Gamblers and gamblers, gunslingers and knights-errant, jazz musicians and punk rockers, even office workers have all helped shape the long and colorful history of manga garters, one of the underrated accessories with classier in the history of menswear. Although today they are often considered novel anachronisms of 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 past centuries, 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, both sexes wore leg garters 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.

Why Edward III wore the garter as a symbol of his brotherhood 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 the source goes back to the leather straps that knights of the time wore around their arms to fasten pieces of their armor. Garter inspiration has also been associated with none other than 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 fallen out of fashion, but were destined to make a major comeback during the 19th century. With the Industrial Revolution came the introduction of mass-produced textiles, which made clothing such as 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 a single, extra-long length. Arm garters were a convenient and necessary way, for those who could not afford their own tailor, to adjust the length of 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 popular. popular with certain circles. Among news printers, clerks, and other professionals who worked close to ink (in an era when most documents were still produced by hand), arm garters were a way to keep sleeves clean and neat. 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 cards up their sleeves. A card player who wore garters on his sleeve was essentially advertising 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, although they are now considered more of a decorative part of a traditional uniform than protection against cheating.

There is also the idea, popularized by television and movie depictions, that Old West gunslingers wore garters on their sleeves to help keep their hands free in the event of a gunfight. However, the notorious inaccuracy of pistols and revolvers of the time, coupled with the fact that the American frontier was typically much less violent than its depiction in pop culture, makes this logic unlikely. However, there is no doubt that the sleeve garter now, as it was then, is considered a stylish accessory for any well-dressed gunslinger of that era.

There is also a belief that keeping your hands free made arm garters popular with guitarists and early jazz musicians. While there is probably some validity to this view, sleeve garters were also popular with singers and other non-instrumental performers of the time, providing strong evidence for the idea that arm garters were so 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, have 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.

Combining and fusing the energy of punk music, advances in modern technology, and the look and style of Victorian fashion, the aesthetic known as steampunk has recently begun to influence literature, art, music, cinema and especially in clothes. Fans of this new and often whimsical style have been known to incorporate old-fashioned accessories, such as garters on the sleeves, into their dress. The internet abounds with how-to guides and instructions showing fans how to sew garters on 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 with some, and is far from finished. Whether out of chivalrous brotherhood, practical necessity, or retro fashion, it looks like the manga garter will still be seen on men’s arms for at least a little while longer.