# Bachelor Buttons



## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

I've been frustrated by the fact that modern men's slacks are so often not made available unaltered, or with suspender buttons sewn into the waist band. I hate sewing suspender buttons into trousers, because I so often get it wrong.

One of my favorite solutions is to hammer bachelor buttons into the waist, as was commonly done in the Victorian period.

In fact, I've seen old ads that led me to believe that this is what bachelor buttons are named for. The flower was probably named after the button, but I could easily be wrong on this point.








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I love using bachelor buttons for my braces (suspenders), because they are so durable. However, they always look like something that belongs on jeans, and jeans only. I only wear tailored jeans, so it sort of works in that context, but only in that context. Bucksaw makes them, as well as Dritz.

https://www.beltoutlet.com/bulobumebu.html

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I looked around for many years for a pair of bachelor buttons with a smooth, black face, but could only find copper, silver, or gold tone metallic buttons with a bunch of text embossed on them.

For years, the best I could find was a supplier named WeiHua Indsutrial Limited (in China) who makes both bachelor buttons and dome shaped, fabric covered buttons. I reasoned (and continue to believe) that a fabric covered bachelor button could look mighty fine on the outside of a trouser's waist band.

It would certainly look better than the venerated Albert Thurston's clip-on button set. No offense, Bracemaker, but I've owned them and they were really only a good idea as a last resort. The aesthetics are simply all wrong.

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At last I've found a supplier with a plain faced bachelor button alternative for dress/casual trousers wearers. Hope some of you other brace collectors benefit from this post, because I'm gonna take a lot of flack for it.








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## Bog (May 13, 2007)

Good work. Could you give the direct link to the buttons, I can not locate them on the site.


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

What a relief! I thought I was gonna be slaughtered for posting this.

Here is the , including some very hard to find replacement buttons for suits and trousers (along with the bachelor buttons, of course).

I suspect there are other hard to find items in page, but there is already so little that I can't find at either local quilting/ fabric stores, or at Newark Dressmaker's Supply, or from other specialty catalogs, that I don't know what to look for.

Ever since a local shop called "The Yardstick" went belly up, it has been impossible to find good quality woolens and suiting materials. I'm pretty sure will be a valuable resource to somebody out there.


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## Bog (May 13, 2007)

dpihl said:


> One of my favorite solutions is to hammer bachelor buttons into the waist, as was commonly done in the Victorian period.


Any downside to this? I'm thinking of wear and tear. Victorian trousers were of a heavier cloth than is the standard today.


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

Bogdanoff said:


> Any downside to this? I'm thinking of wear and tear. Victorian trousers were of a heavier cloth than is the standard today.


Hmmmm. Not sure! I've been using bachelor buttons for a long time on my jeans, and never had any problem. Tried it once on cheap Moleskins ($12.00 from Sportsman's Guide), and had no problems.

I should point out that my search for the perfect bachelor buttons has been conducted in conjunction with my search for decent trousers with a telescoping elastic waist band. Much to the chagrin of most on this forum, these are now quite common. I've often wondered why nobody else is talking about how handy this waistband is for brace wearers.

When you tear through the leather tabs on a pair of button braces, it's usually because you've sat down and the waist on the pants didn't have enough "give" to compensate for the lack of "give" inherent in non-elastic suspenders.

Something has to give. Usually it's one of the two back buttons, rather than the fob (rabbit ears) on the back of the braces.

I hate the scenario that inevitably ensues. You try to hold your pants up by placing your hands in the pockets whenever you're standing up.

At least with bachelor buttons, the stand off from the trousers is enough to accept two leather tabs. So if one of the back two bachelor buttons pops off, you can double up to make it through the day.

I know, I know. "Too much information, Dave."


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## 3button Max (Feb 6, 2006)

I remember seeing them in a David Morgan catalog-- pounded some into jeans once and wore w/ LL Bean red suspenders.


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

*Repair Kit*

This seems like a good place to remind you about the repair kit.

Bracemaker responded in private and offered to sell me more of them, so long as I provided him my requirements for colour and width.

I happen to think this "repair kit" travels nicely in my coat pocket without creating a nuisance.

Still, it is one more thing to have to keep track of...


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## Benjamin.65 (Nov 1, 2006)

dpihl said:


> I've been frustrated by the fact that modern men's slacks are so often not made available unaltered, or with suspender buttons sewn into the waist band. I hate sewing suspender buttons into trousers, because I so often get it wrong.


Chum,

I don't see the point of these abominations. By Jove, I say it's fairly easy to have your man place the buttons on the outside of the trouser band correctly. And that should be an end on it.

Cheers,

Bingo


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## jeansguy (Jul 29, 2003)

Benjamin.65 said:


> Chum,
> 
> I don't see the point of these abominations. By Jove, I say it's fairly easy to have your man place the buttons on the outside of the trouser band correctly. And that should be an end on it.
> 
> ...


What position would be considered correct for the buttons?


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## knickerbacker (Jun 27, 2005)

dpihl said:


> What a relief! I thought I was gonna be slaughtered for posting this.





Benjamin.65 said:


> Chum,
> 
> I don't see the point of these abominations. By Jove, I say it's fairly easy to have your man place the buttons on the outside of the trouser band correctly. And that should be an end on it.
> 
> ...





jeansguy said:


> What position would be considered correct for the buttons?


Dr., you may still be slaughtered for this- you were responding to the first post. Semper Paratus.

Ben& Jeans-

If you are a lumberjack, or an old school cross country skier,( or a skinhead, oi boy, contemporary gay punkrock kid) I can see needing brace buttons on the outside. Carhaart makes logger jeans for... lumberjacks and other such heavy trades with riveted buttons on the outside. Otherwise, brace buttons belong on the inside of the waistband as on most suits. 
I personally have to restrain my self from skewering the good doctor both for tailored jeans and for wearing braces with jeans.

K


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

Knickerbacker, surely you know by now about my penchant for doing things in the traditional way. Mere love of history forces me to place my brace buttons on the outside of my trousers. It seems I'm not alone in this.

So what sort of braces to buy? Not those which clip on to the trousers. These are vile, vulgar things. They not only damage the fabric into which they bite for their grip: they also indicate that the wearer's trousers are without buttons for braces - a sartorial solecism of the highest order. The braces, then, must button onto the trousers - indeed, bespoke trousers should be made with backs for the purpose - in the form of the letter M, of a higher or flatter form according to the house style of the tailor. (The positioning of such buttons also requires thought. I stipulate that they should be on the outside of the trousers at the front, but on the inside at the back - so that when I drive the Royce without my jacket they will not make impressions in the leather. It is surprising how difficult it is to make tailors follow this simple instruction.)

As for wearing indigo blue denim trousers with braces, I have but one defense: I am not a doctor.

Clothes should hang from the shoulder, not the waist.

Now, if you could all please try to relax a minute, I'll explain something. I've already had "my man place the buttons on the outside of the trouser band correctly". I've had him or her do it over and over again.

I'm frustrated that they pop off so easily, and at such inopportune times.

I haven't done anything rash, by running out and buying a gross of the black bachelor buttons. I am still looking for a way to make them into self-fabric covered dome buttons, using excess fabric from the cuffs.

This nod to tradition will be indistinguishable from shank-style fabric covered buttons, except that all of the buttons will still be in place after the first fifteen minutes of wearing the trousers.

Am I so wrong for dreaming that such a thing might be possible???


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## aikon (Jan 29, 2007)

I thought they were called Bachelor Buttons b/c only a Bachelor would use them. A man with a wife would simply have her sew real buttons into his pant.


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

aikon said:


> I thought they were called Bachelor Buttons b/c only a Bachelor would use them. A man with a wife would simply have her sew real buttons into his pant.


Hence the fact that they are most commonly associated with jeans (invented for gold miners and popularized by cowboys) and with lumberjack pants. My point is merely that they are so far superior to breakable plastic buttons that this ought not be the only paradigm.

My wife lacks the time or inclination, Grandma was an expert seamstress but is no longer living, and I am all thumbs.

These days I take my alterations to Tuxeedo Junction. They probably perform more alterations in a week than the rest of the tailors, alterations shops and dry cleaners in town combined.

I trust any tuxeedo rental store in your neighborhood would be similarly qualified and very experienced, but it doesn't hurt to call around first.

I did.

TJ was the closest to my house, the most amenable to my queries, has been around longer than all but King's Row, and also was the most reasonably priced of the formalwear hire shops I telephoned. Anybody in town would be wise to follow my lead on this one.


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