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?

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.

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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!

Braces with Shorts

Summer is a great time to show off your love of braces and suspenders. The hot weather means that you are wearing fewer layers of clothing, and so your braces will be on display all day. They are a conversation starter as well as an accessory to add that extra touch to an outfit.

When shorts are worn with braces they are suspended at the waist. This provides roominess around the waist which increases air circulation and reduces heat buildup – perfect for hot summer days!


But before you start snapping on a pair of suspenders to all your shorts, you should consider the nature of braces. One may argue that all shorts could be supported with suspenders. Taken to the extreme, you may say that males should wear suspenders with a bathing suit! That is simply comical and looks ridiculous. I am not arguing for a blanket approach to wearing braces.

So how should you wear braces with shorts? First, you should remember that suspenders are more formal in nature than a belt. Belts conjure up images of a working man; braces invoke a sense of sophistication. Braces and suspenders are simply more formal than belts. Therefore, to wear suspenders or braces with your shorts, you should do it when the occasion is more formal, such as at garden party or outdoor theater. 

Second, shorts are associated with athletic wear and physical exercise. It’s generally desired to have less articles of clothing when playing sports rather than more. Who wants to provide their opponent with the opportunity to snap their suspenders while running after a soccer ball, for instance.

Whenever you wear braces, they will speak for themselves. So be mindful of the design and style you wear. They should be simple, with solid colors or strips – no pastels or graphic designs. Here are some suggestions for achieving this look:

 Retailers are attaching straps to shorts this year, especially for females. Here's some examples:

If you want to get a Train Conductor look, you can add a pair of braces to stripped, blue shorts. Red braces will definitely catch someone's attention:

Discussion time:
1. Would you wear braces with shorts?
2. Do you find wearing suspenders in the summer to improve air flow or not?

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

Children Wearing Suspenders

Children have a natural need to wear suspenders – their hips have not fully developed and so wearing anything at the waist will simply cause the pants to fall to their feet. This is exactly where suspenders are needed. All children can and should wear suspenders to hold up their pants. They are comfortable and stylish. Furthermore, as the child grows, the suspenders can be adjusted to accommodate the growth, and the child can enjoy learning and playing all day without the nuisance of constantly pulling up their pants. As long as children have been wearing pants, they have been wearing braces.







Some modern outfits:

And braces for formal occasions:

At a younger age, Prince William wore braces:

Braces are not only for boys, girls also look sharp in them with a skirt:

Button-on braces or clip-on suspenders?
Should a child wear button-on braces or clip-on suspenders? You may think that buttons will pop-off faster than suspenders, given the high level of movement and activity that children do  during the day. However, clips are only effective in gripping pant material and cannot accurately hold onto the pants over time - they will eventually snap off. Buttons, on the other hand, will remain in tack even when there is significant movement and activity. Furthermore, even with 1 button popped off, the pants will still stay up, as the braces have 6 connection points compared to only 4 with suspenders (refer to my previous posting on connection points). 

For example, refer to the photo below. The boy's side brace buttons have both popped-off, but his pants remain up and comfortable - he simply needs to get new buttons sewn on the sides.

Buttons are more secure than clips, and for this reason children should wear button-on braces.  Historically, when braces were predominantly worn in society during the first quarter of the 20th century, children wore braces:

As the century progressed clip-on suspenders became more common and boys started wearing them to keep their pants up.

Nevertheless, children should wear braces to hold up their pants. Children's pants rarely come with buttons, so unless you are prepared to sew buttons on to their pants (which is not that difficult), they are relegated to wearing clip-on suspenders.

What to look for when selecting children braces
The first thing to remember is that children are smaller in size than adults. As such, the braces should have smaller straps to ensure the braces fit comfortably on the child. This means that the straps are narrow, the brace loops not too large at the front of the chest, and the straps are not too long to fit comfortably.This photo displays a proper fit:

Secondly, the straps should be adjustable in both the front and back, to allow for adjustments when the child grows, as well as adjust the back junction, if possible. This is primarily for Y-back suspenders. The back strap should adjust to fit the child. 

Thirdly, if you are going to use clip-on suspenders, I highly recommend X-back style. This provides 2 connection points at the rear to hold up the pants - right where the child needs it the most as they will be bending over, stretching and reaching, which will put a lot of strain on 1 clip at the back. The rear junction should be adjustable to accommodate the child's growth.

Get X-back suspenders for children

In summary, if you have children, give them some relief from constantly pulling up their pants and get them a pair of braces. They will thank you for the comfort!

Discussion:

• If you have children, do they wear suspenders or braces?
• Did you wear braces or suspenders as a child? What did you wear clips or buttons?
• Did you enjoy wearing braces or suspenders as a child?

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

Update!

My apologies for lack of posts over the past 2 months - I've been busy moving and changing jobs. I'm working on some new posts, including one with photos of me wearing braces. I hope to be able to post in the next few weeks.

Don't interpret the lack of posts as a sign that braces and suspenders are fading away. On the contrary! In fact, I saw a lady yesterday at the bank, wearing a white, open-sleeve blouse, tucked in to fitted, black dress pants. To complete the look, she wore narrow, black, Y-backed suspenders. She looked very clic. It was menswear but very feminine at the same time. My only comment would be that braces would have suited the outfit better than suspenders, but I give her full compliments.

The look is reminiscent of Jean Arthur's outfit in The Talk of the Town (1942) with Cary Grant and Ronald Colman. The blouse has been updated with cut sleeves, but the black pants and black suspenders are the same. Welcome back 1940s!

Jean Arther in The Talk of the Town

Additionally, Hush Puppies has an ad right now with stylish white braces attached to blue pants. Its vintage, but still modern.

Discussion time:

• How about you? What have you seen recently?
• What have you worn with braces recently? 

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

Braces in advertising

Have you noticed braces and suspenders popping up in ads more recently? They are definitely a trend for 2011 and advertisers are using them in various products - from fragrance to boots to clothing. Here's some examples:

Kiera Knightly for Chanel Mademoiselle

Kodak Boots

Here's some ads from a few years ago...

Braces have also been the center of advertising for many years. Shirley President Suspenders, Paris Suspenders, Hickok Suspenders, and Bulldog Suspenders were prominent companies that advertised back in the day. Here's a samples of historical suspender ads. Note that the advertisements even show women wearing braces and suspenders.

And a number of international ads:

This is not a complete list of ads with braces in them, but this should give you a good picture - keep an eye out for them!

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