Figure 1.--Here is the ad from the 1921 "Ladies Home Journal" offering suspender waists. The principal function of the waist was to hold up long stockings.

Kazoo Suspender waists, popular in the United States during the 1910s and early 1920s, were sold in sizes up to age 18, which is a good indication that boys wore knee pants until that age. See the attached Kazoo ad, which appeared in the Ladies Home Journal (September, 1921, p. 120), which says that suspender waists for long stockings were for boys 4 to 18. They were manufactured by the Harris Suspender Company.

Harris Suspender Company

The Kazoo Suspender Waist was made by the Harris Suspender Co., New York. The purpose of a suspender waist was to hold up long stockings. We are unsure where the idea for the Kazoo brand name came from. A kazoo is a type child's mouth organ, but were are not sure if it came before or after the Kazoo suspender waist brand. An example is a Kazoo suspender waist 1916 advertisement. The corporate history of the Harris Suspender Co. is complicated. It was founded as the Wire Buckle Suspender Co. consisting of William Silverman, Charles R. Harris, Joseph E. Austrian, and William Freeman in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. in the 1890s. Harris was also involved in the Cygnet Cycle Co. manufacturing bicycles in Williamsport around the same time.

Ladies Home Journal

The Kazoo ad here appeared in the Ladies Home Journal (September, 1921, p. 120). 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 Ladies' Home Journal both empowered women and applauded their growing power.

Suspender Waists

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. They were called “suspender waists” because they combined trousers suspenders with hose supporters and had leather suspender attachments for holding up knee pants in addition to hose supporters for long stockings. The style did not last very long and was most popular during the 1910s. N.B. Suspender waists are not to be confused with the older style of garter waists (such as the Dr. Parker waist) which also had suspender-like straps over the shoulders, a waist belt (sometimes with waist buttons for outer clothing), and hose supporters. With true suspender waists only the garter part of the waist can be classified as underwear because the shoulder straps would be visible (like ordinary modern suspenders) on top of a shirt.

Construction

wo points in the advertisement throw interesting light on the advantages of suspender waists for boys: (1) These waists appeal to "manly boys" who don't want to have to wear standard underwaists (also called pantywaists) to support trousers and long stockings, which they considered unmasculine because the same kind of underwaists were worn by girls. (2) Underwaists supported trousers by means of buttons, which could come off and would then need to be replaced by mothers. Underwaists also required regular laundering. The Kazoo suspender waist consists only of elastic straps, hose supporters, and suspender ends for fastening onto to trousers and didn't have to be washed.

Gender Preferences

Therefore the ad appeals to boys who wanted a garment that distinguished them from girls and to mothers who could avoid constant washing the garment and the sewing on of missing buttons. It must be added, however, that most underwaists were made with "taped buttons"--ie. buttons sewn firmly onto tape and were made so that buttons would not come off even with the constant tugging they got. Also, the supporters on waists were attached to metal pin tubes for extra security and to prevent the pins of the garters from tearing the garment. Supporters on underwaists could also be replaced when they wore out, whereas this was not possible with the Kazoo garment. So on the other side of the question, underwaists had a few advantages over the Kazoo, which of course the Harris Suspender Co. did not mention.

Ad Copy

The ad copy reasds, "Always recognized by mothers as an economical and necessary article of Son's apparel, 'Kazoo' has leaped into added favor at its new reduced retail price. The superior quality of 'Kazoo' has always remained the highest standard for service and comfort in pants and hose supports for manly boys. Light, comfortable, wears long. Abolishes washing, mending, button sewing. Sizes 4 and B now $.75. Styles 7 and 7 B now #1.00. At Boys' Clothing, Furnishing and Notion Depts, or from us on receipt of price. Harris Suspender Co. 1230 Broadway at 30th Street, New York. Licensee: Eisman & Co. Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. Kazoo Reg. Pat. Off. The Athletic Suspender Waist. Ages 4-18."

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Created: 8:52 PM 1/27/2007
Last updated: 8:52 PM 1/27/2007