So pretty much every single corset of the 1910s had garters attached. Observe:

However, unlike in the 1910s, you can’t just buy wide ruffled elastic is multiple colors today. Even my attempts on etsy to find some totally failed.

This pattern didn’t come with garter instructions, so I had to make something up. I was somewhat inspired by the garter tutorial from Bridges on the Body, but I couldn’t find any garter hardware sold in pieces, only entire garters, so I made some changes.

I started with 3/4″ garters from corsetmaking.com. It looks like most extant garters are more like 2″ wide, so I would recommend finder wider ones if you can. See here, or here, or here.

Most garters these days have a hook at the top to make the garters removable from the final article. Remove the stitching to take off the hook from the top. (Seam removed here, the pin is where the stitching was.

 

The garter in pieces:

 

Sew a tube of fabric and turn it inside out. The length should be twice the length of the garter. The width should be 2 x garter width + 1/8″ + seam allowance. My garter was 3/4″. So, I cut a 2″ wide strip and I sewed the seam allowance at around 3/16″ (the first garter I sewed the seam allowance at exactly 1/4″, and it was So Difficult to pull the tube onto the elastic later. Leave yourself the bit of wiggle room.

 

Use a safety pin on the end of the elastic to help feed it through.

 

Elastic is partway through here.

 

Once the fabric tube is all the way on, pull it down so the free end is sticking out. LEAVE THE PIN ON. If the elastic gets sucked up back inside the fabric without a pin you will never get it out again.

 

On the clasp end, use a pin or something to turn the raw edge under.

 

Pull the fabric all the way up to the edge of the clasp and do a running stitch across.

 

Turn the end of the fabric under on the other side of the garter, then pull it to the edge. Be very careful not to let it go past the edge.

 

Whipstitch around the end making sure you go through the elastic. This end will be hidden under the corset so it doesn’t need to be super pretty.

 

What happens when I accidentally pulled the fabric too far over the elastic and couldn’t get the elastic out. I did the row of diagonal stitches so the elastic didn’t go further in.

 

Put the garter grip back on and thread the garter back through the clasp. You will need to stretch the garter out to get an even amount of fabric on both of the clasp instead of bunching up on one side.

 

Admire all your garters!

 

Whipstitch the garter to the inside of the corset. Alternately, if you want them removable, sew the hook back on, and add a bit of elastic or ribbon here for the hook to attach to.

 

Admire your corset with matching garters!