Figure 1.-- This Sears ad (Fall and Winter catalogue, p. 122) is interesting because it gives us the ancestor of the Suspender Waist that became so popular during the 1910s.

This Sears ad (Fall and Winter catalogue, p. 122) is interesting because it gives us the ancestor of the Suspender Waist that became so popular during the 1910s. The first item at the top, the "Combination Belt and Supporters," had been on the market for at least 8 years. This is an early version of the garter waist that was sometimes referred to as the "Dr. Parker" waist. It has the predictable shoulder straps, waist belt (with buttons for attaching outer clothing), and supporters suspended from the belt over the hips. The second item, however, is called a "Progress Suspender and Hose Supporter For Little Men," meaning, of course, that it is designed exclusively for boys. It's construction is very similar to the suspender waist of which the Kazoo brand became the most familiar.

Sears

The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. The catalog by the 1890s included just about any imaginable item. You could even purchase a complete house--all you had to do was assembkle it. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) bought Roebuck's interest the in firm and became president on Sears's retirement 1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and becane te first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck catalog brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the new things that were changing American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the Midwest.

Suspender Waists

This Sears ad (Fall and Winter catalogue, p. 122) is interesting because it gives us the ancestor of the Suspender Waist that became so popular during the 1910s. Suspender waists were a support garment to hold up other garments. So-called “suspender waists” were invented at the turn of the 20th century and were popular mainly with boys who wore knee pants and needed a way of supporting their long stockings—almost always black. Although some models of the suspender waist (such as Kazoo) were manufactured in styles that could be worn also by girls, the main wearers of these waists were boys. They were called “suspender waists” because they combined trousers suspenders with hose supporters and had leather suspender attachments for holding up knee pants in addition to hose supporters for long stockings. The style did not last very long and was most popular during the 1910s. N.B. Suspender waists are not to be confused with the older style of garter waists (such as the Dr. Parker waist) which also had suspender-like straps over the shoulders, a waist belt (sometimes with waist buttons for outer clothing), and hose supporters. With true suspender waists only the garter part of the waist can be classified as underwear because the shoulder straps would be visible (like ordinary modern suspenders) on top of a shirt.

Combination Belt and Suppoters

The first item at the top, the "Combination Belt and Supporters," had been on the market for at least 8 years. This is an early version of the garter waist that was sometimes referred to as the "Dr. Parker" waist. It has the predictable shoulder straps, waist belt (with buttons for attaching outer clothing), and supporters suspended from the belt over the hips. See the 1902 ad for essentially the same product. The ad copy reads, "Combination Belt and Supporters for Boys and Girls. No. 18 V 322. Handiest, safest and most convenient waist and hose supporter on the market. Waistband made of good sateen with nonelastic shoulder straps and side supporters. Plenty of buttons on band. Comes in even sizes from 2 to 12 years. Be sure to give age. Comes in white only. Price 19 cents."

Progress Suspender and Hose Supporter

The second item, however, is called a "Progress Suspender and Hose Supporter For Little Men," meaning, of course, that it is designed exclusively for boys. It's construction is very similar to the suspender waist of which the Kazoo brand became the most familiar. It consists of two shoulder straps of nonelastic suspender webbing with leather button-holes at the ends of the straps for fastening onto the buttons of a boys' knee pants (two buttons at the back and four buttons at the front sewn onto either the inside or outside of the waist band of the trousers). The two straps have a cross-piece in back to keep the straps from slipping off the shoulders. In front the two straps "progress" downward underneath the waistband of the knee pants and have hose supporters attached at the ends for the long stockings. The only elastic parts of the garment are "heavy tubular elastic" cords with four buttonholes for attachment to the trousers and the elastic in the garters for attachment to the stockings. Boys normally wore hose supporters at the sides over their hips (as in the "Combination Belt" described above). But the "Progress Suspender" and the slightly later "Suspender Waist" had the supporters fastened to the stockings in front. The supposed advantage was that the garters drew directly from the boy's shoulders and not from the waist band. Boys presumably preferred the Progress Suspender to conventional underwaists or garter waists because of its exclusively masculine appeal. Note that it comes in sizes for boys up to the age of 16, the usual age at which boys were allowed to switch from knee pants to long trousers. Compare advertisements for the Kazoo Suspender Waist in 1918 and 1920-21. The ad copy reads, "'Progress Suspender and Hose Supporter For Little Men'. No. 18 V 324. Made of 1 1/4-inch striped nonelastic suspender webbing with lisle elastic hose supporters and heavy tubular elastic for fastening to trousers. Sizes 4 to 16 years. Mention age. Shipping weight, 4 ounces. Price, per pair . . . 38 cents."

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Created: 7:30 PM 8/28/2005
Last updated: 7:31 PM 8/28/2005