Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

BRACES (SUSPENDERS)

ChrisT

One of the Regulars
Messages
134
Location
France
I also like this kind of 'runner end'
81_0.jpg
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,779
Location
London, UK
As long as you're wearing something that most people consider anachronistic, like suspenders, someone's going to call you "dressy" or "dapper" or "formal." It's just not what they're used to. I've been called these things even when I'm wearing an outfit that I consider rather badly put together and haven't had a haircut in way too long.

Exactly. I wouldn't pay it any mind. TBH, I don't think there ever was a particularly "formal" variety of braces; indeed, in any actually formal situation, they should never be seen, so to have a "formal" variety would seem somewhat pointless, like formal men's underwear. If you want some thing that appears a bit more relaxed, I suppose something of a more utilitarian construction, like biker braces, might do the job. In terms of comfort, I can't honestly say I've never noticed any difference between (or, indeed, any discomfort with) different types of braces, but then I'm rarely in a car at all, let alone driving one.
 

ChrisT

One of the Regulars
Messages
134
Location
France
Me too. Bought another pair like this on the fleamarket last week. Do you know if this is an continental european thing? A friend asked on facebook because he never finds them.

I don't know, but I find them in Germany.
Here are some other models from France

GEDC4670.jpg
 

herringbonekid

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,016
Location
East Sussex, England
braces by CH Guyot, circa late teens-early 20s. the ends are elastic, the straps are non-elastic:

L1040745_zps17a96d9b.jpg


L1040746_zps2c1cd420.jpg


L1040749_zps18d8dfd6.jpg


L1040747_zps14c05cf1.jpg


L1040748_zpsc64f3c2d.jpg


here's a 1907 ad:

CH_Guyot_zps0e60273e.jpg


the style seems to have remained pretty much unchanged from 1900 - early 1920s so dating them accurately is tricky.
 
Last edited:

BR Gordon

One Too Many
Messages
1,152
Location
New Mexico
I was watching a PBS series last night that had a gentleman wearing Y back braces, that had a length adjuster on the single leg of the Y. Has anyone seen these before? They were modern, not vintage braces.
 

Retro Spectator

Practically Family
Messages
824
Location
Connecticut
I'm not sure if we are supposed to post questions in here, but I have a question related to suspenders. Back in the 1930's/1940's, did they make clip-on suspenders? I have read that clip-on suspenders were invented in the late 1800's, but I have yet to see vintage suspenders with clips.
 

DAJE

One of the Regulars
Messages
144
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I'm not sure if we are supposed to post questions in here, but I have a question related to suspenders. Back in the 1930's/1940's, did they make clip-on suspenders? I have read that clip-on suspenders were invented in the late 1800's, but I have yet to see vintage suspenders with clips.

Somewhere on the Lounge, possibly in this very thread, someone posted 1920s/1930s magazine ads that included clip-on braces.
 

Nyah

One of the Regulars
Messages
283
Location
Northern Virginia, USA.
How do you search for non-runner-end suspenders? Nearly everything I find happen to be runner-end. The one current production suspender I can find that has the ends I'm looking for, Welch brand, gets bad reviews on Amazon.
 

DAJE

One of the Regulars
Messages
144
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I've seen "runner end" used to describe any braces that aren't clip-ons, more often than I've seen it used to mean specifically runner-ended braces.

Anyhoo, British Braces sells some of those Sophos Braces a LOT cheaper than Fogey:

http://www.britishbraces.co.uk/shop/runner-end-braces/runner-end-trouser-536a0b85464f6.html
http://www.britishbraces.co.uk/shop/runner-end-braces/runner-end-trouser-536a0b8554f56.html

Their helpfully named "Runner end braces" section lists many non-runner end braces:
http://www.britishbraces.co.uk/shop/runner-end-braces
 

Retro Spectator

Practically Family
Messages
824
Location
Connecticut
This question may very well be stupid, but are you supposed to match suspenders to your shoes like a belt? I currently wear a pair of khaki/brown suspenders, and I wear brown/bugundy shoes, and khaki/brown slacks. However, since there are thousands of black and white spectator shoes on the market, and sadly only a few brown and white spectator shoes on the market, I was wondering if I needed a new pair of suspenders to wear with black shoes. If I did, I would probably just stick to brown shoes, as I don't think black really matches much of the rest of my outfits.
 

Boinciel

New in Town
Messages
33
Location
Canada
Suspenders can be any colour you like (although I do have reservations about black suspenders with an outfit where everything else is lighter). I have some suspenders with blue-coloured, with grey-coloured, and with yellow-coloured leather fittings, and I certainly don't have any blue or yellow shoes to wear them with.
 
Last edited:
Messages
33
Location
Cincinnati
I try to match the leather attachment ears to my shoes, which is only a problem when I wear burgundy shoes. I don't wear patterned suspenders with a patterned shirt and I do try to coordinate the colors. Of course if I am not taking my jacket off it doesn't matter as much.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
107,230
Messages
3,031,533
Members
52,699
Latest member
Bergsma112
Top