Barathea Time

The start of summer means we change hats, shoes, suits, shirts, neckties and even braces with the season. In winter I support my suit trousers with braces, called suspenders in the United States, with straps of boxcloth, a heavy felt. For summer I switch to the barathea version, a lighter fabric made from silk and wool.

Summer or winter, braces support a man's suit trousers with less aggravation than a belt. They're "don and forget," unlike belted trousers that have to be pulled up several times a day. The ends should by the way match one's shoes, or be white. I wear white, so I can wear any pair of braces with any shoes.

Barathea is not quite as comfortable to wear as boxcloth, as the fabric is thinner and not as cushiony. But barathea braces are also considerably lighter than boxcloth and that makes a difference in the heat. Indeed, the dog days of summer are the only time I will occasionally do without as some of my summer suits have trousers designed to be self-supporting.

The best makers of braces these days is Albert Thurston. I endorse Thurston because its models are sized, and the boxcloth versions are designed so that they can be shortened. That means that the metal adjustors are always near one's waist where they belong. Other products unfortunately are "one size fits none," which puts the adjustors at shoulder level - where they can be very distracting to someone who is supposed to be looking at my face.

Summer is barathea braces time.