Braces or Suspenders????

If there is one look for men that I haven’t really got behind, is that of wearing braces or suspenders.

For a start what do you really call these things? Call them braces and I immediately think of teeth. Call them suspenders and I think of women’s stockings. One reason why they might be called suspenders is that sometimes they do look like they are suspended in space. So for an article of adornment that has no definitive name the problems are already mounting up.

Trying to find images of an actual man looking good in them was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. So we are already fighting a losing battle.

Primarily used to hold one’s trousers, pants, slacks or jeans up (which some of our youth today could use) I kind of have the feeling that they look a bit ridiculous. This is why trousers etc. have belt loops. We don’t really need the added pressure of trying to make suspenders or braces look good.

You cross a fine line if wearing suspenders or braces that you don’t look like someone’s grandfather, a Clockwork Orange wannabe or worse a hillbilly.

The social connotations of young men wearing them with close cropped hair is not a good one. Adopted by right wing politically motivated youth a political statement is being made. Do we really want to portray this sort of look?

Middle aged men wearing them and thinking that they a fashionably forward or quirky, seems a bit wrong as well. Picture Larry King here, it is a bit creepy.

Over time designers have valiantly tried to make them look good. We have had chains from dsquared and various other adaptions that basically do not work.

Oh, I do admit that they occasionally look ok, however for classic savoir faire do not go there!