American Mail Order Catalogs: Sears' Children's Stocking Supporters--1925


Figure 1.--Here we see the 1925 Sears ad for three types of hose (stocking) supporters. Long stockings in 1925 were still very commonly worn in America.

Sears offered "Hose Supporters" in the Spring catalog for 1925, p. 143. These are really "garter waists" for both boys and girls but are here referred to simply as hose supporters. Three models are shown and are arranged in the ascending order of their price and quality. It is worth noticing that these waists were advertised in the Sears Spring catalog and would therefore be sold during the warmer months of the year. Long stockings were widely worn even in the summer for reasons of dressiness and formality and were not considered merely cold-weather wear.

Sears

The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) bought Roebuck's interest in firm and became president on Sears's retirement 1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and became the first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the new things that were changing American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the Midwest.

Garter Waists

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.

Seasonality

It is worth noticing that these waists were advertised in the Sears Spring catalog and would therefore be sold during the warmer months of the year. Long stockings were widely worn even in the summer for reasons of dressiness and formality and were not considered merely cold-weather wear.

Hose Supporter Styles

Here we have "Hose Supporters" in the Spring catalog for 1925, p. 143. These are really "garter waists" for both boys and girls but are here referred to simply as hose supporters. Three models are shown and are arranged in the ascending order of their price and quality.

Hickory Shoulder Hose Supporters

The Sears ad copy read, "A pracitcal combination. Adjustable and comfortable. Colors, Black or white. State color. 20 B 4563 For Children 39 c. 20 B 4564 For Misses 48 c. 20 B 4565 For Women 55 c. Postage 3 c extra." [HBC Note: These shoulder hose supporters were worn both by boys and girls and by older girls ("Misses") and women. They have no other function than to support long stockings. Notice the chest strap to prevent the straps from slipping off the shoulders. These shoulder supporters were often considered uncomfortable for younger children to wear because they somtimes caused the boy or girl to stoop over. It is interesting that these supporters are available in both black and white. Black was popular in the earlier part of the twentieth century because it didn't show soil as much as white, but, increasingly, white became the dominant color and by the end of the 1920s, white garter waists were the only color on offer.]

Shoulder Brace, Belt and Hose Supporters

The Sears ad copy read, "Waistband of white sateen; adjustable shoulder straps. Elastic piece in back. Cushion fasteners. Even Sizes: 2 to 12 years. State size. 20 B 4507 Per pair 48 c. Postage, per pair, 2 c. extra." [HBC Note: This is the well-known Dr. Parker style of garter waist, widely worn by both boys and girls throughout the first four decadeds of the 20th century although the term was never used by Sears--only by Wards and Eatons. The later models of the Dr. Parker style had additional buttons around the waistband for attaching outer garments such as trousers or skirts. But this model has no extra buttons--only the two in front for the purpose of closure. The hose supporters appear to be detachable but are apparently fixed to the waistband by buttons rather than by safety pins. Note the claim that the shoulder straps function as a "shoulder brace" to improve posture. This was perhaps a doubtful claim.]

Waist with Hose Supporters

The Sears ad copy read, "Of white mercerized sateen with adjustable hose supporters, bone buttons strongly taped. A well fitting waist for good service. Even Sizes: 2 to 12 years State size wanted. 20 B 4598 55 c. Postage 2 c. extra. [HBC Note: This is the deluxe model of garter waist on offer. It is of sturdier construction than the others and can be laundered easily. This waist has a series of waist buttons around the waist for attaching trousers, skirts, panties or other clothes. The supporters are detachable. This type was widely worn by both boys and girls.]

Stocking Colors

This ad for Sears Hose Supporters (Garter Waists) in 1925 seems to show two colors of long stockings. The girls are shown wearing black long stockings with their garter waists whereas the boy seems to wear a lighter color stockings (probably tan or beige). I doubt if the gender difference here has anything to do with color choice, but this ad does seem to confirm the point that this was the decade of transition from black long stockings being the dominant color to the tan shades that became more common at the end of the decade and into the 1930s.






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Created: 12:51 PM 12/21/2004
Last updated: 12:51 PM 12/21/2004