US529828A

US529828A - Dress-skirt

Info

Publication number: US529828A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 1911-11-27

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' M. G. GELDOWSKY.

DRESS SKIRT.

No. 529,828. Patented Nov. 27, 1894;

m: roams PETERS cu. PHOTO-UTNQ. wAsHmq'ruN. n. c.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

.- M. G. GELDOWSKY.

DRESS SKIRT.

I No. 529,828. Patented Nov. 27, 1894..

Rear Eorv of flWflZa a 6122620505769 UNITED STATES MARTHA o. GELDOWSKY,

DRESS- or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SKIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,828, dated November 27, 1894.

A man filed August 23, 1894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTHA C. GELDoW- SKY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Bicycle Costumes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description -of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention pertains to bicycle costumes, and has for its objects among others to provide a simple bicycle skirt which when having dismounted from the bicycle will have when walking the appearance of a plain walking skirt and which, before mounting the wheel, may be so changed as to fall upon eitherside to protect the limbs of the wearer by a modest drapery which is prettier and more convenient than bloomers or divided skirts. The skirtis provided at the front and rear with a vertical slit as well as at each side, and these slits are provided with suitable fastenings, and further the front slits or slashes are provided with elastic fastenings which are designed to be used in case the wind should blow beneath the front of the skirt and turn the front flap back. Before mounting, the edge of the front slit is connected by the elastic strap to the edge of the back slit, and this will prevent the wind from blowing back the front of the skirt. I preferably face the skirt with rubber or thinleather which makes it easy to keep clean and also protects the material of theskirt from wear.

Besides the front, rear and side slits or slashes or openings at the bottom of the skirt, from the waist line to the knee on the front breadth are two darts so out that the side of the dart nearest the center of the skirt front is slanting. The other side of the dart nearest the sides of the front is straight. The back breadth has seven darts one rather long, one in the center and three oneither side and graduated in length. The center dart is cut slanting on both sides but the shorter darts upon either side thereof are cut the same as the front darts, straight on one side and slanting on the other, the slants being always nearer the,

Serialll'o. 521,069. (NomodeL) I back. The placket is on either the rightor left side as the wearer may desire. The skirt is a trifle wider in the back breadth than the front so as to throw the side slit a little nearer the front, that in the movement of the foot the heel of the shoe frees itself from the edge of the skirt. This skirt being narrow and closefitted with darts that follow the lines of the figure no other garment is Worn with the exception of a pair of equestrian tights. Leather leggins buttoning from foot to just beneath the knee may also be worn with low cut bicycle shoes. It will thus be seen that my bicycle skirt is a drapery that does not hinder the free movementof'the limbs in riding and when off the wheel would oftentimes pass unnoticed from its close resemblance to the usual walking skirt of the day, the difference being in its extreme narrowness and peculiarity of fashion and cut at the top and bottom of the skirt.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended clams.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part ,of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a. view of my improved skirt with one of the flaps thrown up and portions broken away to better disclose other parts. Fig. 2 is a view of the front of the skirt before the darts are closed. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the back or rear portion of the skirt'beforethe darts are closed.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

The skirt may be made of any suitable or desired material and maybe provided with a belt or attachment or not, as may be desired, the skirt being designed to be used either with or without a belt as best suits the figure of the person to be fitted for the skirt.

The skirt is provided at the bottom at the center of the back with a vertical slit or slash a which may extend about one third the length of the skirt A, more or less, as may be desired, and at the center of the front at the bottom with a similar slit "or slash a,

while at each side at the bottom is a slit or v slash a These slits or slashes may be hemmed or bound'with stout braid, binding, cording or even with leather or kid, or otherwise finished, and at the upper end of each may be a rosette B or other fanciful or ornamental attachment, and as many more as may be desired may be provided throughout the length of the slit. These slits are provided with some sort of fastenings, as for instance hooks and eyes 0 which maybe attached upon the inner or under face thereof in any suitable manner so that when the hooks and eyes are engaged the adjacent edges of the slits will be drawn close together, as illustrated in the back slit where the same is shown as thus closed.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown the front and rear halves of the skirt as they appear before the darts are sewed up. In Fig. 2 A is the front; a, its slit at the bottom, and A the darts which extend from the waist line to a point about at the knee, the said darts being so cut that the side thereof nearest the center is on a slant as seen at A while the other sides are straight and vertical as seen at A 13' is the back breadth. It has a central dart B in line with the slit a and extending nearly thereto, while upon each side of this central dart are three smaller darts B which are graduated in length as seen in Fig. 3, the

shorter ones being the farthest from the center as shown.

The placket C may be at either side as may be desired. The lap C may be secured in place in any suitable manner. It is shown in Fig. 3 as attached to the back breadth. In Fig. 1 the front and rear darts are shown as closed.

The lowerportion of the skirt may be faced upon the inside with a facing D of rubber, thin leather, oil silk or some analogous material which will clean easily and which will serve to protect the material of which the skirt is composed from wearing by contact with the bicycle.

In use when the wearer is riding the wheel the fastenings of the edges of the slits or slashes are disengaged so that the garment will fall upon either side and while allowing free movement of the limbs will provide a modest drapery therefor, and after dismounting the wearer closes these slits and has a plain walking skirt.

In order to prevent the wind from blowing up the front flap of the garment and exposing the limbs of the rider I provide the back and front slashes or slits with the elastic straps E which may be provided with hooks and eyes, either or both, and these are to be used in case the wind should blow beneath the front of the skirt and tend to turn the front flap of the skirt back. Before mounting the wheel all that it is necessary to do is to join the edges of the front slash with those of the back slash by means of the elastic straps. This will prevent the wind from blowing back the front of the skirt and hold it close to the rider. The straps are provided with eyes to be engaged by hooks upon the opposite portion of the skirt, as seen in Fig. 1; or with hooks to engage eyes upon the skirt as may be deemed best.

One of the prime advantages of my skirt lies in its peculiarity of cut and fashion, its scantiness in width and the manner in which it falls equally upon either side of the wheel, which prevents its entanglement or catching in the wheel as the ordinary walking skirt is liable to do, and of course when thus caught the skirt becomes torn. The many advantages of a skirt constructed as above described will recommend it to all those who have occasion to use a costume for bicycle riding.

Modifications in the details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

The presence of, and the peculiar arrangement of the darts, at the top of the skirt is important. They not only shape the garment to the person, but at the same time do away with all plaitings and gatherings at the belt line. Furthermore, the skirt will not wrinkle up when seated on the bicycle. Besides, the darts at the top give to the skirt as a whole a neatness of fit that permits of the skirt being made scant and the side slits thrown toward the front whereby it falls equally upon both sides of the wheel. Were it not for this particular arrangement and location of the darts at the top of the skirt the slitswould have to be made much wider or the dress much fuller.

What is claimed as new is 1. A skirt adapted for both a bicycle costume and a dress skirt, having its back breadth wider than the front to throw the side slits nearer the front, said back breadth being provided with darts graduated in length from the center in opposite directions and the front breadth having darts with the sides nearest the center on a slant, said skirt having vertical slits at the front, rear, and sides and extending from the bottom edge upward, whereby it will fall equally upon either side of a bicycle wheel, substantially as described.

2. A bicycle skirt provided withfront and rear slits extending from the bottom edge of the skirt upward, and straps attached to the inner face of the skirt at the linesof division of the front and back slits and means for detachably securing these straps to the opposite face of the garment, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

LILLIAN BELLIs, J OHN P. MYER.