Suspenders

Suspenders or Galluses, known as Braces in British English, are fabric or leather straps worn over the shoulders to hold up trousers. Straps may be elasticated, either entirely or only at attachment ends, with most of the straps being of woven cloth with either a X-Back or Y-back crosspatch and leather end tabs. Braces typically attach to trousers with clips or, less commonly nowadays, with buttons. In British English the term "suspenders" or "suspender belt" refers to a garter belt, used to hold up stockings.

History

There have been several precursors to braces throughout the past 300 years, but the modern type were first invented in 1822 by Albert Thurston and were once almost universally worn due to the high cut of mid-19th and early 20th-century trousers; this cut made a belt impractical as trousers of the time were made to be worn noticeably higher than modern ones. As modern underwear was not created until the 1930s, the brace tapes on one's Union suit would usually be looped through the braces, linking them to the trousers.

Braces originally had an H-back; later X-backs were invented and finally, Y-backs. Modern elasticated (and better-fitting) garments may have played a part in braces falling out of vogue, however many business people, newscasters (most famously in the US, Larry King) and lawyers still wear braces, whether for image or comfort.

They are regarded as highly fashionable by most men's fashion experts in America and in England, where in 2008, with the revival of the "Brideshead Revisited"-look, braces have come back in vogue and are being worn again by famously elegant dressers, such as the theater producer Marc Sinden and TV star Martin Shaw. [http://www.departures.com/Autumn 2008 edition. Pages 71-74] Such braces are usually considered White Collar (US) or Upper Class (UK) wear and are of high-quality, which means that they are made to be attached to trousers by buttons only. The best examples are made by Jermyn Street Gentlemans outfitters, such as Hackett. [http://www.departures.com/Autumn 2008 edition. Pages 71-74]

It is considered a faux pas to wear both suspenders and a belt at the same time. This is referenced in the film "Once Upon a Time in the West". Other films however, such as "The Mummy" (1999) and numerous John Wayne films, show many characters doing this. But the Wild West was not renowned for its fashion sense. In short, when wearing suspenders, never, ever wear a belt. [Debretts's Correct Form 2007 edition]

Braces are also popular with some women, but as more of a fashion statement than for practicality.

External links

*US patent|323416|US323416 "Suspenders" - G. C. Hale
*US patent|121992|US121992 "Improvement in adjustable and detachable straps for garments"