SLEEVE GARTERS…and others!
They seem like they have been around forever when you think about it.
In the Middle Ages.. think Camelot!…leg garters were a common accessory for both men and women. This was a time before elastic and leg garters held up stockings. In those times they were often quite decorative and fanciful. They were worn to be displayed and were seen on men’s legs clear through the 18th century.
The very exclusive, MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER was a product of this time period. It was established by King Edward the III in the mid-14th century. It was a fellowship of chivalrous knights who were bound by the symbol of the garter. This organization still exists today and is limited to royalty and foreign sovereigns and is regarded as one of the most elite societies in the world.
Edward the III chose to use the garter as a symbol has been debated and there is much controversy about it. One story is that Edward was inspired by the knights of the Crusades tying garters around their legs as a good luck talisman to assure their victory. Another explanation is that the knights wore leather straps bound around their arms to keep their armor in place. Even legendary Camelot is considered because members of King Arthur’s Round Table, most well known Sir Gawain, wore garters as a symbol of solidarity, loyalty, purity and brotherhood.
Time passed and by the end of the Elizabethan Era in England arm and sleeve garters had pretty much faced from fashion. They did not resurface until the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution brought the introduction of mass produced textiles. This made clothing like basic pants and shrits more affordable to the average person. As a result of this mass production there was no more custom fitting for a person. This resulted in sleeves with one length….EXTRA LONG. Arm/Sleeve garters were the perfect solution for those who could not afford a tailor. One just bunched the extra material up higher on the arm.
Into the late 19th century and the Wild West the production techniqes were improving. This lead to a variety of shirt sizes and elimated the need for arm garters.
But, alas, there were other practical reasons to wear them. News printers, office clerks and other people who worked around inks (and remember that almost all documents were produced by hand back then), arm garters kept ones sleeves clean.
Other more dubious reasons to wear sleeve garters were less obvious. Card players ( and sharks) commonly wore sleeve garters because it was harder to hide cards up their sleeves by doing so. Any card player wearing garters was making a statement that he was honest and also good enough not to need to cheat! Card dealers today still often wear them for the same reason though quite as often it is more decorative and thematic.
As far as the Old West was concerned we always think of gunslingers wearing sleeve garters. They are ever present in tv shows and movie depicting this timeframe. The idea was that it kept their hands free in the event of a “shootout”. In fact, the pistols of that time were notoriously inaccurate compared to todays. Most “shootouts” occurred at much closer range than the tv and movies choreographed them. Also today’s depictions of the many shootouts going on at the drop of a hat are widely exaggerated compared to what really occurred back then. There is no question that the sleeve garter was and is regarded as a very dashing accessory for any well-dressed gunslinger of that era.
EARLY JAZZ Musicians and Guitarist and the Sleeve Garter
There is the consdiertion that keeping their hands free made arm garters popular among these musicians. This may be valid, but sleeve garters were also popular with singers and others who did not play any instrument. Perhaps sleeve garters were as fashionable as they were practical.
ALONG COMES STEAMPUNK and RETRO FASHION
After the end of the Old West with all the huge changes in fashion and technology during and after the 20th century sleeve garters became a relic of the past. They became little more than part of a costume and were worn by a few nostalgic folks and professions. But, it looks like a comeback is at hand.
Alond come the asthetic “ SteamPunk” which combines the energy of punk music, advances in modern technology, and the look and feel of Victorian Fashion. Fans of this whimsical style incorporate dated accessories like sleeve garters into the wardrobes.
Who knows if SteamPunk will restore the sleeve garter to a place in fashion. Perhaps sleeve garters will continue to be seen on men’s arms regardless if it is for chivalrous brotherhood, practical need or retro fashion trends. Only time will tell.