Comments on: Stocking Series, Part 4: The Rebellious Roll Garters

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:11:39 +0000

My granny wore the roll garters until she died in 1983 at the age of 81. She was a little more circumspect than the pictured ladies – at least while I knew her in the 60s – 80s. Her rolled section was generally just above her knee. I’m sure she did the roll beneath the knees in her hayday!

By: Leggings And Tights

Leggings And Tights — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:35:36 +0000

The rolled stocking is basically worn by women in 19′s. They can be rolled according to comfort and contains lot of patterns. It is still used by old women and some other royal authorities.

By: Carol Kocian

Carol Kocian — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 22:11:56 +0000

In the 18th century and earlier, the most common type of garters were a flat-woven tape tied around the leg. While some illustrations show it tied above the knee, most reenactors find that they work best tied below the knee. One trick we use, when we forget our garters, is to roll down the stocking to just below the knee. Unlike their historic counterparts, the most common repro stockings have some crimped nylon content. The crimped nylon gives enough elasticity to act like a roll garter.
There is a balance between having garters tight enough to hold up stockings, and having them too tight for comfort.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:28:47 +0000

As a former home economics teacher I often would tell the story of “hose” in my classes. It was such a great way to teach a bit of history via textiles in an interesting way, and students loved the stories! I have a few samples of “the way we were” and students were fascinated by them. From time to time I still teach a textiles section for intro to sewing students, and they still find it interesting… some students have never had a stocking on their legs today, winter tights is a close as they come to the “feeling”. Thanks for this great series, I will use the info in future presentations, if that is ok with you!

By: Ruth

Ruth — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 23:21:50 +0000

Those horribe things are like the ones we used in the Army to keep our pants properly bloused in our boots. Miserably uncomfortable and created ridges in your legs after awhile. That’s probably why rolled stockings didn’t last that long. My grandmother was a flapper and she still wore her stockings like that when I was a girl in the 60′s and 70′s. She wore a regular full length corset, but didn’t use it to hold up her hose–just to give her a better line under her dresses since she still wore nylon house dresses. She did that until she died in the early 80′s.

By: Emily Spivack

Emily Spivack — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:36:19 +0000

Yes, I can imagine what you mean…

By: Emily Spivack

Emily Spivack — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:35:24 +0000

Thanks, Keri! I still need to give it a try myself…

By: Emily Spivack

Emily Spivack — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:34:56 +0000

Love this! Thanks for sharing, Deb.

By: Emily Spivack

Emily Spivack — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:33:56 +0000

Thanks, Phil! I agree – there’s a lot going on in that image.

By: Emily Spivack

Emily Spivack — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:33:18 +0000

Thanks, Steve!

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:11:24 +0000

What a wonderful collection of photographs. It’s interesting to see how a simple fashion choice led to a liberating change for women of the 20′s.
Steve @ ArtGallery.co.uk

By: torrilin

torrilin — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 01:02:11 +0000

I find this a bit funny, since if you wear thigh high socks or service weight thigh high stockings, they’ll naturally form a rolled garter if you don’t use conventional ones. No elastic band needed. I don’t know about finer gauges since I mostly wear ‘em for warmth. Usually you can fiddle with ‘em to get a cuff that will stay up too.

They do look better if you wear proper garters tho.

By: Phil Seymour

Phil Seymour — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 19:34:42 +0000

The first picture has a few stories in it. Like the woman on the left, looking down at the guy grabbing her foot, for one.

How high is that wall they are doing the ‘Charleston’ upon?

Interesting blog, (Threaded), I enjoy reading it.

By: Deb

Deb — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 11:01:28 +0000

My grandmother, who was born in 1900, wore her stockings rolled with elastic bands until she stopped wearing them in her late 90s. Yes, even under trousers she wore the stockings fastened right under the knee with a rubber band – the flat kind that measures about .25 inch wide…..

By: Keri@AWH

Keri@AWH — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 20:52:21 +0000

Wow, that first photo is priceless! I just love the expressions on everyone’s faces.

I’d try this but I don’t even own any stockings to roll!