# Leather strap from lapel to breast pocket **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024 "2013-07-20T11:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/1 "2013-07-20T11:45:35Z")
Watching a few episodes of the Jeeves and Wooster TV series, I noticed Bertie Wooster often has some kind of leather strap or brown ribbon running from the label buttonhole of his sports coat, into the breast pocket. What is it? A watch strap or something like that? My google-fu fails. It’s set in the 1930’s, and presumably has authentic period clothing. If my description makes no sense I’ll try to grab a screen shot. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/2 "2013-07-20T12:23:06Z")
Probably his watch fob. More common would be to attach them to the button/button holes of a waistcoat, but attaching to the lapel isn’t unknown. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/3 "2013-07-20T13:16:02Z")
[Monocle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocle) cord. The monocle would be stored in the breast pocket, the cord tied to the lapel would keep it from falling to the ground if it fell out of the eye socket. Some people would only use the monocle for close up work. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/4 "2013-07-20T13:25:20Z")
Thanks! Watch fob sounds most plausible. I couldn’t take a screenshot but I did find this: [![](http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/2200000/jeeves-and-wooster-jeeves-and-wooster-2251492-1024-673.jpg) ](http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/2200000/jeeves-and-wooster-jeeves-and-wooster-2251492-1024-673.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/5 "2013-07-20T21:51:34Z")
Hugh Laurie most definitely has a monocle cord. Note Stephen Fry has a chain watch fob lower down. Contrast the location of the two. There is no reason to have a watch fob so high up. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/6 "2013-07-20T21:59:54Z")
The strap is way too short to be a monocle, it would never come anywhere near his eye. Watch - which some people, do, in fact, put in their breast pocket, attached to the lapel - is far more plausible. Telling is the other image, where Wooster is wearing a watch on a chain on his waistcoat - he does not have the leather strap. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/7 "2013-07-20T22:01:26Z")
[Here](http://www.listal.com/viewimage/1855645h) is a pic with Laurie wearing a chain watch fob in a standard location. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/8 "2013-07-20T22:03:40Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > The strap is way too short to be a monocle, it would never come anywhere near his eye. > > Watch - which some people, do, in fact, put in their breast pocket, attached to the lapel - is far more plausible. > > Telling is the other image, where Wooster is wearing a watch on a chain on his waistcoat - he does not have the leather strap. I disagree. You don’t know how much of the monocle cord is in the pocket with the monocle. StG ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/9 "2013-07-20T22:06:45Z")
I’d have to say it’s his pocket watch. Anyone that wanted to protect the watch from scratching kept it in the inner garment watch pocket. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/10 "2013-07-20T22:58:06Z")
If it were a monocle, it would certainly have featured in a joke. There’s a running gag where Jeeves disapproves of a fashionable new accessory that Bertie is sporting. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/11 "2013-07-20T23:18:49Z")
What ho! Dash it all, it’s a thingamadoo, what do you call it? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/12 "2013-07-20T23:29:20Z")
I’d bet a jillion dollars it’s a monocle cord. Do you know how effin awkward a pocket watch in the breast pocket is?? Watches go in the vest pocket, or, for the hoi polloi, in the trouser pocket. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/13 "2013-07-21T00:56:42Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > I’d bet a jillion dollars it’s a monocle cord. Do you know how effin awkward a pocket watch in the breast pocket is?? Watches go in the vest pocket, or, for the hoi polloi, in the trouser pocket. I sometimes wear a pocket watch, in a variety of locations, depending on what I’m wearing . . . and yeah, sometimes in the breast pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/14 "2013-07-21T01:09:09Z")
Well, isn’t someone going to send a tweet to Stephen Fry and ask him? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/15 "2013-07-21T01:22:15Z")
I have the entire series on DVD. Damn you all; now I’m going to have to watch them again. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/16 "2013-07-21T02:34:08Z")
It’s a steal on iTunes, only a few dollars per season for the later ones. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/17 "2013-07-21T06:24:05Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/18 "2013-07-21T10:40:38Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > I’d bet a jillion dollars it’s a monocle cord. A pince nez would be more typical, but Wooster does seem like a monocle kind of guy. > [@](#): > > Do you know how effin awkward a pocket watch in the breast pocket is?? It really isn’t. I’d expect a watch to be on a chain, however. You just hook your thumb under the chain and pull. Hey presto, the watch is in your hand at a convenient reading distance (since the pocket’s on the left, an open-face watch works better than a hunter, obviously). ---
**Author:** ![Archeonomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Archeonomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archeonomist)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/19 "2013-07-21T10:51:04Z")
It’s a pocket watch. You can see him take it out from the breast pocket in at least one of the episodes. He also never wears a monocle. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024/20 "2013-07-21T12:40:03Z")
I was thinking last night that a pince-nez was a better idea. Wodehouse regularly had characters that used them. E.g., [here’s](http://books.google.com/books?id=NxVhEv8HVVYC&lpg=PA181&ots=93F4Wbyxaj&dq=%22pince%20nez%22%20wooster&pg=PA181#v=onepage&q=%22pince%20nez%22%20wooster&f=false) a description of a character that even mentions the button loop. Read the Wikipedia article on [them](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pince_nez), the section on retention methods. Here’s some quotes and writings by Wodehouse that mention them: [http://www.hatsharpening.com/my-man-jeeves-ebook/doing-clarence-a-bit-of-good/](http://www.hatsharpening.com/my-man-jeeves-ebook/doing-clarence-a-bit-of-good/) [http://madameulalie.org/strand/Aunt\_Agatha\_Takes\_the\_Count.html](http://madameulalie.org/strand/Aunt_Agatha_Takes_the_Count.html) [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7423/7423-h/7423-h.htm](http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7423/7423-h/7423-h.htm) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leather-strap-from-lapel-to-breast-pocket/664024.md?page=2)