Saturday, April 23, 2011

Why people wear braces - Part II

As mentioned in the previous post, there are a lot of reasons people wear braces and suspenders. Another reason people wear braces is for status appeal. Celebrities have been spotted wearing this stylish accessory, and not just recently!

The list of celebrities that wear suspenders include (this is not a complete list)...


In everyday life
Beyonce

Agyness Deyn
Drew Barrymore
Martha Ward
Rita Peluso



On the runway

Abbie Cornish

Kanye West
Charlotte Delal

Chloe Sevigny

Diane Kruger
Harry Shum Jr

Janet Jackson

Jessica Stam

Jetta John-Hartley

Josephine De La Baume

Kiero Richardson

Kristen Stewart
Lauren Lee Smith

Lee Yoon-Ji

Liv Tyler
Michele Riondino

Michelle Branch

Summer Glau

 In movies and tv shows
Bill Cosby

Rachel McAdams

Russell Brand
Ed Westwick

Olivia Wilde

Mischa Barton has been spotted sporting suspenders on numerous outfits:




On the cover of Elle:
Victoria Beckham


And it's not a recent trend. Marilyn Munroe wore braces:

Discussion time:
  • So what about you? Will you wear braces or suspenders?
  • Who do you think wore suspenders the best?
Note: all photos are used solely for non-commercial use and to illustrate braces in fashion. No plagiarism is intended.

34 comments:

  1. I like to wear elastic suspenders/braces in public and enjoy it when other people see me wearing them. And I also love to see others who wear suspenders. Fortunately suspenders seem to become fashionable again, not only Robert Pattinson and Paul McCartney wear them, but also many other women.
    To extend the list of suspender-wearing celebrities: Cameron Diaz, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Celine Dion, Alicia Keyes, Christina Aguilera, Victoria Justice, Aly and AJ Michalka, Kirsten Dunst, Maria Sharapova, Keira Knightley, Dania Ramirez, Lauren Conrad, Dianna Agron, Rihanna, Kristen Bell, Julia Dunstall, Gisele Bundchen, Billie Piper, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, Ashley Tisdale, Michelle Trachtenberg, Vanessa Paradis, Avril Lavigne, Carla Gugino, Coco Rocha. And I am convinced, many others will follow.

    Bianca

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  2. Trousers braces are a requisite of the well dressed men bound by tradition, suspenders have got a working class appeal - both can be charming styled right.

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  3. Two years ago I started wearing braces/suspenders and I love them so much. They are comfy and also very stylish. And I am sure they are becoming more and more fashinable for women an men again. First my boyfriend was surprised to see me in suspenders, but meanwhile he likes them, too. Caroline

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    1. Hi Anonymous,
      I admire you for having the courage to wear suspenders. I believe you look great in them. Do you wear a Y back or X back suspender? Do you find them more comfortable than wearing belts? I still need to put up courage to wear one as I'm afraid of people teasing me. I used to have a H back suspender when I was studying at tertiary level. For stylish reason, I prefer to hava Y back suspender.

      Bernard

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  4. As a young guy, I know that many of my mates have flirted with wearing braces, but are frightened at the reaction they might receive if they show them in public. For me they are very comfortable, and can add a stylish twist to any dull or ordinary outfit. So, gals, let us know if we should wear them in public.

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  5. Last month I bought my first pair of braces. I like the look so much and enjoy how comfortable they are. No doubt, I am looking forward to wear my braces quite often this summer.
    Jenny

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  6. Wear them with pride and enjoy the comfort of wearing braces!

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  7. I love wearing braces I'm glad other women do too!

    When did ladies start wearing them, does anyone know?

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    Replies
    1. @Anonymous: Women wearing braces is great! You may be interested in this blog posting of when women started wearing braces posted in Feb 2012 ... Women and suspenders

      Delete
  8. that is not andre3000, its kanye west with Nicole Ritchie

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  9. Good to see people still contributing to this discussion. I have been shy of showing my like of wearing braces for so many years but why I ask?
    Lets see some more posts of people rediscovering the comfort and style of braces. Once you have worn braces you are not likely to go back to a belt!

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  10. I've been wearing braces for about a year now and i love them. i wear suits everyday to work so everyday i wear a pair of braces. when i started wearing them i was a bit unsure what people would say, so when i got the courage to take my jacket off i was so relieved that i got nothing but great comments from everyone. then it wasn't long and others started wearing them ( more so the women ). Which not long after that i met my girl friend due to me wearing braces. she approached me one night and told me how good the braces looked and how more men should wear them and we hit it off and still going strong. now she has gotten the braces bug. and the only thing i can say when she wears them is wow. when she does the corporate look either with a high wasted skirt but more so with her black wide legged pants and a nice fitted shirt and heels she looks stunning and i think thats also her favourite outfit. i think braces are great and look good on male but there is something about a women with a pair of braces on that turns heads. so everyone keep wearing braces.

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  11. @Anonymous: Glad you shared that story. Braces sure do bring people together!
    I think women in menswear, especially braces, is eye-catching. It takes a confident women to wear black braces with a white blouse. Do you have any pictures to link to that are posted online?

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  12. I've worn belts all of my 57 years, and they have really taken their toll on my body, causing nerve damage to my legs, (numbness and pain in the front of my thighs) from wearing them too tight.( I carry a lot of stuff in my pockets and on my belt loops).

    Thank you for publishing this blog, It's really helped me figure out exactly what I need as far as braces go!

    My nerves will eventually heal, But I'll never don a belt again...

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    Replies
    1. @Anonymous: Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you speak for many others that have developed numbness and pain in their midsection because of wearing belt that's too tight, especially for people that sit at a chair all day. That's one of the reasons why lawyers, accountants, and businessmen favor braces over a belt. There's even a famous interviewer that wears braces all the time!

      I love wearing braces and do so almost daily. This blog is my way of promoting them and and highlighting the benefits of wearing braces. I'm glad you enjoyed the reading. If you have any questions, please ask!

      Delete
  13. As a woman of 40,i still take pleasure of wearing braces!.Not long ago I purchased a pair of thick black leather pants,( grandpa's style wich are high waisted ,especialy in the back and with metal buttons,I tried going without braces with a belt but the leather is so thick and heavy they kept falling down,so my mother in law who's a widow proposed me her husbands leather end braces nice thick and large ( 2 pairs),and now I enjoy that my leather pants hold well up now and also the gret feeling of those braces pulling me up ,I even like the fact that I can't even bend down because the braces are pulling rel hard,but once again It' so exciting and sexy wearing braces:Oftenly I wear with my leather pants a neat white blouse buttoned in front with large blus plastic buttons ,wich make's it great! .What's nice also is at home to keep my pants clean I put over it a long white nylon overall buttoned in the back with the nylon belt,wow what a great feeling, and as my nylon overall is in a thin white nylon you can see my braces underneath wich mak's it more exciting,you should try it ,it's wonderfull,anyway thank's for the people who invented ,braces ans nylon overalls!

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    Replies
    1. I'd like to Know Whether any body is saying in a veiled way that they (braces} are sexy?

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  14. I started wearing braces all the time 25 years ago and originally always concealed them. As time has gone on I have begun to show them more and more and find that noone really minds. Unfortunately my wife really hates them and is always makin snide remarks about them. As flor getting her to wear them (which would be really sexy), forget it! I really love them and enjoy the feel of them holding up my trousers; and I get a real thrill from going out displaying them - my mantra is "Show your braces with pride!"

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    1. @Anonymous: thanks for sharing. Some women do not understand the comfort and pleasure of wearing braces - but that's their loss. Keep on wearing braces and displaying them in public!
      What's your favorite pair to wear?

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    2. I haven't looked at the site for a while and have just seen Back to Braces' comment on my post. I do keep displaying my braces whenever I can, no longer hurriedly putting on a pullover when somebody calls. I must have well over 30 pairs of braces, covering most plain colours such as black, blue, red, grey, maroon, green, brown and beige. I also have speciality braces such as Union Jack (which I wore openly at dinner on a British night on our last ocean cruise), crossword (black and white squares), musical (notes on a stave), and, probably my favourite, my "zebra" braces - white.covered in zebra-like stripes. Any ideas for other "speciality" braces, meant to be seen, would be welcome.

      Delete
  15. Hello I have a huge problems. I love braces and I really want to wear them but when I do in 2-3 hours they really hurt my back. I don´t know why and what is the problem. But when wearing belt nothing hurts but when wearing suspenders my back and shoulders are killing me. I don´t know if it is for example because they are to tightly adjusted but I need to have them adjusted tight so my pants don´t fall down. I really don´t know that was just a wild guess. Please help me and give me some advice on that. I don´t want to wear belts...

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    Replies
    1. @Anonymous: Braces are awesome, but they should be comfortable when you wear them, not painful. Here are my suggestions for avoiding pain when wearing braces:
      1. consider the tautness of the straps. Brace materials have different elasticity and firmness. Aim for a medium firm tension. Try other braces and see what is comfortable.
      2. consider the width of the straps. Wider straps can be more comfortable as they don't "dig in" to your shoulders like 0.5 inch thin straps do. The wider straps don't have to be lumberjack style (2.5" wide), 1.25 to 1.5 inches is fine.
      3. consider your posture. Brace straps put pressure on your shoulders and back. If you have poor posture this may aggravate it. Try sitting straight up and walking with a straight back, rather than an arched one. It takes some time for the back muscles to develop, but it's worth it.

      Let me know if any of these suggestions help.

      Delete
  16. I think that Braces come in very handy!my husband wears leather end Braces with a belt with his suit and a tie,,and it did'nt bother me !But one day I bought sone nice bell bottom trousers and whe I fitted it at home tha waist wax a bit too large ,so I said gosh what can I do ? So I tried it with a belt but it kept on slipping down to the floor,,!Then I rememberd that my young husband hade a couple of pair of braces and I took a pair and clipped them to my trousers and they held up very well!So I decided to keep them on aswell as mt belt too and Now i just feel great !When my husband came in I told him that I took a pair of his large clip on braces and showed me with my bell bottom trousers with the belt ,and he said well you really look great !I was so pleased !And now even with my two pice suit I put on a pair or buttoned leather end braces and allways with a leather belt wich gives me a great succes everywhere I go,so i'm a converted braces fan now!A matter of fact I even make our two daughters aged 6 and 8 make them wear braces with a belt too so from now on we all wear braces with a belt and everybody felles happy!

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    Replies
    1. @Anonymous: thanks for sharing. Yes, some trousers, such as your bell bottom trousers, need braces to hold them up. Leather end braces look fantastic and are suitable for casual trousers or dress suits.

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  17. I wear braces for the fashion side of things. I love give they transform a boring outfit in to something a bit more glamorous. I have an obsession with braces and can't stop buying them. Love wearing them everyday. I wear them with everything from casual to formal. I'm what is classed as a tomboy. But can be girly some of the time.

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    1. Agree, braces can transform a boring outfit to a chic one. Enjoy wearing them!

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    2. Thank You for sharing this blog. It help people with low confidence to wear braces in public. It's helped me see that it's ok for women to wear braces without feeling out of place. Thank You very much

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    3. You're welcome Rachael! It's so refreshing to hear people discover wearing braces and then get hooked and can't stop wearing them!

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    4. I'm definitely hook on braces. I have a great collection of braces from leather to satin from x back to y back and about 10 pairs of button on braces and about 8 pairs of clip on style. I love wearing them everywhere especially to work as I love to dress up in corporate wear.

      Delete
  18. As a woman I personaly like wearing braces everytime I go out !I like especialy the leather end one's with buttons on my trousers,like at the moment I like wearing on my trousers when I have to go out,large 4cm type ones wich cross in the back and have leather ends and of course I sew the 6 buttons I received with them on my trousers,and I also put a large leather belt too with them I like to feel that I am really well maintained !Like with my large red braces I also wear a large red leather belt,and with the other pair the navy blue one's I also put on a navy blue leather belt .When i first met my husband I told him my passion for belts and braces and said ok but you'll have to wear the same thing ,so since then we both go out wearing this attire,and it's very pleasing and exciting aswell .Now if people look at us I don't give a dam !I just don't see them ,I'm just pleasing myself!ven in the office where I work of course I allways wear them too and I have a lot of succes too ,so Ladies and gentelmen don't hesitate do as it suits you !

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    1. I agree 100% with this. A belt and braces make the outfit feel totally secure.Although if forced to choose I would always go with braces.

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  19. I've always worn braces ever since I was a child. My mother use to dress me in braces all the time. And my first job was in a bar where braces were part of the uniform so for me wearing braces is normal for me and I enjoy wearing them all of the time

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  20. My wife asked if I could start wearing braces because she loves the look so i agreed to start wearing braces. She went out and bought me several pairs which I started wearing. I have to admit I love wearing them as I love the look and feel of them. My wife continues to buy me braces when ever she sees a pair she likes which is all the time

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