Artifact: Garter
Materials: Silk
Dimensions: W: 1 1/4"; L: 39"
Date: 1725
Origin: England
Collection: Image Courtesy of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
License: All rights reserved
Ledger Entry: Garter
Department: Clothing
Customer: Captain George Mercer
Ledger Page: 359
Imported From: Most of the clothing accessories sold in the Ramsay store would have been imported from England, though simple garters could be locally produced.
Product Description
Garters were an undergarment used to hold up the hose or stockings of men, women, and children in colonial America. With the exception of knit stockings, most hose and stockings were made of cut and seamed fabric and given the limited elasticity of available materials were unable to stay up on their own.
Citation: "Garter." In The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by Knowles, Elizabeth. : Oxford University Press, 2005.;
Historical Price: 9 pence; Modern USD: $8.41
Product Variations
The databases record fifteen pairs of garters. Even though The databases record no qualifiers used to indicate quality, their prices range from three pence to two shillings six pence.
