"Not something you'd see on the open market. Stuff's called Nomex." The bracers feel like cloth but move with the stiffness of leather. "It's designed to be fire-proof. The jeans are made of the same stuff but blended with a different fibre to make them comfortable."

Up close, the jean have bands of stiffer fabric over the hips and down between the upper thighs, a slightly darker V that draws the eye. And more importantly, protect the arteries. "The vanbraces are treated to make them slash proof."