sleeve

Numerian Sleeves

I have become completely enthralled with the sleeve worn but the member of the Technic League on pg 33 of Numeria.  This is obviously how the TL recruits new members.  With great sleeves.

The sleeve part looks like a standard 2-piece jacket sleeve down to the elbow.  The bodice part has an undersized side panel, which ends just a few inches below the armscye (The seam where the sleeve is sewn to the bodice).  I have no idea what to call this, so I’m going to go with “gusset”, even thought that’s not what it is)

The coat is made from 2 different fabrics, one for most of the coat and one for the under sleeve and gusset. Presumably, this is for ventilation or freedom of movement.

I can’t wait to reverse engineer it and see how it works.  There’s also some interesting chevroning around the waist.  I have nowhere to wear this coat, but I’m dying to figure out how it’s made.

 

HSF #2 — Innovation – Raglan Sleeve

This post introduced some of the technological innovations that appear in Father Zantus’s turtleneck.  This post will explore Raglan Sleeves.

The most notable characteristic of Raglan sleeves, are that they attack to the neck of the shirt, rather than at the shoulder.  Shirts with Raglan sleeves have no shoulder seam, because the front and back pieces attach to the sleeve. (Oblig Wikipedia link).

The origin story of the raglan sleeve can be found here, among other places.  The super short version:  Lord Raglan lost his arm in the mid 1815s.  His tailor made him a custom coat with this new style of sleeve that would be easier for him to put on and take off.  I was half expecting to find references to earlier raglan sleeves, on the assumptions that, like Mathematical Theorems, sleeves are never named for their originator.  (Stigler’s law). I didn’t find any, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Almost-raglan spencer

Early 19th century spencer, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I did, however find some “so close, yet so far” examples.  These both come from the early 19th century, the same period where Raglan lost his arm.  This spencer (the tiny little jacket) and dress are have so little in the way of shoulders, that the sleeves attach to a couple of inches of fabric around the neckline.  They didn’t make that final step of eliminating the neck band altogether.

Almost raglan sleeve dress

Dress, 1810-1915, also from The Met.