How to wear braces

A belt holds trousers up by squeezing the waist; braces hang them from the shoulders. Trousers worn with braces fall cleanly from waistband to shoe, without the bunching a belt makes, and never need hitching up. They are also kinder to a waist that varies through the day — after lunch, say.

Ours are 35mm elastic and adjust from about 71cm to 117cm (28–46 inches), which fits most men. Our Erwin & Morris braces are made in the UK.

Clips or leather button ends

Clip-on braces grip the waistband with metal clips, so they work with any trousers. They are quick and practical, and the answer when your trousers have no brace buttons.

Leather button-end braces fasten to buttons sewn inside the waistband. They hold more securely, never slip and leave no marks on the cloth — the traditional choice with tailored trousers, a dinner suit or morning dress.

Many Erwin & Morris braces are “2 in 1”: they can be worn with gilt clips or with leather ends, so one pair serves both kinds of trousers — the black 2 in 1 braces, for instance. See all button and clip braces.

If you are unsure where to start, choose leather ends in a plain colour, such as navy or black, and have brace buttons added to your best trousers.

Plain black and navy go with everything. Brighter colours, such as mustard, and country designs are for days when the jacket may come off.

X back or Y back

An X back crosses between the shoulder blades and fastens at two points behind. It spreads the load and stays put when you move, and it is the usual back for clip-on braces — ours have four clips.

A Y back joins into a single strap that fastens at the centre of the back. It lies flatter under a waistcoat and is the traditional back for button ends; the Erwin & Morris 2 in 1 braces are Y back.

Trousers with brace buttons

Button-end braces need six buttons inside the waistband: two pairs at the front, either side of the fly, and one pair at the back. Many dinner suit and tailored trousers have them already; a tailor can add them to most others.

Braces work best with trousers cut to sit at the natural waist, a little higher than most belted trousers, so the rise matters as much as the buttons. Braces and a waistcoat were made for each other: the waistcoat hides the braces, and the braces stop a gap of shirt from opening between waistcoat and waistband.

Never wear braces with a belt. They do the same job, and “belt and braces” is a phrase for the over-cautious, not an outfit. Trousers made for braces often have no belt loops at all.

Putting them on and setting the length

1. 1

   Fasten the back of the braces to your trousers before you put them on.

2. 2

   Step into the trousers and bring the straps over your shoulders.

3. 3

   Fasten the front ends, one each side of the fly.

4. 4

   Slide the adjusters until the trousers sit at your natural waist and the braces are taut but not pulling.

5. 5

   Check that both sides are the same length, with the adjusters level on your chest.

Weddings, black tie and the country

At weddings, braces keep morning trousers and suit trousers hanging cleanly through a long day; morning trousers in particular are cut high, to be worn with braces under a waistcoat. When the jackets come off for the dancing they are on show, so choose them as you would the ties — in the wedding party’s colours.

For black tie, dinner suit trousers are traditionally cut for braces and have no belt loops. Plain black with button ends is the classic, such as the black leather-end braces; the rest is in the black tie dress code explained.

In the country, braces have always suited tweed. They hold breeks and cords comfortably through a long day on your feet, and on a warm afternoon, jacket off, they are what people see — hence country braces with pheasants, Labradors and even tractors. See also what to wear to a shoot.