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Boys commonly wore long stockings. Younger boys might wear three-quarter socks, often white, during the summer. but long stockings were standard. Mostly boys wore long black stockings. Younger boys and girls might wear long white stockings. We see many ads for stocking supporters. One magazine ad was in 1909 ran an advertisement in their September issue for Velvet Grip Hose Supporters, just in time to catch the attention of mothers who would be buying school clothes for their children.
This advertisement appeared in The Ladies' Home Journal for September 1909 (p. 66). As the oldest still publishing, most respected women's service magazine in the country, The Ladies' Home Journal has always focused on issues of crucial importance to millions of women. Since its first issue in December 1883. This long history make The Ladies Home Journal and invaluable source of information on American fashion trends. Its covered an incredibly wide range of topics beyond just fashion, from the latest medical research and consumer news to parenting know-how, workplace survival, good skincare, nutrition facts and much, much more. It was The Ladies Home Journal who sucessfully merged the elements and produced the right formula, becoming the top ladies magazine in America. The Ladies' Home Journal both empowered women and applauded their growing power. We also notice patterns offered in the magazine.
Boys in 1909 commonly wore long stockings. Younger boys might wear three-quarter socks, often white, during the summer. but long stockings were standard. Mostly boys wore long black stockings. Younger boys and girls might wear long white stockings.It is no surprise, of course, that the long stockings are black, the
usual color, but the length of the stockings is significant. Probably
the boy's knee pants would be an inch or two above the knee, thus
requiring stockings of mid-thigh length.
Velvet Grip was a trade name of the George Frost Company in Boston, Massachusetts. George A. Frost for whom the company was named was born in 1857 in Massachusetts to parents, George and Almira Frost, who came respectively from Connecticut and Maine. The family lived in Newton, Mass. by 1870. By 1880 the family lived 310 Highland Street, Newton, and George, the oldest son, was working for his father's business that specialized in "ladies furnishings." George's father was a dry goods merchant. Records indicate that the family business was called the George Frost and Company, founded by the elder George Frost, and taken over by his son, George the younger, at some point in the late 1880s. The firm was located on Devonshire Street in downtown Boston, although the store was damaged by fire in 1876 and it is not clear whether the location changed after the fire. Two of its most famous products were the "Boston Garter," a supporter for men and for older boys' calf-length socks, and pin-on supporters for children's and women's long stockings.
HBC has one or two later Velvet Grip Hose Supporter ads. We notice Velvet Grip ads for example in 1911.
The other Velvet Grip ad we have found shows them being worn by small children. But this one, dated 1909, is unlike the others in showing them as standard wear for a boy who looks to be about 13 years old. This advertisement appeared in The Ladies' Home Journal for September 1909 (p. 66) just in time to catch the attention of mothers who would be buying school clothes for their children. Our other Velvet Grip ads seem to be several years later. Notably suits in 1909 were made with knickers or kneepants for teenagers, commonly for boys 5-16 years of age and some for even older teenagers.
The Velvet Grip Hose Supporter here is a type of garter. There were three basic types of garters. One was an elastic band worn around the leg above the knee. This was used to hold up long stockings. Women who wore long stockings tended to wear them above the knee. This was the simplest and least expensive approch to holding up long stockings. We believe that many children used these elaric bands to hold up their long stockings, especially in Europe. There were smaller bands worn below the knee. Men and boys wearing knee socks wore round elastic garters under the turnovers of the socks to hold the socks up. Garter flashes, which can be seen, became the ornamental aspect of such garters.This type was commonly used by children to hold up kneesocks. Scouts were noted for adding a colored tab to the garter. It was commonly used before kneesocks with elasticised tops became popular. Another type was an elastic strap suspended from an undergarment such as a waist suit or elatic leg strap.
The ad illustration here doesn't make it very clear exactly what sort of garment to which the safety pin of the hose supporter is attached, but it is apparently an underwaist. Notice that the boy wears his garters on the side over his hips rather than in front. This position also suggests an underwaist since underwaists generally had garter tabs placed at the sides. Notice the low neck line of the garment (it
probably buttons down the front) worn over a long legged union suit.
The ad claims that Velvet
Grip supporters are "Worn all over the World." This may simply refer
to the technology of the garter clasp--a rubber-covered button designed
to avoid stocking tears. But supporters of the type shown here with
the Y shape and double pendant were not generally worn in Europe,
although they were common enough in Canada. The style is strictly north
American. European boys, especially in Germany, Poland, and the
Scandinavian countries, had single strap garters, sometimes having a
metal and rubber fastener but more often having simply a buttonhole
that allowed a button sewn onto a stocking top to be fastened to the
garter strap.
The ad copy reads, "Holds Without Holes. The Only Safe Clasp For Children's Stockings. The Velvet Grip Hose Supporter [with the] Cushion Rubber Button. Worn
All Over the World. [To be had] Of Any Dealer Anywhere or [a] Sample
Pair, any Children's Size (give age), 16 cents. Mailed on receipt of
price. Manufactured by George Frost Company, Boston, Mass. U.S.A. All
Genuine [Velvet Grip Supporters] have the moulded Rubber Button and the
Name Stamped on the Loop."
A reader writes, "Please note that the garters appear to pin to a garter waist as you noted on the side which is how most of them in the ads appear even the ones in the
1940 Sears Ad (Lane Bryant add called it a panty waist) and the 1919 ad for
Kazoo suspenders manufactured by Harris suspender company. Talked about the
humiliation of boys wearing them versus their more manly hose suspender. I
guess those issues were not as common in 1909 when this ad came out or maybe
different families had different thoughts about it."
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