CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WEARING APPAREL KNOWN AS THE SHIRT OR SHIRT FRONT AND THE TROUSERS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION' left by William Calvert at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents; with bis Petition, on the 25th October
1866.
I, WILLIAM CALVERT, of Liverpool, in the County. of Lancaster, Tailor, do
hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN WEARING APPAREL KNOWN AS THE SHIRT OR SHIRT FRONT AND THE TROUSERS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to those portions of wearing apparel known-as-the
shirt or shirt front and the trousers, and is designed for the purpose of effecting
several novel improvements in the same, which may be thus described :-
The improvements in shirts consists, first, in the adaptation to one shirt
body of two fronts, which are arranged so as to lay one over the other, thereby
enabling the wearer to present two clean fronts without changing the shirt ;
this is effected by attaching fronts to the opposite sides of the breast, one
overlaying the other, .and each one being secured by buttons or other suitable
fasteners to the side opposite to where they are permanently secured to the
body of the shirt.
Secondly, the Invention consists in constructing that portion of the shirt
under the armpits of a gusset formed of net or other open fabric that will
freely allow air to pass through and ventilate under the arms, keeping. them
more cool and comfortable than if covered with the ordinary close texture
fabric.

page_text: And, lastly, my Invention is designed for the purpose of economising the
quantity of material employed in the formation of shirt fronts, and also
improving the appearance of the same, by an adaptation thereto of a yielding
metallic substance; and the improvement consists in first cutting the outer
piece of linen composing the front to the required shape and size of the chest,
these
after which a duplicate of the same is cut in calico (previously shrunk);
two pieces are placed together one on the top of the other, and are secured or
stitched together, the stitches being formed in rows running from the top to
the bottom of the front, or in a direct line from any point, the spaces between
these rows of stitches forming slots in which enamelled crinoline steel tapes
or flat lengths of flexible material are inserted for the purpose of preventing
distortion to the front, keeping it thereby uniform and even during the time
it is being worn; the outer surface of the front in the spaces forming the slots
may be perforated with holes of any design or pattern, through which the
enamelled steel can be seen; thus, if the enamel partake of various hues or
colors several designs can be obtained with the same front.
;.
The improvement in the portion of wearing apparel known as the trousers
consists in the adaptation to the upper part of the trousers of an elastic or
partially elastic band or belt passed through loops formed in the side seams
of the trousers, or fixed thereto, or otherwise situated as found convenient.
The two ends of the said band being connected together inside the trousers
when in use the band will encircle the waist and sustain the. trousers in
position.