Prime Minister Andy Burnham appeared at a photocall in Derbyshire wearing a pair of braces under his suit, marking the latest step in his sartorial evolution. The navy, slimline braces, button-on rather than clipped, were barely visible while he posed for a photo in Ilkeston, only becoming noticeable when he unbuttoned his jacket to embrace members of the public.
A Tailored Choice
Burnham's £595 navy suit was made by Oliver Brown, a traditional tailor with shops in London and Chester, and is the same style worn in his official portrait. Called the Eaton suit, it is made from 100% merino wool cloth woven by Alfred Brown in Yorkshire, and is made to measure. A spokesperson for the tailor confirmed the suit was theirs, but the braces were not.
According to Chloe Chapin, a fashion historian and author of the forthcoming book Suitable: The Sartorial Revolution and the Fashioning of Modern Men, the trousers have side fasteners, so Burnham does not functionally need the braces. A political insider who has worked on Burnham's campaigns for two years told the Guardian: “Andy is not the teleprompter type of politician. This stuff is simply what he wears.” The source added that Burnham's team thinks about his clothing and context, aiming to strike a balance between professional and capable politician while signaling he is different from other politicians.
Historical Roots
Braces originated in France in the 1700s as strips of fabric buttoned to a waistband. They spread across Europe, and by 1820 Albert Thurston began making leather versions. Initially considered undergarments, showing them was inappropriate. Braces resurged in the UK during the 1960s and 70s among mods and skinheads as a form of subversion, and peaked in the 1980s when they became popular on Wall Street financiers and punks alike.
Chapin notes that wearing this “underwear as outerwear intentionally was a bit like Madonna wearing her Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra, a real statement.” If the 60s version represented working-class pride and anti-establishment rebellion, the 80s “was about a heightening of excess. They transcended class and in an age of abundance showed just how subversive fashion could be.”
Political Symbolism
Burnham has been transparent about his journey from Westminster yes-man to “king of the north” through his wardrobe. Braces could signal a move to formality, as they are a symbol of tradition in politics, with fans including Winston Churchill and Michael Portillo. However, Chapin suggests context matters: just as a Labour politician might wear red to convey strength, grey or purple for bipartisanship, or blue for Tory voters, braces offer an ambiguity that could appeal to a politician trying to connect with the public.
Burnham's choice of braces highlights fashion's core tension between function and aesthetics, and much like his approach to politics, the answer is probably both.
