Belts over braces
Written by Roger Field
I’M A belt man. I haven’t worn braces in 30 or so years. “Rubbish,” countered my own style guru, my wife. “I’ve seen you in braces.” And she’s right – but only rarely and for very specific purposes, such as with my once-large-waisted, hand-me-down, morning-coat trousers. I certainly needed braces for those, as one doesn’t wear a belt with a morning coat. Black tie? No. An ancient velvet cummerbund – a form of belt in itself – holds my trousers locked in place. Army parade uniforms? Accepted. Those trousers have to hang millimetre-perfect, and only braces can do that. But we wore a regimental stable belt most of the time. Belts win again.
Belts are a no-no with a classically tailored suit, which should not even have belt loops. When I had my last decent suit made in London, I asked for some room for growth (otherwise known as expansion), which then required me to wear braces. Not for long, though, as my trousers soon sat tight on my waist; a post-marriage regime of regular, delicious tucker can do that to a chap, and it was adios to boring braces.
I always wear a belt out in the field. Braces are totally impractical. Need to drop your trousers in the great outdoors as we occasionally do? You’d have to remove your jacket and top layers just to get your braces off. Not only does this take ages but it’s not a good look, especially when it is pouring with rain. And, discussing belts versus braces at The Game Fair, one of the team from The Field came up with another reason that perked up my ego: “You need the right figure to look good with a belt.” I must have looked perplexed, so she explained that there’s nothing worse than a belt hung low and holding up a paunch. Meaning (I think) that we natural belt wearers are all Adonises.
My wife has long been responsible for my belts. She bought me my first ‘polo’ belt from Estribos at the Cowdray Gold Cup 30 years ago this year. I wear it still, although she and Father Christmas (when he’s feeling especially generous and I’ve been especially ‘good’) have upgraded it a few times since. My polo belts not only look pretty cool but they are genuinely built to last and they hold my trousers up.
Father Christmas even commissioned a blue, red, blue Household Division number, which is my number one ‘walking out’ belt. And here’s something else braces wearers might want to consider, given the producers are looking for the next James Bond: I’ve seen any number of thrillers where the goody uses a belt as a counter to a knifeman or as an offensive weapon akin to a whip. Just recently, the hero whipped his belt off in the blink of an eye and used it to strangle his vicious assailant. Braces just don’t cut the mustard like this, unlike a sturdy, but elegant, leather belt.