Sleeve garter

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A sleeve garter is a

garter worn on the sleeve of a shirt. It came into wide use, especially in the US, in the latter half of the 19th century when men's ready-made shirts came in a single (extra long) sleeve length. Sleeve garters allow individuals to customize sleeve lengths and keep their cuffs from becoming soiled
while working or at the correct length when worn under a jacket.

Use

While a century ago sleeve garters were something a man may have worn regardless of profession (with the possible exception of the wealthy or those too well-dressed to wear non-tailored shirts), today sleeve garters are usually seen in relation to one of the following contexts.

Music

The Dapper Dans, a barbershop quartet at Walt Disney World, wearing sleeve garters

According to jazz historian Al Rose,[1] the popular image of an early 20th-century saloon pianist being flashily dressed with arm garters was inspired by the way Tony Jackson used to dress while performing.

Gambling

Today, sleeve garters are part of the

vest and bow tie (and sometimes a visor) suggesting that this usage, might hark back to late 19th and early 20th centuries fashion at least as much as it serves a real purpose.[2]

Old West

The sleeve garter is often seen in modern depictions of the

Today, the sleeve garter sometimes accessorizes the costumes of

motif, may be attached to the garter.[4]

Bookkeeping

Daydreaming Bookkeeper illustration, 1924

Day Dreaming Bookkeeper, Norman Rockwell's 1924 illustration, shows an accountant wearing a vest, a visor, a bowtie and very narrow sleeve garters. While the fellow is probably meant to be seen as old-fashioned in his dress, the presence of sleeve garters in this picture may indicate that men who worked with papers and ink sometimes wore sleeve garters up until the second quarter of the 20th century.

See also

References

  1. ^ Storyville, New Orleans: Being an Authentic, Illustrated Account of the Notorious Red Light District by Al Rose. [dead link]
  2. ^ A stereotypical poker dealer Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine image.
  3. ^ A stereotypical Old West cardsharp/gunslinger image.
  4. ^ sleeve garters as rodeo costume Archived 2011-07-07 at archive.today