A raglan sleeve is one that goes all the way to the collar in one piece, creating a diagonal seam between underarm to collarbone.
The ancient Chiton was a garment worn by men and women in ancient Greece and Rome that buttoned at the shoulder with a raglan sleeve and a peplum waistline.
It was designated after FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, who is supposed to have worn a coat with this style sleeve after losing his arm at the Battle of Waterloo.
The raglan mid-length arm is a popular undergarment (worn under the jersey) for baseball clubs in the MLB.
History Of The Raglan Sleeve
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was on the go again. He had fled his banishment on the island of Elba and regained control. His war hadn’t ended yet.
The British army, led by the Duke of Wellington, defeated the French at Quatre Bras (in modern-day Belgium). Napoleon’s strategy of splitting his forces in two had worked, with the majority of his army marching on England’s Prussian allies near Ligny.
There was a distinct tale there.
In the early afternoon, the French artillery opened fire on the Prussians, but they were well-fortified. As the smoke cleared, they leapt from trenches and behind stone walls, charging the French foot soldiers.
In dreadful numbers, column after column, French infantry marched as a single war engine with ponderous, crushing pace. Both sides fell in large numbers.
After six hours, almost 20,000 dead or wounded soldiers littered the battlefield. Despite their larger numbers, the Prussians had succumbed to Napoleon’s plan and leadership.
Under cover of darkness, the remaining Prussians retreated to fight another day.
Napoleon directed his soldiers toward Brussels. It was time to deal with the Britons.
The Duke of Wellington learned of the defeat and prepared to take his stand.
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The 80 guns of Napoleon’s Grande Batterie came to a standstill in the fields of Waterloo, aimed at the defenders on the ridgeline, and lighted their wicks. French infantry formed spear-shaped columns and marched to drive a wedge into the British ranks.
Wave after wave of French infantry and dragoons dashed against the British forces. An choreographed pandemonium divided into pockets of hand-to-hand fights, fighting isolated battles within the wider campaign, instructions announced by Generals on both sides, making split-second decisions with the highest potential stakes.
Just when Napoleon appeared to have won the day, the Prussians rushed to Wellington’s aid and routed the elite men of the French Imperial Guard fighting in the center. Had they arrived later, history would have been different.
Napoleon lost more than just the fight; he lost his empire. This time, he was sent to an island in the middle of the ocean, never to return.
Approximately 65,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing at Waterloo. Among the wounded was a prominent officer named FitzRoy Somerset, who had his right arm severed.
Somerset, a right-handed man, had to relearn how to do everything with his left hand, yet he remained a soldier for England, eventually rising to the rank of full general.
The monarch elevated him to the peerage, making him the 1st Baron Raglan of Raglan, in recognition of his heroism and commitment.
Lord Raglan would not be held back by his infirmity.
After consulting with his tailor, the two men invented a new method for stitching his shirts and coats.
Instead of a prefixed sleeve placed into the armhole, the new design had a single-piece sleeve that extended to the collar, leaving a diagonal seam from the underarm to the collar. This allowed for more movement, making it easier for Lord Raglan to dress and swing his sword.
That is how the Raglan Sleeve was created.
The legendary ¾ length baseball tee, popularized decades later, embodies mobility of movement and remains popular in sportswear.
But it is more than that. The Raglan Sleeve, which is a cut that fits everyone perfectly, is sometimes found on different shirting and men’s jackets. The Raglan’s natural shoulder allows for a variety of shapes and sizes. If you’ve been in between sizes or have a larger chest or shoulders, a Raglan is the solution.
