Ramblings of a Brace-Wearer: A Popped Button

It is inevitable: when you wear braces you are bound to have a button pop off occasionally. The 6 brace buttons undergo strain and tension throughout the day to support your pants from the constant pull of gravity. Yesterday it happened to me: one of my brace buttons popped off on my jeans. I was wearing a pair of jeans that I only wear with braces, so I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am!

I was walking in the kitchen when I felt my left brace strap suddenly shifted to the left. I looked down to find a button on the ground and a dangling brace tab. Fortunately I was wearing inverse-V brace tabs so the change in brace tension was minimal. The braces continued to support my jeans. If I had been wearing braces with inverse-U tab, the strap would have been ineffective to support the pants. Here's the result:

My popped front, inner brace button

The button that popped off was the front, inner button on the left side. I’ve mentioned in a previous post that the front-inner buttons are frequently under a lot of strain; hence they are very likely to pop off. Now I’m wearing lopsided braces until I spend the time to sew on the button. What an inconvenience!

Where the brace strap should be

Braces are designed to be attached to pants or skirt with 6 buttons – 2 on the front left, 2 on the front right, and 2 in the rear. Any less than 6 buttons and the equilibrium is thrown off. Brace wearers will feel that the pants/skirt isn’t correctly supported without 6 buttons. Because the left strap is further to the side and not as taut, the strap has started to slip off the shoulder. I should sew on this button soon.

A few days later I decided to wear clip-on suspenders with another pair of pants. I haven't worn clip-on suspenders in a while, so I thought I'd try them out again. This was a mistake: within 2 hours of wearing them 3 of the 4 clips had snapped off. I was constantly reattaching them. I wondered why I was even wearing suspenders, as they were not keeping my pants up! 

Button-on braces attach and stay securely attached to pants much more than clip-on suspenders. Even though I didn't have all the buttons attached, I was not constantly reattaching clips. I will wear button-on braces over clip-on suspenders any day!

Given my particular situation, I think it’s fitting to explain how to sew on a brace button in my next post. Stay tuned!

Discussion time:

• Have you popped any buttons? How did it happen?
• Which button(s) do you find pop off?

The Latest Evolution in Children’s Braces

Have you noticed the latest evolution in children’s braces? If you don’t have children or go shopping for kids clothing, you may not be aware.

To set the foundation, all children should wear braces to keep up their pants and/or skirt. Braces hold up pants as the child's hips are not fully developed – refer to my previous post for a full explanation.
 
The latest evolution in braces/suspenders for children is to have button-on style braces in the front and then a Y-back strap in the back that attaches to a single button – see below. 

Braces attach to pants with a single strap

Proper button braces

This is a step backward, not forward, for wearing braces – let me explain. Button-on braces are more stylish and sturdy than clip-ons. Clips pop-off a lot faster than buttons. The brace strap attached by 2 buttons at the rear is twice as sturdy as having only 1 button in the rear. And it’s at the rear where most of the strain on the braces is placed, as the child bends forward and twists over the course of the day. So why have clothing manufacturers using only 1 button instead of 2? Here are some possible reasons:

• the single strap at the back allows the suspenders to be lengthened and adjusted as the child grows. However, this can be accommodated with other braces with the levers on the front straps. In fact, the best type of braces for children have an adjustable lever on the rear strap so the back junction can also be moved to accommodate the child's size.
• there is less material, so the pants don’t cost as much to manufacture. Costs should not determine style!
• some straps do not have metal clips (levers), which avoids them from snapping off and hit the child. Braces are not meant to be so tense and tight that they release their potential energy when the buttons come off. The straps should be firm and comfortable, not tight.

These latest children’s pants and skirts look like they have been quickly sewn together, and added braces as an after thought. Braces should have brace loops on the front and back.  

Give children proper pants with braces, and let them play!

Discussion time:

• Have you bought kids pants or skirt with only 1 button in the rear?
• What do you think about this style?

Hiding Braces

Do you hide your braces under a jacket, vest, cardigan, or other layer of clothing? Are you embarrassed to be seen wearing your braces? Why?

Braces were originally part of a man’s undergarments, similar to sock garters. However, braces have come of age and now hold up their own (pun intended!). If you wear braces, and like to wear braces, display them proudly to bystanders – just be tasteful and classy.
 
That is what I did today. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and so I opted to wear a pair of light grey pants with Trafalgar braces and a green, blue, and white plaid dress shirt. These Trafalgar braces were one of my first purchases of braces, and I’m glad I invested in a quality pair that I’m still using today. The brace straps are stripped, with grey strip in the middle surrounded by a thin white line and a navy border strip.  The Y-back braces also have a dash of burgundy color in the rear, to keep it exciting! Here’s the look:

Trafalgar braces

Rear burgundy strap

While I was at the bank a clerk commented on the look saying, “I like your look; very traditional with the suspenders”, by which she meant braces. (I’ll excuse her for not knowing the difference). But this the point - as people wear braces the general population learns that they are called braces, not suspenders, and its not embarrassing to be seen wearing them.
 
So don’t feel embarrassed to display your braces in public. Wear them with class and people will appreciate the time and effort you put in to your outfit for the day.

Discussion time:

• Have you been embarrassed to show your braces or suspenders in public?
• How do you feel when you take off your jacket, vest, or cardigan and display your braces or suspenders?
• What outfits have you worn recently with braces?

Problems wearing Braces or Suspenders - and how to correct them

I attended a wedding recently where the groomsmen were wearing suspenders under their vests. This is very stylish, as the suspenders allow for the vest to lie flat, and do not create a bulge where a belt would be, as the vest moves smoothly over the pants. The problem was that when the dancing started, the straps started slipping off the shoulders, out of the arm pockets of the vest, similar to the photo on the right. Not only did the groomsmen have to constantly put their straps back on their shoulders, the suspenders were not holding up their pants.

This is one of the problems with wearing suspenders or braces incorrectly. I say incorrectly, as people are snapping on suspenders more often these days, but are not aware of the correct style. In this post I describe several problems to wearing suspenders or braces incorrectly, and how to fix them:

• Improper button/clip placement: Brace buttons that are positioned too close to the center seam are uncomfortable and tend to distract from the rest of the outfit. They also do not allow the side seam to be properly supported. The opposite is also true – brace buttons that are positioned to far to the sides do not support the pants and are uncomfortable. For suspenders, people position the clips too close to the center seam, or too far to the side.
  
• How to correct it: For braces, the first front button should be half-way between your belly button and the side of your body (hip bone). Use the inseam on the pant leg as a general rule. The second button should be placed about 3-4” along the waistband. This should be near the side seam of the pants. The exact placement depends on your waist size and personal preference, but I’ve found this to be the most comfortable. While we are on button placement, the rear buttons should be placed 2” on either side of the rear center seam for Y-back braces, and 2.5-3” for X-back braces. If you are taller, you should space the braces farther apart. Also, if you have a larger waist (36”+), you should position the braces farther apart. Aim for half way between the center seam and side seam. This will keep your pants level and secure.
  For suspenders, the front clips should be positioned half-way between your belly button and the side seam on your pants. For the rear clips, X-back suspenders should be placed about 2-2.5” from either side of the center seam; Y-back suspenders are positioned directly in the center of the pants.

Proper button placement

Buttons are too close to the center

• Non-adjustable back-junction: Braces and suspenders are designed to have either an X-Back where the straps cross over each other in the rear, or a Y-Back, where the straps join together into a single strap as it continues down to connect with the pants. The place that the straps meet is called the back-junction. When the junction is fixed in place, it cannot be adjusted to fit your body shape. Taller people require the junction to be positioned higher on the back (but not on the neck), than shorter people. See the first photo below - this should be adjusted down, but it is unable to. When the junction is fixed, the straps are uncomfortable as the junction gets too close to the neck and shoulders, or they straps are constantly falling off the shoulders as the junction is too low.

The back junction should be raised

Non-adjustable back-junction

• How to correct it: For braces or suspenders that have an adjustable back-junction, simply move the junction to be higher or lower. For braces or suspenders with fixed back-junctions, use some of the material from the hem of the pants to sew in rear-tabs on the back of your pants, forming "brace tabs", see image below.



Rear-tabs to raise back junction

This effectively raises the back junction to reduce the chances of the straps slipping of your shoulders. Historically, men wore braces every day, but did not always have adjustable back junctions. Brace tabs were the common solution to keeping straps from slipping off the shoulders.

• Faulty clips: Suspender clips eventually fail, and when they do, they can snap off suddenly. The more suspenders are worn, the more chance they will lose their gripping power, especially if the cloth material is thick.
• How to correct it: Unless you love the colors or patterns of the straps, throw out the suspenders and get a better pair. You should also consider graduating to braces, as buttons popping off are less frequent and do not involve metal objects flying around your body!

The next time you wear suspenders or braces, remember to avoid these problems.

BacktoBraces is on Pinterest

 

Oh snap, I am now on Pinterest! Come peruse my collection of photos that is added to almost daily.

Now that's something to be excited about!

Preventing and Repairing Broken Braces

Given the high level of pulling, tugging, and stretching that braces and suspenders endure, its no surprise that they break. And when they do, it can be an embarrassing moment, especially if your pants start slipping down. 

Where braces break 
On braces, the most common break occurs around the button holes on brace tabs (see diagram). This is where the braces experience the full extent of the pull on the button to hold the pants up.

There is an ongoing battle between the braces pulling on the button to hold up the pants, and the button pulling on the brace tabs to stay attached to the pants. Eventually, one or the other will succeed in breaking away, resulting in either a torn buttonhole and intact button on the pants, or a popped button and an intact buttonhole. 

Take for example, this picture from Norman Rockwell. You'll notice that the front, inner brace button has popped off, likely due to the sudden jerk to get away from the dog.

The battle of the button and the brace tab may be short-lived, if the button thread cuts into the brace tab, the thread will cause the tear. It's nearly impossible to repair a broken buttonhole on a brace tab, so it's recommended that buttons be sewn in just enough to hold the braces to the pants, but not so securely that the button doesn't pop-off when needed. This will help save many brace tabs and braces from being ruined.


The ability for braces to stretch is what makes them useful. But when braces are pulled or stretched beyond capacity, the buttons should pop-off to avoid the damages listed above. This saves the braces, and its an easy repair to re-sew a button on to a pair of pants to use the braces again, rather than buy a new pair of braces.


Here's some photos of people who could use a seamstress to sew on missing buttons. 

Both front, exterior brace buttons are popped off

The front left, exterior brace button has popped off

The front right, exterior brace button has popped off

Again, the front left, exterior brace button has popped off

Another example is presented below - this girl was a little over zealous when stretching her braces, or the button was not sewn on correctly. Regardless, the front, inner brace button is popped off (see below and close-up). This inner button is the common place for a button to be popped off in the front (although not always the case). This is because people pull your braces away from your body or you stretch the straps away from your body, putting the most strain on the front inner buttons, not the outer ones.

Notice the popped inner brace button

Close-up of popped front, inner brace button

When buying braces, inspect the brace tabs for firmness and quality - genuine leather is recommended (left), or woven material (right):

Secondly, a common place breaks occur is at the adjuster clip on the strap. The metal can wear down from frequent adjusting and use, causing it to lose its ability to hold the clip in place. A worn out clip will not hold the straps in place. 

A broken adjustor clip

A third place area suspenders and braces break is in their elasticity. Elastic straps wear down over time and become brittle. For instance, the braces shown below are starting to show signs of deteriorating condition.

Deteriorating elastic straps

A fourth place is around the brace tabs. These can become brittle, frayed, or simply wear out.

Frayed brace tab

Where suspenders break
Suspenders are attached pants and skirts with alligator clips that grip material. This is the frequent breakage point, when the clip fails to grip the material, either due to excessive use or poor quality. When you purchase suspenders, examine the clips for strength. If one of your favorite suspenders has a broken clip, head over to a sewing store and pick up a new clip.

Suspender straps may also be attached by buttons, rather than clips. In the photo below, the shorts have suspender straps attached to them, likely by buttons. Notice that the rear button of the lady on the right has popped off, leaving the strap hanging loose, whereas the lady on the left has both straps attached. This was likely due to the extra strain on the straps while riding the bicycles.

Another area suspenders break is a tear on the brace strap. This is less common, but does come from getting snags. The suspenders are likely past repairs. However, before you throw them out, why not use the clips on another pair of suspenders?

Torn suspender strap

What to do with broken braces and suspenders
If you have broken braces or suspenders, consider re-purposing them by getting the necessary supplies from a sewing store. If the brace tabs are broken, you can try a leather store to inquire if they can repair them. If not, donate it to a thrift store and someone else may value your reject!

Discussion time:

1. Where do your braces/suspenders break?
2. Do you have any stories of braces or suspenders breaking at unfortunate moments?

Note: all photos are used solely for non-commercial use and to illustrate braces in fashion. No plagiarism is intended.

Brace Tension

How tight do you wear your braces or suspenders? Are they lax and falling off your shoulders? Or are they firmly pulling up your pants and giving you a constant wedge? How do you find the right balance?

Braces and suspenders have different material – elastic, boxcloth, leather, and more (see Brace Materials). You can find the balance of tautness versus slack in the tension of braces over a short period of time simply by wearing them.

If the material is boxcloth, braided leather, or cloth, there is very minimal tension so the straps should remain at the same tension when you are standing as to when you are sitting. Set the length that you find most comfortable standing, sitting, and bending. You should be able to determine this within 10-20 minutes of wearing the braces.

If the material is elastic then there can be anywhere from minimal to super-stretch tension in the straps. If your pants are bobbing up and down every time you move, then the elastic could be worn out and you will need a new pair. If your braces are too tight and do not provide sufficient stretch when you bend down, you should loosen the straps. Firm suspender straps can cause stiffness in your shoulders, so be careful when wearing a new pair of elastic braces.

 

Generally, the wider the braces strap, the stiffer the tension, and the narrower the strap, the more stretch will be in the strap.

Avoid super-stretchy suspender straps, like these...

To find what works for you, try a few different brace materials (elastic, boxcloth, leather). Wear them for a day to determine their comfort and feel. You may discover that you prefer boxcloth over elastic straps.

Discussion time:

1. How do you find the tension in your braces/suspenders?
2. Do you find your pants ride up by wearing braces?

Note: all photos are used solely for non-commercial use and to illustrate braces in fashion. No plagiarism is intended.