Tales of Brace-wearing (Part 3)

Remember the man working in a corporate office from Tales of Brace-wearing Part 1 and Part 2? We rejoin him about a week later.

Mid-morning the man was working in the office when two female colleagues knock on his door. They are excited and ask to show off their outfits.

“Sure,” says the man, “I have some time.”

“We love your braces so we did some shopping and put together these styles,” says the first lady. “As you can see, I’m wearing high-waisted, grey pants with burgundy braces and this white blouse.”

A similar style by Lena Horschek's collection

“Fantastic,” says the man. “That’s a classy outfit.”

“And I’m wearing a high-waisted pencil navy skirt with brown braces and this red blouse,” says the second lady.

“Equally fantastic,” says the man. “The browns go well with the pastels.”

“Thank you,” reply the ladies.

“And I’m wearing high-rise grey pants with green braces with this white dress shirt,” says the man.”

“So dapper,” says the first lady.

“Each of us have different colors and our different personalities displayed here, but we are all wearing braces,” says the man.

“That’s right,” says the second lady.

“I can’t get over how comfortable the braces are,” says the first lady. “Whether I’m sitting or standing, they comfortably rest there.”

The man smiled and said, “you’ve been converted to brace-wearing! You’ll wear braces for the rest of your life!”

“Yes!” says both ladies.

“Do you mind if we take a picture?” asks the second lady.

“Not at all, that would be great,” says the man.

And that’s how it came that a photo of the three co-workers wearing braces was taken.

National Suspenders Day 2021

Today we celebrate National Suspenders Day. Not that I don’t celebrate suspenders every day, but it’s nice to be recognized as a national day, whatever nation that is! 

It’s time to reflect on braces over the past year. The pandemic has seen many people shift their style to more casual, as they work from home. The term “Zoom fashion” has appeared – business casual from the waist up, and sweatpants or leggings from the waist down. Clothes are to be comfortable.

Over the past few months I’ve also taken to wearing more casual clothes. Currently, my go-to jeans are a pair of rich denim, high-waisted, regular fit jeans. My wife's first reaction was, “grandpa pants”, as they are baggy. The waist rises to my natural waistline, and does not stay up without the help of braces. Keeping with the farmer look, I have a pair of wide, stripped, X-back braces that coordinate well with the ruggedness of the jeans. The brace straps are wide with 3 stripes in the middle: black, red, and black. I have not worn wide brace straps before - these are 2 inches wide. I can see why lumberjacks and farmers wear thicker straps as they are more comfortable with lots of bending and twisting.

Lumber-jack stripped braces with jeans

Jeans without the cardigan

And the back is X-back style which provides excellent support above each pant leg. The wide spacing of the rear buttons is very helpful in keeping my jeans in place.

X-back style on my lumber-jack braces

I’ve worn this style around town and seen similar men wear high waisted jeans with suspenders. The styles of the 1980s are coming back: loose fitting jeans, bell bottoms, and over-sized sweaters and jackets, and this fits into that style. 

I was at the grocery store yesterday wearing these clothes. My cardigan was unbuttoned and open, allowing my stripped braces to be displayed. A nice lady stopped me and said, “Hi sir, it’s nice to see you are wearing suspenders to hold up your pants. I wish more young men would wear suspenders to keep their pants from looking scruffy. You look great!”

“Thank you,” I replied, “Suspenders do a great job of holding up my pants,” as I slid my fingers along the straps. "I need suspenders to support these baggy pants."

“Enjoy them,” she said with a smile, and we continued on our way.

Happy National Suspender Day!

Brace Buttons on the Outside or Inside of the Waistband?

Once you’ve decided to wear braces with buttons, the next step is to determine whether the buttons should go on the inside of the waistband or on the outside. It's a significant decision with pros and cons.But first, how did we get here?

Gary Cooper has brace buttons on the outside of his waistband

Buttons were historically sewn on the outside as it was easier to sew completely through the fabric, and the buttons were generally kept behind a vest, at least at the front. At the rear, the vest would rise slightly and you generally saw the rear brace tabs peaking out and attached to buttons on the outside of the waistband.

After World War II men turned to belts over braces. As men shed vests, the buttons migrated to the inside, for reasons no one completely knows. Some say it was to hide the buttons as they were thought of to be part of your undergarments. I don't buy that as buttons are on display on suit jackets, pants, and many other garments. There's nothing wrong with seeing buttons on clothing, so why hide brace buttons?

My theory from looking at countless historical photos of people wearing braces - men and women, and young and old - is that when the pants or skirt had belt loops, the brace buttons went on the inside. When the pants or skirt had no belt loops, the brace buttons generally went on the outside of the waistband.

The problem with moving the buttons to the inside is that they lost some of the functionality: enter the dreaded rollover.

The terrible waistband roll-over

When sewing buttons on the inside, if the button thread does not go all the way through the waistline the braces will pull up the inside of the waistline, separating from the outside of the waistline. The inside lining of the waistline rises, but not the outside lining of the waistline. This looks terrible and is what's called the roll-over:

Roll-over of the waistline

The braces still hold up the pants, but this looks very sloppy. It shows poor workmanship for whoever sewed the buttons on.

To avoid the rollover, make sure the button threads are sewn almost completely through the waistline - make sure the lining is secured to the button. It may also help to put the button on the upper portion of the waistline to minimize the separation. Pants from the first part of last century have brace buttons lined at the top of the waistline to also avoid this problem.

Or you may consider sewing completely through the pants using the same color thread as the pant material, but this can appear as poor workmanship and should be avoided where possible.

Alternatively, get acquainted with where buttons were put when braces were first invented: on the outside of the waistband.

 

Buttons on the outside of the waistband of this man in this vintage photograph

Advantages of wearing buttons on the outside

The advantages of wearing buttons on the outside are the additional style and design choices from having buttons on display. While it may not be appropriate for a traditional business suit, you can wear colored buttons to accent the waistline and braces on different outfits. Women tended to do this in the past.

Clara Bows wears braces with accented, exterior buttons on her high waist shorts

 

Another advantage of having exterior buttons is at the rear. As you bend forward, buttons on the outside allow your brace tabs to follow your spine and support your pants at the rear. Buttons sewn on the inside would pull on the waistline, as it creates a tangent from your spine.

In addition, when wearing a vest, buttons sewn on the outside allow the vest to slide down the brace tab and onto the pants, whereas the vest can get stopped up when it slides down on buttons sewn on the inside.

I’ve read that buttons on the inside add pressure to the waist and can hurt. I think the waistband is too tight in these cases, and braces are not necessary. In fact, pants worn with braces should be about 1 inch looser then your standard waist measurement to allow them to actually suspend your pants!

As a final advantage to having exterior buttons, in the unlikely event that a button starts to come apart and pop off, it's easier to notice and bystanders can point it out before the button pops off and is lost. This is especially helpful for rear buttons. I was wearing a pair of high-waisted cotton chinos with exterior brace buttons. I had a number of errands to run that day. When I was in line at the grocery store, a nice lady tapped me on the arm and mentioned that my rear button was coming off. I reached around to feel the loose button. I thanked her as I fiddled with the button before it came off.

 

Disadvantages of wearing buttons on the outside

There are disadvantages: buttons can catch on things, such as the backs of chairs. If a button were to pop off, it would catapult outward and could hurt bystanders. They also look more vintage, which may be exactly the look you are going for!

Kirsten Bell wearing vintage braces (with buttons on the outside)

Furthermore, if you want to wear pants with both Y-back and X-back braces, it is best to have different button placement for each to accommodate the Y and X anchors. This means that you need four buttons on the rear waistline. When these four buttons are on the outside, two buttons will be unused. This looks unpolished; like having empty belt loops when wearing braces. Therefore, if you plan to wear both Y-back and X-back braces at different button placements, it's recommended to put the buttons on the inside.

The other disadvantage to having buttons on the outside is that they should all be the same type of button. If by chance, you lose a button or two and can't find exact replicas, it would be best to remove the remaining buttons on the outside and sew them all on the inside to not show off your miss-matched buttons - unless you don't mind that look. A pair of my work jeans has a whole collection of random, miss-matched buttons sewn on the inside, and nobody knows except for me!

Buttons on the inside and outside?

In case you are thinking about it, it's totally acceptable to have your front buttons different from your rear buttons – or vice versa. I’ve even seen the front inner buttons be on the inside and the front side buttons be on the outside! Now that’s changing it up.

It's quite common to have the front buttons sewn into the inside of the waistband, and the rear buttons sewn onto the outside of the waistband. This is stylish, but also has a functional aspect from simple physics. When a person is standing up, their back is straight, like a vertical, straight line. When they bend their torso forward, this creates a curvature along the spin. The further the bend, the more curved the spin.

When buttons on sewn on the inside of the waistband, the waistband tends to stay straight and drift apart from where the brace tabs are - that is, the waistband does not remain flush. It's a slight separation between the shirt and waistband. In physics, this is a tangent that follows the curvature but remains a straight line.

When buttons are sewn on the outside of the waistband, the brace tabs maintain the flush effect with the shirt. The brace tabs overlay the waistband and keep it along your spine.

This man's rear braces are attached on the outside of the
waistband and pull the pant fabric when he bends forward

My personal preference

When I started wearing braces I hid the buttons on the inside of the waistband. This was partly because that’s what I saw and hadn’t researched the history of braces at that point. I then came across the “Hollywood waist” where there’s no waistband on the pants – the fabric goes all the way up to the waist. This style looked very interesting and implied that the vertical line could go from head to toe with minimal breaks. I saw a lot of these pants with the buttons on the outside of the waistband. The more I wore pants with braces, the more I came to enjoy the style and the throwback to when every man wore braces. 

Over time and the more I learned about the history of braces, I have grown to appreciate having my rear buttons on the outside of my waistband. Buttons used to be sewn on the outside and that's more of a vintage vibe, which I prefer. This gives an accent of color and shows off how the braces attach to my pants. When people see that I'm wearing braces, one of their first questions is how the braces attach to the waistline. I state it's with buttons and then turn around to show them!

My current preference is to highlight the rear brace buttons
on the outside of the waistband

I quite like seeing buttons on the outside of the waistline, even if I can't see mine at the rear when wearing braces. It's an opportunity to use buttons that are more decorative and unique. The details of the brace tabs next to the waistline, with a button showing is quite spectacular.

I'll leave the decision up to you whether to put your buttons on the outside or inside of the waistline.

My current preference is for both! The buttons at the front are sewn on the inside to keep a polished look, and then the rear buttons are on the outside to allow the brace tabs to be flush with the back, better support the waistband, and to highlight the rear buttons! That said, I do have quite a few pairs of pants with front and rear buttons on the outside, or pants with front and rear buttons on the inside of the waistband..

In conclusion, where you put your brace buttons is up to you and your style. If you have many pants, do a combination of both!

Braces in the Summer

With summer around the corner, comes warm weather and a challenge to stay cool. You want your clothes to be airy and breathable: this is not the time for skin-tight pants! Even if your pants are roomy, the problem can be at the waist – when you tighten a belt. This is exactly where braces are perfect for achieving summer coolness – in both senses of the word! 

When pants are loose at the waistline and pant legs it allows air to flow and circulate hotter air up and cooler air in. In order to maintain the pants at your desired height, braces should be used. With looser pants, the pants should actually be suspend by braces. That is, the pants would simply fall down when braces are not worn as well.

Stripped navy braces with dress pants for a more casual look

In addition, while you may want to wear t-shirt and shorts all the time, this may not be appropriate for all occasions. Take a wedding, for example. It’s generally not appropriate to wear shorts (although there are some exceptions), so a man must wear pants. However, he can be stylish and functional by wearing looser fitting, high-waisted, vintage pants supported by braces. Braces add a formal touch to your outfit and allow you to express your personality.

Or take an example from the corporate environment. It is generally not appropriate to wear shorts to the office, so pants are a necessity for men or women. Here again, you can be stylish and functional by wearing looser fitting, high-waisted, vintage pants supported by braces. Braces add a sophisticated touch and express your personality. This style looks great on both men and women.

High-rise checkered pants with braces

High-rise pants with braces by Staud Clothing - perfect for the office

From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that pants with air flow are superior to tighter pants on hot summer days. This can only be achieved with the help of braces. It’s a win-win - braces complement the outfit and provide air to move - style and function at the same time! 

In addition, people recognize the effort I’ve put in to my personal, vintage style. They comment that the high-waisted pants coordinate well with the braces. Or they reminisce about growing up with a similar style.

On a Spring day this week I wore a blue dress shirt with beige pants for a business meeting. The pants are roomier at the waist, which helped keep me cool.

My beige pants with burgundy braces

The meeting went well and I was very comfortable, all the while displaying my burgundy braces. I said goodbye and left the meeting. As I was leaving the coffee shop, I walked past a young lady who interrupted me to say, "Nice suspenders!" nodding her head in approval. I smiled and thanked her. It's so nice to receive compliments on my braces and style. I will be wearing this style again.

On another occasion, I wore a pair of brown, high-waisted pants with braces. I chose a thin pair of Y-back, blue braces with inverse V-tabs. My pants are light-weight and floated as the braces are also very light. I think this is why men historically wore thinner, light-weight braces in the summer. While thicker braces straps may be more secure, I don't always need them when the pants are light-weight and I want air movement.

Are you heading to a wedding or the corporate function this summer? Wear braces for comfort and style. I’d love to hear your experience and what people’s comments are on your style.

Tales of Brace-wearing (Part 2)

Remember the man working in a corporate office from "Tales of Brace-wearing (Part 1)"? 

We rejoin him as he visits an elderly lady and her adult son at a business meeting. 

The man knocks on the door and is greeted by the son, “Welcome, glad you could come out to us rather than us going to your office today.”

“My pleasure,” says the man.

“May I take your coat?” asks the adult son.

“Sure,” replies the man.

“I can also take your suit jacket, if you’d like - my mother likes to keep the temperature toasty in here,” says the son.

“Sure,” replies the man as his mother walks up.

“Welcome to my home,” says the elderly lady smiling. “Thank you for coming to me. I must say, you are well dressed in your high-rise pants and braces. I haven’t seen those in years! That is so lovely.”

“Thank you, I find them very comfortable and love the nostalgia of braces,” says the man.

 “As do I,” says the lady. “I grew up when all boys and men wore braces with their pants. Nobody thought twice about it; braces were commonplace.”

Errol Flynn wearing braces

“I’d love to have grown up in that era,” says the man.

 “Well, here we are. At least you can wear clothing from that era. I see you are wearing braces with buttons, not clips,” said the lady. “That’s the correct way to wear braces. How did you find pants with brace buttons? Do they still make them?”

“Oh I didn’t,” replied the man. “I found these pants at a thrift store and sewed the buttons on.”

“I see”, says the lady, “and you know something about button placement - above the main pleat and on the side. You’ve done your research. I used to be a seamstress back in my day. Can I see the rear of the pants?”

The man turns around to reveal his back side.

“Beautiful,” says the lady. “I see the rear buttons are attached on the outside of the waistband, but the front ones are on the inside. Why the difference?”

“Two reasons,” replies the man. “First, I like the look of the brace tabs overlaying the buttons, on top of the waistband. As you commented, its a beautiful look! Secondly a practical reason: when buttons were sewn into the inside, the waistband had multiple layers and the pull of the button would cause the waistband to separate internally. So I decided to sew them on the outside to keep the brace tab flush with the waistband.”

“Yes, the rollover effect,” says the lady. “That’s why I would sew all the buttons on the outside of the waistband.”

“Oh yes, I forgot you were a seamstress,” says the man.

“Yes, I’ve sewn my fair share of brace buttons in my day,” says the lady. 

“I’m so glad some young people these days are getting back to the classics of style. Some people call it vintage, but that’s what I grew up with and familiar with. You look so dashing in your braces – keep wearing them!”

“Thank you, I will!” says the man.

The lady continued, “some people think braces should not be shown in public. I don’t know where that came from because back in my day braces were worn and shown. It was commonplace to see men in dress shirts and braces without a jacket or waistcoat, especially in  hot, summer months. Men had a jacket for meetings, for instance, but took it off around the office or at home.”

“That’s interesting to hear,” said the man. “I’ve heard conflicting advice that braces should not be seen, but then why have interesting designs and patterns on the braces? It’s comforting to hear it from you.” 

“You’re welcome,” replied the lady. “Don’t think twice about wearing braces in public – more young people should. I enjoy the different styles and patterns of braces like you said,” says the lady.

“Thanks,” says the man.

“We could probably continue talking about style and braces all day, let’s move on to why you came today,” says the lady.

“Absolutely,” says the man, as he smiles and strides across the room in his high-waist pants and braces.