Date: c. 1910s
Origin: Great Britain
Fabric: Elastic
Brand: Unknown
A pair of garters made from strips of elastic with elaborate stamped metal closures, embellished with silk chenille, glass pearls and feathers.
Early elastics had a relatively finite lifespan and were made from cores of latex encased in textile fibres. There was relatively little stretch to them compared to modern elastic, so the fastenings on these garters would have been a necessity to get them on and off the body.
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
