I don't know how important it is in the grand scheme of things but one thing Alan Flusser wrote in one of his books has really stuck with me, and that's that the metal adjusters on a man's braces should be near his waist rather than his shoulders so they don't reflect light into people's eyes.
Well I was dressing to come into the city the other day and pulled out a pair of brown Trafalgar braces to discover that the adjuster is at my shoulders, where all Trafalgars sit on me because they don't come in sizes. That triggered a purge. Turns out that I still had three pair of similarly unsized summer braces in my closet and they are in the bag for the resale shop now. Navy with red dots, marooon, and the aforementioned brown, all purchased long ago before I discovered braces that fit.
I have enough braces generally, so I needed to acquire only one replacement pair, the pictured Natal brown barathea I am going to wear these in town, undoubtedly with brown shoes. Unlike the shoes, they won't be visible except in glimpses. And they won't reflect in anyone's eyes because they are mediums.
So that will hopefully be that.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Non-Reflective Brown for Wear in Town
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9 comments:
Interesting comment about Flusser. I just watched Wall Street, the film in which served as clothing consultant, and couldn't help but notice that EVERY pair of braces Michael Douglas wore had the buckles up high. And you're right, it's a total distraction.
Will what is the big deal where the metal adjusters are located? I thought a gentleman never takes off his jacket in public because showing ones braces is supposely taboo.
Very nice post, Will. You have saved the rest of us time, money and aggravation. I like these braces with the brown ends but I take it you made a custom order with white ends.
In addition to Wall Street, American Psycho features some nice braces. Flusser says also that one should never wear braces with belt loops. I noticed Patrick Bateman wearing a suit with a belt and then later in the movie the same suit with braces rather than the belt. Even though I know the rule it didn't really bother me although I wouldn't do it myself.
I think it is no important where you have the buckles. You never show your braces or that is what I thought.
Saying that braces are going to "reflect light in people's eyes" is trying way too hard to come up with a fashion rule. It's a pure nonsense reason. You might just as easily, and ridiculously, say never wear metal framed eyeglasses, or never hold a crystal glass in your hand because either may distractingly reflect light in people's eyes. Poppycock.
Andrew, a gentleman wearing an unbuttoned jacket without a vest does show braces from time to time. But as I said, this is hardly of great import. It bothers me, and I removed the bother.
I had to quickly check the calendar to make certain I wasn't somehow stuck on April Fool's Day; this must be among the silliest issues to be concerned about. Even if, as Will attempts to justify his concern, one's coat does come open, suspender hardware near the waist will tend to be more readily seen than at the shoulder. It seems to me the only real answer, since belt buckles can also be reflective, is the tab-fit waist ala Oxxford or Daks. Then one can be a sloppy as one likes with the opening of one's coat without concern about blinding others in the room.
Will, I'm not going to get into the great braces debate. I just want to sugegst that for those of use with longer torsos than you, you either offer your bracs over at AAAC so we can take dibs on them, or PM me the name of your re-sale shop.
Email me. They're yours for shipping and handling.
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