Thursday, May 1, 2014

Hiding Braces

Do you hide your braces under a jacket, vest, cardigan, or other layer of clothing? Are you embarrassed to be seen wearing your braces? Why is that? Let's address these questions and primarily the historical aspect today. 

Braces provide a valuable function in supporting your pants at a constant height all day long. They lengthen your appearance. As 2 vertical lines, braces can compliment your tie and provide other stylish benefits. So why hide them underneath a jacket or vest?

Pants were originally made to be worn with braces. That's where pants sit and hang best - from your natural waist or at a higher-waist. I understand that braces historically were considered part of men’s undergarments. But braces didn't stay there. They gradually and suddenly lost their secret status when men stopped wearing vests.

A suit jacket is an outer layer for travelling - it's not meant to be worn indoors. When men work indoors, they remove their suit jackets and without a vest, their braces are on display. No one, least of all women, would think anything strange or unsightly about this.

I've had discussions with people who believe that historically braces were always hidden. On the contrary, I can illustrate that prior to the 1950s, men displayed there braces all the time. I perused the site Alamy for men wearing braces in the presence of ladies. Here's a sample of my results:

1937: Photo of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy recording a duet for Maytime

1940s: Two actors rehearsing a romantic theatre play with their director, both men are wearing braces

September 1, 1944: Swing bandleader Sammy Kaye (wearing hat and suspenders) and his orchestra at a recording session for Columbia Recording Company.

1944: still from the movie Broadway Rhythm

1941: still from the movie Confirm or Deny

1941: still from the movie Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring

1945: still from the movie The Lost Weekend

1948: still from the movie The Walls of Jericho

1946: still from the movie The Best Years of our Lives

And finally to nail my point home, ladies even took off a man's braces:

1937: still from the movie The Great Hospital Mystery

All the men are wearing braces alongside women who are dressed impeccably. I'd challenge anyone to try to explain why displaying braces was so common in the 1930s and 40s from these photos.

***

On a personal note, I displayed my braces today. It was a beautiful, summer day, and so I wore a pair of light grey pants with Trafalgar braces and a green, blue, and white plaid dress shirt. These Trafalgar braces were one of my first purchases of braces, and I’m glad I invested in a quality pair that I’m still using today. The brace straps are stripped, with grey strip in the middle surrounded by a thin white line and a navy border strip.  The Y-back braces also have a dash of burgundy color in the rear, to keep it exciting! Here’s the look:

Trafalgar braces Rear burgundy strap

While I was at the bank, the clerk commented on my outfit saying, “I like your look; very traditional with the suspenders”, by which she meant braces (I’ll excuse her for not knowing the difference). But this the point - as people wear braces the general population learns that they are called braces, not suspenders. It's not embarrassing to be seen showing your braces. The bank clerk sees hundreds of people a day, and appreciated seeing me wear braces. The comment was an appreciation of style!

So don’t feel embarrassed to display your braces in public. Wear them with class and people will appreciate the time and effort you put in to your outfit for the day.

Discussion time:

  • Have you been embarrassed to show your braces or suspenders in public?
  • How do you feel when you take off your jacket, vest, or cardigan and display your braces or suspenders?
  • What outfits have you worn recently with braces?

30 comments:

  1. Yes I have been embarrassed a few times when wearing suspenders. I guess I feel this way because as a young person I was told that suspenders were never to be seen as they are really underwear. I wear suspenders every day with suits or casual clothing as I feel more comfortable wearing them rather than a belt.The only exception is in summer when I feel they would be too warm.

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  2. I hardly ever show mine fully. I give glimpses. The only ones I will show off are elastic suspenders on a dress. I'd love to be able to wear them as office wear but my work place is uber casual dress code wise. And being a woman means that I'm scared that people think I'm a freak. I wish I could take a leaf out of Rachel's book!!

    Andie

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  3. We appreciate stylish braces as much as the next person but they should never be hidden. Be proud!

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  4. I understand why some people might be embarrassed about showing their back brace, because let's be honest it's not really the most flattering look on people but that being said it doesn't mean you can't do anything about it. With today's fashion trends I'm sure it is possible to find away to hide your brace or better yet enhance your outfit with it, Just like how you did. You look amazing in that outfit if I see you walking down the street I would have never known that you were wearing braces


    Regards,
    Toni Simpson

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    Replies
    1. @Toni, Thank you for your comments. I think we have a different understanding of what braces are referring to. In the photos above, I am not wearing a back brace or back support. Rather, I'm wearing (and displaying) button-on braces that attach to my pants.

      This fashion accessory to hold up your pants, or to wear a a stylish accessory are called different names, which may be the reason for the misunderstanding. In North America, they are generally referred to as "suspenders". In Europe (and Britain), they are referred to as "braces". There are 2 primary types - button-on and clip-on. This blog uses "braces" to refer to button-on variety, and "suspenders" for the clip-on variety. I encourage you to read the other posts for more information.

      This blog is dedicated to promoting braces for pants and skirts, not back support braces.

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  5. Today I 'm wearing a black tank top (uk = vest top.) pinstripe trousers, a pair of H-back blue clip on 3.5 inch wide braces (suspenders) with yellow dots and a black cardigan with only one button fastened so that my braces were on display . Andie

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  6. I always wear Braces on Friday. U tab. Box cloth . But only under a vest of Three piece suit. As far as l know ; braces ( back in their hey day ) were seen as underwear that shouldn't be seen. They were worn under three piece suits. Then after world war 1 ; Allied soldiers were coming back from the war and got used to wearing belts. So braces began waning in popularity ; slowly starting from the 1920s. In the 1930s ; many men stopped wearing vests with their suits . Since the vests were used to hide the braces ;
    The braces stopped being worn too. And those men switched to belts . Then there were some people who began wearing 3 piece suits with belts . By the 1950s ; most men preferred the single breasted two piece suits . I guess braces were sadly gone by then. But l always make it a point to wear three piece suits with braces. Its the proper way of wearing a three piece suit. But you look excellent with your braces ; exposed though. But l doubt that traditionally ; they were meant to be worn uncovered like that. Yet amazingly ; you pulled it off. Well done.

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  7. I don’t know about embarrassed but I was definitely nervous about wearing my cool new batman suspenders for the first time in middle school. I thought they were cool when Mom showed them to me in the department store but when I had to actually wear them to school they didn’t seem so cool anymore. Middle school being what it is when you do something completely different like wear suspenders you had to really “own it”; any sign of nervousness was like blood in shark infested waters. I think I wore them every day for a week to make sure everyone knew “I owned it”.

    The only other time since then that I was nervous about them was on a flight about a year ago. I was the middle seat between 2 men, both wearing suspenders. I kept my jacket on the entire flight. I’m used to being the only one wearing suspenders, I didn’t know quite how to handle that situation.

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    Replies
    1. @Anonymous: I agree that middle school can be veracious. Glad to hear you owned it!

      Enjoy wearing suspenders - even if you are not the only one on the flight doing so.

      Delete
  8. I have always been a fan of braces since University, but have always been shy of showing them, so rarely wear a pair unless I know I am not going to remove my jacket. However, I was absolutely amazed when my 19 year old son came down to breakfast the other day in shirt and jeans held up by plain blue braces. I didn't say a word, as he was totally at ease, but when he asked if I wanted anything from the shop, my concern obviously showed, as he asked if anything was wrong. I said that I was always taught that braces were underwear, and shouldn't be seen in public. He merely said how old-fashioned that view was, and went on his way.I wish I could share his freedom!

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    Replies
    1. @Anonymous: Thanks for sharing. It's good to hear your 19 year-old son does not have concerns about showing off his braces. I do find younger people have no problems bending the "rules" of fashion - they wear what they want to wear.

      If you are hesitant about wearing braces in public, try them under cardigan to start, and then gradually expose them.

      Braces have come of there own and can be worn without the need to hide them. Wear braces proudly!

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  9. i always wear wide braces as i feel they are classier then thin ones .I like to see peoples reation when i open my jacket to reveal them

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  10. My Dad has often worn braces, on show around the house, so when I tried a pair and liked the comfort and style, I was most surprised when he said "you're not going out like that are you?" when I was about to leave the house. It had never crossed my mind that anyone would bother about being seen wearing braces in public. Why would they be made in so many colours and patterns if they are not supposed to be seen?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Neil, yes, it does seem strange that there are so many different colours and patterns that you would want to proudly display them! So go for it! Wear your braces at home and outside of the home.

      Some people wear a cardigan, blazer, or other top layer when they are going out. When they arrive, they remove the top layer to reveal their braces, which I think is great.

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  11. I don't get it either but there seems to be a prevailing wisdom that "Suspenders are like underwear and shouldn't been seen" that has been around since the beginning of the 20th century. It makes no sense because if you look a pictures from that period invariably you would see men and kids wearing suspenders more often than not. I've about decided that its a conspiracy by the fashion police to mandate vests with suits and ties. Ill hide mine when everyone starts hiding their belts.

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    1. @Anonymous: agreed, there are plenty of historic photos and movies of men wearing braces on display for others.

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    2. I wonder if it relates to the fact that underpants with elastic waistbands only became common in the mid century. Previously, men held their underwear up by threading their braces through the tapes at the waistband of their trunks or long johns, and then buttoning them to their trousers. This usually meant that their underwear would show - the tapes sat above the buttons whether they were sewn inside or out. This could explain why braces were regarded as underwear and therefore kept covered so as not to expose the wearers' underpants to the public.
      Looking back through family photos, my grandfather and great-grandfather can evidence this, because although standing in their suits, because they had their hands in their pockets, you can clearly see the tapes of their underwear above their trouser waistbands. Researching further, I see a website "Old Fogey" still sells these old-fashioned underpants with brace tapes, which may confirm my suggestion. That said, both my father and I have never shied away from revealing our braces in public in hot weather. These days, ladies flash their bras, so a pair of braces on a man is nothing to sweat about.

      Delete
  12. My 20 year old son has never been comfortable with me wearing braces (I don't often reveal them to the world!), but a few weeks ago when he was attending a wedding, he found that his rented suit had no belt loops and the pants were not going to stay up on their own. He sheepishly asked to borrow a pair of my braces, which I really gave him stick for, but let him have a pair. I think he rather likes them as I haven't had them back, yet I have seen him with them on his jeans!

    Dad does know best when it comes to efficiency and comfort!

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  13. I've always loved braces and for some time was embarrassed to show that I was wearing them. I use to wear them under jackets and would show glimpses of them but could nether get the courage to take the jacket off. And I was like this for several years. Until one day at work I spilt a coffee down the front of my jacket so I was forced to remove my jacket. My heart was racing. But got many good comments from my work mates on how they looked which calmed me down straightaway. These days I'm alot more comfortable when wearing them. Some days I still hide them but majority of the time I'm proud to show them because wearing braces is what I'm known for these days around the office. But these days wearing braces has become so popular so I don't know why people still hide them. When a woman wears them they show real confidence and look great.

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    1. Agreed, I think most of us brace wearers started by wearing them under jackets or vests, but then become more comfortable displaying them. Glad to hear you received many good comments from your workmates. Braces do provide confidence!

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    2. I think people are not hiding their braces as much as we use to. They have become more popular these days. My mum use to dress me in braces as a kid so wearing them is nothing new to me. But did go through a phase where I was worried about what people thought. Which I put down to having negative people make comments. But all it took was 1 positive comment for me to begin showing them off again.

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    3. Hi Rachael. I wish I had the confidence you do with wearing braces. I have always loved the look of braces on women and recently purchased my first pair of braces. I usually hide them under a jacket but today I took my jacket off for the first time. I have to say I felt relieved. I look forward to showing them off more often

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    4. Thanks great Kelly! You don't need to be embarrassed wearing braces, they are a great way to show your personality and many people appreciate seeing braces

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    5. Thank you for the compliment. I really love how the braces look and feel on me. I look forward to wearing them more and getting more pairs. Looking for a bright pink pair next

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    6. Initially I was always careful not to let my braces be seen.As time went on I became more confident and began to show my braces.Now the more people see my braces the more I can raise braces awareness and hopefully encourage more people to wear them.i am a proud braces wearer and am more than happy to show it.You should never feel the need to hide your braces.

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  14. My husband's default dress is the plaid shirt/suspenders combo as featured at the top of the article. I do think its important to have the collar of the shirt buttoned up - I dont think open necked shirts and suspenders are a good combination

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  15. I'm a proud woman that absolutely loves wearing braces and do a couple of times a week to work. I never hide them behind a jacket as I want people to see me wearing them. I absolutely love the look of braces on men and especially women.

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  16. My Dad started wearing braces when he reached middle age (around 50), and although I loved him I did nag him not to let them show in public. His reply was that I should not be so silly. He maintained that I would need and use braces when I got older! Some years on, I must confess that Dad knew best, and although it has taken me some time to let them be shown, I now realise that it becomes impossible to keep them from the rest of the world, and that they are really comfortable and efficient to wear. What's more, nobody has been critical of them, and the ladies just love to play with them.
    Fortunately, my teenage sons are not as embarrassed with me as I was with my Dad, although they are yet to wear a pair regularly!

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  17. Nothing beats the comfort and security of wearing a pair of braces, but when i first started to enjoy them, I understood that they should not be on display to others. Keeping them hidden soon proved impossible, and as time passed, I became more relaxed. Yes, friends and family would show surprise at first, but only because it was an unfamiliar look, whereas the wider world took no notice. Given todays' "fashion", I now feel well dressed when showing my braces, and am pleased to see more men enjoying wearing them as well.

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