Figure 1.--Here is an interesting example of a vintage garter waist for boys and girls (ca. 1945-47) made by Beltx. Beltx is the last known American manufactuer of garter waists. The construction is all-elastic with a waist belt, suspenders, a cross strap on the chest to prevent slipping from the shoulders and four suspporters--two in front and two in back toward the sides. Put your cursor on the image for a close-up of the box.

Here is an interesting example of a vintage garter waist for boys and girls (ca. 1945-47) made by Beltx. Beltx is the last known American manufactuer of garter waists. The construction is all-elastic with a waist belt, suspenders, a cross strap on the chest to prevent slipping from the shoulders and four suspporters--two in front and two in back toward the sides. Ages are not given, but such garter waists were normally available for boys and girls from 2 to 12 years of age. This garter waist is definitely American (as we know from the brand name, Beltx) and almost certainly dates from the middle or later 1940s. The give-away for a 1940s date is the construction of the waist with four individual supporters for the long stockings rather than the traditional two supporters with double pendants, which could be purchased separately with safety pins for attachment to underwaists or sometimes were already attached to garter waists and were unremovable. The color white (no option in black is offered) is also another marker of the date. White-only supporters began to supplant the choice of white or black in the 1940s. Beltx supporters were manufactured in St. Louis. The construction of a garter waist with four supporters placed in front and in back (towards the sides) represents a scientific advance in both comfort and evenness of support since the stockings are held up evenly around the upper thigh and don't leave gaps of exposed thigh on the inner leg, as was frequently the case with the use of only two side supporters. Mothers and children preferred garter waists which held stockings smoothly in place with no wrinkles or bagging around the knees. This was near the end of the chronological range of hose supporters because long stockings were going out of style. We do, however, note a Beltx garter waist being advertised in Utah as late as 1956. Utah of course was a very conservative part of the United States. Most American children growing up in the 1950s never sa long stockings, let alone wear them.