Figure 1.--Three of the garter waists offered by Wards in 1915 were skeleton waists. Note they are belts and straps built around a waist belt rather than a fabric bodice like the waists suits, called underwaists, shown in figure 2.
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Figure 1.--Three of the garter waists offered by Wards in 1915 were skeleton waists. Note they are belts and straps built around a waist belt rather than a fabric bodice like the waists suits, called underwaists, shown in figure 2. |
The Ward's Spring and Summer catalog for 1915 (p, 207) offered waists for both boys and girls. There were both skeleton-syle garter waists as well as underwaists. Many children in 1915 wore long stockings all year round. Formality rather than seasonality seems to have been the issue here. Five different models of waists with hose supporters attached are advertised on this page. Three of these are for "boys and girls", one is for "children" (presumably of either gender), and one is designated a "Lace Trimmed Underwaist" (presumably intended principally for girls).
Although the word "consumerism" has a modern ring, it was personal concern for an early consumer movement, the "National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry," That inspired a young traveling salesman named Aaron Montgomery Ward to start the world's first general merchandise mail-order company in 1872. Aaron
Montgomery Ward was born on February 17, 1844, in Chatham, New Jersey, to a family whose forebears had served as officers in the French and Indian Wars as well as in the American Revolution. Looking for something more compatible, Monty left home and followed the river to Lake Michigan and the town of St. Joseph,
county seat and market for outlying fruit orchards. Chicago was the center of the wholesale dry goods trade and in the 1860s Ward joined the leading dry goods house, Field Palmer & Leiter. As a retailer, Potter Palmer had previously built a reputation for fair dealing. Ward absorbed these principles while working as a clerk
for $5. The Chicago City Directories for 1868 through 1870 listed Ward as a salesman for Wills, Greg & Co. and later for Stetthauers & Wineman, both dry goods houses. In 1870, after canvassing territory in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ward was again footloose. The plan shaping in Ward's mind was to buy goods at low cost for
cash. By eliminating intermediaries, with their markups and commissions, and cutting selling costs to the bone, he could offer goods to people, however remote, at appealing prices - for cash. Since its founding in 1872, the company has literally "grown up with America" and has had a major impact on the shopping habits of a
nation of consumers. Montgomery Ward & Co. discontinued its catalog operations in 1985 as part of its restructuring effort to change itself into a modern, competitive chain of value-driven specialty stores, a move which for a time saved the company. week.
This category applies to a broad variety of devices for holding up long stockings. Theoretically it would apply to any garment worn on the upper body used for this purpose (including underwaists, pantywaists, and suspender waists). But HBC uses the term to apply specifically to waists with hose supporters already attached,
even though in some cases these supporters are detachable. Most of these garments are designed to have the strain of the garters carried by the child’s shoulders. Some have waistbands and some do not, but all are worn under the outer clothing and therefore as a species of children’s underwear. One of the first such garments
we notice was in the Sears 1902 catalog Sears refers to a "combination belt and supporter, but the garment was essentially a garter waist. The use of different terms somewhat complicates the assessment if the garments. Interestingly, even when the wearing of long stockings was supposedly declining in the late 1930s and early
1940s, a proliferation of styles of garter waist became very prominent in the Sears and Wards catalogs of this period. We have more different styles for this period than for any other on HBC. A good example is the Sears 1939 garter waists.
One of the best known types of garter waists are the Dr. Parker waists. We still do not know for sure who Dr. Parker was, but the idea was to stress that these waists were medically apprioved and scientifically designed. We are not also unsure what company made them. We first notice them about 1910. They were offered in major mail order catalogs (Eatins and Wards). We are not sure, but assume they were also sold in retail stores.
Underwaists were another type of support garment. Underwaists (sometimes called panty-waists) were worn by younger boys and girls to support additional underwear (such as bloomers or panties) or outer clothing (such as trousers or skirts). These bodices tended to be worn by boys only until about age 10, although some models came in ages for boys as old as 12. Some models were specifically for girls and others for boys, but the great majority of styles could be worn by both boys and girls. They tended to be made of elastic knitted fabric (and therefore rather form-fitting) or of cambric material and a bit looser. They nearly always were equipped with reinforcement straps, waist buttons, and garter tabs for attaching hose supporters. The popularity of underwaists declined in the later 1930s and early 1940s although they were still available, usually in the preferred knitted style, up until about 1945. When long stockings stopped being worn by school children, the main function of the underwaist ceased to exist.
The Ward's Spring and Summer catalog for 1915 (p, 207) offered these waists shown here. As the primary purpose for these waists or garter waists was to hold up long stockings, it shows that long stockings were worn during the summer and not just the winter. Many boys wente barefoot and younger children miught wear short socks. Many younger and most older children woire long stockings despite rhe warm weather. Many children in 1915 wore long stockings all year round. Formality rather than seasonality seems to have been the issue here.
Wards offered waists for both boys and girls. Five different models of waists with hose supporters attached are advertised on this page. Three of these are for "boys and girls", one is for "children" (presumably of either gender), and one is designated a "Lace Trimmed Underwaist" (presumably intended principally for girls).
The first three styles offered by Wards were skeleton suits with waist bands and suspender-like shoulder straps and are therefore very similar in construction to the famous "Dr. Parker" waist although Parker's name is not mentioned. The other two are fabric sleeveless bodices referred to as underwaists. All five have hose supporters attached, although in at least four cases the garters can be detached and therefore replaced if they wear out. In most cases the age sizes are from 2 to 12 years of age. The most expensive waist is for boys and girls from 4 to 10 years of age. In the 1900s and 1910s underwaists were usually sold with the hose supporters already attached. Later on the bodice-style waists and the supporters to be worn with them were usually sold separately.
Three of the Ward's garter waists were the skeleton-type garter waists with the destinctive straps and belt (figure 1).
The Ward's ad copy read, "For Boys and Girls. Weight, 4 oz. Each 23 cents. The New White Worth Skeleton Waist. Extra quality black lisle hose supporters. Fitted with rubbed cushion button clasp that will not tear the hose. Waist and shoulder straps are made of extra quality sateen. Can be
worn to open either front or back. The V-shaped front and back prevent the shoulder straps from falling off. Even sizes, 1 to 12 years. Be sure to mention size." [Note: Again buttons around the waistband are supplied for additional clothing such as knee pants, skirts, underpants, etc. The option of closing the waist either in front or in back is presumably to make it flexible for the two genders. Girls often preferred back-closing waists which didn't show under low-cut dresses while boys usually wanted the closure in front where it would be easier to manage. Again we have the combination of white and black--white
for the washable part of the waist, black for the elastic supporters which would not stand up as well under washing in hot water.]
The Ward's ad copybread, "For Boys and Girls. Weight, 4
oz. Price 39 cents. Waist part is made from a double ply muslin. Can be easily washed. Hose Supporters are made of best lisle webbing. Can be easily detached from waist. This member acts as a body brace, hose and trouser supporter. Made in white only. Even sizes, 4 to 10 years. Be sure to mention size.
[Note: This is the most expensive waist offered and is presumably of higher grade materials. The supporters are white like the waist to which they are attached but can be removed for laundering or replacement. We can't see the saftey pins in this model, but safety pins are probably present since they were the usual means of attachment. This waist seems to be especially targeted for use by boys because of its "athletic" construction and because it
supports not only stockings but also "trousers." Curiously, it is not available for very young boys (under the age of 4) or for older boys (older than 10). It is not entirely clear why this restriction is in place since all the other waists on offer include both the younger and older age sizes.]
Figure 1.--Two of the garter waists offered by Wards in 1915 were bodice waists. The hose straps, however, are similar to the skeleton suits. Wards uses the term underwaists for the bodice waists. |
Two of the waists offered by Ward's were in the underwaist style witg enclosed fabric rather than the skeleton style (figure 2).
The Ward's ad copy read, "Weight, 4 oz. Price, each 16 cents.
Made of good quality white cambric with buttons strongly taped on. This is a very good washable waist and will give excellent service. Supporters are made of black lisle web. Can easily be detached from waist. Even sizes, 2 to 12 years. Be sure to mention size wanted."
[Note: This front-buttoning waist for "children" can be worn by either a boy or a girl, but would perhaps be slightly more suitable for a boy because of the button closure in front rather than in back. It has a double row of buttons around the waist line for the attachment of outer clothing and/or additional underwear. Unlike some models, the black supporters attach to the waist in front rather than at the sides. This is the least expensive waist
offered (only 16 cents). It would be warmer than the waists that have only shoulder straps but because of the bodice-like design would probably be long-wearing.]
The Ward's ad copy read, "4 oz. Each 23 cents.
Made of an excellent quality white muslin. Lace trimmed, with buttons strongly taped on. Has good quality white lisle hose supporters which can be easily detached from waist. Even sizes, 2 to 12 years. Be sure to mention size wanted." [Note: The lace trim on this waist seems to make it especially appropriate for
girls, although very young boys might perhaps also wear it. Note that the closure is apparently in back, another feature that would make it more attractive to girls than to boys. The fact that the supporters are white rather than black might make it seem slighly more feminine as well, although boys of a slightly later period often wore white supporters, and white became the standard color for garter waists by the 1920s.]
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