I think braces are cute. And sometimes a rubber band just doesn't cut it. My wife had to have 6 teeth removed and 6 years of braces to get perfect teeth. Was it expensive? Yeah. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
I, on the other hand, have needed braces for a long time but just couldn't be bothered, my teeth really aren't wonky enough to warrant it. I also only have one tooth removed which I did myself after plenty of alcohol.