Figure 1.--The ad here appeared in the "Ladies' Home Journal" for March, 1912, p. 88. The Two-in-One is made for boys from 4 to 16 years of age. The illustration in this ad shows very clearly how the suspenders and garters are worn--both underneath the outer clothing. |
The Harris Suspender Company, the manufacturers of "Whiz" suspenders for men and boys, came out in 1912 with what they referred to as the "Two-In-One"--a garment combining boys' suspenders and garters and thus offering "double value" since the combined suspenders and garters were cheaper than the items purchased individually. The ad in our HBC example appeared in the Ladies' Home Journal for March, 1912. The Two-in-One is made for boys from 4 to 16 years of age. The illustration in this ad shows very clearly how the suspenders and garters are worn--both underneath the outer clothing. The white suspender straps are worn over the underwear (apparently in this case a union suit) and continue downward over the upper thigh to end in the familiar Y-shaped, double pendant, supporters for the stockings. Note that this style of suspender waist can only be worn with a blouse. If the boy wore an ordinary shirt, he could not tuck it inside his pants because the suspender attachment would obstruct. The ad cleverly allows us to see how the layering of the boy's dress works. His blouse is unbuttoned and untied in front so that we can see the suspender straps and union suit underneath; and there is a window through his knickers so that we can see how the supporters attach to his stockings. The radiant face of the boy, who seems to be about 13, shows how happy he is to be rid of the kind of underwaist and garters that he has had to endure in the past and that distinguishes him from his sister and perhaps younger brother.
As the oldest still publishing, most respected women's service magazine in the country, The Ladies' Home Journal has always focused on issues of crucial importance to millions of women. Since its first issue in December 1883. This long history make The Ladies Home Journal and invaluable source of information on American fashion trends. Its covered an incredibly wide range of topics beyond just fashion, from the latest medical research and consumer news to parenting know-how, workplace survival, good skincare, nutrition facts and much, much more. It was The Ladies Home Journal who sucessfully merged the elements and produced the right formula, becoming the top ladies magazine in America. The Journal both empowered women and applauded their growing power. We also notice patterns offered in the magazine.
The Kazoo Suspender Waist was made by the Harris Suspender Co., New York. We note them here as manufacturers of suspender waists for children. They also offered a line of suspenders, braces and garters for adults. 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. We were unsure where the idea for the Kazoo brand name came from. A reader explains, "I can explain the trade term Kazoo. Before Harris took over the manufacture of this suspender waist, it was produced (for a year or two) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. "Kazoo" is a slang abbreviation for the town of Kalamazoo, hence the name. But then,somehow, Harris began making the garment, probably because the patent for it was sold to Harris." The corporate history of the Harris Suspender Co. is complicated, but we have collected some basic information.
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.
The Harris Suspender Company, the manufacturers of "Whiz" suspenders for men and boys, came out in 1912 with what they referred to as the "Two-In-One"--a garment combining boys' suspenders and garters and thus offering "double value" since the combined suspenders and garters were cheaper than the items purchased individually.
A different ad for this same garment advertised elsewhere in the Ladies' Home Journal describes the garment as "the newest idea for boys", remarking that "suspenders and supporters usually cost 25 cents and 50 cents a pair each, while the "Two-In-One" costs but 50 cents."
The ad in our HBC example appeared in the Ladies' Home Journal for March, 1912, p. 88. The Two-in-One is made for boys from 4 to 16 years of age.
The illustration in this ad shows very clearly how the suspenders and garters are worn--both underneath the outer clothing. The white suspender straps are worn over the underwear (apparently in this case a union suit) and continue downward over the upper thigh to end in the familiar Y-shaped, double pendant, supporters for the stockings. There are fasteners with button-holes half way down to attach to buttons sewn into the inside waist of the boy's knickers. When the boy is fully dressed, we see nothing of this suspender waist because the suspender straps are covered by his blouse which has ties that allow the blouse to be fastened on top of the trouser waistband. The attachment of the suspenders to the knickers is thus hidden by the closed blouse.
Note that this style of suspender waist can only be worn with a blouse. If the boy wore an ordinary shirt, he could not tuck it inside his pants because the suspender attachment would obstruct. The ad cleverly allows us to see how the layering of the boy's dress works. His blouse is unbuttoned and untied in front so that we can see the suspender straps and union suit underneath; and there is a window through his knickers so that we can see how the supporters attach to his stockings.
The radiant face of the boy, who seems to be about 13, shows how happy he is to be rid of the kind of underwaist and garters that he has had to endure in the past and that distinguishes him from his sister and perhaps younger brother.
The ad copy read, "Double value in boys' suspenders and garters. The Two-In-One Combination keeps both trousers and stockings taut, as shown in cut. No annoying waistbands--the suspender runs in one continuous piece down to the stocking, strong elastic ends hold the stocking up tight. This new-style supporter does not chafe or bind. Two-in-One Trade Mark Registered United States Patent Office, Patented November 22, 1904. [Although this suspender waist was patented about 8 years earlier than the advertisement, it does not seem to have caught on commercially until the early 1910s.] It does away with round garters [strongly disapproved of by health authorities because of circulation problems]. It braces and gently straightens stooped figures--guaranteed not to leave rust marks on the clothing. [Non-rusting metal is frequently mentioned as a selling point in the garters and suspenders of the early part of the century.] Made with indestructible buttons instead of button-holes [.e. the suspender buttons are provided for the trousers] and has the "Whiz" suspender take-up feature, insuring perfect fit. If not at your dealer's, we will send the Two-In-One by mail--price 50 cents. Harris Suspender Company. Patentees and Sole Makers. 138-146 W. 14th St., New York City. Manufacturers of "Whiz" Suspenders."
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