Sleeve garter
Encyclopedia
A sleeve garter is a garter
worn on the sleeve
of a shirt
. It came into wide use in the latter half of the 19th century when men's ready made shirts came in a single (extra long) sleeve length. Sleeve garters allowed men to customize sleeve lengths and keep their cuff
s from becoming soil
ed while working.
ed shirts), today sleeve garters are usually seen in relation to one of the following contexts:
While, according to jazz historian Al Rose, the popular image of an early 1900s saloon
pianist
being flashily dressed with arm garters was inspired by the way Tony Jackson used to dress while performing. Sleeve garters are still worn not only by pianists who play ragtime
and other turn of the 20th century
American music
, but also by Dixieland
banjo
players and many other types of musicians who perform music of that general period. Because sleeve garters are very much a part of the costume of contemporary Barbershop music
performance, an activity for which unimpeded manual dexterity does not play a vital role, the association between sleeve garters and the contemporary performance of turn-of-the-century music may have more to do with evoking the fashion
of the era than with utility or a tradition begun at some later time.
of poker dealer
s and other card dealers
in casino
s. While this is widely understood to make it more difficult for the dealer to cheat
by concealing a card in his or her sleeve, note that the sleeve garter is usually accompanied by a vest
and bow tie
(and sometimes a visor
) suggesting that this usage, too, might hark back to late 19th century and early 20th century fashion at least as much as it serves a real purpose.
. In this case, the suggestion may be that the sleeve garter facilitates freedom of movement and aids in gunslingers' ability to quick draw
.
Today, the sleeve garter sometimes accessorizes the costumes of rodeo
participants. A small ornament
al plate called a "concho", typically depicting an Old West motif
, may be attached to the garter.
's 1924 illustration, shows an accountant
wearing a vest, a visor, a bowtie and very narrow sleeve garters. While the fellow is probably meant to be seen as old-fashioned in his dress, the presence of sleeve garters in this picture may indicate that men who worked with papers and ink sometimes wore sleeve garters up until the second quarter of the 20th century.
Whether because of this or solely because of the iconic quality of Rockwell's work, office workers in early 20th century settings are sometimes depicted with this same costume (visor, vest, bow tie, sleeve garters) that is basically the same as the stereotypical card dealer costume.
yness" and can be seen in various pop culture depictions of it.
Garter
Garter can refer to:*Garter , an item of clothing used to hold up stockings*Order of the Garter, the senior British order of chivalry*Ladies of the Garter , female members of the mediaeval Order of the Garter...
worn on the sleeve
Sleeve
Sleeve is that part of a garment which covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The pattern of the sleeve is one of the characteristics of fashion in dress, varying in every country and period...
of a shirt
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...
. It came into wide use in the latter half of the 19th century when men's ready made shirts came in a single (extra long) sleeve length. Sleeve garters allowed men to customize sleeve lengths and keep their cuff
Cuff
A cuff is an extra layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment covering the arms. In US usage the word may also refer to the end of the leg of a pair of trousers...
s from becoming soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
ed while working.
Use
While a century ago this item of clothing was once something a man may have worn regardless of profession (with the possible exception of the wealthy or those too well-dressed to wear non-tailorTailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
ed shirts), today sleeve garters are usually seen in relation to one of the following contexts:
Music
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
being flashily dressed with arm garters was inspired by the way Tony Jackson used to dress while performing. Sleeve garters are still worn not only by pianists who play ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
and other turn of the 20th century
Turn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
American music
American music
The music of the Americas is very diverse since, in addition to many types of Native American music, the music of Africa and the music of Europe have been found there for some five centuries, creating many hybrid forms that have influenced the popular music of the world.-See also:*Canadian...
, but also by Dixieland
Dixieland
Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
players and many other types of musicians who perform music of that general period. Because sleeve garters are very much a part of the costume of contemporary Barbershop music
Barbershop music
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...
performance, an activity for which unimpeded manual dexterity does not play a vital role, the association between sleeve garters and the contemporary performance of turn-of-the-century music may have more to do with evoking the fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
of the era than with utility or a tradition begun at some later time.
Gambling
Today, sleeve garters are part of the costumeCostume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
of poker dealer
Poker dealer
A poker dealer distributes cards to players and manages the action at a poker table.-Professional dealers:Any casino with a poker room must hire a staff of dealers. Casinos generally pay dealers minimum wage. However, a dealer's primary source of income is not salary, but tips from players*...
s and other card dealers
Croupier
A croupier or dealer is someone appointed at a gambling table to assist in the conduct of the game, especially in the distribution of bets and payouts. Croupiers are typically employed by casinos.-Origin of the word:...
in casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s. While this is widely understood to make it more difficult for the dealer to cheat
Cheat
Cheat can refer to:* A cheat code, a hidden means of gaining an advantage in a computer or video game* Cheat!, a television show on the G4 network* The Cheat, a 1915 Cecil B...
by concealing a card in his or her sleeve, note that the sleeve garter is usually accompanied by a vest
Vest
A vest is a garment covering the upper body. The term has different meanings around the world:Waistcoat :. This is called a waistcoat in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, or a vest in the US and Canada. It is often worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge...
and bow tie
Bow tie
The bow tie is a type of men's necktie. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops. Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn into shape and the band around the neck incorporates a clip....
(and sometimes a visor
Green eyeshade
Green eyeshades are a type of visor that were worn most often from the late 19th century to the middle 20th century by accountants, telegraphers, copy editors and others engaged in vision-intensive, detail-oriented occupations in order to lessen eyestrain and other effects of early incandescent...
) suggesting that this usage, too, might hark back to late 19th century and early 20th century fashion at least as much as it serves a real purpose.
Old West
The sleeve garter is often seen in modern depictions of the Old West, not only on musicians and gamblers but on the stereotypical well-dressed gunslingerGunslinger
Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...
. In this case, the suggestion may be that the sleeve garter facilitates freedom of movement and aids in gunslingers' ability to quick draw
Fast Draw
Fast Draw is a sport based on the romanticized art of the gunslingers in the American Old West, using traditional single action revolvers. Unlike Cowboy action shooting, Fast Draw is shot with special blanks or wax bullets...
.
Today, the sleeve garter sometimes accessorizes the costumes of rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
participants. A small ornament
Ornament
An ornament is something used for decoration.Ornament may also refer to:*Christmas ornaments, an ornament hung from a Christmas tree*Ornament , purely decorative elements in architecture and the decorative arts*Ornament *Ornamental plant...
al plate called a "concho", typically depicting an Old West motif
Motif (art)
In art, a motif is an element of a pattern, an image or part of one, or a theme. A motif may be repeated in a design or composition, often many times, or may just occur once in a work. A motif may be an element in the iconography of a particular subject or type of subject that is seen in other...
, may be attached to the garter.
Bookkeeping
"Day Dreaming Bookkeeper", Norman RockwellNorman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
's 1924 illustration, shows an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
wearing a vest, a visor, a bowtie and very narrow sleeve garters. While the fellow is probably meant to be seen as old-fashioned in his dress, the presence of sleeve garters in this picture may indicate that men who worked with papers and ink sometimes wore sleeve garters up until the second quarter of the 20th century.
Whether because of this or solely because of the iconic quality of Rockwell's work, office workers in early 20th century settings are sometimes depicted with this same costume (visor, vest, bow tie, sleeve garters) that is basically the same as the stereotypical card dealer costume.
"Old Timeyness"
Sleeve garters often appear in images representing "Old TimeOld Time
"Old time" , "old timey" and "olde tyme" are terms used to describe stereotyped images and representations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, generally not more than a generation before or after the turn of the century. The term "old timeyness" is used more rarely...
yness" and can be seen in various pop culture depictions of it.