IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Anderson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th August 1855.
I, JOHN ANDERSON, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, North
Britain, Clothier, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS" to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture or production of shirts or under
garments in such manner as to cause them to fit well and comfortably to the
body like a well-fitting coat, whilst at the same time they present superior
features of convenience in use.
These improved shirts bear a close resemblance to a surtout or wide-skirted
coat, being open right down the front like a coat of this class. The front or
ornamental pleated portion is made in the usual manner, a button or other
attachment being fitted on at the bottom of the pleats to hold the two edges
together; this portion being strengthened by sewing on an additional angular
slip of cloth, making a double thickness there. A single central junction seam
runs down the back of the shirt instead of having two opposite side seams only.
Provision is made for the good fitting of the shoulder portions, and the free
play of the shoulders therein, by cutting the actual body portions of the shirt at
these parts to correspond to the form required, so as to give the necessary

page_text: roundness or convexity to the body portion of the shoulder itself. There is no
seam along the top of the shoulder, the cloth being carried over the shoulder
from behind, and sewn by an incline junction edge to the front part. The
upper part of the arm is rounded or curved off to correspond with and fall into
this convexity of the body shoulder part, the junction of the arm with the
body being in a line at a considerable inclination with the vertical line of the
shirt as held upright. The whole of the arm is curved to the general line of
curvature which the human arm naturally assumes on being allowed to hang
downwards freely and unconstrainedly. The arm from the shoulder junction
to the wrist-band is composed of two separate pieces of cloth joined. together
by an inside and outside or concave and convex seam. The wrist-band is solid
or undivided, and being made wide enough to admit the wearer's hand freely
through it, no buttoning or other adjustment is required, as it is passed on and
off the wrist like a coat. Considerable width is given to the body of the shirt
across the chest portion, and this is gradually contracted down to the waist or
the part whence the skirt springs; the skirt itself expands downwards, and a
rounded-off' slit is made in the centre of the back. The front corners of the
junction edges are also rounded, and the skirt is so formed that the wearer can
prevent all tendency to working upwards when on the body by passing the
back & front corner portions between his legs with an overlap.
Shirts made in this way are put on just like a coat, so that no passing over
the head is involved. But the front opening thus required may be dispensed
with, if the wearer wishes to pass the shirt over his hand in the ordinary
The wrist-bands may also be made open, with buttons or fastenings
in the usual manner, if preferred.