Why did men in the 19th century wear strange garters on their sleeves?

  • May 25, 2022
click fraud protection
Why did men in the 19th century wear strange garters on their sleeves?

In the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, one extremely curious accessory could be seen on the hands of European men dressed in shirts - a small chain, ribbon or strap. You can visually admire this accessory, for example, in the TV series Peaky Blinders, which tells about the Shelby crime family that operated in British Birmingham in the 1920s. And yet: why was the mysterious chain needed?

Can be seen in some films. Photo: Pinterest.
Can be seen in some films. /Photo: Pinterest.
Can be seen in some films. /Photo: Pinterest.

Wearing garters on clothes has a very long tradition and has its roots in the Middle Ages. In those days, garters were worn by both men and women. They were primarily used to hold stockings. Recall that in different variations stockings were worn by representatives of both sexes. Moreover, in the Middle Ages, it was men who were the main carriers of this garment. This is because the cavalry stocking performed a strictly utilitarian function - it protected the legs and the fifth point from erasing the skin when riding in the saddle. Women wore mostly decorative garters on their clothes.

instagram viewer
There is even an Order of the Garter in the UK. / Photo: odintsovo.info.
There is even an Order of the Garter in the UK. / Photo: odintsovo.info.

In 1348, the English King Edward III even created the Most Noble Order of the Garter. This knightly corporation included the most trusted people of the king, whom he could trust as himself and entrust tasks of the highest national importance. The Order, for example, included Edward "The Black Prince" Woodstock, son of King Edward III. According to legend, the Order of the Garter appeared after the king during the ball picked up from the field and tied it on his leg a women's garter to save one of the court ladies from shame, who dropped an "intimate" object on the floor wardrobe.

>>>>Ideas for life | NOVATE.RU<<<<

In the Middle Ages they wore differently. / Photo: ya.ru.
In the Middle Ages they wore differently. / Photo: ya.ru.

The role of the garter and the attitude towards it has changed in the industrial age. The development of the textile industry has made modern shirts and trousers available to the broad masses of the people of Europe. However, in the 19th century, such clothing often did not have a wide variety of sizes. Because of this, the sleeves on the first mass-produced factory-produced shirts could be too long. Simple hard workers solved this problem by simply rolling up their sleeves. But such a decision was absolutely not suitable for those who, on duty or due to social status, had to follow any kind of dress code or simply wear a jacket. And here the same “medieval” garters came to the aid of fashionistas, which allowed them to elegantly adjust the length of the sleeve. Garters were fastened on the arm just above the elbow.

7 stars who were clearly out of their minds when choosing a wedding dress
Novate: Ideas for life 3 days ago
If black heats up more than white, why are Africans black?
Novate: Ideas for life May 21st
Are still in use today. / Photo: aliexpress.com.
Are still in use today. / Photo: aliexpress.com.

In addition, garters have been used by some specialties to pull up sleeves as much as possible without rolling them up to protect them from ink. So did, for example, office clerks, journalists, scientists, teachers, officials and many other specialists who were forced to write a lot on duty. The complete baring of the arms and rolling up to the elbows was considered "bad form", an indecent thing that only hard workers from poor areas do.

Continuing the theme - 10 tips on how not to look like an aunt in an office where there is a certain dress code.
Source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/120322/62398/