By 
Gamers and gamblers, gunslingers and knights-errant, jazz musicians and punk rockers, even office workers have helped shape the long and colorful history of sleeve garters, one of the most underrated accessories with classiest in the history of men’s fashion. Though today often considered novel anachronisms from a bygone era, arm garters have meant much to the men who have worn them throughout the centuries: from practical necessity to the highest symbol of honor and loyalty, manga league may not be as prevalent nowadays. as in centuries past, but it looks better than ever.
Leagues in the Middle Ages and Camelot
The sleeve garter has been making sporadic appearances in fashion since the Middle Ages, during a time when leg garters were a common accessory for both men and women; in the pre-elastic era, leg garters were worn by both sexes to hold up their stockings. These garters were often fanciful, highly decorative, and worn for display, a trend that dominated men’s clothing until the 18th century.
Britain’s ultra-exclusive Order of the Most Noble Garter, in fact, was a product of this period, having been established by King Edward III sometime in the mid-14th century as a brotherhood of knightly knights united by the symbol of the league. . The organization, which still exists today, is limited to royalty and foreign sovereigns and is considered one of the most elite societies in the world.
The reason why Edward III wore the garter as a symbol of his fraternity is shrouded in legend and has been the subject of much controversy and debate. Some trace Edward’s inspiration to the Crusades, where knights were said to tie garters around their legs as talismans to ensure victory. Others say that the source can be traced back to the leather straps that knights of the time wore around their arms to attach pieces of their armor. The inspiration for the garter has also been associated with none other than the legendary Camelot, where many members of King Arthur’s Round Table, most notably Sir Gawain, wore garters as a sign of solidarity, loyalty, purity, and brotherhood.
By late Elizabethan England, arm and sleeve garters had largely gone out of style, but they were destined to make a big comeback during the 19th century. With the Industrial Revolution came the introduction of mass-produced textiles, making clothing like basic pants and shirts more affordable for the average person. But mass-produced clothing, which could not be pre-fitted to the wearer, tended to come only in standard sizes, while most men’s shirts were produced with sleeves in only one, extra-long length. Arm garters were a convenient and, for those who could not afford their own tailor, a necessary way to adjust the length of the sleeves by keeping excess fabric bunched above the elbow near the shoulder.
Manga leagues in the 19th century and the Wild West
Although production techniques improved over time, leading to the variety of shirt sizes available today and eliminating the need for arm garters, there were many other practical considerations that helped sleeve garters remain affordable. Popular among certain circles. Among newsprinters, clerks, and other professionals who worked around ink (in an era when most documents were still produced by hand), arm garters were a way to keep sleeves neat and clean. without stains.
No less practical were the considerations for card players in the Old West and elsewhere, who commonly wore arm garters because it made it difficult to hide the cards up their sleeves. A card player wearing garters on his sleeve was essentially announcing that he was honest and good enough not to have to cheat. Card dealers in casinos often wear arm garters even today for these reasons, though these days they are seen more as a decorative part of a traditional uniform than protection against cheating.
There is also the idea, popularized by portrayals on television and in movies, that gunslingers in the Old West wore garters on their sleeves to help keep their hands free in the event of a shootout. However, the glaring inaccuracy of pistols and revolvers at the time, coupled with the fact that the American frontier was typically far less violent than its depiction in pop culture, makes this logic unlikely. However, there is no doubt that the sleeve garter is now, as it was then, considered a stylish accessory for any well-dressed gunslinger of that era.
There is also a belief that keeping the hands free made arm garters popular with guitarists and early jazz musicians. While this view probably has some validity, sleeve garters were also popular with singers and other non-instrumental performers of the day, providing strong evidence for the idea that arm garters were just as popular. fashion as practices.
Retro fashion and the return of the manga league
The end of the Old West, combined with technological advances and major changes in fashion during the 20th century, has made arm garters a relic of the past, now little more than part of a costume limited to a few professions. very nostalgic. However, there is evidence that arm garters may be making a second comeback.
The aesthetic known as steampunk, which mixes and blends the energy of punk music, the advances of modern technology, and the look and style of Victorian fashion, has recently begun to influence literature, art, music, the cinema and especially in clothing. Fans of this new and often whimsical style have been known to incorporate old-fashioned accessories, such as sleeve garters, into their dress. The internet abounds with how-to guides and instructions showing fans how to sew garters onto sleeves.
Whether fashions like steampunk will return the sleeve garter to a mainstream place in menswear remains to be seen, but the move is proof that the particular look of this truly old-school accessory is still popular for some, and is far from over Whether it’s due to knightly brotherhood, practical necessity, or retro fashion, it looks like the sleeve garter will still be seen in men’s arms for at least a little while longer.