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<STRONG><P ALIGN="CENTER">BRASSIERE</P>
<P>Mary P. Jacob</P>
</STRONG><P>Patented November 3, 1914</P>
<p>To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, MARY P. JACOB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mamaroneck, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brassieres, of which the following is a specification. </P>
<p> This invention relates to improvements in brassieres.</p>
<p> More particularly it relates to garments of the general type known as corset covers, worn for the purpose of covering the top of the corset and holding the wearer in proper form, These garments, in order to serve their purpose with low corsets, require to be snug fitting in order to shape the figure: properly above; the waist, to confine the bust and conceal the corset. top. Garments, hitherto proposed for this purpose have required lacing or other fastening of parts across the back of the wearer or have been otherwise arranged so high as to interfere with the wearing of evening gowns cut low in the back. The necessity of a snug fit has also made it necessary that the brassiere be made with special regard to the size .and shape of the wearer In order to obtain a proper fit. </p>
<p> It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a garment in which a number of features of novelty and utility are combined, among which are the provision of a garment which has no back and therefore does not interfere with any design of evening gown that may be chosen; one which is capable of universal fit touch an extent that for commercial handling it need be made in but few sizes, with reasonable certainty that the size and shape of a single garment will be suitable for a considerable variety of different customers; and to provide a garment which is characterized by extreme simplicity, by freedom from bones so that it may be finished with laces or embroideries for wear beneath a sheer waist or diaphanous gown, and which when worn is both comfortable and cool and so efficient that it may be worn even by persons engaged in violent exercise such as tennis; and which has other advantages that are characteristic of the invention herein set forth, some of which may be summarized by saying that it does not confine the person anywhere except where it is needed, These objects are attained by the very simple construction of garment hereinafter described, and especially by the features pointed out in the appended claim, the purpose of which is to cover whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed. </p>
<p> In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 2 shows the manner of wearing the same. </P>
<p> Referring to the drawings, the garment is seen to consist of a front composed of two pieces of cloth, 10, 10, joined together by a seam extending vertically in the middle. These two pieces are cut on a slight bias, not according to the usual cutting "on the bias," which ordinarily means at an angle of 45° to the selvage, but at a less angle. The best form so far as I have discovered is substantially that illustrated in the drawings, where each piece 10 has top and bottom edges that are parallel to the selvage. Each of these pieces 10 has a relatively short top edge 11 and a relatively long bottom edge 12, the bottom edge being act about twice as long as the top edge. This results in the production of two pieces, each in the shape of a trapezoid with its oblique sides approximately equal in length. These two pieces are put together and joined by the seam 13 on their adjacent oblique sides. Their other oblique sides, remote from each other, are each finished by hemming by any ordinary or suitable method. As these edges are. on a bias, this forms a somewhat yielding binding 14. At the lower end of the seam' 13 a tab 13' is provided. At the bottom of each binding 14 a tie 15, which, as illustrated, consists of a tape or string, is attached. A. suitable tape 16, which is preferably elastic, is also attached to the binding of each piece 10, extending from the upper outer corner to the lower outer corner of the piece. When the garment is worn these tapes pass upward over the shoulders, down behind, under the arms of the wearer, one on each side. This substantially completes the description of the article, except that it should be said that the width between the places where the two tapes 16 are attached at the top may vary according to the width of the shoulders of the wearer, so that these tapes in passing over the shoulder will conform approximately to the lines or shoulder straps of an evening gown. The length of the. bottom edges of the p1eces 10 is such that when the garment is worn they will extend around the side under the arms, the particular location, not being important except that they stop short of going around the back. </P?
<p> When the garment is worn, it is put in place on the shoulders and, the tab at the bottom being tied or pinned down to other garments, the tapes 15 are drawn together around the waist of the wearer at the back. Preferably they are crossed at the back and brought around to the front where they are tied together. When these string$ are drawn tight, the outer lower corners of the trapezoid shaped pieces 10 are drawn backward and downward, the line of draft passing diagonally through each trapezoid to its upper inner corner. Owing to the peculiar shape of these pieces as above described, this line of draft is substantially on a true or 45 o bias across the warp of the cloth while, simultaneously, draft applied by the strings 15 is transmitted along the side edge 14 to the upper corner, which is along a bias of less degree; and along the bottom edge of the piece 10 to the central fastening 13' which is in the direction of the selvage. In consequence the piece is well adapted to fit the form of wearer or to draw the wearer into the desired form. The general direction of draft of the strings is shown by the arrow a, but as the string pulls upon the corner, of the piece the draft along the lower edge 12 is Indicated by arrow b, and that along the outer edge 14 is indicated by the arrow c. The lower edge 12 cannot be elongated because it extends lengthwise of the cloth, and therefore it draws tight around the waist. The center of the piece 10, however, can stretch in direction of the arrow: a as much as the figure of the wearer requires, because the main draft of the string extends diagonally across the piece, which is on the bias, and because the draft along the outer, edge 14 is also somewhat on the bias, though less so, so that that line also can stretch somewhat, thus enabling the garment to be drawn so tight as to fit snugly, and yet to accommodate itself to movements of the wearer without drawing or cutting too tightly into the flesh. The draft on the single pair of strings 15 acts backward and downward upon the upper part of the piece; and upward on the lower part. This will be understood by consideration of Fig. 2, noticing that the place where the tie 15is joined to the other pare of the garment, (behind the back and shown in dotted lines, and being the same point to which the arrows c, a, b, point),is below the line 14 and is above the line 12, so that when one pulls upon the string 15 it tends to draw the upper part of garment toward the back and downward rather than upward; and It likewise tends to draw the lower part of the garment around toward the back and upward rather than downward because the junction point mentioned is above the level of the fastening 13'. Because the string can hold the garment by drawing downward on the corners to which it is attached, the garment has nothing passing around the back at any place that might interfere with the wearing of an evening gown, no matter how low cut the gown may be. Inasmuch as this draft of the string is the sole means behind the back for holding the garment in place it is not particularly important how far around the side of the wearer the lower outer corners of the garment reach. Consequently the same garment may be worn by persons differing considerably in size. This makes the garment well adapted for commercial handling, because an adequate stock may consist of only a few sizes. A double benefit results: First, if carried by a shop the garment ordinarily will not require the careful individual fitting by a skilled corsetiere which has hitherto been necessary for obtaining the best results; and second, the garments can be carried in stock by dressmakers whose business is so small that they would not be justified in carrying a stock of the numerous sizes that ordinarily have to be kept on hand by anyone who has garments for sale to the public in general. </P>
<p> It will be understood that the dimensions of the different lines in the garment can be varied both to make the garment larger or smaller or to change its shape slightly according to need of an individual, wearer and that any such adjustment can be easily made. </P>
<P> A further feature which contributes to the ease and comfort of the garment when worn, especially when worn at tennis or other violent exercise, is due to the fact that the piece 10 is stretchable in the direction of the arrow e, which is at right angles to arrow d and is equally on the bias. This, when coupled with the shoulder straps 16, allows free play whether the latter be of tape or elastic; and it is to be noted that if the latter be elastic it makes, in combination with the yielding edge 14, a complete flexibly yielding band around the shoulder and arm. </P>
<p> The garment as a whole is easy, comfortable and cool because while held down rigidly at the bottom tab, 13', and along the bottom edge it is held somewhat flexibly at its top and side edges, and does not cover the person of the wearer where it is not needed. This makes the garment particularly suitable for, use in tropical and subtropical countries. </P>
<p> I claim as my invention:-</P>
<p> A brassiere comprising a garment having a front formed of two portions joined vertically in the middle of the front on a line having means lit its lower end for holding the garment down, said joined portions extending sidewise to the front of the shoulder, and to under arms, combined with ties, attached under the arms and adapted to go around the waist, and shoulder straps; the line from the bottom of said middle line to the shoulder strap being on the bias through the cloth, and the line from the top of said middle line to the place of attachment of said tie being on the bias at right angles thereto.</P>
<P> Signed by me at Mamaroneck, N.Y. this 28th day of January, 1914.</P>
<P>MARY P. JACOB</p>
<p>Witnesses:</P>
<p>Bradford Rhodes</P>
<p>R.G. Brewer</P>
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