Garter (stockings) or Suspenders
Garters (or suspenders) are narrow bands of fabric fastened about the leg, used to keep up stockings, and sometimes socks. Normally just a few inches in width, they are usually made of leather or heavy cloth, and adorned with small bells and/or ribbons. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking from slipping. The advent of elastic has made them less necessary from this functional standpoint, although they are still often worn for fashion. Garters are worn by men and women.
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| Garter - Women |
Suspender belts or garter belts are a usually a woman's undergarment consisting of an elasticated material strip usually at least 2" to 3" wide, but can be deeper, that is worn around the waist, to which 2 or 3 elastic suspender 'slings' are attached on each side, where the material is shaped to the contours of the body. The suspenders are typically clipped to the stockings with metal clips into which a rubber disc is inserted through the stocking material effectively 'locking' the stocking in place. These are normally attached to a length of elastic allowing for adjustment. These clips, also known as suspender slings, are best attached to stockings with a simple welt that do not have lace, or 'hold-ups' with a silicon rubber lining. Suspender belts for men do exist, usually for when a man needs to wear support hosiery for medical reasons.
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| Suspenders - Top |
It is best to wear suspender / garter belts at the waist line or just slightly below. If worn too low on the hips, there is a chance of the belt sliding down, as they are being pulled downward by the stockings. The garment should fit closely on the waist, but not too tight. Some retailers can supply garments associated with more traditional underwear, such as corselettes or girdles, now referred to as shapewear, with suspender slings attached.
Garters were popular in the 1930s and 40s, and were a convenient way for ladies to carry small valuables, in place of a small purse.
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| Garter with Suspenders - for Stockings |
In Elizabethan fashions, men wore garters with their hose, and colorful garters were an object of display. In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, "cross braced" garters are an object of some derision.
In male fashion, a type of garter for holding up socks has continued as a part of male dress up to the present, although its use may be considered somewhat stodgy.
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| Suspenders used for Trousers |
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