Everyone has them: stories about braces. It could be their first experience, the first time a button popped off, or people’s comments when they see you wearing braces. I’m interested in hearing your stories.
To get you thinking, here's two stories from newspapers:
To get you thinking, here's two stories from newspapers:
Swank Injured By Suspenders In Freak Set Accident
06 January 2007
06 January 2007
Actress HILARY SWANK needed stitches while shooting new movie P.S., I LOVE YOU when she was hit by a co-star's suspenders. The Oscar winner was acting opposite movie husband GERARD BUTLER in the film when his braces snapped and hit Swank in the forehead. She says, "It came undone and flung across the room and hit me in the forehead... I had stitches. "Blood is trickling down my head and it left a perfect suspender mark - you know, the jagged edge of a suspender and then the straight edge."
This would have never happened if Gerard was wearing button-on braces. Be ware of clip-on suspenders!
Suspenders save Life
From November 9, 1918
From November 9, 1918
His heavy suspenders saved Horace Gibbs, of No. 1125 Clover street, from being killed in Camden by Emanuel McKimm of No 742 Sycamore street. When McKimm was arraigned before Recorder Stackhouse yesterday on a charge of firing teh shot, Gibbs showed where the bullet plowed through his vest and shirt and then was stopped by steel in the suspenders.
It was explained that when Gibbs was taken to the Cooper hospital the bullet fell to the floor as the physicians were about to probe for it. The accused man was committed to jail in default of $1,000 bail. The two had quarred about a trivial matter.
Wear suspenders - it may save your life!
You may also want to check out this story.
Start wearing braces, no matter what your friends say!
Discussion time:
- Share your stories!
- Any memories from your first time?
- Any humorous stories?
- Any stories of the first time a button popped off, or a suspender snapped off?
I remember a night not too long ago when my wife and I were a a charity dance.I was wearing a dark grey suit with bright red suspenders holding up my trousers.My wife is not a big fan of suspenders and was always telling me to keep my coat buttoned so no one would notice them.
ReplyDeleteAt one point the M/C announced that a $100.00 gift cetificate would be awarded to the woman who's husband was wearing suspenders.(I don't think that they felt anyone would win this as most men wear belts.)To my great surprise and embaresment my wife raises her hand to tell the M/C that I indeed was wearing suspenders.
We were called to the podium where the man told my wife that in order for her to win the prize(I believe it was for a womens dress shop)that I would have to remove my coat,which I did revealing my bright red suspenders.
I later asked my wife what in the world made her tell eveyone there that I wore suspenders.She,who was always opposed to them,told me it was worth it to get that certificate.
She has less opposed lately to my wearing of them and just last week she got me a new pair of red and white striped suspenders.Just goes to show the power of cerificates,if it is for a woman.
@Anonymous: Thanks for your personal story. It goes to show that it pays to wear suspenders!
DeleteSome people, such as your wife, may not like suspenders. But that doesn't mean they won't eventually realize the benefits to wearing them. Not only did you get the gift certificate, you enjoyed the benefit of not having to pull up your pants or adjust them throughout the night at the charity dance. So keep on wearing them proudly!
One of the fun things about suspenders is that they are usually rare enough that people do tend to notice someone wearing them. I’ve used that fact on occasion to help people looking for me by telling them to look for the guy wearing suspenders. Apparently I’m not the only one that has done that.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, I was sitting at a crowded restaurant bar in NYC watching a basketball game. I had been generally minding my own business until a very well dressed woman sat down next to me. I didn’t think much of it until she looked me straight in the eye, put out her hand out and said “Hi, I’m Rachael”. This just doesn’t happen often to me, actually it never happens. Not wanting to be rude I shook her hand and said “Hi” as well. I was shocked, when without any prompting she started talking very fast; telling me all about her, the weather, how good the food was at the restaurant we were at was and many other topcis. Obviously she was very nervous and I was a little confused.
After a few minutes of chatter it became clear that she was expecting to meet someone and she thought I was that someone. When I could finally get a word in I asked Rachael if she had been expecting to meet someone at the restaurant. She looked puzzled for moment and then the light went on for her. The story was that she was on a blind date for cocktails with a friend of a friend. She reached out and plucked one of my suspender straps and told me that her perspective date had told her she could recognize him because he would be wearing suspenders. When she walked in, I was the only one in the establishment that fit the description so she had mistaken me for him. The perspective date was late, traffic I found out later, and just hadn’t showed up yet.
With that minor mystery solved I offered to keep her company until her date did materialize. I bought her a cocktail and we had very enjoyable conversation and we connected while she waited. All too soon from my point of view a well dressed man in tie, suspenders with a suit coat draped over his arm showed up. Rachael went and joined him at a table, but not before giving me her card with her phone number on the back. Thinking that the encounter was over I went back to watching the basketball game.
Perhaps an hour later my suspenders got snapped lightly from the back. When I turned Rachael was there with drink in hand and told me she liked my suspenders better than her perspective date’s so would I please take her to dinner.
@Anonymous: Thanks for your story. I bet there are similar stories of people mistaking others because they are wearing suspenders.
DeleteThe moral of the story is: display your suspenders or braces in public ... you may end up meeting a date!
I've been at work when I've had a button pop off and leaving on of the straps hanging funny so the only thing I could think of was a stapler. I had stapled the leather end to my pants waistband
ReplyDeleteOh no! A staple could ruin the fabric. Could you not have looped the leather end to the other brace button for the day?
DeleteOne day I chose to wear a pair of clip on suspenders to work which was different because I usually wear button on braces with my pants. And a fellow work friend decided to pull the back strap of my suspenders making one of the front clips slide off my waistband and flung back over my shoulder hitting him in the face and cutting him just under the eye. That was the last time he ever did that. Everyone has asked that I stick to wearing button on braces from now on
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharingg
ReplyDeleteNot my first time wearing braces, but a humorous story nevertheless. It was the summer break, and I was back home from Uni. The local funeral director was advertising for temporary staff, so I applied to supplement my grant. Successful, I carried out some office admin, and then one day he asked me to drive one of the following cars as the usual temp was on holiday. He provided a white shirt, black tie and suit. I already had black shoes, so all togged out, I proudly drove behind the hearse, looking the smartest I had for years. We pulled up outside the Church, and I was due to stay with the car, but en route one of the staff was feeling unwell, so I was asked to act as a pallbearer. I had watched others in the past, and the coffin was small, so what could go wrong? Successfully having negotiated the coffin onto my shoulder, we started the slow walk to the Church door, but within a short distance I knew I had a problem. Although I had a belt on, my pants were slowly but surely beginning to slide down. I stuck my spare hand into a pocket as if reaching for a handkerchief and made it to the altar. The relief was palpable, and we moved to the back of the church whilst the service was being conducted. However, I soon realised that not only would I have to carry the coffin out again, but also repeat the performance at the cemetery, where the distances were even further. The boss, sensing that I was having a problem, asked me what the matter was. I admitted that as pallbearer, I was having problems keeping my pants up. He chuckled to himself, and disappeared. Five minutes later he returned, quietly handed me a bag, and said "slip outside and put those on". I had no idea what was going on, until I opened the bag to reveal a pair of braces, which to several amused passers-by, I quickly put on and returned to act as pallbearer, with nobody in the congregation any the wiser.
ReplyDeleteThat was the first time I had ever worn braces, and boy, was I both relieved and impressed with the comfort and security.
Once everything had been taken care of, myself and the other funeral staff returned to the office, unwound and removed our jackets. A chorus of "Got You" rang out and I noticed that all the others were wearing black braces except me. Mine were bright red, just the colour of my face. The others laughed and said that the boss always kept a spare pair of braces in his car for anyone foolish enough not to wear them to carry a coffin. It was my initiation to braces, and three years on I still have those braces, but have also bought a more respectful pair in black. Fortunately I now see the funny side, and am a confirmed braces wearer, but as a 20 year-old at the time, I had no experience of such a sensible accessory, and I am sure that is why so few younger guys ever wear them before reaching middle age.