Popped brace buttons

Let's admit it: buttons pop off. It could be the button holding your waistline closed on your pants or skirt, buttons on your shirt or dress, or, as we are focusing here, brace buttons.

Brace buttons carry significant responsibility: to keep your pants up. You rely on them to do their role all the time. In fact, you probably don't think about the importance of their role until it's not there, that is, when the button is not there.






Contrary to belief, buttons popping off is not poor design. In fact, they are to protect the brace tabs. Would you rather have your brace tab break and be irreparable, or have a button pop off and simply replace the button? I think you'd agree that its easier to replace the button than the braces. There is an important engineering principal to use cheaper, replaceable parts (buttons) to minimize damage to more valuable parts (braces). Thus, by allowing buttons to pop off under significant stress, this saves the brace tabs and ultimately the braces. I would rather have a popped button than a broken button hole on the brace loop or broken braces.

One of the primary advantages argued by those in favor of clip-on suspenders is that buttons pop off and need time to sew them back on, whereas once a clip snaps off, it can be easily reattached. While this is true, it misses the point of that buttons are much more securely attached to the pants than a clip and the style benefits of buttons.

Easy come, easy go: Clip-ons are easy to attach, and easy to snap off

Buttons become detached for one of two reasons:
1. the button is pulled beyond it's capacity, and the thread capacity, and it gives way
2. the button is not under pressure, rather the button threads simply wear out over time resulting in the button slipping off

Let's look further at these 2 reasons.

1. Buttons under pressure
Given enough pull on the braces, buttons will pop off under sufficient strain. In West of Hot Dog (1924) a comedy with Stan Laurel, Stan is on way to collect an inheritance in the small town of Hot Dog when he is robbed by a gang of highwaymen. He's asked at gunpoint to come out of the carriage, which Stan signals he'll happily do by exiting the opposite side of the carriage - in order to make his getaway. Stan turns to exit, with his braces as the only thing available to restrain him. The highwaymen grabs the rear brace straps and pulls as Stan pushes forward. The camera angle shows Stan's rear braces pop off under the strain:

Rear buttons popping off under the strain

 

Stan falls forward, but the braces restrain him. The highwayman pulls the braces and Stan exits the carriage towards the highwayman. Stan's braces no longer hold up his pants and the remainder of the scene shows in comical fashion what happens when Stan raises his hands for the gunman.

Notice that the brace tab button holes on his braces are still intact. All Stan needs is two new buttons to be sewn on to his pants and he can use his braces again. Also notice the durability of the left button - only popping off after significant pressure. So unless someone has the braces in their firm grip and pulling them with all their might, braces generally do not pop-off. 

Clip-on suspenders snap off all the time and would need to be constantly attached, which is annoying - your pants are not held up when your suspender clips keep snapping off! The fact is, clip-on suspenders would have snapped off a lot sooner than the buttons popped off in this case. Therefore, use buttons.

Testing if any buttons will pop off

Brace thread
Ensuring buttons stay attached can partially be addressed by using a strong thread. But balance is needed when determining the strength of the button threads to anchor braces – too strong and the brace strap will break from pressure resulting in the braces not being usable, too weak and the button threads will be constantly failing and buttons popping-off, resulting in the need to sew on buttons. Therefore, use a stronger thread weight and strength for sewing on brace buttons.

 

This brace button is separating from the waistline as the thread is lengthened. The button is about to pop off due to poor quality brace thread

2. Button threads wearing out
Similar to other fabrics, thread can wear out over time, especially with constant use. It's also very thin and can be ground down. As a result, there can be a slow tearing of the thread that eventually causes the button to release. Sometimes this is quick and sometimes it's a very slow process.

 

I remember observing a man in a suit with his jacket off one summer day outside an office tower. He was wearing Y-back braces. His rear brace tabs were about an inch from the top of his waistline, as the braces were hanging on by a few strands of thread (similar to the photo of the lady above). It would only be a matter of time before those threads would give way and the buttons would not be secured to the waistline.


I used to think that brace buttons always became detached from strain or when pulled. Maybe it's because that's what I saw in movies and comics. I've come to learn from wearing braces for many years that this is not always the case - sometimes it's simply that the button thread wears out.

Case on point, I was working at a professional office a while back. I was wearing a brown pair of dress pants with stripped blue, inverse U-tab braces and a dress shirt. I had taken my suit jacket off for the day (as was customary). I went throughout my day with my braces on display and didn't think anything of it. The pants were securely attached and held in place by my braces - or so I thought.

Late in the afternoon I was walking down the hallway when a considerate lady stopped me to ask if my pants felt secure. I replied, "yes, thanks to my braces," lightly tugging on my straps. She clarified that she meant the rear of my pants.

A popped button on the rear inverse-U tab braces

"Do you know that one of your attachments is disconnected at the back?" I was shocked and instinctively reached back with my hand to confirm it was true. One side of my inverse U-tab had slid all the way up and the rear strap was only anchored by one button. I hadn't felt the change in tension at any point during the day!

"Oh no, you're right. I've popped a brace button," I said, feeling self-conscious and blushing. 

 

She smiled and said, "Don't worry, that can happen with any button. Buttons are easy to sew on. I bet you can sew another one on easily."

 

"Yes, I'll have to do that," I replied.

 

She continued on by stating how much she liked that I wear braces. "Your braces are so stylish and befitting of you. You look very dapper and professional. I hope you don't stop wearing braces because one button popped off?"

 

"No, definitely not," I replied. I thanked her and forced a smile.

 

While one button was detached and provided no support, I still felt secure and confident that my pants would stay where they should be, which is something you can't say for those wearing belts.

On another occasion in the winter, I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, sweater, and jacket outside in the snow. As I was walking along I felt my front right strap lose tension. I didn't stop as I figured the button had popped off and slipped down my pants and into my boot, as it was sewn on the inside of the waistband. Unfortunately, when I got inside to inspect, the inner button had popped off. But I couldn't find it when I shook my pants and looked in my boot. It must have pulled above the waistline and when it popped off, it fell outside the pants rather than inside. As the button was white and had fallen in white snow, I couldn't find it. I sewed another button on to replace the lost one and I was good to go.

 

In the summer time, when the snow had melted, I was walking along the same path with a friend. She pointed and said, there's a button. Is that one of your suspender buttons?

 

I looked down and picked up the white button.

 

Yes, I said, I think so, slipping it into my pocket. That button popped off my pants in the wintertime and I couldn't find it in the snow.

 

I like your button suspenders, she said. 

 

I agreed.

In conclusion, don't be too concerned about buttons popping off - it's a right of passage for us wearing braces.

Preventing and Repairing Broken Braces

Given the high level of pulling, tugging, and stretching that braces and suspenders endure, its no surprise that they break. And when they do, it can be an embarrassing moment, especially if your pants start slipping down. 

Where braces break 
On braces, the most common break occurs around the button holes on brace tabs (see diagram). Rubbing and tugging around the button threads can wear out either the button hole of the brace tabs or button threads that attach to the brace button. This is where the braces experience the full extent of the pull on the button to hold the pants up.

There is an ongoing battle between the braces pulling on the button to hold up the pants, and the button pulling on the brace tabs to stay attached to the pants. Eventually, one will succeed in breaking away, resulting in either a torn button hole and the button on the waistline, or a popped button and an buttonhole that remains intact.


Take for example, this picture from Norman Rockwell. You'll notice that the front, inner brace button has popped off, likely due to constant pull of the brace tab on this button.

The battle of the button and the brace tab may be short-lived, if the button thread cuts into the brace tab, the thread will cause the tear. It's nearly impossible to repair a broken buttonhole on a brace tab, so it's recommended that buttons be sewn in just enough to hold the braces to the pants, but not so securely that the button doesn't pop-off when needed. This will help save many brace tabs and braces from being ruined.

I've had the unfortunate situation of looking down to find a severed button hole on a brace tab. The button is still attached on the waistline, but of no use to anchor the brace tab. I've managed to super glue the button hole closed, or use a staple temporarily, but it usually breaks. The brace tab really needs to be replaced, and it's almost impossible to find leather in matching color to the other brace tabs.

The ability for braces to stretch is what makes them useful. But when braces are pulled or stretched beyond capacity, the buttons should pop-off to avoid ruining the braces. When the button pops off, this saves the braces. It's a lot easier to sew on a new button then to repair the brace tab that's torn. Which situation would you rather be in - needing to replace a button or needing to replace torn leather brace tab?


Here's some photos of people who could use a seamstress to sew on missing buttons. 

Both front, exterior brace buttons are popped off

The front left, exterior brace button has popped off

The front right, exterior brace button has popped off

Again, the front left, exterior brace button has popped off

Another example is presented below - this girl was a little over zealous when stretching her braces. The front, inner brace button has popped off (see below and close-up).

Notice the popped inner brace button

Close-up of popped front, inner brace button

The front inner buttons

From my observations of photos and personal experience, I would say that the front inner buttons are the most common place for any of the brace buttons to pop off. Every time you put your braces over your shoulder, you are applying pressure to these buttons. When you wear braces, the brace tab is constantly pulling up this part of the waistband, to keep the crease on pants straight. This puts most of the strain on the front inner buttons, not the outer ones.

Just this week, as I was fitting the brace tab on my front buttons, I heard threads tearing as I attached the tab to the button. Two minutes later, as I stand up, I see my left, front inner button start to separate from the waistband, as my inverse-U brace tabs apply tension. I take a few steps and the button detaches, leaving a dangling brace tab. I'm left to attach the tab to the outer brace button until I can sew on the button.

While you may think that the front outer buttons have the most pressure applied, this is not always true. Most of my buttons that have popped off have been the front inner ones.

When buying braces, inspect the brace tabs for firmness and quality - genuine leather is recommended (left), or woven material (right):

Secondly, a common place breaks occur is at the adjuster clip on the strap. The metal can wear down from frequent adjusting and use, causing it to lose its ability to hold the clip in place. A worn out clip will not hold the straps in place. 

A broken adjustor clip

 A third place area suspenders and braces break is in their elasticity. Elastic straps wear down over time and become brittle. For instance, the braces shown below are starting to show signs of deteriorating condition.

Deteriorating elastic straps

A fourth place is around the brace tabs. These can become brittle, frayed, or simply wear out.

Frayed brace tab

Brace tabs experience the full brunt of tension. If the leather is not up to the challenge, it will crack and break. I've worn an old pair of braces to the office. I should not have worn it, but the brown colors of my inverse V braces went well with my brown pants and blue dress shirt. As I stood up to talk with a colleague, I noticed my front inner brace tab was torn. I tucked the tab behind the outer brace tab, but it didn't stay there for long. My colleague politely did not point this out to me (but she did tell me the next time I wore those pants and had a different pair of braces on).

Where suspenders break
Suspenders are attached pants and skirts with alligator clips that grip material. This is the frequent breakage point, when the clip fails to grip the material, either due to excessive use or poor quality. When you purchase suspenders, examine the clips for strength. If one of your favorite suspenders has a broken clip, head over to a sewing store and pick up a new clip.

Suspender straps may also be attached by buttons, rather than clips. In the photo below, both ladies are wearing the same outfit of shorts with suspender straps. The lady on the right hasn't noticed that her rear right button has popped off, leaving the suspender strap hanging loose. This was likely due to the extra strain on the straps while riding.

Another area suspenders break is a tear on the brace strap. This is less common, but does come from getting snags. The suspenders are likely past repairs. However, before you throw them out, why not use the clips on another pair of suspenders?

Torn suspender strap

What to do with broken braces and suspenders
If you have broken braces or suspenders, consider re-purposing them by getting the necessary supplies from a sewing store. If the brace tabs are broken, you can try a leather store to inquire if they can repair them. If not, donate it to a thrift store and someone else may value your reject!

Discussion time:

1. Where do your braces/suspenders break?
2. Do you have any stories of braces or suspenders breaking at unfortunate moments?

Note: all photos are used solely for non-commercial use and to illustrate braces in fashion. No plagiarism is intended.