Braces, that antiquity from the golden era of MGM matinee idol style and stately dress of the early 20th century, have clipped themselves back into the sartorial consciousness once more.
Perhaps it’s not so surprising – the greatest tenet of fashion being “what goes around comes around”, and the winds of men’s dress have shifted to a more tailored form in recent years – but what stands out is the fact that the younger generation are wearing them.
The Beckham boys, posting from Cruz Beckham’s 21st party, were sporting them. Both the birthday boy and his brother, Romeo, 23, were wearing suits with braces – the latter’s were emblazoned with the Chanel logo. A roster of men at Florentine fashion fair Pitti Uomo also featured the latest in tailoring trends.
My own relationship with braces is a chequered one. From costume in a (highly lauded, I’ll have you know) Nineties am-dram production of Annie Get Your Gun as a rootin’, tootin’ hillbilly to wearing a vintage American stars and stripes pair in the early Noughties. Fuelled by designer Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme, this was the indie sleaze era of braces on lean, slick silhouettes and cool London club nights. Those braces, coincidentally, were hauled off me by the then fashion director of Vogue to borrow for a fashion shoot with Kate Moss, although they were later derided by a date as I’d made the faux pas of wearing them with a belt. Swings and roundabouts.
To some, braces are a glorious throwback to a more considered and gentlemanly time. Part of the proper and correct accessories of upright dress; from Cary Grant and Gary Cooper, the mobsters of Chicago in the 1930s, David Bowie in the 1980s and, in that same era, the Gordon Gekko “greed is good” aesthetic, braces a key part of the trader ensemble at the time, when no man would consider himself decent without a pair. There’s a wonderful black and white photo of my great great grandfather taken in the Twenties in his finery, braces ever present.
Tom Chamberlin, editor and host of The Luxury Dispatch podcast, has long been a fan. “I have been extolling the virtues of wearing braces for a long time now,” he says. “It’s not because I harbour a deep desire to be Niles Crane (that’s by the by), but because, practically, it’s much better for you. Having your trousers held up by your shoulders rather than just your stomach is much better for the way in which the trousers hang, and also better for your posture. Gary Cooper would never be seen without braces and as he’s the best-dressed man of all time. He’s worth emulating.”
As for the finer points of the details to look out for: “The metal adjustment slides should be level with each other, and I would recommend silk or moire over wool. Braces should be fastened with leather ends over trouser brace buttons, not crocodile clips. It’s the only thing that’s sartorially more egregious than the pre-tied bow tie”.
They also have the added bonus of ensuring that your shirt stays tucked in, as the shoulder straps prevent it from riding up, although I’d err towards the more traditional end of the men’s dress spectrum rather than, for example, worn with a navy suit for a dynamic day in the City. They’re ceremonial, so will look a tad jarring with a more “dress-down” suit. Similarly, it’s worth adding extra elements of the full kit and caboodle; a pocket square and shirt with double cuffs, for example. Although, if you’re keen to go full early Noughties indie, that’s an option too – worn with jeans and a casual shirt – although it’s a tricky style verve to pull off for most of us. My advice: if you’re planning to revisit braces this season, stick with the classic look.