Speaking of suspenders...................

[Bugscuffle]

Did suspenders of the 1870 - 1880 period have elastic in them? I have tried and tried, but I just can't get used to suspenders that don't have the elastic in them to keep tension on them so that they won't slip off my shoulders. Even when I tighten up the suspenders to where I am singing soprano they still slide off of my shoulders.

[Skeeter Lewis]

Good question. I hope pards chime in on this...

[Delmonico]

Some, not all.

[Books OToole]

Did suspenders of the 1870 - 1880 period have elastic in them?

Elastic may have been around but was very rare; at least when is came to suspenders.  In support of this statement, there were dozens of patents on different suspender adjustment divices in that time period.


Books

[St. George]

In short - yes - but not of the strength and quality of that found in today's elastic.

Old time, period suspenders relied more on the strength of their respective fastener to keep adjustments, and given the speed with which early elastic lost it's elasticity - pretty much all suspenders wound up as canvas/cloth suspenders, anyway.

Scouts Out!

[G.W. Strong]

The first US army issue suspenders did. The US government did not issue suspenders until 1884 but these had elastic in the back.

[Delmonico]

A quick Google search says a Brit invented them in the 1820's, but the vulcanizing of rubber in the 1840's helped them last longer.

Somewhere in my books I have never unpacked I have an ad from Goodyear in the early 1850's that showed them. 

Non-elastic ones work better in the X back type, Y backs are hard on buttons and the attachments for buttons. 

[Delmonico]

While we are on suspenders, the question has came up before on the leather ones.  I've never really doubted they were around, I had just never seen a dated picture with someone with a pair. 

I ran across this a while back in the Butcher Collection and never did anything with it till now.  The date is 1903, but that is more than I had before. 

N. Freeze steam threshing outfit near Sumner, Dawson County, Nebraska.

[G.W. Strong]

By the way, here are the quartermaster illustrations of the Model 1884 (first issued) army suspenders

[G.W. Strong]

Here is what they look like when worn.
This is the same guy from the front and back.

[G.W. Strong]

Here he is from behind.

[Russ McCrae]

Guess I better go back to tucking them into my pants, I been folding mine up with with safety pins.

[Curley Cole]

 


Old Top with his "pc" spenjders.

curley

[Grenadier]

Period correct elastic suspenders can be obtained from N. Sekela.

http://www.njsekela.com/OSCommerce/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=54&osCsid=j2v9cltf865e9gc8imjok0u3q0

http://www.njsekela.com/OSCommerce/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=268&osCsid=j2v9cltf865e9gc8imjok0u3q0

[G.W. Strong]

I bought a pair of the suspender ends from the second link above in Novemeber to take a look at the quality. It is very nice. I highly recommende thede for anyone doing a civilian impression.

[harleydavis]

Here are a couple of pics. One is of Civil War era braces, the other is one of my handstitched versions. I developed these braces since most modern reproduction trousers have two buttons on either side in the front, period (CivWar anyway) had just one on each side in the front. I sell these as well as some made with hand crank sewing machine. No elastic but it does help to cross them in the back. Period braces were not typically attached together in the back but would be done by an individual I suppose. If a feller hitches his braces to hold his trousers nice and high, when you bend over you will recieve a period wedgie. Worn to not short change you, then your trousers droop a bit. Not much in between the two extremes unless you use elastic versions. Another point to period elastic, it was a bit expensive as well.