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Betty Boop's Garter
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Betty Boop's Garter |
Garters are articles of clothing and are narrow bands of fabric fastened about the leg, which are used to keep up stockings, and sometimes socks. Betty Boop is known to wear stockings which are not visible.
In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking from slipping.
The advent of elastic has made them less necessary from this functional standpoint, although they are still often worn for fashion. Garters were popular in the 1930s and 1940s, and were a convenient way for ladies to carry small valuables, in place of a small purse.
The giving or taking of the prom garter may or may not have the same sexual implications that are associated with wedding garters; however, the giving of the prom garter is often interpreted as publicly designating the pair as a romantic couple.
According to artist Grim Natwick, Betty Boop's original garter had a rose design, this later became a daisy flower. Natwick's version of Betty wore two garters. In The Bum Bandit concepts for Natwick's "Dangerous Nan McGrew" version of Betty, she initially wore a lone garter on one leg. However in the cartoon she wears two, which help keep her stockings in place.
Sometimes Betty wore frilly lace garters, sometimes with bows, sometimes a circle or oval shaped gem. There are occasions in which Betty wears a garter belt that has no design. Modern day Betty officially wears a gold garter with a red heart. In The Betty Boop Musical, Betty wears unique several garters. Some of the garters are sparkly, lacy, glittery, frilly. Some have bows on them and they match Betty's outfits.
According to an official 1930s model sheet, Betty's garter is on her left leg, and it states that it should always be there. In spite of this and though Betty's garter is usually on her left leg, but it sometimes appear on her right leg in the original cartoons.
Macy's (1995)
In 1995 Macy's in New York City held its annual outdoor Tap-a-Mania hosted by Betty. Thousands of dancers tapped to the same music, all attired with Betty Boop T-shirt, hat, and Betty’s signature garter.
Official Betty Boop Garter Belt
Betty's official garter can be brought from costume stores and used to be able to be brought on the old official Betty Boop website. It is white and frilly and has a red heart icon design in the middle. People who joined the old official Betty Boop fan club would receive an official garter belt.
Betty Boop's Garter Removed? No! That Is An Urban Legend!
A rumor has it that Betty Boop's garter belt was removed from the series just as the Motion Picture Production Code had kicked in. This is untrue and is spread by individuals who do not know the history of Betty's garter.
Betty's dress was made longer, her garter was never removed. Her garter was moved much further up her leg and was often hidden by the longer dresses she wore. Model sheets from 1938 show that her garter is still visible but when she appeared in the cartoons the garter had been moved and or hidden by her dress.
In the 1985 animated film titled The Romance of Betty Boop, Betty's garter was removed from her leg as Bill Melendez thought it was inappropriate. However the garter returned in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery and all other spin-off productions. Betty wore an unusual long dress Project Runway All Stars which hid her garter.
Gallery
Trivia
- Her iconic rose garter first appeared in the short Silly Scandals where she wore it on one lone leg.
- Betty's garter is on the wrong leg in Betty Boop's Love Meter, it should be on her right.
- Gus Gorilla a tough character in the Betty Boop series secretly wears garter belts under his clothes. This shows his softness.
- Most of the Fleischer gags in the earlier cartoons from 1932 to 1934 are built around her garter belt.
- In some early cartoons in 1932 Betty can sometimes be seen wearing garters on both of her legs.
- If you joined the official Betty Boop fan-club a official garter was included as a membership gift.
- Bill Melendez decided that Betty would not wear her signature garter belt as he felt it was sexualized.
- Betty Boop wears her official white garter belt in Betty Boop Dance Card and Betty Boop Bop.
- In some of the early 1932 cartoons Betty's garter had a flower and or rose shaped icon design on the belt. In others she had a circle icon design, and other times the belt had no icon, and was a simple black belt strapped around her leg.
- Betty's modern garter is gold like her bangles and has a red love heart shaped icon design on the belt to match her dress.
- The Fat Lady in Boop-Oop-a-Doop wears a garter belt on her left leg.