The Garters reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Garters

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Garters are items of clothing worn around the thighs. They are normally just a few inches in width. They often contain small bells and/or ribbons. They originally were used to hold up stockings, but the advent of pantyhose has made them unnecessary.

As with many items of female undergarments, they are sometimes items of fetish in North America. For this reason they are sometimes worn by exotic dancers.

A garter is often worn by newlywed brides. It is the groom's privilege to remove the garter and toss it the male guests. The symbolism to deflowering is unambiguous.

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