Date: 1864
Origin: Great Britain
Fabric: Silk and elastic
Brand: Custom made
A wedding garter made with a panel of floral embroidered net, backed with silk ribbon and attached to a strip of elastic. The garter is entirely hand sewn. The elastic panel is a relatively early example of elastic technology, which was unfortunately somewhat unstable, and so the latex core has significantly degraded.
This object was the wedding garter of Mrs Clara Jane Wreford-Brown, of 5 Litfield Place, Clifton.
Garters were commonly worn to keep stockings up just above the knee until the popularisation of suspenders, whether attached to corsets or a belt. Until the invention of elastic, garters were tied onto the body with ribbon. Elastication allowed for a more comfortable and flexible fit.
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
