A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with long sleeves that surpass the tips of the wearer's fingers. Its most typical use is restraining people who may cause harm to themselves or others. Once the wearer slides their arms into the sleeves, the person restraining the wearer crosses the sleeves against the chest and ties the ends of the sleeves to the back of the jacket, ensuring the arms are close to the chest with as little movement as possible.
A Posey straitjacket (medium-size) with added restraints seen from the rear.
Victorian straitjacket on display at Glenside Museum
Straitjacket on display at Glenside Museum
Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks, and other perils, often in combination.
Harry Houdini (1874–1926), a famous escapologist and magician
Harry Houdini before one of his escapology performances in Boston 1908