A few weeks ago I spotted a great menswear accessory I’d never seen before on Fantastic Man. I’m a sucker for almost anything on that site. Randomly I similarly loath having to continually retuck my shirt. I suspect it may have something to do with my penchant for rather low slung jeans and slouching forward at my desk. The end result (especially when I’m wearing a waistcoat) is often a hideous bunching of shirt fabric on my lower back. Now I’m not about to start tucking my shirt into my pants, as I am a grown up, but I do need a way to rectify this situation. The low jeans are going no where and I cant see shirtmakers suddenly making their tails much longer. So what’s a boy to do?

Here is where sharp & dapper swoop in with their ingenius product, having seen my blog they very kindly got in touch asking if I’d like to try a pair. Never one to back away from a gift I gladly accepted. Said shirt stays were then courriered over to my house (I was a smidge in shock and v impressed by this). Coming in clean and simple wrapping with detailed instructions on to how to wear them I continued to be impressed. Though somewhat unsure as to how the stays would work or if they would be uncomfortable. 

Well I can safely say I have road tested these bad boys to their limit. Save actually going free-running or some impromptu gymnastics there is very little I haven’t challenged them with. Essentially keeping my shirt where it should be as I walk, sit and stand in my daily life.

Did they do their job? What did they feel like? 

Well yes they did, admirably in all conditions. Wearing them took a bit of getting used to. It also required me to change the order in which I dress. Not that you care but I happen to wander barefoot most of the time at home and as such socks are often the last item for me to put on before shoes. This would be rendered impossible with the stays unless worn on the outside. But that’s one of my foibles and no fault of theirs. I do also have quite (not excessively) hairy legs. After several days constant wear I do have four small bald patches on each leg. The hair plucking was unexpected but is a small price to pay.

Other things that took getting used to wear the gentle feeling of being pulled down. The odd feeling of having elastic stretch down your legs front and back, especially when it suddenly moves to the wrong side of your knee. Most disconcerting at first but easily adapted to. Sitting on the clasps as they are halfway down your thigh is barely noticeable. 

The clasps themselves are very flat so to all intensive purposes invisible under most fabrics. In saying that on a slimmer trouser you when you bend your knee the elastic  can sometimes pull the trouser out. I’m not entirely sure how to combat this. It’s a minor problem really. 

The fact remains these do exactly what they set out to do. Easily and once you’re used to them pretty comfortably. I will definitely be wearing these again and again. I would recommend them more for events you are standing all or most of the day, and give them a try before hand. For £14.99 they are hardly a massive investment and are available direct from sharp & dapper (payment through paypal)

ps: Sorry to disappoint but the fine legs in Black & White are not my own.