A garter belt is a type of women’s undergarment that became fashionable from the 1940s onward, and peaked in fashion in the 1960s. Prior to the invention of nylons or pantyhose, stockings worn under skirts usually came to mid-thigh, and did not stay up well. In fact, most would fall given the opportunity. Initially, may girdles featured garter belt attachments that would keep the stockings in place, but gradually as girdles became less popular, the simpler garter belt became preferred to hold up the stockings.

The simple garter belt was a piece of fabric that fit around the waist and had several long stretchy attachments that could be hooked onto the stockings. Usually, there were at least four and often six attachments in all. With the six-attachment garter belt, three attachments on each side were connected to the stockings, usually one in the front of the leg, one in the back, and one on the outer side of the thigh.

Some women preferred a garter belt with only four attachments, which would connect the stocking to the garter belt merely in the front and the back of the thigh. Yet, these were thought not as secure and didn’t function as well as the six-attachment version. They were good enough for many though, and easier to use.

A garter belt would have been worn with stockings, and usually with underwear, since the belt merely fit around the waist. It was frequently associated with eroticism, though the garter belt was a functional garment. Still, 1940s and 1950s pin-up models were often featured wearing bras, panties, garter belts and stockings. Garter belts continue to be thought of as sexy garments, and can still be found particularly in lingerie stores, and any place where you can buy silk, fishnet or nylon stockings. They’re generally considered a lingerie accessory rather than a necessity in the modern day.

One disadvantage of the garter belt is that a tight fitting skirt generally showed the bumps and ridges associated with the connecting straps. The pencil skirts that began to be popular in the 1940s left little to the imagination, and certainly let everyone know you were wearing a garter belt. Tighter, form-fitting skirts made the advent of pantyhose extremely attractive.

Additionally, eliminating the garter belt from the standard woman’s wardrobe meant one less article of clothing to wear. Today you can find thigh high stockings that have enough elasticity to stay up without a garter belt. The use of Lycra in nylons and stockings has made these more reliable, but you still may want the extra security of a garter belt when wearing thigh high stockings.