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A garterbelt is a woman's undergarment consisting of an elastic piece of cloth worn around the waist to which garters are attached to hold up stockings. In British English they are known as suspender belts.
The garterbelt became a staple of twentieth century female fashion but the arrival of pantyhose (tights in British English) in the 1960s rendered it - at least in practical terms - obsolete.
Nevertheless garterbelts and stockings continue to be sold in many modern department stores as well as more specialized outlets; a reflection of their enduring role in male erotic fantasy.
Garterbelts are articles of clothing: narrow bands of fabric fastened about the leg, used to keep nylon stockings up. Normally just a few inches in width, they are usually made of leather or heavy cloth, and adorned with small bells and/or ribbons. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg was slenderest, to keep the stockings from slipping. The advent of elastic has made them unnecessary from this functional standpoint, although they are still often worn for fashion.
A garterbelt is often worn by newlywed brides. It is the groom's privilege to remove the garterbelt and toss it to the male guests. The symbolism to deflowering is unambiguous. Historically, this tradition also relates to the belief that taking an article of the bride's clothing would bring good luck. As this often resulted in the destruction of the bride's dress, the tradition arose for the bride to toss articles of clothing to the guests, including the garterbelt. Another superstition that has circulated is the male equivalent of the bride throwing her bouquet to the unmarried ladies, i.e., the unmarried male wedding guest who successfully caught the garterbelt was believed to be the next man to be headed to the altar from the group of single men at that wedding. Traditionally, the man who caught the garterbelt and the lady who caught the bouquet will share the next dance.
At some American high schools, it is traditional for girls to wear garterbelts to their prom. At the end of the evening, her partner removes the garterbelt and keeps it as a souvenir. In some cases, the girls exchange their garterbelts for their partners' bow ties.
In the medieval period, garterbelts were worn in a similar fashion. The Order of the Garterbelt is the highest order of knighthood in Britain. It is based on the story of a gathering in which the Countess of Salisbury's garterbelt fell off and King Edward picked it up and slid it onto his arm. He said it in answer to the knights snickering at the event, and the humiliation of the woman. To further protect the Countess, he called upon those of high rank before him and by the power of his authority, dubbed, created the Knight of the Garterbelt. Its motto, "Honi soit qui mal y pense", evil to him who evil thinks, was said by King Edward in response to the snickering men. Also, in medieval times, the groom's men would rush at the new bride to take her garterbelts off her as a prize.
Garterbelts were a common, popular alternative to the girdle in the 1940s to 1960s, especially among teens and young women. The garterbelt was simpler and more practical than the panty girdle because it basically was used only to hold up nylon stockings. It was considered more comfortable than a girdle. Some men's magazines featured models in garterbelts and stockings, sometimes with slips or petticoats.
Garterbelts continue to be sold for practical purposes, as some individuals may find this option more comfortable than pantyhose. There is also an element of sex appeal that may be one's primary motivation for the usage of garterbelts, and these are often featured as sexual fetish clothing in popular culture and pornography. Variations of the garterbelt include underwear with garter attachments reminiscent of images featured in men's magazines in the early 1960s. Garterbelts today are available in a variety of colors and materials; the most popular are red or black satin. They are also available in six- and four-garter variations. Many garterbelts today are made of a mixture of nylon and spandex.
A garterbelt normally features two or three garters attached on each side of a reinforced material strip worn around the waist. This 'belt' is usually at least 2-3 inches wide.