Agarter is an article ofclothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep upstockings. 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 ofelastic has made them less necessary from this functional standpoint, although they are still often worn forfashion. Garters have been widely worn by men and women, depending on fashion trends.
InElizabethan fashions, men wore garters with theirhose, and colourful garters were an object of display. InShakespeare'sTwelfth Night, "cross braced" garters (a long garter tied above and below the knee and crossed between), as worn by the characterMalvolio, are an object of some derision. In male fashion for much of the 20th century a type of garter for holding up socks was used as a part of male dress; it is considered somewhat archaic now.
There is a Western wedding tradition for abride to wear a garter to her wedding, to be removed towards the end of the reception by thegroom. This garter is not normally used to support stockings. This practice is often interpreted as symbolic ofdeflowering, though some sources attribute its origin to a superstition that taking an article of the bride's clothing will bring good luck.[1][unreliable source?] In the Middle Ages, the groomsmen would rush at the new bride to take her garters as a prize.[2]
Today, the practice of removing the bride's garter is traditionally reserved for the groom, who will then toss the garter to the unmarried male guests. This is performed after the tossing of the bouquet, in which the bride tosses her bouquet over her shoulder to be caught by the unwed female guests. According to superstition, the lady who catches the bouquet and the man who catches the garter will be the next man and woman among those in attendance to be married (though not necessarily to each other).[1][unreliable source?]
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Prom garters were common in the 1960s and 1970s and often conferred on the date as a souvenir.[citation needed] If the date received the garter, it was typically hung from his rear-view mirror.[citation needed]
At least since the mid-2000s,[3][unreliable source?] it has become common inUS culture for young women attending a high schoolprom to wear a garter, usually designed to match the style and color of the young woman's dress.[citation needed] The prom garter may be worn throughout the evening and is sometimes given to the young woman'sdate as a souvenir.[citation needed] A young woman may also choose to keep the garter rather than give it away, as a token of her prom night.[citation needed]
In some cases, young people may participate in a "garter and tie" dance (often hosted by the high school as part of the prom[citation needed]), during or after which either the young woman herself or the young woman's date removes the garter and exchanges it for the date's tie.[citation needed] The giving or taking of the prom garter may or may not have the same sexual implications that are associated with wedding garters; however, the giving of the prom garter is often interpreted as publicly designating the pair as a romantic couple.[citation needed]
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Suspenders or suspender belts, also known as "garter belts" in American English, are anundergarment consisting of an elasticated material strip usually at least 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) in width; it can be wider. Two or three elastic suspender slings are attached on each side, where the material is shaped to the contours of the body. The suspenders are typically clipped tostockings 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.
Suspender (garter) belts are usually worn at the waist or just slightly below to prevent the belt from sliding down as it is pulled downward by the stockings. Some undergarments such ascorselettes orgirdles may come with suspender slings attached.
By the late 20th century and into the 21st,pantyhose ortights were more widely worn than stockings.[4] And some stockings, referred to ashold-ups, have a band of silicone rubber molded to the stocking top to keep them up without suspenders. But suspenders continue to be used by people who prefer stockings to tights, and doctors may advise patients with a history ofthrush orcystitis to avoid tights; the trapped heat and moisture can exacerbate any infection present.[citation needed]
While most commonly used for regular stockings, suspender belts can also be used for medical support hosiery worn due to varicose veins or poor circulation.
Stockings are often considered to be sensual or erotic, both in person and in photographs, and some people enjoy dressing up for special occasions in attractive suspender belts orbasques.
Ice hockey players use suspenders for holding uphockey socks.[5] As these socks are essentially woollen tubes, they need to be kept from rolling onto ankles. The socks can be held up by either hockey tape or hockey suspenders, which function like stocking suspenders.[citation needed]
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Garters in the 18th century could be elaborately decorated and were sometimes embroidered with names, dates, mottoes, or humorous phrases. Prior to the invention of elastic, they were fastened by buckles, or threaded with spiral springs to grip the wearer's leg.[6]
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Some women wore stockings with a plain elastic garter or narrow material tied tightly, not suspenders, or by simply rolling the top of the stocking, because it seemed more practical or they could not afford classic corsetry, thus creating a kind of predecessor of the modernhold ups. This was particularly common among servants and housemaids, particularly until the mid-1920s when the more modern suspender became readily available.
During the world's first long-distance journey byautomobile in 1888Bertha Benz, the wife of automobile inventorCarl Benz, used a garter to insulate a broken wire of theBenz Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 3.[7][8] In remembrance of the historic road trip, today's official German scenic bywayBertha Benz Memorial Route follows the tracks of Bertha Benz fromMannheim viaHeidelberg toPforzheim (Black Forest) and back.[9] Stockings have also been used as an emergency replacement for a car's fanbelt.[10]
During World War II,Women's Auxiliary Air Force members were issued inexpensive suspenders.[11]
From the 1940s to the 1960s, suspenders became a common, popular alternative to thegirdle, especially among teens and young women. Amid concerns girdles might cause abdominal flabbiness, suspender belts offered a more practical and comfortable choice when used to hold upstockings. Then, by the early 1960s, the introduction of pantyhose offered a new alternative to garter belts and girdles.[4] This change in fashion coincided with the female empowerment movement and the sexual revolution.[12][13]
Since the mid-20th century, men's adult magazines featuring images of women in underwear reached mass-market popularity. These magazines evolved frompin-up posters and often showcased models in suspenders and stockings, usually withslips,petticoats,corsets, or abra and knickers orpanties.[14] Most images have an erotic element and are sometimes presented asfetish fashion and a form ofpornography. Like jewelry, the purpose of garters and other lingerie in adult media is as a statement of excess and to draw attention to certain parts of the wearer's body.[15]
After the release ofBull Durham in June 1988, garter belt and stocking sales increased atVictoria's Secret andFrederick's of Hollywood stores. The lingerie retailers attributed the jump in sales to the black lace garterSusan Sarandon wore in the film.[16][17][18] Other films that year, likeDangerous Liaisons andWorking Girl, also fueled the intimate apparel industry.[19]
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Suspender belts continue to be worn for their original purpose of holding up stockings. As of the 21st century, suspenders are available in a variety of styles, most commonly in white, 'fleshtone' beige-pink, or black with asatin finish. These are often now made from a mixture ofnylon andspandex/lycra, being more readily available in retail stores.
Variations of the suspender or garter belt includeknickers with suspender attachments reminiscent of images of the 1960s andcorsets or girdles with small loops inside the bottom edge for attaching suspenders. Knickers are normally worn on top of the suspender belt as this makes it easier to remove them to use the lavatory/bathroom. If worn underneath the belt, undressing may be rather complicated if using a public facility.
The Order of the Garter, which is the oldest and highest British order of chivalry, was founded in 1348 byEdward III. The Order consists ofthe reigning monarch, who is Sovereign of the Order, thePrince of Wales, and up to 24 Knights Companion, plus any honorary members from the British royal family or foreign monarchies.
The origin of the symbol of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, a blue 'garter' with the mottoHoni Soit Qui Mal Y Pense, is not known, as the earliest records of the order were destroyed by fire; however, the story is that at a ball possibly held atCalais,Joan, Countess of Salisbury dropped her garter and King Edward, seeing her embarrassment, picked it up and bound it about his own leg saying in French, "Evil [or shamed] be he that thinks evil of it." This story is almost certainly a later fiction.[citation needed] This fable appears to have originated in France and may have been invented to discredit the Order.[citation needed]
It is thought more likely that as the garter was a small strap used as a device to attach pieces ofarmour, it was appropriate to use the garter as a symbol of binding together in common brotherhood, whilst the motto probably refers to the leading political topic of the 1340s, Edward's claim to thethrone of France.
Thepatron saint of the Order isSt George, the patron saint of soldiers and also of England, and the chapel of the order isSt George's Chapel inWindsor Castle.[20]
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