A supporting strap or bracing element, especially in military fortifications; also a decorative strap or suspender-like element on clothing.
From French 'bretelle' (a strap or suspender), possibly derived from Breton or Celtic language roots. Used in both military architecture and fashion terminology.
In fortifications, bretelles were diagonal braces that allowed defenders to cover multiple approaches at once—they're a brilliant example of how military engineers borrowed fashion terminology to describe structural elements.
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