Figure 1.-- C |
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Various kinds of stocking supportes were also very common in the early 20th century, including underwaists. Boys and girls of all ages wore long stockings and thus stocking supporters were needed and offered in all major catalogs as well as commonly advertised in magazines. Underwaists were especially common in the early 20th century before World War I. They were commonly worn by most children year round. After World War I they became more often worn during the Winter and by younger boys. They were also wore as dress wear to some extent. They become less common after the 1920s when long stockings began to decline in popularity. The most common type of stocking supporter was the underwaist commonly referred to as "waist". There were, however, several other types.
American boys and girls commonly wore kneepants and long stockings in the 1900s. This included children and teenagers. As a result, we see a many ads for stocking supporters.
The most common stocking supporter we see is the underwaist, commonly called waists. We see the EZ Waist in 1900. This was a style we also noted in the 1890s. Ads like this were common in many magazines at the time. We also see stocking supporters in the major mail order catalogs. An example is the Nazareth Waist in a 1902 Sears catalog. Best & Co. offered the Rugby Waist in 1903. We notice the Ferris Good Sense Waist in 1907. We note that the Balbriggen Underwear product line included the Nazareth Waist in 1909.
The popularity of long stockings began to change in the 1910s. We see fewer older boys wearing them and we see more boys wearing them with knickers. Long stockings were, however, still very common. We see Stuart's Underwaists in 1915. We note that Montgomery Ward in 1915 offered a variety of stocking supporters.
Wards offered both garter waists and underwaists. We also see underwaists them in Canada which seems to have followed American trends regarding long stockings and stocking supporters. An example is Eaton's summer underwaists in 1919.
Long stockings were still widely sold in America during the 1920s. There were substantial shifts, however, during the 1920s. Fewer older boys wore them and they became more seaonal. Underwaists was one of the different types of stocking supporters available in the 1920s.
Stocking supporters were still prominently featured in magazine ads and catalogs during the 1920s. We note Montgomery Ward's underwaists in 1922. We notice more Ward's underwaists in 1925 and 1926. We notice Nazareth Underwaists in 1927. Sears also offered stocking supporters. An example is Sears underwaists offered in 1929. We notice vintage German Leibchen and long stockings that were worn in the 1920s or 30s.
Long stockings continued to decline in popularity in the 1930s. They were still worn by younger boys in cold weather. They were a little more common for girls. Some boys wore them with knickers, but kneesocks were more common. They were also sometimes worn for formal occassions. Thus they were still available in most catalogs. As a result, stocking supporters like underwaists were not as prominently featured in catalogs as before. Another factor was probably the appearance of waist union suits in the 1930s. Some Americans mothers probably preferred the convenience of one single garment. Even so we do see them in most of the major catalogs. We note Wards underwaists in 1936. A German reader tells us about his experiences in the 1930s.
Long stockings rapidly declined in popularity in the 1940s. They are still worn to some extent in the early 1940s, but rarely seen by the end of the decade. They survived a little longer in the far northern states along the northern border. Thus we see stocking suporter ads including underwaists in the early 40s, but they become less common and less porominent as the decade progresses. We note Montgomery Wards offering both underwaists and garter waists in 1941. The boy on the extreme left is wearing an underwaist with supporters, but the garment is not called an underwaist--overlap here with garter waists. The last prominent ads we note are from the early 1940s. They weem to have been worn in Canada a little longer than in the United States. We note Eaton's underwaists in the 1948-49 Winter catalog and a 1949 catalog. Eaton's refers to them as simply as stocking supporters. This is a common problem is researching stocking supporters. Manufacturers and retailers were not consistent in the terminology used. We notice a German add for a Korselette in 1940.
Some small ads for stocking supporters continue into the early 1950s. Unlike many earlier ads, these rare 1950s ads feature girls more prominently (but not exclisively).
Navigate the HBC Stocking Suppoter Chronologies Pages:
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[Return to the Main long stockings chronology page]
[Garter chronology]
[Garter waist chronology]
[Suspender waist chronolog]
[Waist union suit chronology]
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