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Most of the devices that we have found are American and Canadian. This probably reflects our greater access to American material. Most of the devices loaded on HBC are American. We also note very similar Canadian stocking supporters which claim posture benefits.
A 1901 Eaton's ad is for a "Shoulder Brace and Hose Supporters Combined". The term "shoulder brace" of course stresses the posture correction design of the garment. Another example is the Eaton's 1918 catalog. There were devices for men, women, and children. This Canadian Eaton's page (1918) advertises a "shoulder brace with hose supporters" (this is the boy wearing the shoulder garters in the center). Such posture devices probably existed in Europe as well, but we have no information on those countries as this time. We believe concerns about posture were also prevalent in other countries like England, France, and Germany. We also note the modern Japanese shoulder brace.
Most of the devices loaded on HBC are American. Apparently the tradition in America goes back to the mid-19th century. It may go back even further, but the earliest confirmation so far that we can find date to about 1870. One of the interesting sources for this sort of information is a list of registered patents for various kinds of children's underwear in the 19th century. Many of the inventors of the improvements were, not surprisingly, women, since mothers usually controlled what sort of clothing their boys and girls wore, and women were always seeking to invent or design more efficient or more comfortable garments for their children. Usually the various patents
required pen and ink drawings showing the design of the item in some detail. I'm not certain how many of these items actually reached the manufacturing stage. They may have simply been ideas of various people for improvements in clothing design. But they are quite revealing, nonetheless, and tell us much about what sort of underpinnings children wore or should have been wearing in the imagination of clothing inventors and designers.
A Belgian reader tells us that his father was an army officer and very strict about his posture.
We note Canadian stocking supporters similar to American styles which claim posture benefits.
A 1901 Eaton's ad is for a "Shoulder Brace and Hose Supporters Combined". The term "shoulder brace" of course stresses the posture correction design of the garment. Another example is the Eaton's 1918 catalog. There were devices for men, women, and children. This Canadian Eaton's page (1918) advertises a "shoulder brace with hose supporters" (this is the boy wearing the shoulder garters in the center).
We do not know anything about the history of posture correction devices in Japan. We do note a modern Japanese shoulder brace.
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