How to Wear Braces

Suspenders are designed to make pants more fashionable and emphasize your good form. As Alan Fusser points out in “Dressing the Man” (2002) “In the last twenty years, the popularity of jeans and European-style pants has unfortunately accustomed most young men to wearing trousers that are too tight and rest on their hips. Trousers were originally made to be worn with suspenders, which held them on the waist, not the hips, and that is where they look and hang best. No well-dressed man would wear trousers that rested anywhere else. This is not an arbitrary gesture. Every man, no matter how thin, has a slight bulge in his stomach area. When trousers are worn on the waist, they pass smoothly over this bulge in an even drape. Furthermore, waist-worn trousers emphasize the smallness of the waist. They sit there comfortable, supported by the hips. Trousers worn on the hip, however, must be belted tightly, for there is nothing to hold them up. In consort with a vested suit, trousers resting on the hip can only detract from the overall appearance, particularly when there is a gap between vest and trouser top. There is nothing more unsightly - and nothing that draws more attention to the waist - than to have a visible bunching of the shirt or the belt sticking out from between the vest and trousers. The solution is to reaccustom yourself to the way men used to wear trousers. It made sense then and it still does today.”

This applies to all kinds of pants – from dress pants to jeans to kakis. Yes, even jeans (there’s a dedicated product line for jeans to accommodate suspenders). The look is fashionable and makes complete sense functionally. So go ahead and attach them to your favorite pair of denim!

This blog went as far as to describe the 5 do's and 5 don't when wearing braces.

Discussion time:

• Do you find it difficult to hold up your pants? Is the belt not sufficient?
• Have you tried wearing your pants at your natural waist and not the hips? Have you noticed any difference in comfort?
• What pants do you wear them with?

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