Back when I owned a Peugeot or two, I found that with a little practice it was pretty easy to slide my hands down to the stopping position when needed. That also gave me better control while stopping.

If you want to maintain that old school look, hunt around for some brakes with sissy levers. It's an extra lever that comes out of the brake lever and heads up towards the stem.



My American Eagle/Nishiki has them.