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This Dr. Parker Garter Waist ad appeared in a prominent advertisement with other Hickory products (manufactured by Stein of Chicago and New York). It was in The "Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune" September 24. 1925). It was an issue that included advertising for various school needs at the start of a new school year. This ad differs from some of the other Dr. Parker ads in offering the waist with a choice of white or black supporters. Most of the others offered only white. Also note that the boy is fastening the chest strap of his garter waist (figure 1). This was an important feature emphasized by the makers because active children had trouble with shoulder straps slipping off and the chest chap kept the shoulder straps in place.
Stocking supportes were offered in major mail-order catalogs and widely advertized in major national magazines as well as local newspapers. The newspaper ads seem very common, but are difficult to find as newspaper collections are more difficult to access. It was in The "Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune" September 24, 1925), page 10. It was an issue that included advertising for various school needs at the start of a new school year. The back to school items in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune were on sale at Johnson and Hill Company, a dry goods store. Presumably the manufacturer provided the art work and the retailer placed the ad. Perhaps they shared the cost.
One of the recurring terms in the American mail order catalogs is the “Dr. Parker” waist, a style of garter waist that persisted from the late 1890s until the mid-1940s. It consisted of suspender-like shoulder straps with a cross piece across the chest to hold the straps in place, a waist belt (sometimes with additional buttons for the attachment of trousers , skirts, or, in young children, panties), and two elastic hose supporters in a Y-shape hung from the waistband. We are not sure, however, just who Dr. Parker was and what company made them. We first notice them about 1910. They were offered in major mail order catalogs (Eatons, Sears, and Wards). We are not sure, but assume they were also sold in retail stores.
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.
This ad differs from some of the other Dr. Parker ads in offering the waist with a choice of white or black supporters. Most of the others offered only white. Also note that the boy is fastening the chest strap of his garter waist (figure 1). This was an important feature emphasized by the makers because active children had trouble with shoulder straps slipping off and the chest chap kept the shoulder straps in place. The supporters are pinned onto metal tubes at the sides, and therefore could be either black or white. Note too that the children are wearing short-legged underwear with
long stockings--even in chilly Wisconin in 1925. Dr. Parker waists were available in even sizes from age 2 to 14. The boy in the illustration looks to be about 10 years old.
The ad copy read, "Dr. Parker's Waist and Garters have sensible front breast strap which prevents slipping from shoulders. Furnished in white, or white body and black supporters. Special, 42 cents."
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