BRACES (SUSPENDERS)

DAJE · Nov 4, 2013

British military surplus braces. You can find these from plenty of UK sellers on eBay, they're pretty cheap. They're usually described as RAF or MOD braces (Royal Air Force or Ministry of Defence).

I bought two sets from two different sellers, I'd recommend going for the largest sizes with these as they're designed for very high waists. No shortening needed with these ones.

carldelo · Nov 4, 2013

^^^ There's a lot of nice work there, DAJE. I've thought that shortening the back elastic would help some of my braces fit better and even mocked it up by clipping them shorter for a day. But I never made the leap and actually did it - this makes me want to give it a try. Most of mine are from thrift stores, so the experiment isn't too risky.

FWIW I remember reading that the front adjustments on braces should preferably sit only a few inches above the waistband, and virtually all modern braces put them much higher, especially when worn with proper high-waisted trousers. I hate it when it rests on the outside of the shirt pocket.

Tomasso · Nov 4, 2013

carldelo said:
FWIW I remember reading that the front adjustments on braces should preferably sit only a few inches above the waistband,

That's what Albert Thurston would tell you as well.

DAJE · Nov 5, 2013

carldelo said:
^^^ There's a lot of nice work there, DAJE. I've thought that shortening the back elastic would help some of my braces fit better and even mocked it up by clipping them shorter for a day. But I never made the leap and actually did it - this makes me want to give it a try. Most of mine are from thrift stores, so the experiment isn't too risky.

On the last ones I posted, the UK surplus, you can see that the over-the-shoulder straps are angled away from each other pretty steeply, which means that the junction can sit a bit higher without bunching up uncomfortably. On the others the angle is a bit closer, as the junction will sit lower (on low-back trousers) so the straps will sit in the right place. That's what I meant about modern braces being designed for low-back trousers. I expect on vintage braces the angle is wider.

carldelo said:
FWIW I remember reading that the front adjustments on braces should preferably sit only a few inches above the waistband, and virtually all modern braces put them much higher, especially when worn with proper high-waisted trousers. I hate it when it rests on the outside of the shirt pocket.

It depends on the trousers, but mostly on the ones I've customised the adjuster clip sits in the "correct" place, an inch or two above the point where the strap folds over. It looks much nicer there than at collarbone level or on top of the shoulder which is where they were ending up on me. It's worth taking an inch or two off the front straps, IMO, keeping in mind that as they double over a couple of inches makes a big difference - it's easy to take too much off if you're not careful. I speak from experience

JonnyO · Nov 9, 2013

I recently bought my first pair of braces and was wondering if the buttons were traditionally sewn to the inside or the outside of the waist. I'm pretty handy with a needle and thread myself, so I won't have the help of a tailor regarding placement.

carldelo · Nov 10, 2013

You can use these clip-on buttons to try out placement before picking the button locations. That's how I figured it out initially:
http://www.suspenderstore.com/noezm.html

I place the buttons in front 4" apart, sewn to the inside of the waistband. The inboard button is right above the main pleat to pull it straight. Make sure they're low enough not to peek out the top of the trousers.

The back buttons I sew on the outside, also about 4" apart. If they're centered vertically on the waist band, a belt will cover them when braces aren't worn. Sometimes belt loops get in the way, so they may have to be moved one way or another. Many put the back buttons on the inside, but sometimes you'll feel the buttons if sitting in a hard back chair.

JonnyO · Nov 10, 2013

Thank you, Carldelo, you answered my initial question and the questions I haven't even gotten to yet. I appreciate it!

esteban68 · Dec 11, 2013

Here's a nice wide strap pair I got this week in a local charity shop, condition is excellent and I believe they are as yet unworn?

Annixter · Dec 11, 2013

^^Nice.

simonc · Dec 12, 2013

Very Nice. I know Aero are selling that type of stripe.

Sir RBH · Dec 12, 2013

JonnyO said:
I recently bought my first pair of braces and was wondering if the buttons were traditionally sewn to the inside or the outside of the waist. I'm pretty handy with a needle and thread myself, so I won't have the help of a tailor regarding placement.

Hello there.. Traditionally.. on the outside, but that was in the days of always wearing a waistcoat.. Nowadays its possibly more usual to place the buttons on the inside.. Also, placement.. I agree about 4 inches apart.. and placed so that when wearing the braces the straps go up and down vertically.. not at an angle inwards towards the centre of the waistband... Hope that helps!!

DAJE · Dec 20, 2013

Czech military braces. Cold War vintage. Sometimes sold as German WW2 vintage, which they reputedly resemble. These are available from various UK-based military surplus sellers. I bought from two different sellers.

The elastic is 3cm wide, olive green with thin cream trim at the edges. Light tan leather (not faux leather). On the left ones the braided cord is light brown, on the right bluey grey.

They've obviously been in storage for decades, but they're nice to have for fairly cheap prices. They're pretty short, built for high-rise uniform trousers.

DAJE · Dec 20, 2013

White braces, $5 from local dept store. I removed the clips and installed the D rings and the leather. Yes, it'd be nice if the junction (faux) leather matched the brown leather parts, but it's no big deal. I don't go around in shirtsleeves and braces anyway, so no one will see the mismatch.

From a Hong Kong based eBay seller. Removed clips, installed D-rings & leather. The triangular adjustable slide thing means you can put the junction where you like, which is nice, particularly if you have trousers of different cuts, ie fishtails vs straight-backed trousers.

Nyah · May 11, 2014

Braces/Suspenders

Can someone talk a little about the different types of trouser suspenders? A few months ago I got my first that button-on, thinking that it would give me some vintage style. They are the Y-back kind, with ends that look like this:

Typical suspenders have straps that are 2" wide. I thought that would look too wide on me so, I chose ones with 1.25" width.

Two anecdotes I have about these:
First, they can be annoying when in an automobile. The anchoring parts are quadrupled pieces of leather. Two of the layers are made by folding one in half, increasing the stiffness and forming the whole thing into a 3/8" lump. The back-strap is where the problem is. If the seat you're sitting on is shaped to fit the contour of the human back, this 3/8" lump can feel like it's poking you in the lower back.

Second, the first time I wore these in public was in a band, playing for a dance event. I wore them with cargo trousers that have a higher rise than what's typical and an oxford shirt. When someone who arrived after me noticed what I was wearing, they commented that I was dressed very formally. That's not exactly the effect I was hoping for.

What is this type of suspender/brace called and why is it the type most often found when searching for suspenders? There's an online retailer called Suspender Store, which doesn't seem to stock any button-on suspenders other than this type.

I've heard one term for another type of button-on suspenders. They were referred to as "runner-end" suspenders. Are there other names for this type and, would they avoid the two problems that I've described in this message?

I'm also considering gator-clip suspenders. Would those be less uncomfortable than the kind I've got?

Bruce Wayne · May 11, 2014

I ordered some Albert Thurston braces that should be in this week.

herringbonekid · May 11, 2014

'runner end' is what you've pictured above; 'runner' as in the end runs loosely through the leather tab/loop.
they tend to be a tad more dressy than the other main style which is more often associated with 'work' braces and looks like this:

Nobert · May 11, 2014

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.

Nyah · May 11, 2014

herringbonekid said:
'runner end' is what you've pictured above; 'runner' as in the end runs loosely through the leather tab/loop.
they tend to be a tad more dressy than the other main style which is more often associated with 'work' braces and looks like this:

Thanks for that, HBK. Before your distinction, I couldn't figure out what 'runner end' referred to at all so, what you've just said shows that the other person didn't know what they were talking about.

Does anyone have a term for the 'work' type that HBK posted an image of? Those are a kind I'm thinking of switching to, if I can find some that aren't too expensive (the one that I've found available in the US is $40, which is like twice as expensive as I'd expect). Also, does any part of the back-strap annoy you when you're sitting in a car with modern seats?

avedwards · May 11, 2014

The metal part where the leather joins the strap in the "work" braces can also potentially be quite uncomfortable when sitting in a car. Your best bet would be to get a pair of braces with cloth rather than leather ends (these exist but tend to be reserved for formalwear), or find some made from higher quality softer leather.

ChrisT · May 12, 2014

Very nice work DAJE

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