The London Lounge

Dear all,

I am wondering, as an uninitiated young lad, about starting to wear braces. My dilemma is this: I have seen braces with a single back strap, so once a fellow has his trousers made to match these in terms of distance between back brace buttons, everything should be all right. But what if I have a pair of trousers, and buy braces with double back straps, à la Thurston? If the buttons on the trousers are too wide aren't the straps to take an akward position in correspondance of the back buckle? Similarly when they are too close.. or is there a way to adjust how the straps run through the buckle without having creases?
Hope I made myself clear..
Thanks

Two back straps are more flexible to accommodate any button placement, and the D-ring guarantees perfect fit across the shoulders no matter what their shape. I would never buy braces without it any more.

I have a feeling your description needs clarification.

By a single back strap, I take it you are referring to the Y-type suspender straps, where the "single strap" actually has two leather strap button holders or a clip at its end; whereas by double straps, I take it you are referring to the X-type suspender straps, where each of two straps on the back actually has two leather strap button holders, making it a total of 4 button holders.

If the trousers already provide for two buttons near the centre of the back of the pants for the single Y-type back strap's two button holders, perhaps you could add two additional buttons 5 or 6 inches (125 to 150 mm.) apart as the solution to accomodate the 2 back X-type button holders.

Carlo La Duca wrote:Dear all,

I am wondering, as an uninitiated young lad, about starting to wear braces. My dilemma is this: I have seen braces with a single back strap, so once a fellow has his trousers made to match these in terms of distance between back brace buttons, everything should be all right. But what if I have a pair of trousers, and buy braces with double back straps, à la Thurston? If the buttons on the trousers are too wide aren't the straps to take an akward position in correspondance of the back buckle? Similarly when they are too close.. or is there a way to adjust how the straps run through the buckle without having creases?
Hope I made myself clear..
Thanks

Dear Carlo,

I think you have a button issue rather than a braces issue here. As far as I know, the two brace buttons in each set should be about ten cms apart (what do you mean with two sets of buttons on the back, HappyStroller? The X-type - braces, not Jaguars - take the same two buttons in the back). There are three sets, of course: two in the front (see that the button near the body's median line of each front set is sewn directly above the [first] trouser pleat) and one in the back, centered on the backseam. In case you have trousers where the two back buttons are farther apart, you may very well cut them off and sew them back where they belong; if they are too far apart, the trousers won't hang properly.

Yes, Costi, thanks for pointing out my error.

Actually I was aware that each of the back X-type straps consist of one buttonhole strap. So the two back straps should have a total of two buttonhole straps together.

Instead of writing the following:-

"By a single back strap, I take it you are referring to the Y-type suspender straps, where the "single strap" actually has two leather strap button holders or a clip at its end; whereas by double straps, I take it you are refering to the X-type suspender straps, where each of two straps on the back actually has two leather strap button holders, making it a total of 4 button holders."

I should have written:-

"By a single back strap, I take it you are referring to the Y-type suspender straps, where the "single strap" actually has two leather strap button holders or a clip at its end; whereas by double straps, I take it you are referring to the X-type suspender straps, where each of two straps on the back actually is a single leather strap button holder, making it a total of 2 button holders for the two back straps together."

My apologies to everyone else who were confused by my mistake.

No need to apologize for such a trifle, dear HappyStroller - you just seemed so convinced about what you wrote that I almost reached back to feel whether I had two or four buttons

Thanks, Carlo, had a good laugh about your urge to check your X-type suspenders. Also missed your earlier joke about Jaguar X-types.

I suppose adjustment via strap buckles should take care of any hanging problem due to differences in button positions.

Costi wrote:Dear Carlo,

I think you have a button issue rather than a braces issue here. As far as I know, the two brace buttons in each set should be about ten cms apart (what do you mean with two sets of buttons on the back, HappyStroller? The X-type - braces, not Jaguars - take the same two buttons in the back). <snip>...<snip>
if they are too far apart, the trousers won't hang properly.

There are many styles of Braces available, or should I say there have been many types.. image attached.. But things seem to have settled down nowadays..

Sir Royston,

What are the external buttons on the front of your trousers for? Also, where is that newspaper /a magazine cliiping from? Do you have a larger image you could post?

Thank you

Cordovan

Little confusing, but the Tweed suit trousers pictured are a Fall front style trouser, as used in Equestrian and Hunting circles.. they do not have a vertical fly, but a button fall front.
Hope this helps
Regards
RBH

It certainly does. I have never seen that before - interesting. I gues it can't hurt to have another pocket!

Cordovan