Garters?!?

[NurseErin]

Working on getting all of my pieces together for Shiloh. I really don't want to crochet or knit a pair of garters. I figured ribbon would work? Any ideas or suggestion of cheap, easy to make garters?

 

[LoriAnn]

Interested to read the replies to this! I honestly have no idea what women wore. When I hear "garters", I think of the Victoria's Secret kind.

So did this just go around the leg and stocking, working kind of like a rubber band to hold things up?

Ebay

 

[MaryDee]

Wm. Booth, Draper, sells wool tape, used not only to protect hems, but (per their suggestion) as garters. You just wrap a piece around the upper leg and tie a bow knot. Most of their stuff is 18th century, but things like the wool hem tape are good for the 19th, too. Needle and Thread in Gettysburg also carries the stuff. As one who has circulation issues, I recommend not tying it too tight! The wool tape, unlike ribbon, is fairly elastic.

I've seen garters carried by sutlers, but most of them are thinly disguised modern elastic.

Assuming you don't lift your skirts too high, a piece of wide elastic (cheaper from your local chain fabric store than from the sutlers!) should work. If you are also wearing drawers, the tops of your thigh-high stockings, with garters, will be well hidden by the drawer legs as well as skirt and petticoats. Again, not too tight! The argument for tying rather than sewing it to fit it is that you can loosen it if necessary.

 

[NurseErin]

Wm. Booth, Draper, sells wool tape, used not only to protect hems, but (per their suggestion) as garters. You just wrap a piece around the upper leg and tie a bow knot. Most of their stuff is 18th century, but things like the wool hem tape are good for the 19th, too. Needle and Thread in Gettysburg also carries the stuff. As one who has circulation issues, I recommend not tying it too tight! The wool tape, unlike ribbon, is fairly elastic.

I've seen garters carried by sutlers, but most of them are thinly disguised modern elastic.

Assuming you don't lift your skirts too high, a piece of wide elastic (cheaper from your local chain fabric store than from the sutlers!) should work. If you are also wearing drawers, the tops of your thigh-high stockings, with garters, will be well hidden by the drawer legs as well as skirt and petticoats. Again, not too tight! The argument for tying rather than sewing it to fit it is that you can loosen it if necessary.

Thanks for the reply... I crocheted one of them and was done lol too tedious for me!

 

[18thVirginia]

Mary Dee, you are a wonder at providing period specific information!