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.

Time to bring back the classics

Do you look at old photographs and magically insert yourself into the scene, such as this one...

Men strolling down the sidewalk in Paris, 1928

I'd love to join in with these men as they stroll down the sidewalk in 1928, all wearing high-waisted pants with braces. The photo's description says it was during a heatwave in 1928 - I'd be walking around without a suit jacket as well.

Do you imagine a time when people put thought into how they dressed, even on the weekend? Back when men wore suits, and women wore dresses regularly. Some people refer to this as the Golden age of mens style.

While I’d love to be transported into that bygone era. I realize that life was challenging back then and things we take for granted today were unheard of back then. I’d like to focus on the fashion aspect of the bygone era, rather than the troubles.

Here's a photo I could see myself in:

Photo of a new family

Even at home the man is wearing a suit. He's conveniently pulled back his suit jacket to reveal his braces supporting his high-rise pants. Notice the proper placement of the buttons - above the center pleat and then to the side above the pocket. The inverse-U tab appears a bit stretched, but works well to support his pants over the front waistline.


Women wore dresses or high-waisted skirts. Stockings were worn over their legs and held in place with suspenders (also called garters) which sometimes needed adjusting.

Adjusting the suspenders

Men always wore suits, even at home. When the man came home, he would take off his hat (another stylish accessory now forgotten), remove his suit jacket, and carry on with his day. No one would think twice about seeing his high-waisted pants held up with braces. It was totally acceptable to have the braces visible. In fact, it was appreciated, as the pants lengthened his appearance, did not drag on the ground, or get torn at the hem.

A father reading with his son. His suit jacket is off and he looks very comfortable

Both men and women understood that suspenders were an essential accessory - for holding up pants and for holding up stockings. High-waisted pants, skirts, and stockings were secured by braces. No decent individual would expect anything less; they were effective and comfortable. Braces proliferated the everyday scene in the home and at the office.

At home: the man's suit jacket is off, sleeves rolled-up, and his braces are totally acceptable

 

 

At the office: every man's suit jacket is off and it's acceptable to show their braces

If you walked into any office building, you would not be surprised to see the majority of men wearing braces. Braces would be quietly doing their part, keeping mens pants looking respectable and dapper. Women wore pinafores and skirts with fabric straps, or skirts with button-on braces. Pants and skirts were meant to be kept high, and braces met that need.

This was before the days of throw-away fashion. People bought quality clothing and reused them over and over – or handed them down repeatedly. As such, some clothes could be loose, requiring braces to keep the lower-half of the outfit in place. People expected braces to be worn to fill this need.



Besides looking at old photographs, there are certain communities and events that celebrate fashion from the past. There are annual tweed rides in major cities. Or take Goodwood Revival festival in England. In addition to racing cars and planes, there’s also the style aspect. People dress in vintage styles, with plenty of braces and high-waisted skirts around. At 2019's festival, the winner of the Best Dressed Competition in the men's category wore a 1940's civilian style of grey, high-rise pants with stripped braces on a blue shirt and a vintage, red tie and grey hat:

Of course he won - he looks like he stepped out of the 1940's!

For those who appreciate an era when men wore braces, and hats were commonplace, these events are a welcomed reprieve from modern life.

Discussion

• Have you attended events with vintage themes?
• Do you wear clothes that are styled from a bygone era?

Braces and Suspenders Observations

Have you noticed more people wearing braces? I have. And it’s not just people in one demographic, but young and old, males and females. Here are some styles I observed recently:

• middle-aged women attending a group birthday party in a restaurant wearing blue jeans and a casual, white shirt. Instead of a belt, she went with clip-on braces
• older businessman wearing grey pants and a navy blazer. As he was walking down the sidewalk a gust of wind opened his blazer to reveal his braces
• 20-year old wearing black suspenders with a white dress shirt and black jeans
• teenage girl wearing a green, knee-length skirt with suspender straps
• women wearing denim shorts with red suspenders and a plaid shirt

I couldn’t photograph these outfits, so I’ll share what braces I’ve been wearing. This is a pair of Y-back stripped braces with brown leather tabs. The straps have a grey edge trim, with light blue and thin stripes of red, white, navy, and grey.

What braces or suspenders have you been wearing recently?