The Comical side of Suspenders and Braces

Suspender straps can be made out of various materials, including boxcloth, cloth, and elastic. Most suspenders used by the general public are made of elastic material. This flexibility is needed when bending, leaning, and shifting throughout the day. However, stretch has its downside: it snaps and gets caught in things. As such, suspenders and braces can be used for humor and comical relief. How many vintage films have you seen where someone snaps a strap to inflict pain on their culprit? Or when a suspender button pops off and their pants fall down.

Here are some examples I’ve come across where braces help get a laugh.

Tintin in "The Crab with the Golden Claws"

After crashing their plane in the middle of the Sahara desert, Tintin and Captain Haddock set off to find civilization. The beating sun causes them to strip their layers of clothing, with Haddock revealing that he is wearing a pair of Y-back braces.

Captain Haddock wears black braces

The heat eventually gets to Haddock, and he suffers a heat stroke. Haddock imagines Tintin as a bottle of champagne and starts wrestling him to the ground. During the skirmish Haddock’s front braces surprisingly pop off. Haddock comes to his senses for a moment, but then sees a mirage and makes a dash for it. With his front buttons popped off, this leaves his braces dangling behind him. Snowy the dog dashes off in pursuit of Haddock. The closest thing Snowy can grab to slow Haddock down are his flapping braces, which Snowy does.

Snowy trying to slow down Haddock

But it’s futile. The rear brace buttons pop off, Haddock tumbles over, and Snowy receives the full impact of the snapped braces in his face. Ouch! Now Haddock has to wander through the desert with pants that sag down.

Laurel and Hardy in "Bacon Grabbers"

Classic comedians, Stan and Oliver, are trying to enter a house through the second floor using a ladder, but it doesn’t quite reach the top. Oliver decides to elevate the ladder up to his waist, so Stan can reach the second floor. While wrestling and juggling of the ladder, the ladder ends up sit on Oliver’s waistline, on top of his brace buttons. As with Tintin, Oliver’s front brace buttons conveniently pop off very quickly from the strain. While Stan is being obstructed with a dust broom, Oliver’s braces are now behind him. However, his jacket is still on, which would inhibit the straps from falling below the waistline. But for the sake of the joke, the straps are now dangling below.


A curious dog comes out of nowhere and starts tugging on Oliver’s dangling brace straps. However, the rear buttons are remarkable strong and remain attached to the pants, unlike the front ones – but that’s all for the gag. Oliver is left holding up the ladder and holding up his pants, which are being dragged down by the dog’s grip on his braces. All for the comical moment.

A dog finds Oliver's dangling braces

These two comical moments are the norm - braces pop off and the loose straps are used for the ensuing gag. The next example is different and probably more common.


Ginger Rogers in "Monkey Business"

In this 1952 movie Cary Grant plays Dr. Barnaby Fulton, a research chemist trying to discover the fountain of youth. He is under the supervision of Oliver Oxley. Barnaby’s wife, Edwina Fulton, is played by Ginger Rogers. Barnaby accidentally digests a dose which temporarily causes him to act like a teenager. After recovering, Barnaby is quick to retest his theory of the mixture and Edwina willingly joins in. Barnaby’s boss, Oliver is also very curious to see the results and wants to watch. That sets the scene for Barnaby, Edwina, and Oliver together in the laboratory with all eyes on Edwina. She takes the mixture, but doesn’t react immediately. Barnaby and Oliver begin discussing if it will take effect or not.

Stepping back, Oliver Oxley is a middle-aged man with a large midsection. Similar to Oliver Hardy above, he is wearing a customary 1950s work outfit - a 2-piece dark suit with a white dress shirt and spotted tie. This was the standard style for office men during the 50s, worn by young and old alike. His pants are high-rise with the waistline coming above his navel. He wears a pair of inverse-U braces to hold his pants at a constant height - a belt not be effective to hold up the pants of this portly gentlemen. This is all evident because Oliver's left hand is in his trouser pocket, pushing his suit jacket back and displaying the inverse U-tabs of his braces. I'd also guess that his brace straps are polka-dotted to coordinate with his neck tie.

The camera angle focuses on the discussion between Barnaby and Oliver, with Edwina sitting on a chair to the left. During the scene you can see Oliver’s diaphragm expand and contract as he inhales and exhales. His pants waistband is larger than his waist, but thanks to his braces, his trousers do not slip down. Instead, his braces keep the waistline at a comfortable position throughout his breathing. His brace buttons are positioned perfectly along his waistline to support his waistline and pants. He looks very comfortable and calm, unaware that his loose waistline is an important part in the next joke.

Edwina sitting down and looking at Barnaby and Oliver

Turning back to Edwina, she would be familiar with men’s pants style of her day. She would know that the waistline of pants have room between their stomach and waistline, and are held up by braces. In fact, she would see that Oliver is wearing braces. As the youthful mixture takes effect, Edwina looks at Oliver’s waistline. She could have tugged on his braces, but that would have been too obvious. Instead she looks around and finds a nearby bucket of small fish.

With Barnaby and Oliver deep in discussion the camera angle changes to focus on Edwina. She scoops up a small fish from the bowl and brings it to Oliver’s waist. She pulls his waistline back at the front as he exhales, and drops the fish down the inside of his pants.

 

While still pulling his waistline, she looks up to see if Oliver has noticed, which he hasn’t, for the sake of the joke. 

Edwina lets go of the waistline, which gently slips back into place, thanks to the tension of Oliver's braces. One would think that the pullback of Oliver's waistband would alert him to look down, but he's oblivious for the sake of the joke. It could also be that because Oliver is wearing inverse-U brace tabs instead of inverse-V braces tabs. As a result, when Edwina pulls on the waistband, the inverse-U braces adjust and slide along the arch, so Oliver does not feel the change in tension. If he was wearing inverse-V brace tabs, the tension would have pulled his front brace straps forward slightly as the brace buttons are pulled together.

 

Oliver is unaware that a fish is now in his pant leg, much to Edwina's anticipation. As an aside, compare the above screen shot to the one below, you can notice the change in Oliver's diaphragm when he inhales and exhales. The larger, more comfortable waist size of Oliver's pants are adequately supported by his braces.

As the fish begins nipping on his leg, Oliver starts to twitch. It’s a humorous moment and makes the transition from adult-Edwina to youthful-Edwina seamless. All thanks to a pair of pants worn with braces!

Here's the full sequence in a gif:

 

Or a cartoon from the Archie collection.

Ginger in "Ginger" Cartoon Magazine

This 1951 teenager magazine focused on braces in a short story:

If you think about it, there are a series of conveniences that would not ordinarily happen - the skirt has buttons already to attach the braces, the rear strap gets caught in the tree branch, and the skirt and slip remain up on the tree when Ginger jumps down. Ordinarily, the braces would pop off or the branch would break, and the skirt would follow Ginger down the tree. But that's all for the laugh.

Poppy (1936)

This vintage movie has Poppy attempting to connect his rear braces to his waistband - but after he's put his pants on already. Watch here from the 3:37 to 4:26 mark. Being a larger man, he struggles to hook the buttons on. It doesn't help that he's wearing a gloves. He tries and they snap back up, startling him. It's good comic relief. One of the comments also mentions that they like the suspenders snapping.


Discussion:

• What scenes from movies or television shows have you seen that use suspenders or braces to get a laugh?
• Do you have any memories of comical moments with braces?

Swing Dancing and Braces

Swing dancing originated in the 1920s, and is connected with Jazz and Big Band music. Style reflects culture and this was true during this period. Dancers took up the clothing of time, which was heavily influenced by the social ideas of the day. Style was reflected in music, which was flamboyant, easy-going, and unique. 

Swing dancing was meant to be fun and relieve stress. It was a social activity that allowed you to connect with people. All ages came together at the dance hall to meet others, talk, and usually dance.

Here's some videos to illustrate the style, music, and dance. 

Here's some lindy hop dancers from the movie Day at the Races (1937) and a color version here. All of the male dancers wear braces to keep their high-rise pants high! The opening dance off with the portly man shows how useful braces are to swing dancers - he would not be able to pull off his moves and keep his pants from sliding down without the help of braces.

This man's ready to dance, wearing braces with his high-rise trousers

During this era women wore knee-length, pleated or circular skirts and dresses in flamboyant colors. The key was that the bottom half had plenty of material for dancing and allowed the material to flow wave like a flag. If wearing a skirt, it was usually high-waisted, sometimes with braces or simple straps over the shoulders to accommodate the high waist. 

A classy swing, circular skirt with built-in shoulder straps

Men always wore full suits: a jacket and tie, and sometimes a vest. Akin to the ladies style, men’s suit pants were high-rise held up with button-on braces.

Another example is from the 1943 movie, "Kid Dynamite". The scene opens with 2 ladies pinning dance numbers on the back of their partner's suit jackets. The ladies are both wearing high-waisted skirts with suspender straps attached. One lady's straps cross in the back and the other lady's straps do not. As you'll find out, this will be a problem.

The men are wearing suits. During the scene, as the dancers move around, the jackets open and we catch glimpses of high-waisted pants, which would have been held up with braces. 

The dancing commences and dancers start to boogie and move in all different positions. They twist and turn and enjoy dancing. It's a fantastic time. At the 3:25 mark, the lady's right suspender strap slips off her shoulder. Her straps don't cross in the back, and with all the movement, the strap can't stay in place on her shoulder. Switching back to the other dance partners, the lady's crossed shoulder straps are in place even though she's widely dancing around as well. The song ends and the lady pulls her suspender strap up again. This would get annoying, and is the reason for crossing the straps in the back.

Here's another video that illustrates both of these styles: a pair of lindy hop dancers, Dean and Jewel. They are wearing quintessential swing dance outfits: Dean is wearing white, high-rise pants with braces, and Jewel is wearing a flamboyant skirt with shoulder straps. Her vertical straps have a horizontal strap in the same fabric across her bust, which keeps her straps in place, regardless of her vigorous movement.

Coles and Atkins jazz dancers in classic high-rise trousers with braces and suit jacket

And finally, women sometimes opted for high-rise trousers when dancing and wore suspenders with them, such as this lady:

Lady dancer wearing Lederhosen-style suspenders

I find it interesting that both women’s and men’s styles have two common features:

1. Roomy and comfortable fit: the clothes were not skin tight or overly baggy. Skirts and pants were roomy to allow air movement and flow of the fabric; they were not tight or restrictive.
2. High-rise: the waistline of skirts and pants was at the belly button, or higher - at the rib cage. The high-rise provides a lengthening effect of the legs.

Both dancers are wearing braces

The combination of these two features required a third feature: braces or straps, as roomy pants and skirts need to be held up at the high waistlines. Belts simply were able to support the pants or skirt at the high waistline. It’s no surprise then that people during this era wore braces – it fit the style! It’s also not surprising that swing dancers continue to wear this style.

Notice the braces on the lady's skirt

The activity of swing dancing involves a lot of movement – twisting, bending, and shuffling to name a few. Braces are excellent at moving in tandem with the body with the constant movement, and maintaining the waistline and pants (or skirt) at their proper position. 

Classic dance clothes: Men take off your jackets!

 

***

I once read a story of two swing dance partners at a competition. The man was wearing high-rise, vintage pants held up by braces. He had worn the braces many times before and had no problems. The choreographed routine called for the woman to roll over the man’s back, and then be lifted upward by the man, his arms above his shoulders.

A pair of vintage dancers. Notice the man's high rise pants held up by braces

During the competition, everything was going as planned. However, as the women rolled over the man’s spine, something unexpected happened. The man bent down to hoist her up and his rear brace strap catapulted upward like a released balloon. The Y-back strap followed the lady skyward. In the blink of an eye, the once secure braces were now loose and flapping around the man’s upper body. Both the man and women were stunned, but smiled and carried on their routine. The braces flapped around and got entangled in hand-offs and dance moves. But worse was the man’s pants, which quickly lost their high-rise status and slowly sank lower and lower with every twist and move. They finished their routine and quickly left the stage, the man clutching his rear waistline and the lady attempting to help by pulling down on the rear brace strap.

Out of the spotlight, the lady felt responsible as the braces snapped off when she rolled over his back. She figured she had done something that caused the buttons to pop off. The man knew the lady meant no harm, and didn't do it intentionally. He was more interested in reattaching the strap, if possible. As a seamstress, the lady was the best person to mend it. She mentioned to the man that it was unusual for both buttons to pop off at the same time. She flipped the waistband over to inspect the inside of his pants. The lady found torn threads where a button used to be and, to her surprise, an anchored button still attached to the waistband! Instead of both buttons popping off, one button had stayed on. She looked back at the rear brace tab and found that the leather on a tab had torn apart, separating the brace tab from the button. Under the pressure of the man bending down, the left button popped off and at the same time the brace tab separated. The brace tab couldn't hold and so tore apart. The tear in the brace tab was serious damage and could not be repaired. It was brittle, likely from getting damp from sweat during swing dancing, and then drying afterwards, as the women explained to the man. The constant cycle made the leather brittle.

Swing dancing with braces is very common

All was not lost though, she said, as one button was still securely attached to the man's waistband. The women suggested attaching the functioning brace tab to the other side where the remaining button was,  and the man agreed. The women pulled the dangling rear strap down and attached it to the single button. It looked slightly lopsided, but it would hold the man's pants up for the remainder of the day. As a safety check, the lady lightly pulling back and snapping the rear strap. All good to go, she said. The waistline returned to it's high-rise state. They were ready for the next routine later that day. But the man had learned his lesson: always check your braces buttons and brace tabs before a major competition.

Discussion

• Are you a swing danger? Do you wear high-waist trousers or skirts with suspenders or straps?
• Have you had any issues wearing braces or straps while dancing
• If you wear braces with vintage pants or vintage high-rise skirts with straps when you go dancing, do people complement you on your look?

Summer style

Summer brings 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 around your waist. That’s exactly where braces are perfect for achieving summer coolness – in both meanings of the word! Braces suspend your pants at the waistline, not constrain it. This allows the waistline to be roomier and allow air to flow around your torso. 

While you may want to wear t-shirt and shorts all the time, this may not be suitable for all occasions. Take for example a wedding. It’s generally not appropriate to wear shorts, so a man must wear pants. However, he can be stylish and functional by wearing slightly roomier, high-waisted pants, supported by braces. Braces add a formal touch to your outfit and allow you to express your personality.

Maroon braces with pants and short sleeve dress shirt

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

Classic black braces with black pants and no-sleeve dress shirt

Pants that allow air to flow around the torso will provide more a comfortable and cooler disposition. This can only be achieved if the pants are roomier and that can only be achieved with the help of braces. It’s a win-win, braces complement the outfit and provide air movement - style and function at the same time!

Roomy, stripped pants with braces

The goal is roominess rather than bagginess. This can be a fine line - be careful not to go overboard. Generally it’s one size up from your normal size.

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

Suspender connections: Inverse-V compared to Inverse-U

After deciding whether to connect the straps to the waistline using clip-ons or buttons, the
next question is the style of connections for buttons. Button-on braces have 2 distinct styles: inverse-V and inverse-U tabs (or connections). 

Various brace connections (from left to right): inverse-V, cord, and inverse-U tabs

As implied by the name, an inverse-V tab has two small tabs, or strips of leather, that fan out from the shoulder strap and attach to the buttons on the waistline (left braces on the photo above). An inverse-U tab also has two tabs that attach to the two waistline buttons, but has a single leather strap that loops onto itself from one button to the other, centering on the shoulder strap (right braces on the photo above). Depending on the tension on the braces, it can resemble an inverse-V shape, but is more oval.

Comfortable and relaxed, the inverse-U tabs keep everything aligned

Both styles have their advantages and disadvantages. Inverse-V tabs are the traditional choice and were the first to appear in history. They offer a rigid anchor from the shoulder strap to the waistline. For example, leaning forward results in tension in the shoulder strap, pulling the inverse-V tab, putting pressure on the side brace button, and pulling the side of the waistline in the same direction. Inverse-V tabs are perfect for keeping the waistline at a constant height, especially the side of the pant waistline.

Historically, supporting the front (center seam) and side seam of the pants was important. In fact, for the front brace tabs, the traditional inverse-V tabs have the brace tabs closest to the center about half an inch longer in length compared to the tabs on the side (see photo below). This is to accommodate more portly men and to position the shoulder strap further to the side then straight down the middle of the chest. Look for this when you are considering purchasing inverse-V tab braces, as a way to discern if the braces are a true vintage piece (or replica). This style of tabs was very common in the 1930s and 40s.

Inverse-V tabs. Notice the center brace tabs are slightly longer
than the side brace tabs

Inverse-U tabs are somewhat more modern. They allow the shoulder strap to glide along the inverted U arch, in unison with the body’s movement. This provides more freedom and superior comfort. For example, leaning forward results in the shoulder strap sliding forward to the center button; leaning backwards, the strap slides backwards. At the rear, when you wear Y-back braces, when you lean left, the tab will shift to the left; when you lean right, the tab will shift to the right. Everything in line, everything comfortable.

To illustrate further, below is a photo of Robert Shaw playing Doyle Lonnegan in The Sting, 1973. He is wearing inverse-U tab braces, which I've highlighted in red. To show the difference, I've over-layed what an inverse-V tab brace would look like for comparison. In this still capture, as he bends down, the change in the shoulder straps position shifts. Notice how his strap on the inverse-U tab (red outline) shifts towards the inner center button, accommodating his body movement. This is in contrast to if he was wearing inverse-V tabs (the blue outline). The inverse-V tab would have stayed rigid and put strain on the outer side button, pulling up that area. Either way, his waistline stays well supported.

Doyle Lonnegan from The Sting, 1973

As you can likely see by now, inverse-U tabs result in less strain on the brace buttons compared to inverse-V tabs. This is because the inverse-U style allow the tension to be shifted as it glides along the arch, and minimizes tension over the two brace buttons rather than being locked into one position. This is likely the reason this style has become a predominant style for button braces, and my theory is that it results in less buttons popping off. This concept was fully used by President Suspenders in gliding and shifting to the body’s position.

Ad for President Suspenders showing the conforming nature to every movement

Further to this point, lumberjacks need braces to keep their jeans up during their strenuous manual labour. The most common style of braces for lumberjacks is X-back braces with inverse-U connections at the front. This provides solid support at the rear and flexibility for movement at the front. There are also inverse-V tabs at the front, but I generally see inverse-U tabs.
 

All this to say, I do still see a fair share of inverse-V connections and like them as well. 

Drawbacks

What are the drawbacks of each? For inverse-U tabs, if one of the buttons pops off (which is rare), the shoulder strap pulls to the end of the half circle and becomes slack. This would not have as large an impact for inverse-V tabs. If a button pops off, the tension in the shoulder strap remains relatively strong because the remaining brace tab is not dependent on the other brace tab to function. The released brace tab now flaps around, making its presence known. The inverse-U tab is dependent on both buttons staying anchored, whereas the inverse-V connection is not.

For inverse-V tabs there is more tension on the brace buttons, as it cannot glide. This is generally the case on the side brace buttons, which experiences more strain as people bend forward throughout the day. Case in point, this happened to this lady in the photo below:

Note the popped button and loose brace strap

When braces were very popular, most men chose inverse-U tabs. This is likely because of the comfort and flexibility they offered. If a button happened to pop off, you simply looped the dangling tab to the remaining anchor.

What should you wear: inverse-U or inverse-V tabs? Ultimately it’s a decision on whether you prefer a more rigid anchors or prefer to have your shoulder straps glide along and shift with your movements.


Personally, I have both inverse-V and inverse-U tabs and enjoy both. But if you ask me when do I forget that I’m wearing braces because they conform to my movement, it’s when I’m wearing inverse-U tabs. They accommodate the body’s movements so effortlessly!

Discussion:

• Which style do you prefer: inverse-V or inverse-U tabs? Why?
• Have you noticed how inverse-U tabs glide to align with your movement?

Tales of a Brace-wearer (Part I)

A man was in his first week at a new corporate office. The corporate dress code was primarily suits but also blazers and dress pants.
One day the man was stopped by a couple of female colleagues. “Can we ask you a question?” one asked, “We’ve been talking about your style; your suits look so well put together.”
“Thank you,” said the man.
The lady continued, “Your clothes fit well, and you look comfortable in them: your shirt stays tucked in, your pants don’t drag on the ground, your pants stay at your waistline, you’re not constantly adjusting your pants like other guys around here. Your pants stay in place, but I don’t see you wearing a belt. If you don’t wear a belt, then you must be wearing … suspenders?”

Box-cloth braces

With a smile, the man flipped open his jacket to reveal a pair of royal blue braces.
“I knew it had to be suspenders!” exclaimed the second lady.
“Yes, these are the answer to why everything fits together. They are very comfortable and practical, and I don’t need to be concerned about my pants all day,” said the man.
 “What kind of suspenders are those? I have not seen suspenders with leather attachments at the waist before. How do they attach to the pants?”
“There are small buttons sewn onto the waistband of my pants. The straps are connected by these brace tabs that are either in an inverted-V or inverted-U – these are inverted-U. When suspenders attach to the pants with buttons they are generally called ‘braces’, and when they attach with alligator clips they are called ‘suspenders’. Some pants have the buttons on the outside of the waistband, some on the inside, depending on your preference.”
“I see,” said the second lady. “That’s so classy. I love the look. Buttons are more sophisticated than clips.”
“I prefer the buttons over the clips as well. In addition to being classy, when you have buttons there are more anchor points to keep my pants aligned all day long, regardless of my movements. But there’s more to it than just brace tabs attached to buttons. The buttons are positioned in specific locations along the waistline to anchor the pants, both at the front and back.” The man motioned with his hand, “let me explain: see how the buttons are aligned directly with the pleats, and on the side of the pants with the pockets?”
“Yes” agreed the women.
“The brace buttons secure the pants at the right locations – at the pleat line, to keep the line perfectly straight, and at the pockets. Think of it as an anchor here at the pleat line,” pointing to the location, “and an anchor here at the pockets. A single anchor - whether attached by a single brace tab or alligator clip - would be insufficient, regardless of where it is placed. That’s why clips simply don’t provide the same level of comfort and support for pants.”

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense. I’ve never thought about that. It’s no surprise that you look so put together – the pleats are kept straight with the brace buttons anchoring them at just the right places on the waistline,” said the first women.
 “Exactly; and the other side of the brace tabs anchor the side of the pants,” motioned the man.
“Yes, I can see how it works now,” said the lady. “How about on the back of the pants? How do the buttons anchor the pants?”
The man removed his jacket to show the rear, fish-tail back detailing.
The women breathed in, “Oh wow, these pants are designed for braces!”
“Exactly, the fabric over each leg comes to a climax at the anchoring brace buttons, which are held in line with the brace loop, which in turn is held perfectly in line with the rear brace strap. It all aligns perfectly to give a clean look at the back,” stated the man.
“Yes, I can see why your pants look so coordinated and fit so well,” said the women. “The pants are held up at all the right points to keep the pleats and pocket aligned, and at the rear over each leg.”
“That’s fantastic,” said the other lady. “The design of the pants fabric to come up to meet the braces is truly unique. It completes the look of the braces. I have never seen this before. It’s so stunning and sophisticated!”
“Thank you,” beamed the man.

 

“You don’t find pants like that off the rack in stores.”
“Agreed,” said the man.
“So where did you get them?”
“This pair I had custom-made. It’s called a ‘fish tail back’,” said the man.
“Going back to how braces attach to the pants – with buttons…” said the women.
“Yes, the buttons allow you to exchange one pair of braces with another for different looks. Sewing on buttons is an easy skill to learn,” said the man. “And it would be helpful to know, as buttons can sometimes pop off.”
The women smiled, “Ah yes, now that you mention it, I recall a black and white photo of working men with the brace tabs on one side connecting to only one point on the waistline, a button must have come off. Is that common?”
“It’s very rare for buttons to come off if they have been sewn on securely. Buttons don’t come off unless they’re under significant, prolonged pressure or the threads are worn down. I’ve been wearing braces for over 15 years and only had a few buttons pop off in that time. As the buttons are anchoring at the right locations, when one pops off you notice the change in tension and drooping pants right away. Men have been wearing braces with buttons for over 150 years, and if they didn’t withstand the daily demands of life back then, they couldn’t today.”

The man continued. “I find buttons grip far better over the long term than clips can. Aside from your buttons being anchoring points, clips snap off all the time as they only clinch the fabric, not firmly attach to it. Clips also damage the fabric, so for formal dress fabrics, clips should never be used. Braces stay firmly anchored with buttons. I like the vintage look of braces. Having been worn for over 150 years, they are timeless and classy.”
“Yes they are. I recall old photographs of men wearing braces and wondering why men don’t wear them anymore. Why aren’t more men wearing braces?”
“The height of the waistline on men’s pants is the primary reason,” the man responded. “Waistlines have inched lower and lower over time. Historically, waistlines were at or above the belly-button. This elongated the legs and made the man look taller. There is also a slight budge at the waist, so higher waisted pants pass smoothly over this budge. But in order to keep pants at this higher waist, braces must be used to support them.”
“I think another reason is that people associate suspenders with the clip-on variety and that’s a major turn off,” says the man. “Clips snap off, don’t anchor the pleat and side of the pants at the same time, and because you can easily take suspenders from one pair of pants to another, they look cheap. Braces are practical, stylish, and classy. I think more men should try braces and discover the comfort and confidence that comes with wear braces.”
“I agree,” chimed the women.

The man turned to go, but the first lady wasn’t finished. “As a stylish man, why do you leave your jacket on? Why not show off your braces and the stylish pants. I’m sure people would appreciate your style, as much as we have!”

“Thank you for the compliments on my style. Historically braces were considered an undergarment and not to be displayed. They were considered underwear and only your immediate family saw them. This thinking has changed and it’s now acceptable to display braces. But as braces are a vintage accessory, some of this traditional thinking carries on.”

“I see; but there are lots of old photographs of men showing their braces, without a jacket. I actually like seeing braces and the different styles and designs – it adds to the outfit. I love your pant style at the back, what did you call it? Fish-tail back? You don’t need to hide this special tailoring. I think you would agree with me,” turning to the other lady, “that braces can be proudly displayed.”
“Absolutely”, nodded the women.

“Thanks for the encouragement. And thanks again for the complements on my pants and braces.”

“You’re welcome.” 

The next day, the women gathered at the man’s office, eager to see his outfit for the day. He had taken off his blazer and was wearing a classy dress shirt with a pair of grey pants held in place by braces. The braces were stripped grey and navy.
“Love the braces; they complement your grey pants well,” admired the lady. “Are they fish-tail back pants today?”
The man stood up and smiled, turning around to reveal the fish-tail back details.