Question about braces (suspenders in US English)

[JJ Katz]

I suppose some of you fellows wear braces often or at least occasionally?
I have a question about material. The two main types seem to be an elasticated sort of material and 'boxcloth' which, AFAICT, is some sort of slightly stretchy wool.
Does one wear much warmer than the other? Are there well-known advantages/disadvantages?

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I wear them daily and have found the elasticated material to be the most durable and easiest to keep clean. Wool suspenders start fraying along the sides after a while, and they also and stain pretty easily. The wool models do look a little nicer, but the others still look very nice and given a choice I will always opt for the elasticated material over wool.

There's also a third material available -- silk. (You can find silk suspenders that are meant to be worn with a tuxedo, but there are also silk models that are meant to be worn with a suit.). It's difficult to overstate just how fragile silk suspenders can be. I had a few very expensive pairs of silk suspenders that featured embroidered scenes of fly fishing and baseball, and I probably only got about 10 wears out of them before they started to split. Also, the off-white silk background made them difficult to pair with suits.

I have never noticed a difference in temperature or comfort, if there is a different it's too small to notice. Hope this helps!

 

[Andy57]

There is only one brand (maker) of braces to consider and that is Albert Thurston. Thurston's classic braces are made in boxcloth, which is, indeed, wool. The huge advantage of the boxcloth type is that the straps can be cut to length (or left long, if you prefer), so however tall or short you are, you won't have the adjustment clip somewhere up around your collar bone, which is rather uncomfortable. The other main material is "barathea", which is a nylon woven material and these braces are made with the usual standard adjustment clip. Thurston's does also make braces in silk of various kinds.

I don't care for the boxcloth type, despite the ability to customize the length, because I find I can feel the wool through my shirt, especially over my shoulders. The thinner the shirt, the more that's a problem. That may not be an issue for you. Depending on how high-waisted your trousers are, you may find that the adjustment clips are too high, too close to your shoulders. If that's the case, you might need to go custom.

One other significant option is whether you prefer leather end-tabs or fabric. I prefer the fabric tabs, but you might prefer leather. I find it to be a comfort issue.

Thurston does offer a custom option, that I think is only available via authorized resellers. But you can specify pretty much any aspect of your braces.

 

[Ed13]

I only wear Thurston braces. Boxcloth in winter, a little too warm in high humidity summer heat for me. Barathea in summer as well as a couple of casual prints in silk.

All my braces are regular leather tabs with a couple of pairs with white goat or lamb (not sure which) that are extremely soft and pliable.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

While we are on the topic, I was wondering if anyone else has the following problem with braces. When I have worn braces, they don't touch the body much between the chest area and much lower down on the body, I guess because the chest is farther out than the waist area and the braces go in straight whereas the body below the chest is somewhat concave. As a result braces make me an inch or two bigger in the waist, which can really change how a jacket looks and feels when buttoned up. Am I doing something wrong? Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[Nobilis Animus]

I wear braces often, preferring them to belts, and almost all of mine are silk or that sort of woven nylon with leather tabs. I prefer the only elasticated part of the braces to be in the back portion, since that way the front part of the braces does not tug on the shirt throughout the day.

No issues with warmth either way. One more thing to consider is whether you prefer the brace-buttons to be inside or outside the trousers. With the latter, you may fit the trousers more closely at the waist, which can be preferable if you're of a slim build.

While we are on the topic, I was wondering if anyone else has the following problem with braces. When I have worn braces, they don't touch the body much between the chest area and much lower down on the body, I guess because the chest is farther out than the waist area and the braces go in straight whereas the body below the chest is somewhat concave. As a result braces make me an inch or two bigger in the waist, which can really change how a jacket looks and feels when buttoned up. Am I doing something wrong? Does anyone else have this problem?

If your waist is much slimmer than your chest, you'll want to fit your trouser waist closer to your actual waist size, as above, and then wear them. The waist on your trousers expands because you either have the buttons on the inside of the trousers and a slightly looser fit, or they are too big altogether.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

If your waist is much slimmer than your chest, you'll want to fit your trouser waist closer to your actual waist size, as above, and then wear them. The waist on your trousers expands because you either have the buttons on the inside of the trousers and a slightly looser fit, or they are too big altogether.

Sorry if I was unclear. I wasn't talking about my trouser waist going out. I was talking about the braces not sitting flush against my body below my chest, thereby causing the waist of my jacket to fit more tightly.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Sorry if I was unclear. I wasn't talking about my trouser waist going out. I was talking about the braces not sitting flush against my body below my chest, thereby causing the waist of my jacket to fit more tightly.

Well, ostensibly the braces are unable to protrude any farther forward than the distance when hanging straight down from your chest. In that case, your jacket sounds as though it may be too tight round the waist - braces should not produce a tightening effect against your jacket at all.

If you also have, say, a bodybuilder physique, that could be part of it if your chest area is much bigger than usual.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

Well, ostensibly the braces are unable to protrude any farther forward than the distance when hanging straight down from your chest. In that case, your jacket sounds as though it may be too tight round the waist - braces should not produce a tightening effect against your jacket at all.

My jackets fit quite well without braces. The problem is that my body--like most bodies--doesn't narrow from my chest to waist in a straight line. My body is concave in parts. A diagram might make this clearer.

The braces are red. The space between the braces and my body is green. As you can see from this diagram, braces change my silhouette pretty significantly. I doubt I am the only one who experiences this. Maybe there isn't a solution to this, but I was just wondering if I am doing anything wrong.

 

[Ich_Dien]

I don't find that a problem when I'm standing but when I sit down, yes. Also much worse with double breasted suits as you can't really undo the front when sitting. Not really much you can do about it other than loosen the braces I find.

This could also be a problem with box cloth braces as I tend to only wear box cloth with tailoring...

 

[Nobilis Animus]

My jackets fit quite well without braces. The problem is that my body--like most bodies--doesn't narrow from my chest to waist in a straight line. My body is concave in parts. A diagram might make this clearer.

View attachment 1451950
The braces are red. The space between the braces and my body is green. As you can see from this diagram, braces change my silhouette pretty significantly. I doubt I am the only one who experiences this. Maybe there isn't a solution to this, but I was just wondering if I am doing anything wrong.

No, I do not believe that you are doing anything wrongly. I understand what you're talking about, and it happens to me too as I have a 36:27 ratio with a similar shape.

There is a space over the abdomen where the braces do not sit for me as well, but I have not found it to interfere with my jacket silhouette. Could you perhaps post a picture wearing the jacket both with and without braces?

Barring other issues, the easiest solution is to either loosen the braces slightly, as Ich_Dien suggested, which may help somewhat - or to wear a waistcoat with braces, which should keep them back if the waistcoat fits well enough.

 

[jdp234]

Trafalgar braces are perfectly sufficient for my needs and generally available secondhand in a range of solid, conservative colors on eBay for practically no money.

 

[JJ Katz]

Thanks for the replies, gents.