Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and Suspenders by Kaye Spencer #trivia #westernfictioneers #fashionhistory

Suspenders (aka braces and galluses) have been around for centuries as a practical means of holding up one's britches, particularly because of the high waists on men's trousers before belts and belt loops became functionally popular, which was roughly around World War I, when soldiers were introduced to uniform belts. Since the 1920s, suspenders have continued to ride a roller coaster of fashion popularity.

An article on the website Time.com offers this tidbit about the origins of suspenders along with an amusing anecdote:

The first suspenders can be traced to 18th century France, where they were basically strips of ribbon attached to the buttonholes of trousers. Benjamin Franklin is said to have worn them — although it's probably best not to ask how historians know that; back then, suspenders were considered an undergarment never to be seen in public. In fact, visible suspenders were considered risqué as recently as 1938, when a town in Long Island, NY tried to ban gentlemen from wearing them without a coat, calling it "sartorial indecency."

"First Suspenders" Public Domain Image

This article goes on to explain that in the 1820s, a British designer named Albert Thurston manufactured suspenders as we know them, which brings me to Samuel Langhorne  Clemens, aka author Mark Twain, as an  inventor of an alternative to suspenders.

Samuel Clemens Public Domain (b. Nov. 30, 1835 - d. Apr. 21, 1920)

Clemens received his first patent (#1221992) on December 19, 1871 for an alternative to suspenders, which he reportedly loathed entirely as miserably uncomfortable. He called this invention an "Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments" (ADSG). However, as with many inventions, the original designs are often adapted and the inventor's intent is either lost completely or altered in new and interesting ways.

Suspenders in Hollywood:

John Wayne with suspenders*

Humphrey Bogart with suspenders**

Clemens' suspenders patent didn't catch on for suspenders. According to an article from Smithsonian Magazine (HERE):

His “improvement in adjustable and detachable straps for garments” was a button-on adjustable strap that could be used to tighten garments–it could pinch a shirt at the waist, for example. “The advantages of such an adjustable and detachable elastic strap are so obvious that they need no explanation...” It would also be simple to make non-elastic detachable straps, Clemens wrote, “but I prefer to make them elastic.”

An article in The Atlantic Monthly (HERE) explained it this way:

Clemens designed the adjustable and detachable strap to be used from one garment to another in order to 'fix' whatever clothing issue the wearer encountered. However, he did not elaborate on exactly how his invention should be used. He wrote that the "advantages of having a stretchy strap for any item is so obvious that they need no explanation."

Image from Smithsonianmag.com

His invention 'ADSG' did not catch on for pantaloons, suspenders, or vests. It did, however, find its niche with one particular garment: the brassiere. So, now you know who to thank, or cuss, for how a traditionally designed bra fastens.

On a side note, the other patents Clemens received were for a self-pasting scrapbook technique (1873) and a history trivia game (1875). He made $50,000 from the scrapbook invention. His other inventions either cost him money in the long run or simply didn't work. The website ThoughtCo.com has more information about his other inventions and investments-gone-wrong HERE.



Until next time,

Kaye Spencer
Writing through history one romance upon a time

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Resources/References
Shop Mr & Mrs Renaissance - https://www.mrm-accessories.com/blog/2015/1/5/the-look-and-history-of-suspenders-braces
Smithsonian.com - SmartNews - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-mark-twains-hatred-suspenders-drove-him-invent-180967577/
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/mark-twain-granted-his-first-patent-december-19-1871
The Atlantic - https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/07/celebrity-invention-mark-twains-elastic-clasp-brassiere-strap/241267/
Time.com - http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2037331,00.html
ThoughtCo.com - https://www.thoughtco.com/what-were-mark-twains-inventions-740679
Images:
First Suspenders image Public Domain - Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Samuel Clemens - Public Domain image: UnknownUnknown author, MarkTwain.LOC, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons
*John Wayne imbd - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/mediaviewer/rm2120462592
**Humphrey Bogart - https://goo.gl/images/KU44HM
Openclipart.com - 'wow'

THOSE SUPERSTITIOUS WRITERS by Vonn McKee

Even when on our best behavior, we fiction writers are strange beasts. We spend our days staring off into space, dreaming up people who may have lived experiencing events that might have happened. Some days, the story gushes from inspiration to paper, almost writing itself. Other days, we couldn’t string three words together with a gun to our heads.

But then, there was that time when you wrote 3,500 words in a day, and the subsequent book was snapped up by the first publisher who read it. And you were wearing those lime green socks your kid gave you at Christmas. Or that Tractor Supply cap. Or maybe you were sitting in the second booth on the right at IHOP instead of at your writing desk at home. That’s where superstition comes into play.

Many famous authors admit to having rituals or lucky charms. They include time, place, wearing certain articles of clothing (or not!), and even way-out OCD things like the number of pencils on the desk. Here are a few notables.

Truman Capote never started or ended a piece on a Friday. He refused to accept any hotel room assignment containing the number “13” and allowed no more than three cigarette butts in his ashtray. He also favored writing while lying down, as did Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, and George Orwell.

John Steinbeck wrote his drafts in pencil…make that one of twelve perfectly sharpened pencils (no more, no less) he kept on his desk.

(Note to self: buy a dozen pencils and a sharpener. Proceed to write several great American novels. No problem, right?)

Jack London insisted on writing one thousand words every single day of his career. (Slackers like me, take note. And, by the way, define "career." Can we three to four-day-a-week writers prorate that number?)

John Cheever (from the waist up)

John Cheever dressed in a suit and tie when he was preparing to write. Then, he went to his basement and took off his pants. Writing in his boxers served him well. He won a Pulitzer for The Stories of John Cheever.

As for me, I don’t have any particular talismans or rituals that I rely on. That said, I notice that I usually write with my feet propped on a table. I tend to get new ideas or work out story details when I’m driving. Strangely, I have done a lot of my best writing in busy places like restaurants or airports. And there is that Mickey Mouse coffee mug…

I’d love to hear about any superstitions you writers in the crowd may have!

All the best,
Vonn

www.vonnmckee.com

Facebook: Vonn McKee

VONN McKEE
“Writing the Range”
2015 WWA Spur Finalist (Short Fiction)
2015 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Finalist (Short Fiction)