Necessary Support

More underpinnings today.  These run the gamut from 1870 to the 1940's.  First up, my favorite garter.

This is brass wire wrapped rubber with a notation "Patd Nov 29-70" on one end.  I don't know the manufacturer.  This is a below-the-knee garter to hold up socks or short hose.  (By the way, innocent searches on "sock garters" develop into porn quite quickly.  And then there's this.  You can thank me later.)

These garters are silk-wrapped rubber with an early plastic or celluloid closure.  These were over-the-knee garters and were worn well into the 1960's.  I remember my aunt wearing them.  They gave you freedom from garter belts or girdles.

This is a sweet pair, still in the gift box, from the 1920's. Of metallic, iridescent ribbon over elastic, these are so cool!
Shoulder pads came into prominence in the 1930's when suits and blouses started sporting extended shoulders.

Here's our old friend, Warren's, again, and below.  The first one is wired all around to REALLY keep those sleeve caps up.

I'll finish off with some red, white, and blue for the Holiday!

I Lied

I said I was done posting about La Jeanne Lingerie Guards but I ran across two more I had collected and stored in a different place.  These are black and pink!  I have all the colors--my life is now complete.

And look what else I found that I thought I was done posting about?

Follow Up to I Need Support!

After I posted this I found some more items.  For your enjoyment:

Doesn't everyone dance around the house and listen to records wearing only a bra, girdle, hose, and shoes?

Bored with plain old hose supporters?  Try something entirely modern--Inviz-A-Grips by Gemco.

And here's how you use them.  Check out this ad from 1937.  Oh Boy!  Here's the patent.

So what do you do when you develop a run and you don't have any clear fingernail polish in your purse?

The Realsilk Mending Kit

Use an Arrestor Wand.  No, you don't wave it at the run.

Here's a neat ad from 1941.  It seems the company went out of business in 1999.

I Need Support!

This post will cover support from top to bottom.  First up:  the brassiere.  In the 'teens and 'twenties these garments were for flattening, not enhancing and were mostly just strips of cloth with hooks or buttons, shoulder straps, and sometimes a hook to fasten to the front busk of a corset to hold it down.  The chemisette went on over this to hide it and provide coverage under the mostly sheer blouses of the time.  There were also slips--either colored to go under same color dresses, or white.  These sometimes took the place of the brassiere and chemisette if they were of sturdy fabric and you weren't too buxom.  Later on the bra developed (ha!) into more of a support garment when the full corset went out of fashion and pretty slips started to get some shape into them as well.  Elastic was still being developed as a woven fabric and there was no spandex (thankfully!--I hate spandex!), so these garments were made of non-stretchy fabrics, as well as the straps.   When they wore out you just made or purchased a new pair and buttoned them on.   That's the "adjustable" part on the card below.  You sewed several buttons on the straps and had matching buttonholes in the slip.  Someone used the straps from this card, but didn't need the buttons.

Here's a modern set made of oooooohh  Nylon!  And a buckle.

These straps are "Perfection"!  You sew them on and they are adjustable.

Heading south, here are some elastic hose garters.  I think they are for a woman, as the men's version is usually more complicated.  These went on either above or below the knee and could become quite uncomfortable if too tight and you were on your feet all day.  I have some elastic roll garters that I have worn, but don't know where they are right now.

Here are some Trolley Supporters.  Trolley Supporters?  That sounds so British!  I am not totally sure why they are called this except for the fact that they hang from the bottom of the corset like a trolley hangs from its electric wire.  If anybody knows the origin of the name, let me know.

These sound more American.  Hose Supporters.