Figure 1.--

Here we have some questions. We note references to Daisy waists and suspender stocking supporters. Presumably Daisy was a brand name. We note references in the 1890s, although the the company may have operated ealier. The earliest reference we have archived comes from the Ward's 1895 catalog. We do not, however, have any information about the company that manufactured them. The Daisy brand continues to be used through the 1930s. We've checked for the term "Daisy" in the later Sears pages and found it twice: Under 1937 in the catalog chronology we have Sears waists 1937-38 (Kern's "Daisy" Button Waist"). In 1939 we have Sears "Suspenders and Stocking Supporters" (Kern's "Daisy" Waist). In both cases this is the same garment, and it is another designation for the Dr. Parker style garter waist. I'm sure that the term "Daisy" was associated somehow with children's garter waists in the late 19th century and just lingered on in the later Sears ads for 1937 and 1939. In the same way the term "Dandy" also appears in the Sears ads. But "Daisy" and "Dandy" in the Sears pages refer to particular styles of garter waists. Maybe originally it was a brand name that got taken over as just a type of garment (in the way that Fridgidaire, a brand, became another popular name for refrigerator). It's rather curious, isn't it? Sorry we can't be more definite. By the way, the later Wards ads for garter waists (those more or less contemporary with the Sears ones) don't use the term Daisy even though they were using it in 1895.

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Created: 12:01 AM 11/6/2004
Last updated: 12:01 AM 11/6/2004