via @pittiuomo_official
In 2020, garters are still synonymous with womenswear, bringing to mind cheeky flashes of thigh, elaborately suspended lingerie sets and the traditional wedding garter toss— more showpieces than integral parts of one’s daily wardrobe. While the below-the-knee sock garter has garnered a similar—although decidedly more niche—place in fetish-wear and erotic imagery (owing partially to its less-suggestive placement), one type of garter has become more obscure since their pre-industrial popularity: the sleeve garter. This made it all the more striking to see the item featured at the Italian menswear trade fair, Pitti Uomo.
In the runway show Otherwise Formal—an event showcasing the evolution of men’s formal wear put on by Dust Magazine—Luca Guarini, Dust’s Editor-in-Chief paired the sleeve garter with contemporary menswear designs, illustrating their stylistic potential beyond the barman or big band uniforms in which they are most frequently seen in modern times. Because the item is no longer a staple of luxury brands, Guarini had his garter sleeves custom made for the show, which he featured over dress shirts and overcoats.
Although it still has the ability to augment silhouettes, the sleeve garter fell out of fashion for many of the same reasons other garters have faded from our wardrobes:advancements in textile production and generally more lax attitudes towards dressing. Before the industrial age, when shirt sleeves were made in a single length and it was not socially acceptable to roll up your cuffs, sleeve garters were necessary—nowadays mass production makes it easier to just find a shirt that fits off the rack. Still, in a time when men are amassing more and more accessories, it doesn’t seem like such a strange thing to resurrect.