Braces

Public appearance requires a lounge suit with unseen braces

Otherwise (see man on right) the trousers drop slightly and spoil the effect

Not to be confused with dental braces.

Braces (suspenders in the U.S.) are a standard item of male clothing. Their function is to keep trousers at a set height on the body. They are standard wear for formal styles of dress such as the lounge suit.

There is also a fashion use among some young males, and a use by some workmen, most often with newspaper. Braces can be worn entirely out of sight, hidden by a waistcoat, or in sight as a display. A critical factor in formal dress is the "drop" of the trousers as they meet the shoes. Here braces avoid the need to hitch trousers up, always a problem with belts.

In many countries braces were worn by all classes of men for well over a hundred years until about the 1960s, except in the armed forces. Then fashion changed and men's clothes became informal, with lower waistlines and belts. Now they are a minority item.

References

A fashion statement: Johnny Depp on the right