IMPROVE- MENTS IN STAYS AND CORSETS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th February 1880.
WILLIAM THOMAS, of No. 128, Cheapside, in the City of London. “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STAYS AND CORSETS."
One of my present improvements has for its object to enable stays or corsets to
be readily expanded when the figure of the wearer increases in size, in order that
a woman may be enabled to continue to wear one and the same corset with
comfort under the above condition. For this purpose in manufacturing the corset
I form one or more longitudinal pleats or folds, either by sewing or by weaving,
such folds being formed in the single part of the fabric, and made to increase in
width from the top to the bottom of the corset in such proportion as to correspond
with the proportional increase in the upper and lower part of the figure. These
pleats or folds are sewn at one or both edges (by preference with a long stitch), so
as to lie flat upon the surface of the corset, and the thread employed is by preference
of different colour from the rest of the stitching, in order that it may be easily
distinguished. Thus the corset being originally manufactured with the said pleats
or folds in it to fit the figure, the wearer on increasing in size only requires to cut
open the stitching securing one or more of the said pleats or folds on each side, in
order by thus widening the corset to the extent of such pleat or pleats to adapt
the corset to the figure, and if the corset is provided with a number of such pleats
or folds this operation can be repeated at intervals, as the size of the figure increases,
by cutting open one or more of the pleats on each side at a time.
By the above described improvement I obviate the expedients usually resorted
to for allowing for increase in size of the figure, such as the use of buckles, belts,
and the like, which cause inconvenience, and at the same time prevent the corset
from fitting the enlarged figure of the wearer as perfectly and with as much
comfort as under ordinary circumstances.

page_text: According to another of my improvements, instead of arranging the side bones
of stays or corsets to pass vertically down from top to bottom of the corset, whereby
inconvenient pressure is sometimes experienced from the bones at the waist, and at
the lower end of the corset in stooping, I arrange all the bones to pass in a diagonal
or oblique direction from the upper part of the side and back of the corset
towards the lower part of the front, so that the bones in lying in a diagonal
or oblique direction against the body offer no inconvenient resistance to stooping,
as each bone is only subject to a comparatively limited flexure by such action,
while the parts of the fabric between the bones can readily yield thereto. At the
same time such diagonal bones confine and brace the figure as effectually, if not 1
more so, than when they are arranged in vertical positions, as the figure of the
wearer is more uniformly subjected to their action. The gores are formed at the
lower end of the corset between the diverging lower ends of the side bones, and are
thus also made to assume an oblique position corresponding to that of the bones.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th August
1880.
WILLIAM THOMAS, of No. 128, Cheapside, in the City of London.
MENTS IN STAYS AND CORSETS."
"IMPROVE-
One part of my present improvements has for its object to enable stays or
corsets to be readily expanded when the figure of the wearer increases in size, in
order that a woman may be enabled to continue to wear one and the same corset
with comfort under the above condition. For this purpose in manufacturing the
corset I form one or more longitudinal pleats or folds, either by sewing or by
weaving, such folds being formed in the single or double part of the fabric, and
made to increase in width from the top to the bottom of the corset in such
proportion as to correspond with the proportional increase in the upper and lower
part of the figure. These pleats or folds are sewn at one or both edges (by
preference with a long slip stitch), so as to lie flat upon the surface of the corsot,
and the thread employed is by preference of different colour from the rest of the
stitching, in order that it may be readily distinguished. Thus the corset being
originally manufactured with the said pleats or folds in it to fit the figure, the
wearer on increasing in size only requires to draw out the stitching securing one or
more of the said pleats or folds on each side, in order by thus widening the corset
to the extent of such pleat or pleats, to adapt the corset to the figure, and if the
corset is provided with a number of such pleats or folds, this operation can be
repeated at intervals, as the size of the figure increases, by drawing out the
stitching of one or more of the pleats on each side at a time.
By the above described improvement I obviate the expedients usually resorted to
for allowing for increase in size of the figure, such as the use of buckles, belts, and
the like, which cause inconvenience, and at the same time prevent the corset from
fitting the enlarged figure of the wearer as perfectly and with as much comfort as
under ordinary circumstances.
According to another of my improvements, instead of arranging the side bones of
stays or corsets to pass vertically down from top to bottom of the corset, whereby
inconvenient pressure is sometimes experienced from the bones at the waist and at
the lower end of the corset in stooping, I arrange all the bones to pass in a diagonal
or oblique direction from the upper part of the side and back of the corset towards
the lower part of the front, so that the bones in lying in a diagonal or oblique
direction against the body offer no inconvenient resistance to stooping, as each bone
is only subject to a comparatively limited flexure by such action, while the parts of
the fabric between the bones can readily yield thereto. At the same time such
diagonal bones confine and brace the figure more effectually than when they are
arranged in vertical positions, as the figure of the wearer is more uniformly
subjected to their action. The gores are formed at the lower end of the corset
between the diverging lower ends of the side bones, and are thus also made to
assume an oblique position corresponding to that of the bones.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 1 is a part plan of a corset arranged according to
my Invention, with several longitudinal pleats or folds A increasing in width from
the top to the bottom. These pleats, though for the sake of clearness shewn in
Fig. 1 as merely folded, are sewn along either one edge or both edges. When it is
desired to widen out the corset this sewing is undone, and the pleat then opens out
to double its width It is of advantage to sew the edges of the pleats with a strong

page_text: loop at X, X, so that when the sewing has to be undone, it is only necessary to
pull the loop of thread, the chain or tambour stitch being thus drawn out along the
whole length of the pleat.
Fig. 2 is a developed side view of a corset having bones arranged diagonally
according to my Invention, that is to say, the bones which stiffen the corset at its
side, instead of extending vertically from the lower edge to the top edge of the side
of the corset in the usual way, are laid at an inclination in a direction from the
bottom of the front towards the top of the side and back. For this purpose the
bones are by preference arranged in several sets or series a, b, c, d, e, each bounded
by two parallel rows of stitching laid at an inclination as before described, within
which two rows of stitching the bones are arranged at a still greater angle, so that
some of the bones die away in an upward direction against the one line of stitching,
while others of the bones die away in a downward direction against the other line
of stitching as shewn. This will be seen more clearly from the diagram at Fig. 3,
which represents one of the sets of bones, f, f, being two parallel lines of stitching,
while the diagonal line passing from the lower edge of the corset at g, and extending
to the point h at the upper extremity of the other line of stitching, determines the
position of the bones on either side thereof, the bones being made to run parallel
therewith, and to die away against each line of stitching, as indicated by the dotted
lines i, i, i. By this arrangement the side bones afford great pliability, and admit
of a twisting as well as a bending action, and thus, while they give adequate
support to the figure, they offer no inconvenient resistance to stooping. For
convenience of manufacture it is preferred to construct the parts of the corset
containing each of the sets of bones of separate pieces which are sewn together.
In addition to the above features, my above described improvement has the
further advantage that the said diagonal position of the bones has the effect of
throwing back the shoulders of the wearer, and thus giving the figure a more
stately appearance, as the bones, when in this position, act directly against any
tendency to stoop or to bring the shoulders forward.
Obviously, opening pleats, such as those described with reference to Figs. 1 and
1ª, may be introduced in convenient places, as at B, B, in a corset made with
diagonal bones, as shewn at Fig. 2.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,—
First. Making corsets or stays with tapering pleats or folds that can, by undoing|
their stitching, be opened out so as to give greater width to the corset or stays,
substantially as herein described.
Second. Making corsets or stays with the whole of the side bones lying in a
diagonal direction from the top of the sides and back towards the bottom of the
front, as herein described and shewn on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.