Thursday, November 12, 2009

Garter Belt- How to and Where to Wear a Garter Belt




How to wear a garter belt and where to wear a garter belt is explained here. A garter belt is worn to hold your stockings up on your legs. The garter belt has been used by women for ages in an attempt to wear stockings comfortably and to keep the stockings from sagging or falling down around her ankles.

Garter belts are made of different fabrics and are held up in a variety of ways as well. The garter belt of previous decades as well as centuries did not have the benefit of the "miracle" fabrics we are accustomed to today. I am referring to stretch lycra spandex that stretches to fit and women wear frequently in many garments. In the past the garter belt with often made of satin or a brocade fabric with no stretch whatsoever. Thus the garter belt had to fit snugly in order to do its job. The closures often consisted of hook and eye closures also found on other foundation garments of the time like girdles and corsets. The garter belt was worn just above the hips or lower waist as it is today. Today though the content of many garter belts is often made of a high content of spandex allowing many more inexpensive garter belts to have no closures at all as the garment is pulled on and fits much like a pair of high waisted panties. Many women find these cheaper garter belts to be novelty like as they may not hold up her stockings all day where she is walking, sitting and standing constantly.

Garter belts have hangers ranging from four usually to as many as 6 or even 8 on occasion. These hangers literally hand from the belt via stretch straps and at the end is a fastener to hook onto the top of the stockings. The fastener is generally a metal eyelet that reduces down to grasp the stocking and keep it in place on the woman's thighs. These are strategically placed on her legs to keep the stockings up and in place.

Where a woman wears a sexy garter belt is dependant on a lot of factors all up to her. Garter belts fell out of fashion in the early 1960's in large part due to the arrival of pantyhose. Millions of women threw their garter belts away as they were at least in part viewed as uncomfortable and unwelcome now that a one piece marvel known as pantyhose had arrived. No more taking the time to put the garter belt on, adjust her stockings and then have the hangers or the garter belt itself show through tight or clingy dresses. Skirt were another matter as the stockings often allowed her thighs to be exposed which was considered unacceptable.

Today women wear garter belts in a limited number of settings as many women don't bother wearing pantyhose anymore and garter belts have a stigma attached to them. While not entirely negative the stigma is as a result of the "reputation" of sorts that has attached to the garter belt. Since the garter belt was fashionable, then discarded the reemergence has left some remnants. Garter belts are considered retro lingerie to most and simply too sexually charged for some. In other words wearing garter belts means something more than simply getting dressed. They are superfluous to most in that either wear no hosiery or pantyhose but why wear garter belts and stockings. It is just this association that causes the garter belt to be such a necessary accessory in a sexy lingerie wardrobe.

Not to be forgotten is the skirtini which is a garter belt with a sexy, flirty skirt that is usually sheer or stretch lace and is hardly a skirt at all but certainly resembles one.

3 comments:

Wanda said...

Really interesting stuff. Women from my era couldn't wait to dispose of the dreaded garter belt which was part of the school uniform along with the pleated gym slip and horrid black stockings and bloomers.
I love the range of sexy garter belts available now but I really can't see myself going back to wearing one - too many painful memories.

Flirty Girl said...

Thanks, Garter Belts have evolved from an article worn by most women to now being an item that is worn rarely and for erotic and costume purposes. While not looked at as sexy in the past now they carry a heavy connotation of sexy, vintage sexy at that. From Burlesque performers to stripper and dancers the reemergence of garter belts is a welcome look into a steamy past. Having gone to Parochial School for 12 years I think I know how you feel as everytime I see a plaid "school girl skirt in plaid" I could never see myself wearing one again. :)

Anonymous said...

I got turned on to garter belts by my husband who bought one for me and it really turned him on. He says it is classically sexy and what do I care, all I know is it is very sexy looking. I feel really girly in it!