Imagine your house burnt down, and that everything went in the fire (for the sake of keeping this hypothesis pure let’s say that you were out jogging at the time). Even less likely let’s imagine that the insurance company promptly sent you a cheque for £10,000 to replace your lost clothes. How would you spend the money? Where should a man start when building a wardrobe?
It’s one of the paradoxes of modern life that even though men are freer to dress as they please than they ever have been before there remains a very stubborn wish to adhere to “the rules”. Quite what the rules are, and who came up with them, is unknown, but it remains the case that despite the evidence in front of their eyes many men believe that there is one correct way to do things when it comes to dressing up. (more…)
Why, you might ask, would anyone wear braces in the 21st century? In an era of slim, flat-front trousers is there still a place for an item of male dress that surely reached its apogee in 1987, when the Michael Douglas film Wall Street was released?
The answer is emphatically yes, because braces are one of those rare elements of male dress that are simultaneously more stylish, and more comfortable, than the alternative. The reason that they’re more comfortable becomes increasingly apparent the higher your trousers are cut. If they sit in the proper place, which is around the waist rather than on the hips, then using a belt to support them requires a man to lash a piece of leather around his stomach. Perhaps I’m unusual, but I’ve always found this remarkably uncomfortable. I prefer trousers that are cut for braces, because there’s no need for them to be tight around the waist. This makes them a good option if you’re dressing up for a substantial meal, because of course you’ll only be able to indulge in comfort if your trousers are slightly loose around your stomach. (more…)
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