Some women wore stockings with a plain elastic garter or narrow material tied tightly, not suspenders, or by simply rolling the top of the stocking, because it seemed more practical or they could not afford classic corsetry, thus creating a kind of predecessor of the modern hold ups. This was particularly common among servants and housemaids, particularly until the mid 1920s when the more modern suspender became readily available.During the world's first long distance journey by automobile in 1888 Bertha Benz, the wife of the inventor of the automobile Dr Carl Benz, used a garter to insulate a broken wire of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen Nr.
Some women wore stockings with elastic garters or narrow ties instead of suspenders, sometimes by rolling the top of the stocking for practical reasons or due to financial constraints. This practice was prevalent among servants and housemaids until the mid-1920s when suspenders became more common. During Bertha Benz's 1888 automobile journey, she utilized a garter to repair her husband Carl Benz's car.