shirt garters?

[Sir RBH]

Is that what those armbands were for? I've seen them in movies and such, but could never quite understand what the purpose was.

Armbands are intended to hold your shirt sleeves at EXACTLY the right position on your arm and also in the right proportion to your jacket sleeve. Just enough cuff showing
they are usually found in sprung silver metallic but can also be in silk covered steel in a variety of colours.
hope that helps!!
here is an image that sort of shows them.
RBH

 

[scotrace]

Thanks for an excellent illustration. Now then, how do those braces attach? They seem to be fastened at the buttons on each side, but the brace fabric itself continues beyond and goes behind the waist band?

 

[Nashoba]

Well all you old Marines out there...they still use 'em. I think my husband is still using the set issued to him in boot 13 years ago. I know he isn't terribly fond of them and he only wears them when he's in uniform (I don't think he's ever worn them with a suit...hmm...might suggest it...) but they work and they work really well...but you have to be careful not to tighten them too much, that's when you get the strap lines in your legs when you take them off. The buckles are the same ones that can be found on a ladies garter....and well...I've never had any problem with those . Personally I like them...makes everything look really neat and squared away on the outside and give y'all a small taste of what us ladies have to go through with all the hardware underneath to keep stuff in place lol

 

[Sir RBH]

Thanks for an excellent illustration. Now then, how do those braces attach? They seem to be fastened at the buttons on each side, but the brace fabric itself continues beyond and goes behind the waist band?

My pleasure. The Braces are Albert Thurston Boxcloths and are open ended.. her is a pic for you.
RBH

 

[Bugsy]

You can still buy these in SF.

On a somewhat related note...what about Sock garters? I mean the kind that connect to the socks by a clip and the other end wraps around the thick part of your calf. Does anyone here use these? Where could I buy these?

 

[KittyT]

Hey there gents, when I went to pick up my sewing machine at the shop yesterday, I saw something that I have never seen before in a fabric store that I thought might be of interest to you all. They are rubber waist grippers by Dritz (popular notions manufacturer) that sew onto the inside of your waistband to keep your shirt from pulling out.

http://www.stanssewingsupplies.com/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=4954634

Then in searching online, I also found this rubber belting that sews to the inside of your waistband:

http://www.stanssewingsupplies.com/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=4954632

They do not seem to be widely available in fabric stores, but there are definitely places online that sell them. If any of you decide to try them, I'd love to hear how they work!

 

[Selentino]

If you have a friend in the service they can get them for you. As a younger man in the Air Force I wore them all the time. They were cheap, the buckle did not cause any problems. Whenever you see almost any service member in dress uniform chances are they are wearing them. The earlier post was right you have to wear them right or they look funny when you sit down.

 

[Edward]

Is that what those armbands were for? I've seen them in movies and such, but could never quite understand what the purpose was.

I believe that the key purpose was to adjust the length of the short sleeve - back in the day they were made to a set, long length, and then one would wear these to pull them up. Nowadays, mot shirts with French cuffs are designed such that there are a couple of holes at the back of the cuff, and you can adjust the length by as much as an inch on some shirts that way.

These (and sock garters) are available in the UK from the Vintage Shirt Company.

http://www.vintageshirt.co.uk/

Those look like a really good idea... I find especially these days, they don't make shirts with enough material in tail! I am perpetually dealing with a clump of fabric at the small of my back.

I have noticed this myself - epsecially with off the peg casual shirts. I believe it simply reflects the present day norm that the shirt is worn untucked.

 

[Sir RBH]

Armbands/Sleeve garters

I have always found that they are great to wear to guarantee that my shirt sleeves and indeed cuffs stay in exactly the correct position throughout the day thus revealing the correct amount of shirt cuff exposed at the wrist
Much in the same way that my socks never looked wrinkled or saggy and i do not expose unsightly hairy calf.. ever

And all my armbands/garters/sock suspenders come from www.fogeyunlimited.co.uk

But then again, they would wouldn't they!!