Basically I Reinvented Good Omens But With More Swordfights - Blog Posts

Thigh straps

In my early twenties, I conceived of a story in which two individuals - one half-angel, the other half-demon - formed an unlikely alliance. I am not going to pretend that this concept was either original or going to set the literary world on fire; and it didn’t got much further than an initial outline and some character sketches.

I did have a particular affection for the design of the half-angel however; as his outfit incorporated a number of feminine elements. He wore a stylized headpiece (fundamentally a headband); a tunic with an incorporated tabard (practically a slit midi dress); and perhaps most glaringly, stockings held in place by leather straps.

In hindsight, it’s pretty obvious that I was trying to express my own gender confusion via a safe and private medium. (Exacerbated, I imagine, by having recently moved to an area that rigidly enforced gender norms.)

Happily, this is no longer the case and I am quite out the world as a woman!

Recently a friend reminded me that there is a whole world of leather-type garters out there. This triggered a series of thoughts in which I recalled the design of the half-angel; then realized how heavily his clothing had been inspired by my own suppressed desires; and finally set out to determine if thigh straps were actually a thing you could buy.

As always, Etsy delivers (bother metaphorically and literally); and now I am both living out my girlhood dream and also, finally able to stop my socks from falling down!

(It did occur to me, after they arrived, that the principle is no different from that of a regular belt - it is merely the length of the leather strap that differs. So at some point, I may go looking for a couple of cheap belts to cut to size and re-punch.)