Garter ties

[Spartan Tartan]

You could also tuck all the excess material so none is visible. No reason you HAVE to show the "tails" out from under the fold in your hose.

[Nathan]

Gor,

You can easily make flashes for a very affordable price that will look far better than a ripped up t-shirt and they'll be every bit as good as the ones going for $30 at your local kilt shop. Just purchase elastic tape (they sell it off the roll) and velcro at a fabric store very cheaply. You can also purchase nice ribbon or "twill tape" in the colours of your choosing. You don't need much skill with a pair of scissors and a needle and thread to make a very nice pair of garters and flashes. You can also make the flashes interchangeable so you only need to make the elastic and velcro bit once and then swap on and off a variety of flash colours.

The markup on garter flashes is crazy. If you want traditional garter ties, that's a different story - worth the price, in my humble opinion, but for chevron style flashes, just head to fabric land and make a few sets in front of the tv set. Look at some photos online for inspiration and enjoy. You'll be much happier with the result than some ratty old t-shirts.

N

[Lyle1]

Garter ties do not have to be knitted or even woven specifically for the purpose. I have a pair of garter ties that were made from a piece of fabric that my wife picked out of the basket full of free fabric scraps in Rocky's shop s few years ago. I think I posted a picture of them in another thread. I think my wife cut the fabric on the bias for maximum stretch without distortion, but the fabric might have had enough give to use a straight cut. The fabric was green with a few very subtle white and yellow stripes. I wear them with my Stewart Hunting kilt. They tie as well as knitted garters, are a bit distinctive in a subtle way.

[McElmurry]

Greetings, Rabble! I was just wondering if anyone had tried using strips cut from old t-shirts as cheap hose garters. I have a few that are ready for the rag pile and thought that might be a better use for them. As always, thanks for the input.

If you can get the home-made ties to stretch similar to purchased ties you could try different lengths to see what length you might want to eventually purchase or knit. It takes some practice to get the tension correct and the ties to come out without a bulge at the knot and at the right length (not windsocks).

Good luck, I have yet to master the garter tie. I wear lightweight hose here in California and use a pair of HOE garters with flashes I purchased at the Pleasanton Games. They are fast, consistent, and my hose stay put.

[piperdbh]

Any decent fabric shop will have woven ribbon/tape for sale by the yard. I'd suggest buying 2 1/2 yards, cut it in half, tie knots in each end, fringe a couple of inches past the knots, and have yourself some perfectly acceptable garter ties.

[TheOfficialBren]

Agreed. Garter ties are my personal preference. I use Matt Newsome's easy - tie method. It never fails and leaves no bulge. They are very traditional, too. When I first started kilting up I went straight for ties rather than flashes specifically because they are an older but timeless traditional article. Just my two pence. Your mileage may vary.

[tulloch]

To hold up your hose you can use elastic bands or anything that will tie and not be uncomfortable. They do not have to show. I got a pair of the fabric tabs that hang from an elastic band and have used them a few times. Then I found the ones I tie myself as in the above Matt Newsome posting. I have been using them for over five years during which time I have had to darn some holes in several pair of hose. I found some selling cheap at a highland games for spares. They remain spares. They don't wear out fast and are worth the price.
I also made a pair for fun that I have used a few times - knitted in the garter stitch.