Period Correct Suspenders

Carlos2295

Cadet
Joined
Jan 18, 2017
Incorrect_Civil_War_Suspenders.jpg

Hey there. I was researching period correct suspenders and I found this image. It was rather concerning as I bought the ones on the bottom right (canvas). All the materials are period correct though, i.e canvas and leather. Since suspenders were not a standard issue item, and soldiers had to buy or make their own, wouldn't there be tons of different styles?
 
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I wish they would say why they were incorrect, for each pair. Is it the button placement? The hardware to adjust them? The X rather than Y in the back? There's so little information (I'm assuming, since you didn't quote any more) that we're left to just guess. Are there no examples of correct ones offered also, for comparison?

Nevermind, found the page. It's wonderful. This is complicated, with the links and formatting and all, but read the green print below and trust me. :D
Everything below here is from the 2nd US Cavalry guidelines. I've added a few notes in brackets, but it's all their work, not mine.

http://www.shadowlandstudios.com/2nd_US_Cav/guidelines.html#UD


Suspenders (Braces) Were not an issued item and if worn were purchased from sutlers, sent from home, or made by the soldier. If your trousers stay up without suspenders you do not need them.

[Here is an excellent photo of a collection of period suspenders, included as a link behind the word Suspenders above. Go by that and you can't go wrong, though of course one can't see the finer details.] http://www.shadowlandstudios.com/2nd_US_Cav/Equipment/Shirts_and_Suspenders.jpg

Any type of period correct civilian model is fine: all-cloth "poor boys", or adjustable (with tin, brass, or japanned steel buckles with two or three prongs that pierced the material). Separate button straps should be attached directly to the prong buckles, with the main suspender straps passing through and not sewn to them (see sample photo link). Made of canvas, drill, linen, tapestry, embroidered, crocheted, woven, or ticking. Leather ends were common.

Braces of this era were of the "X" type arrangement which crossed in the back (and were found either sewn or not sewn together in the back). Buttoned to the trousers using 4 or 6 buttons. Period photos show a large variety of choices, as well as men not wearing suspenders at all. A period correct civilian belt simply wrapped around the waist in lieu of suspenders, is a fine alternative.

Re-enactor Notes: Virtually all of the suspenders sold by event sutlers and lower-end vendors are wrong. So are most of the suspenders worn by reenactors. Clip-on suspenders are not allowed. Y - back suspenders are a post war pattern and incorrect. Flip-up clasp and sliding friction buckles are wrong. And while a type of elastic did exist during the war (and a couple sutlers such as Nick Sekela and Carter & Jasper sell braces incorporating this elastic). it sould be understood that using fully elastic suspenders would be a concession to historical accuracy.

Click here to see examples of incorrect suspenders.
[this takes you to the image in the post above]

Quality Braces Vendors: [The links don't work, but I'm sure a google of the name will bring you to them easily, or click on the page link above.]

Regimental Quartermaster

Carter & Jasper

Nick Sekela (#0910 elasticized, or others, see the accoutrements section) [I have these and like them but after several years the elastic is getting stretched out, as I'm sure it did in the period.]

Note: Nick Sekela also offers period correct elasticized braces "ends" for giving non elastic suspenders some stretch.

River Junction Trade Co. (A non-elastic suspender but with a correct pattern at a low price.)
 
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Honestly you shouldn't be looking at photographs of reproduction suspenders, even those from "quality vendors" to determine what a period correct style should look like. Although period photographs of men in their suspenders aren't incredibly common, there are lots you can see thanks to the internet. Furthermore, Civil War era and antebellum patents for various suspender buckles (and there are loads of them) show different styles of suspenders.

As for a quick run down of what's wrong with the ones in the OP's picture:
a) avoid suspenders where the leather tabs are riveted instead of sewn, especially if the rivet is not brass
b) most, but not all, period suspenders have fairly narrow tabs
c) the suspenders should adjust via a correct suspender buckle, none of the ones pictured have a correct buckle
d) quality made period suspender are typically made from webbing as opposed to folded and sewn drill fabrics

Also, not everyone wore suspenders. If you have a "shapely" figure you don't actually need them to keep your trousers up. If anything you might want a billet belt to hold them in place. Personally, I find the billet belt to be a better option, especially when wearing Federal trousers with correct paper backed tin buttons, as those buttons are notorious for cutting through their threads and falling off.

Cheers,
Garrett
 
Thanks for all the info guys. This is a trove of new knowledge for me. The pair I ordered was from a company that does living history events and even sells full introductory uniform packages. I guess even they got something a little farby. Would the suspenders at least be period correct for an 1890s civilian? Here's the seller if you want to see who I bought from.
 
There is a chapter on this subject, actually I think the first chapter in Unfinished Fight Volume One: Essays on Confederate Material Culture on the subject of Braces. Many of the points raised here are covered in detail. The point is that whether you call them galluses, braces or suspenders, they were important to wearing period trowsers (19th cent spelling) correctly, meaning at the natural waist. And not being items of government issuance there was quite a bit of variety in terms of materials. What there wasn't was anachronistic versions with rivets or styles of slides and fasteners not found in use until much later, which is the problem with many of the mainstream reproductions.

Also, trowsers were issued with one button in the front on each side for braces, not two like most reproduction pants. They weren't called this at the time, but the basic "poor boy" variety with one button hole was very common.
 
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Braces are fascinating and came in a much wider variety than what is seen at most reenactments. These are just a few examples:
(images are not mine)


WARNING- SOME IMAGES CONTAIN GRAPHIC CONTENT!

As seen in photographs of dead Confederates at Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, and Harris Farm. Several are the same pair from different angles.
upload_2017-2-7_18-38-43.png


"Bloody Bill" Anderson, c.1861
upload_2017-2-7_18-41-36.jpeg



Unknown Missouri guerrilla
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Numerous pairs of documented suspenders have survived the war. I owned one pair to a Confederate soldier and two pair to Union soldiers. You should search museum collections and private collections for period suspenders to study.

http://moconfederacy.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/9DF0EFA3-36FC-455C-B52C-437341276990

This pair of male suspenders has elastic back straps with embroidered silk front straps. The front adjusters are elastic and the buttonholes and cross over triangles are white and natural leather. The back straps are 10.75" in length and 1.25" wide. The upper ends are crossed and sewn into the leather triangle. The lower ends are crossed and sewn into the buttonholes. The buttonholes are keyholed shaped. The buttonholes are made from two pieces, white leather, and natural leather. There are two pieces joined by two rows of amchine stitch. The cross over triangles are 3.25" in length and 1.625" in width. The cross-over triangles are made from two leather pieces: white on the outside, natural on the inside. The cross over triangles are stitched to straps with two rows of machine stitching. The strap ends are tucked between the two layers of the cross-over. The front straps are made from two pieces of off-white gross grain ribbon, 24.50" in lenth, 1.75" in width., pointed at the bottom. The inside piece is made from plain ribbon. The outside is embroidered with a floral motif: pink/red blossoms and buds, leaves and stems in dark and light green. The stems are worked in the stem stitching and remain in the satin stitch. The elastic adjusters are sewn to the lower edge of the inside ribbon, 5.50" in length and 1.25" in width. The lower edge is turned under .375" and slip-stitched by hand. The upper edge is turned under .625" and hem stitched to the ribbon.

197400800005.jpg
 
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