Martin's Dry Goods Store: Various Suspender Items (1901)
Figure 1.--This very prominent ad in the Hutchinson News (April 10, 1901, page 4), Hutchinson, Kansas, offers a large assortment of brands of hose supporters and related products. It illustrates the variety of styles and brands available nationally at the turn-of-the century. HBC has noticed most of these brands individually on various
pages and on our underwear manufacturers' page. Among the most important brands offered here are Warners Brothers, Velvet Grip, Boston, Flexo, Sterling (a brand name of Warners), Ferris, and Kerns.
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This very prominent ad in the Hutchinson News (April 10, 1901, page 4), Hutchinson, Kansas, offers a large assortment of brands of hose supporters and related products. It illustrates the variety of styles and brands available nationally at the turn-of-the century. HBC has noticed most of these brands individually on various
pages and on our underwear manufacturers' page. Among the most important brands offered here are Warners Brothers, Velvet Grip, Boston, Flexo, Sterling (a brand name of Warners), Ferris, and Kerns. All these companies and brands represent various elastic products such as shoulder braces, men's garters, children's and women's hose
supporters and shoulder garters, in addition to belts for women's sanitary napkins and knee protectors (in two different materials--leather and jersey) to save wear in boy's long stockings.
Martin's Dry Goods Store
Dry goods are soft consumer profucts made from textiles. This included fabric, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries or miscelaneous small items like needeles, threads, buttons, and other items. These are destimct from the metal producrs carried by hardware stores and and the perishable or canned gods carried by grocery stores. Dry goods wre often offered by specaialy stores like haberdashers or milliners, but a dry goods store carried a wide variety of textiles andctextile related items. Martin's was one of these general dry good stores.
Newspapers
This very prominent ad in the Hutchinson News (April 10, 1901, page 4), Hutchinson, Kansas
Offerings
Martin's Dry Goods stores offered a large assortment of brands of hose supporters and related products. It illustrates the variety of styles and brands available nationally at the turn-of-the century. HBC has noticed most of these brands individually on various pages and on our underwear manufacturers' page. Among the most important brands offered here are Warners Brothers, Velvet Grip, Boston, Flexo, Sterling (a brand name of Warners), Ferris, and Kerns. All these companies and brands represent various elastic products such as shoulder braces, men's garters, children's and women's hose supporters and shoulder garters, in addition to belts for women's sanitary napkins and knee protectors (in two different materials--leather and jersey) to save wear in boy's long stockings.
Children
Mothers were always having to darn the knees of boys' long stockings because of their constant contact with the ground during play. The illustrations of the various products are quite enlightening. Most relevant for boys from about 2 to 12 (or older in some cases) are the individual Velvet Grip pin-on hose supporters shown at the top of the
third column including the supporters attached to a belt and shoulder garters (illustrated in both the first column and the third column). Probably the most popular of all for boys, or at least most widely worn, would be the Warner's Sterling Waist shown at the top of column 2. This type of garter waist became a very standard item for boys up to the age of at least 12 (and in some cases up to the age of 14). The style later became identified with the famous Dr. Parker waist and supporters, which was worn by both girls and boys up through the middle 1940s in the United States. It consists of a waist belt made of non-elastic webbing with suspender straps that cross in back for
greater stability. The suspender feature is adjustable, and the belt fastens in front. From the belt are suspended at each side two double-pendant elastic supporters with button and loop clips for attachment to the stocking tops. This style of waist was prominently advertised all over the country and sold by both Wards and Sears as
well as smaller shops and and retail department stores. The supporters had buckles for length adjustment. Such garments were needed by nearly all children in the early decades of the 20th century since long stockings were virtually universal wear by both girls and boys. This type of waist in 1901 was probably mainly for boys although no gender is specified in the ads. Young girls tended to wear corset waists with supporters attached, although at a later point, the related Dr. Parker waist was definitely a unisex garment.
Men and Older boys
It is interesting that men's garters are also included in the ad.
These would be purchased not only for adult men but also for boys of 16
or older who had graduated to long trousers. Socks were not made in
the early decades of the century with any elastic in the tops and
therefore required garters if neatness were desired. Older boys who
had socks falling down over their shoes under their long trousers would
have been regarded as very sloppily dressed. So men's and older boys'
garters were big sellers and probably as profitable to manufacturers as
children's and women's hose supporters.
Ad Copy
The Martin's adveertisement read, "We’re pushing to the front dependable lines of supporters manufactured. Always an opportunity to buy—if you buy of us you are at liberty to exchange the goods or get your money back. Martin’s Supporters. Our Lines Are Complete from A to Z. April 10, 1901.
Our Assortments Are Large—Our Prices are Small. If we haven’t what you want we’ll be pleased to get it for you. Freight Paid on all $5.00 Mail Orders Within 100 Miles. P. Martin Dry Goods Co. Only One Price Cash House in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Shoulder brace
No. 7—Price 50 cents: Dr. Warner’s Health Shoulder Brace, style of illustration, white only—small sizes for bust measure 32, 34 and 36; medium sizes for bust measures 34, 36 and 38—Per pair. 50 cents.
No. 8—Price 15 cents; No. 9—25 cents and 35 cents.
No. 9: Kern’s Shoulder Supporters, exact as our No. 9 with felt button hose fastening; ladies’ sizes 32, 34, 36, and 38; colors black or white—per pair 35 cents. Children’s same, sizes 2 to 12 years; colors black and white—per pair 25 cents.
Men’s hose supporters
No. 5: Men’s Half Hose Supporters, style of cut, black, white, or colors—per pair 5 cents and 10 cents.
No. 6: Men’s “Boston,” “Flexo” lisle thread elastic silk cord, nickel trimmings; black, white and colors—Per pair 25 cents.
Knee pads
No. 2: Boy’s Leather Knee Cap, like cut, protects the stockings, saves money, Per pair 25 cents.
No. 3: Jersey Knee Pad, also stocking protectors, black, like cut—pair 25 cents. Worth the price in the saving of boy’s hosiery.
Children's Items
No. 10: Warner’s “Sterling” Combination Waist and Hose Supporter, security fastening, style of above cut, ages 2 to 12, colors black or white—pair 25 cents. No 10 answers every use for which a child’s summer waist may be desired [for both boys and girls].
No. 4: Ferris Belt and Napkin Supporter, safety-pin fastening—it is made of fine satine, in black or white, sizes 24 to 32, style of cut. 25 cents.
Velvet Grip: Loop-over button of soft rubber, will not tear stocking, colors black or white. Cut No 1 shows style of Velvet grip Button and Fastener.
No. 030: Child’s Velvet Grip Side Hose supporter, pair 15 cents.
No. 05: Misses’ Velvet Grip Side Hose Supporter, per pair 18 cents.
No. 020: Ladies’ Velvet Grip Side Hose Supporter, per pair 20 cents.
No. 09: Child’s Shoulder Hose Supporter, Velvet Grip, per pair 30 cents.
No. 08: Misses’ Shoulder Hose Supporter, Velvet Grip, per pair 35 cents.
Ladies items
No. 07: Ladies’ Shoulder Hose Supporter, Velvet Grip, per pair 35 cents.
No. 00: Velvet Grip Belt Hose Supporters, sizes 24 to 32, per pair 40 cents.
No 222:—Ladies Satin Belt Hose Supporter, style cut No. 01; black, white and colors, per pair 25 cents.
No. 1: Ladies’ Fancy Side Elastic; black, white and colors, style of cut above, price per pair 25 cents.
Ladies’ Round Garters. Put up in fancy boxes, come in all colors, pair 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents and $1.00 per pair.
No. 4: Ferris Belt and Napkin supporter, safety-pin fastening—it is made of fine satine, in black or white, sizes 24 to 32, style of cut 25 cents.
HBC
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Created: 4:55 AM 1/20/2005
Last updated: 4:55 AM 1/20/2005