1947 - garters and "replacement parts"

Midge

Midge

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Staff member
I just stumbled across this page in a Swiss 1947 mailorder catalog - I keep finding things in there that I feel I've overlooked before...

Somebody posted here replacement garters some time ago. Well, this page of the catalog has those - ready made to attach to your girdle or corselette, but also much else:

garters.jpg


There were different types of elasticbands with and without button holes, to make your own or replace something - for garters, sock holders and other types of underwear. Then there are garters for kids, garters made to be sewn on to something, the ready-made ones to replace on a girdle or corsellette - and even "spare parts", just in case - and replacement elastic shoulder straps for a corselette. Most of these were available in white, blue/light blue, pink or salmon pink. Even the elastic bands, depending on their use, as well as actual pieces that attach to the stocking were available in these colors.

I found this quite interesting and thought that this might interest some of you too.

Karin
 
Thanks Karin, this is great information to keep at the ready!
The button hole elastic is used for extending waistbands and other button fastening garments, we still sell it today.
 
I do remember the button hole elastic from childhood - my mother used it in some of my things sometimes when I was little, but then it was only available in white or black anymore (and I guess the way things are here today, you won't get it everywhere anymore...). Here they had all kinds - cotton with elastic in black, white and gray, "velours rubber" in white, blue, pink and salmon pink - and "elastic bra fastener" (bottom, second from right) in all those colors too - this looks like this had some fancy ruched trimming. And I find it kind of amusing that you could buy it by mail order. The bands were available by the meter, and the bra fastener tape in pieces of 25 centimeters.

Karin
 
Yes we can get black white or nude, coloured elastic is so expensive only places like John Lewis sell it and it costs a bomb the 'velour' sounds like soft backed elastic, we sold that until about 2 years ago when no suppliers stocked it any more, it was used for waistbands and cuffs-anywhere the elastic would touch the skin so as not to cause rubbing, we also had the ruffled 'pyjama-gummi' until 5 years or so ago - that was a weaker decorative elastic that came in colours (navy, brown, black and occasionally red) and was often seen on the finished garment.
 
I had figured that the velours elastic was there for just that. The pyjama elastic is an interesting thing - I hadn't known that that existed. There's also 15mm wide "Rüschen Gummiband" - "ruched" elastic band - "to be sewn on ladies panties". At leas that's how I interpret it. They say "Damenhosen" which can be anything in German, but I think it's nice way of indicating panies.

Karin
 
Oh I just love illustration like this it brings the realities of life together, if you had a problem with your girdle you did not throw it way like today you popped down to a shop and bought a spare part or replacement.
Ask for some kicker elastic today in a shop and you get a very strange look I bet.
Thank for posting that Kerin
 
I love this article, Midge, and you are quite right in what you say Pauline. I loathe the throwaway culture we live in. Bring back sewing skills in schools, I say :)
 
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