-line 2, to about the upper line of the hips, that is,
about the line of greatest fulness. It may have, as when it is to be worn by
growing girls or by persons of unsymmetrical form, elastic shirred gores or

page_text: gussets 3 at the sides, the same being formed by inserting elastic bands 4 into the
material of the gusset and securing their ends to the adjacent portions of the bodice.
A very light dress-waist may thus be worn directly over the bodice without the
use of an intervening cover, which would be necessary in order to prevent the show-
ing through of elastic laces and other devices of that sort which have been employed
hitherto. The skirt portion 5 of the garment is fulled and gathered at the top,
as shown at 6, and is secured to a supporting band 7, preferably a bias band, on
the lower edge of the bodice portion 1. The fulling and gathering of the top of
the skirt is essential in order to give that flow of the skirt itself, of the underskirt,
and of the dress-skirt away from the body, which is necessary to impart a graceful
outline and fall to the dress-skirt and to prevent that clinging of the skirts to the
person which not only would be unsightly but would interfere with free movement.
It will be seen that this very desirable result could not be secured were both bodice
and skirt cut in one piece, and that, at the same time, the securing of this fulled
and gathered top of the skirt to the bodice at the described distance below the
waist line makes it possible to secure this result without that bulky, uncomfortable
and unsightly plicating of material about the waist which would be necessary were the
garment cut in one piece and loose, like an under-vest or other such garment. For
this same reason, and further, to prevent compression of and weight upon the abdomen,
fastening devices 8, such as buttons, are secured to the inside of the bias band 7,
that is, to the side next the wearer, to which is secured the top of the petticoat 9.
The petticoat is thus supported entirely by the bodice and does not add another
and unnecessary thickness about the waist and above the hips, the only covering
over the hips, between the waist and the dress-skirt, being the lower portion of the
bodice which is worn as an ordinary corset cover.
To the bodice and slightly below the waist line, are secured the devices 10 for
supporting the dress-skirt 11. I prefer to employ eyes, as shown, to co-operate
with hooks 12 on the dress-skirt. It will be observed that these supporting devices
are all to the rear of the side lines of the bodice. This arrangement provides for
holding the dress-skirt snugly and tightly to the body at the rear, where weight
and compression can do no harm, while in front and over the abdomen the dress-
skirt is given a looseness and fulness, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, thereby
altogether avoiding weight and pressure where it would be injurious. Were no
means provided to prevent, the dress-skirt would sometimes, especially when the
wearer is sitting, ride up on account of this very looseness and so become dis-
arranged. Accordingly I have secured to the bodice in front, at about one and
one-half inches below the waist line, or where the top of the dress-skirt rests
naturally when the wearer is standing, an inverted hook 13, under which the top of
the dress-skirt is secured and so held in place and at the same time without causing
any pressure on the abdomen.
In the form presented in Fig. 6, which is especially adapted for use when the
garment is made up in "white" goods, that is, in cotton or linen, the supporting
band is sewed to the bodice portion at its upper edge only and has secured to its
outer side buttons 14, and the skirt portion 51, being fulled and gathered as before,
is secured to said buttons instead of being sewed to the band. This arrangement
is particularly desirable as it facilitates the separation of the garment for purposes
of laundering, &c. The buttons 14 are preferably placed in alternation with the
buttons 8 and may be covered with a flap as shown.
The skirt portion 5 may be provided with draw-strings, if desired, as indicated
in dotted line in Fig. 3.
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 combination of a bodice adapted to fit snugly to the form, a supporting-
band thereon at a distance below the waist-line about equal to the distance from
the natural waist-line to the unner line of the hins fastening devines scoured to said

page_text: band, to support a petticoat, and a skirt gathered and fulled at the top and also
secured to said band, substantially as described.
2: The combination of a bodice adapted to fit snugly to the form, a supporting-
band thereon at a distance below the waist-line about equal to the distance from
the natural waist-line to the upper line of the hips, fastening devices secured to said
band to support a petticoat, a skirt fulled and gathered at the top and also secured
to said band, supporting devices for other skirts attached to the outside of the
bodice at a little below the waist-line, and an inverted hook secured to the front of
the bodice to engage with the outer skirt and prevent the same from riding up,
substantially as described.
3-
:-The combination of a bodice adapted to fit snugly to the form, a supporting
band sewed at its upper edge only to the inside of the bodice at a distance below
the waist-line about equal to the distance from the natural waist-line to the upper
line of the hips, fastening devices secured to the inner side of said band to support
a petticoat, fastening devices secured to the outside of said band, and a skirt
gathered and fulled at the top and adapted to be supported by said last named
fastening devices, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of January 1901
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.