Suspenders

[RIPP Tar]

Here is a question. Are suspenders period? And if so how would they have been put together? Wiki, http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Suspenders says that they have been around for 300 years.

The reason I ask as you can probably guess my draws constantly falling down…. Its not pretty.

Any Ideas?

[Jack Roberts]

I haven't seen any period descriptions or depictions of them I would think there not period but what do I know.

[silas thatcher]

i am sure that this problem has been around for centuries... i am , of course, no help in suggesting a pc solution, just that there must have been some kind of solution at the time...

i sometimes have the same problem --- slim but ho hips, and suffer from a condition commonly known as "noassatall".... :)

[michaelsbagley]

It really depends on what "period" you are talking about?

The easy assumption is GAoP (roughly 1680 to 1720 +/- 10 or 20 years depending on who you ask), and for that period, I like Mr. Roberts, have seen no evidence of suspenders.

I do think they appear later in the 18th century, perhaps around the time of the revolution (?)... I really haven't looked into later period clothing so when exactly suspenders do come in is a mystery to me... However by the War of 1812 (the next period down the time line I have done some research on), they are in usage. So by reasonable deduction, they came into usage some time in the 80 years (give or take) between the GAoP and the War of 1812... It doesn't nail it down, but it does narrow the search.

[Jack Roberts]

Yeah true depends on the period. I just assumed we meant GAoP.

[Quartermaster James]

I've asked about this myself. As I recollect from those previous discussions:

It depends upon whom you are portraying. Prior to the 1800's, they would be most common with Germanic people.

Outside of those cultures though, they were not popular, and were mostly a badge of ill-fitting clothes.

When they appear in illustrations, it is often on the very poor, and they appear as a rope or strap over one shoulder.

Certainly not the braces associated with finer clothing in later years!

That said, modern waistlines being what they are, many reenactors wear them: you can't see them under a waistcoat!

If, however, your stomach is not bigger than your waist, proper tailoring will keep your breeches up!

Again, the above are recollections from discussion; I do not have primary sources at hand to cite.

[Captain Lance Deville]

Me be wearin' suspenders under me waistcoat, since they cant be seen thar be no worrys about pc.

Sometimes ye just have ta' compromise if ye wants ta' keep yer breeches up!

[Quartermaster James]

And sometimes you need to compromise if you want to let them down...

[RIPP Tar]

I've asked about this myself. As I recollect from those previous discussions:

It depends upon whom you are portraying. Prior to the 1800's, they would be most common with Germanic people.

Outside of those cultures though, they were not popular, and were mostly a badge of ill-fitting clothes.

When they appear in illustrations, it is often on the very poor, and they appear as a rope or strap over one shoulder.

Certainly not the braces associated with finer clothing in later years!

That said, modern waistlines being what they are, many reenactors wear them: you can't see them under a waistcoat!

If, however, your stomach is not bigger than your waist, proper tailoring will keep your breeches up!

Again, the above are recollections from discussion; I do not have primary sources at hand to cite.

I never did think of rope. I think I might try that thank you.

[Quartermaster James]

I never did think of rope. I think I might try that thank you.

You are most welcome, and, just to further clarify: those other discussions I mention weren't on this board but over at Frontier Folk, which focuses on American Colonial period reenacting.

[Capt. Sterling]

Can't say I have come across them as of yet either..at least not in English, French or the colonies, but if yer breeches/trousers staying up is a problem, get yerself a waist carriage fer yer sword... trust me, that will keep everything properly in place instead of a shoulder baldric..

Edited August 27, 2009 by Capt. Sterling

[Capt. Sterling]

Also, if this helps... do yer pants have the gusset in the back of the waistband? If not you might want to put one in..the waistband needs to be in two parts with an opening in the back (along with the top of the back seam left open for about 2-3") and laced to adjust to your size..that alone makes a big difference...

Edited August 27, 2009 by Capt. Sterling

[Guest]

And wot if ye wanna wear suspenders under yer slops or breaches ter keep yer socks up.......

<sorry.... I've been reading the Brass Goggles Forum too much, and wot we call suspenders, are called braces over seas.... and suspenders are wot we would call a garter belt.....>

[Capt. Sterling]

<sorry.... I've been reading the Brass Goggles Forum too much, and wot we call suspenders, are called braces over seas.... and suspenders are wot we would call a garter belt.....>

Don't apologize Patrick, yer absolutely correct... even in the US we called suspenders braces up until the 20th century I believe..garter belts were called suspender belts at one time as well

[Quartermaster James]

Well now, if'n we're going to get all technicallike about it, I was learned that:

1) the cloth or leather straps that attach with buttons are braces,

2) the elastic straps with clips are suspenders.

These definitions, however, may be from a time altogether different than any previously discussed!

[Capt. Sterling]

Interesting... never heard it put that way... growing up suspenders was the American term for braces, either buttons or clips, whether elastic, silk or whatever material the strap was made up of... but then doesn't really help for the GAoP... still say put a gusset in the back of your trousers and see if that helps...

[Capt. Sterling]

Well the suspenders thread has become very interesting... seems Albert Thurston (James Bond fame) first made and sold braces in England in 1820... there is also a roll for them that fought at Trafalgar and a possible ancestor may have served on the Leviathan as a pte in the Royal Marines... won't my brother be thrilled. Wonder how accurate that is...

[Calico Jack]

sorry.... I've been reading the Brass Goggles Forum too much

Possible? That's akin to reading this forum too much. Ah, well. I also support the idea of tailoring - if your britches are too broad, shift your buttons until the gusseting in the rear can be tightened to your best fit. If you then put on some small weight, you can loosen, re-tightening when you lose it again. Bear in mind that any button shifting needs to include the buttons on the fly as well - whether drop-front or French.