Figure 1.--The A.M. Wilson ads are always rather small in the magazines of the period and lack the prominence of display that the Harris and Kazoo ads could afford. The Wilson Garter must really be classified as a somewhat eccentric version of a garter waist, and it is notable that it was only made for children of 12 or younger. Suspender waists aimed at the older boy--up to the age of 18--although there were versions designed for younger children as well. One of the fullest and clearest examples of a Wilson Hose Supporter ad appeared in the "Ladies' Home Journal" for April 1911. This ad illustrates the slide cords and loops on which the hose supporters are suspended and stresses that pulley construction avoids the "clothing restraint" of traditionally fixed garter

The first major innovator in stocking supporters was the A. M. Wilson Company of Cherokee, Iowa, which designed and sold the well-known "Wilson garter"--a system of tapes and cords supported from a child's shoulders with the hose supporters attached to the cords in a manner that allowed them to slide or shift position according to the movements of the body. The hose supporters of the Wilson garter, not anchored to a specific location on the upper leg, worked on a sort of pulley principle. There were two different types. The Wilson Garter, strickly speaking, was not a suspender waist at all. It was not specific to boys (girls are also shown wearing it in the ads), and although one of the two styles uses shoulder straps and functions somewhat like suspenders, the straps do not hold up outer clothing. The Wilson Garter is designed only for stockings. It is included in this discussion simply to illustrate an early stage of innovation in children's stocking support. Although the Wilson Garter continued to be regularly advertised throughout the 1910s and even into the 1920s, this rather complex style of hose supporter never seems to have garnered as much popularity with mothers and children as other styles such as the Kazoo suspender waist.

Ladies Home Journal

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 Journal both empowered women and applauded their growing power. We also notice patterns offered in the magazine.

A.M. Wilson Company

The first major innovator was the A. M. Wilson Company of Cherokee, Iowa.

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.

Features

Wilson garter

A.M wilson designed and sold the well-known "Wilson garter"--a system of tapes and cords supported from a child's shoulders with the hose supporters attached to the cords in a manner that allowed them to slide or shift position according to the movements of the body. The hose supporters of the Wilson garter, not anchored to a specific location on the upper leg, worked on a sort of pulley principle. There were two different types. One type had straps passing over the child's shoulders and was designed for boys or girls from 2 to 10 years of age.

Different style

A different style (apparently preferred by boys although not specifically designed for them alone) was for children up to the age of 12 and had three safety pins that fastened to a waist band--one pin on the left, one in the center, and a third on the right. A slide cord was suspended from the three pins to make two loops on which a pair of hose supporters could slide into position. The Wilson Garter, strickly speaking, was not a suspender waist at all. It was not specific to boys (girls are also shown wearing it in the ads), and although one of the two styles uses shoulder straps and functions somewhat like suspenders, the straps do not hold up outer clothing. I don't think there was a special name for this style. so, although the advertisement refers to the style that boys like better as "the pin-to-waist style." I guess this latter style (favored for children older than ten and also by boys) would have to be classified, technically, as a garter waist rather than as a suspender waist. Here is where the overlap between suspender waists and garter waists gets a bit complex. To be consistent with HBC's terminology, both the Wilson garter styles (i.e. the shoulder and the pin-to-waist styles) fall under the category of garter waists because, unlike the Kazoo, nothing shows on top of the boy's shirt (i.e., the shoulder straps are hidden). In the case of the Harris Two-in-One or Whiz waist, the shoulder straps are also concealed beneath the shirt, although this style (at a later point) was also one of the Kazoo styles for younger children (i.e., for younger boys and also for girls). But notice that the third advertisement, the Kazoo Athletic Suspende Waist, shows the suspender straps as being on top of the shirt (like ordinary boys' suspenders). This was one of the great appeals for the Kazoo for older boys. These differences are nicely illustrated by the three images in the three differents ads.

Stocking Support

The Wilson Garter is designed only for stockings. It is included in this discussion simply to illustrate an early stage of innovation in children's stocking support. Although the Wilson Garter continued to be regularly advertised throughout the 1910s and even into the 1920s, this rather complex style of hose supporter never seems to have garnered as much popularity with mothers and children as other styles such as the Kazoo suspender waist.

Advertisements

The Wilson ads are always rather small in the magazines of the period and lack the prominence of display that the Harris and Kazoo ads could afford. The Wilson Garter must really be classified as a somewhat eccentric version of a garter waist, and it is notable that it was only made for children of 12 or younger. Suspender waists aimed at the older boy--up to the age of 18--although there were versions designed for younger children as well. One of the fullest and clearest examples of a Wilson Hose Supporter ad appeared in the Ladies' Home Journal for April 1911 (p. 35). This ad illustrates the slide cords and loops on which the hose supporters are suspended and stresses that pulley construction avoids the "clothing restraint" of traditionally fixed garters.

Gender

Wilson Garters were also made for Misses and Women (teenage girls and adult females) and in pink and blue as well as the black and white styles that children wore.

Ad Copy

The ad copy read, "Children can't stand clothing restraint. That's why their garters are important for comfort, as well as the condition of stockings and underclothes. The Wilson Hose Supporter allows perfect freedom to romp and play. A strong cord, gently changes at different poses of body. Thus any strain is entirely done away with--the stockings are not torn, the underwear lasts, and the garters themselves last twice as long as before. Children's pin-to-waist style, 2 to 12 years. Shoulder style, 2 to 10 years. Either kind in black or white, 25 cents. The same comfort principle applies in the Women's and Misses' style. In lisle web, 25 c.; silk finish, 50 c.; black, white, pink or blue. If you can't get Wilson Supporters at your dealers, we will send them postpaid on receipt of price. Try them for a week--then if they're not all and more than claimed we will refund money. A. M. Wilson Co. 101 Main Street. Cherokee, Iowa."

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Created: 12:14 AM 6/10/2006
Last updated: 12:14 AM 6/10/2006