Garter Belts

Garter belt is a woman's undergarment consisting of an elastic piece of cloth worn around the waist to which garters are attached to hold up stockings. In British English they are also known as suspender belts.

In the medieval period, garters were worn in a similar fashion. The Order of the Garter is the highest order of knighthood in Britain. Its motto, Honi soit qui mal y pense ("shamed be the person who thinks evil of it"), is based on the story of a gathering in which a woman's garter fell off, and the King picked it up and slid it up her leg for her. The king said the motto in answer to the knights snickering at the event. Also, in medieval times, the groom's men would rush at the new bride to take her garters off her as a prize.

Garter belts continue to be sold through specialty and some department stores, as well as catalogues and websites, because many women find them more comfortable than girdles or pantyhose. There is also a certain element of sex appeal, too, because many men like their wives or girlfriends to wear garter belts and stockings rather than pantyhose