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Long stockings were still worn in 1933, by both boys and girls. We notice garter waists and hose supporters commonly offered in mail order catalogs. Ward's Spring and Summer catalog offered various styles of garter waists. The main models were all boys, although of course there was no difference in the garter waists worn by the two genders. The models here are very young, but the sizes went up to 12 years. It is worth noticing that these waists and garters occupy a prominent place in a Spring and Summer catalog--an indication, apparently, that long stockings were still much worn in the warmer months--as much for reasons of formality as for warmth.
Although the word "consumerism" has a modern ring, it was personal concern for an early consumer movement, the "National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry," That inspired a young traveling salesman named Aaron Montgomery Ward to start the world's first general merchandise mail-order company in 1872. Aaron Montgomery Ward was born on February 17, 1844, in Chatham, New Jersey, to a family whose forebears had served as officers in the French and Indian Wars as well as in the American Revolution. Looking for something more compatible, Monty left home and followed the river to Lake Michigan and the town of St. Joseph, county seat and market for outlying fruit orchards. Chicago was the center of the wholesale dry goods trade and in the 1860s Ward joined the leading dry goods house, Field Palmer & Leiter. As a retailer, Potter Palmer had previously built a reputation for fair dealing. Ward absorbed these principles while working as a clerk for $5. The Chicago City Directories for 1868 through 1870 listed Ward as a salesman for Wills, Greg & Co. and later for Stetthauers & Wineman, both dry goods houses. In 1870, after canvassing territory in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ward was again footloose. The plan shaping in Ward's mind was to buy goods at low cost for cash. By eliminating intermediaries, with their markups and commissions, and cutting selling costs to the bone, he could offer goods to people, however remote, at appealing prices - for cash.
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.
We find it interesting that the major models in the illustration here are all boys, although of course there was no difference in the garter waists worn by the two genders.
The models here are very young, but the sizes went up to 12 years. All of these waists are for children between the ages of 2 and 12. The individually sold hose supporters are in four size groups (2-4, 4-6, 6-9, 9-12 years). The shoulder garter waist, shown at the left and partially cropped, was made in three sizes--for children, for misses (older teenage girls), and for adult women.
The central waist is the familiar "Dr. Parker" style of waist, with shoulder straps, chest strap, waist belt with extra buttons at the side, and adustable side supporters. The "Hickory" Garter Waist at the right is the "deluxe" model, made of sateen with extra waist buttons and detachable supporters, which appear to attach by means of buttons rather than by the more usual safety pins.
It is worth noticing that these waists and garters occupy a prominent place in a Spring and Summer catalog--an indication, apparently, that long stockings were still much worn in the warmer months--as much for reasons of formality as for warmth.
Three types of boys' and girls' garter waists plus the famous Hickory hose supporters sold separately. The ad appears in Ward's Spring and Summer catalog for 1933, p. 91. The section was labeled, "Garter Waists and Hose Supporters".
The ad copy read, "Shoulder Garters. Black, white.
Child's 35 c.
Misses' 39 c.
Women's 47 c.
Postage, each 3 c. 20 F 4506"
[These waists have no waistband and no additional buttons. They have the sole function of supporting long stockings. A chest strap keeps the straps from slipping off the shoulders. Children sometimes complained that this style of waist caused them to stoop over since the pressure comes directly from the shoulders with no mediating waistband.]
The ad copy read, "Sturdy long-wearing Garter Waist and Chest band. Adjustable shoulder straps. Taped bone buttons. Even Ages: 2 to 12 years. State age-size
20 F 4507--White 39 c.
Postage 3 c.
[This is the "Dr. Parker" style waist referred to elsewhere on HBC. Sometimes the name Dr. Parker was used and sometimes not. It has additional buttons at
the waist for the attachment of short pants, skirts, bloomers, etc.]
The ad copy read, "'Hickory' Garter Waist of mercerized sateen. Taped bone buttons. White. Even Ages: 2 to 12 years. State age-size.
20 F 4598 47 c. Postage 3 c.
[The most expensive waist. "Hickory" (a trademark name of the Stein Co.) was the best-known name nationally for childrens garter waists and hose
supporters. They advertised in many magazines as well as in mail order
catalogs. This waist seems to have more additional waist buttons than the
others. The chest strap closes with a button. The supporters are detachable
and can presumably be replaced.]
Hickory garters for very young children were illustrated. without a model. They costs 19 c and were for children 2 to 4 years."
Wards also offered generic elastic garters. The ad copy read, " Elastic Garters, Black or white.
20 F 4536 2-4 years 19 c.
20 F 4537 4-6 years 21 c.
20 F 4538 6-9 years 23 c.
20 F 4539 9-12 years 25 c.
Postage, Pair 1 c." [The only difference in size here is length. Black garters are shown in the large illustration whereas the children in the line drawing at the right are shown wearing white garters attached to underwaists. These garters are of all-elastic construction and attach to waist union suits or underwaists by means of the safety pin at the top.]
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