Figure 1.--HBC has founnd advertisements in major magazines like The Ladies Home Journal and . These adverisements are easy to find as many libraries have collections of the magaazines. Clothing advertisements, however, were not just un magazines, but also local newsppers. These adverisements are much more difficult to find. In the advertisement for Hickory Waists (printed in the 'Charleston Gazette' for April 10, 1924, p. 4. We suspect that the company placed this same ad in many newspapers around the country at this time. Note the different placement of the garters with the two different types of underwear.

We notice advertisements for a range of support garmebts in 1924. One particularly important item was the garter waistThis was an item to hold up pants and long stockings which were still very commonly worn by both boys and girls. One if the most popular brand was Hickory which also offered garters and other support garments. We see these Hickory support garments heavily advertised in both national magazines and local newspapers. In the advertisement for Hickory Waists (printed in the Charleston Gazette for April 10, 1924, p. 4). We suspect that the company placed this same ad in many newspapers around the country at this time. The Hickory Garter Waist is made of sturdy sateen material with enough body to support bloomers, underpants, shorts, or skirts. It has a bone button closure at the chest strap, two buttons in front for closure, and waist buttons at both sides and in the back. we have the image of a boy of about 8 or 9 years old blowing soap bubbles with his younger sister or brother (who is wearing bloomers with the Hickory waist). Both children are in their underwear, so we can see the boy wearing his white Hickory garter waist over his grey summer underwear (a sleeveless nainsook union suit). The appeal here is to the comfortable athletic design of the Hickory waist ("no uncomfortable poking up at the neck to show, when children wear this Hickory waist"). The approachere here is what advertisers often do is to deny the obvious.

Stein & Company

Of all the manufacturers of garter waists and hose supporters during the 1920s in America, the Hickory brand (manufactured by Stein & Company was the best known and most widely advertised. Hickory waists were almost a household name, like Hickory garters. The company had offices in both Chicago and New York. Hickory Garters were widely used by American children to hold up their long stockings. Hickory was a national brand name. They were sold all over the country in various stores and were widely advertised in magazines. They advertized extensively in Parents' Magazine. The fact that they were also sold by Sears doesn't rule them out. Stein also made garters for adukts. Their adult male line was Paris Garters.

Local Newspapers

HBC has founnd advertisements in major magazines like The Ladies Home Journal and . These adverisements are easy to find as many libraries have collections of the magaazines. Clothing advertisements, however, were not just un magazines, but also local newsppers. These adverisements are much more difficult to find. In the advertisement for Hickory Waists (printed in the Charleston Gazette (April 10, 1924, p. 4). We suspect that the company placed this same ad in many newspapers around the country at this time.

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.

Complication

This is where our HBC termninology becomes a little confusing. The Hickory Waist could be purchased without the garters for 50 cents and up and with the garters attached (i.e. pinned-on already as shown in some of the ads) for an additional 25 cents (or a total of 75 cents). Technically, the waist without the garters is an underwaist, but when you add the garters you have a garter waist. Both terms were used almost interchangeably because some waists came with the garters already attached and others came without the garters. But since the principal function of waists was the support of long stockings, advertisers often referred to all waists as garter waists (even if the garters were not supplied and had to be purchased separately). The Hickory Waist had pinning tubes at the sides for the garter attachments. Probably no mother would have purchased the waist for boys and girls with any other purpose than to support their stockings. But her children might already possess the pin-on garters, or else she might prefer to purchase cheaper pin-on garters from a different manufacturer. Hickory garters, designed to be worn with Hickory waists, were more or less the top of the line in quality. They had better quality elastic, stronger pins that didn't break or bend, and rubber cushion clasps that were easier on stocking tops and prevented stocking tears--thus making for less darning.

Construction

The Hickory Garter Waist is made of sturdy sateen material with enough body to support bloomers, underpants, shorts, or skirts. It has a bone button closure at the chest strap, two buttons in front for closure, and waist buttons at both sides and in the back. Two garter tabs are attached at the sides on which are firmly sewn metal pinning tubes for the hose supporters. The pin tubes are designed to hold the garter pins firmly in place so that they will not tear the waist or come lose because of friction. Hickory considered pin tubes superior to tape loops or metal eyelets often featured on other kinds of garter waists or underwaists.

Underwear Garments

The boys illustrated here are shown wearing their Hickory garter waists over their underwear. The illustration shows a boy of about 8 or 9 years old blowing soap bubbles with his younger sister or brothefr (who is wearing bloomers with his/her Hickory waist). The illustration is indestinct about the gender of the younger child. Both children are in their underwear, so we can see the boy wearing his white Hickory garter waist over his grey summer underwear (a sleeveless nainsook union suit). The Hickory Waist has black pin-on hose supporters added for his black long stockings. Underneath the garter waist he wears a summer nainsook short-legged union suit which is sleeveless. It is colored gray (represented by little black dots on a white background) in the drawing more to indicate texture, I think, than to depict the actual color. Most summer union suits were white or off-white, but the weave of the material which was like fine mesh often gave the appearance of light gray. The younger child, a girl apparently, with whom the boy is blowing soap bubbles, is also wearing the Hickory Waist, but she is wearing bloomers which are buttoned to the waist (which was one of the purposes of waists appart from supporting long stockings). The girl's underwear and bloomers are also of the same nainsook textured material, which was favored in the 1920s for both children's and adult BVD union suits. Nainsook is light-weight and has a texture that is comfortable for the hotter months of the year because the mesh-like texture allows the material to "breathe". Notice that you can see the younger child's black supporters peeping out beneath the bloomers. The drawing is quite revealing about children's typical summer underwear in 1924 in America. A reader writes, "Notice that the younger child's garters fit under the bloomers so that when the bloomer is taken off for toilet use the garter is not in the way. With the older child in the one piece outfit, the garter is worn outside of the garment because of the drop seat or back flap. The ad illustrates this issue very well."

Seasonality

Notice that the ad appeared in April, good timing for mothers purchasing children's summer underwear. One of the points about the Hickory Waist, however, is that it is worn at all seasons of the year--both summer and winter. Children often preferred the Hickory Waist to warmer knitted styles of waists (also widely available at the time) because of the lightness and athletic lack of bulkiness.

Comfort and Image

The appeal here is to the comfortable athletic design of the Hickory waist ("no uncomfortable poking up at the neck to show, when children wear this Hickory waist"). The approachere here is what advertisers often do is to deny the obvious. Here they could get away with it. They were nit going to convince the boy who would wear it, but the mother who was buying it. A grment or any other support garment was restricive. Thus it could not be comfortable to wear. Of course some may be more comfortable than others. Also boys didn't want their garter waists to show under their open shirts (they tried to avoid being teased about their underwear), and the Hickory brand is cut low so as to avoid any appearance of a waist under open-necked shirts or dresses. Straps across the chest and back keep the waist in place and prevent its slipping off the boy's shoulders.

Gender

There was no gender distinction between Hickory garters and garter waists for boys and girls. Hickory therefore showed both boys and girls in their illustrations. Even when boys wore knickers rather than short trousers, they often wore long stockings underneath and thus required waists with hose supporters attached.

Age

The ad here does not indicate the sizes the garter wist was made. The children in the illustration liik to be about 3 and 8 years old.

Color

Since the garters pin on to metal pin-tubes on the garter tabs of the waist, the boy can wear either white or black supporters. This boy wears black ones to match his black stockings.

Ad Copy

The Hickory waist was sold either with or without garters attached: 50 cents for the waist alone, 75 cents if the garters were included. The ad copy read, "Hickory Waists. No uncomfrotable poking up at the neck to show, when children wear this Hickory Waist. The sensible front breast strap keeps the shoulder portions in comfortable position, and the strong fabric and tailored fit provide the support that growing youngsters need. Wears well--washes wonderfully. A. Stein & Company. Also Makers of Paris Garters. Chicago. New York. 50 cents and up--with garters, 75 cents. [The larger sizes were priced a bit higher.] --and for other needs: Hickory Children's Garters Hickory Elastic by the yard Hickory Baby Pants Hickory Girdle Supporters (for women) Hickory Stock Garters (for older boys and men) Hickory Shirred Ribbon Elastic Hickory Personal Necessities: Hickory Sanitary Belts Hickory Sanitary Aprons"

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Created: 3:22 AM 8/26/2008
Last updated: 3:12 PM 9/1/2008