Speculatively Sewing Sybil Bankart’s Invention

Learn more about speculative sewing here

Barkart’s invention offers a convertible sports garment “for use, by women, particularly in tramping, hunting and in outdoor recreation”. Her design is both a skirt and a cloak. We were interested in how it operates as such – if one iteration works better than another.

The fact she calls it a cloak rather than a cape is notable. The former tend to be longer, heavier and more dramatic. The word cloak is also a verb. It means to cover or conceal something – which is interesting in this context about an invention that potentially hides the intentions of the wearer. They can look normative and conventional in one form and then transform the garment and use it for other, more radical, purposes.

This reflects what history tells us about what early mountain climbers were doing and wearing. Many were quite inventive with their skirts, reworking and hacking them to do something else – such as to use as blankets, shelters and windbreaks. Some removed their skirts entirely and left them behind under rocks, so as to be able to climb mountains unburdened, without cumbersome additional layers over their bloomers or knickerbockers.

Our first iteration was a small-scale paper model. This helped us to think through the different pieces that formed the yoke, collar, skirt and cloak. We also used more rudimentary methods utilising what we had to hand: for example, noting how a heavy coat felt first draped over the shoulders and then when wrapped around the waist.

We then started on the calico toiles. The first was a half cloak, draped on the dress form. This helped us to anticipate the flow over the shoulders and down the body. Next we moved on to the skirt form. There was much moving from patent to drawing to the draped garment and back again, shifting between working on the table, on and off the dress form, and on the body.

The length of the cloak/skirt was determined with help from the patent drawings which show that it skims the lower edge of the bloomers when worn over the shoulders. The pattern started out in the form of half semi-circles on each shoulder/hip, but this was reduced twice as it was too full. A final pattern was made from these toiles. In total it required 6 pieces: collar/waistband; front yoke centre; back yoke centre; bagged out hem; waistband strap; and side panel.

There were a few key things noted during the reconstruction process: for example that the high waistband doubles effectively as a storm collar, and that the strap that holds the waistband around the waist also makes a handy strap for carrying the cloak over one shoulder. We also noted how the invention felt like a solid design for a skirt and also as a cloak — neither garment was compromised. Bankart’s invention could be secured firmly at the waist, creating a pleasing silhouette when buttoned up. At the shoulders, the cloak covered the body more than adequately and could be swept dramatically over the shoulders when more access for the arms was required.

You can read our open access journal article about speculative sewing here.