A Guide To Wearing Men’s Suspenders

The Geo Gee Experience Magazine in its continuous quest to make sure the cavalier man is on the cutting edge of style and dress turns its sights on men’s suspenders and braces in this article.

The first suspenders can be traced to 18th century France, where they were basically strips of ribbon attached to the buttonholes of trousers. [SOURCE]

Suppress images of Grandfathers in rimless glasses sitting in rocking chairs. Modern day suspenders can add a dimension of detail to any well dressed man’s ensemble today.

Yes I know all about belts. I’ve worn them for years. Coordinate the color of the belt with the color of your shoes and you’re pretty much good to go. But belts can be a tad blasé in the style department stopping short of adding an extra dash of dapper to the well coordinated man’s look. A well polished man takes his look to the next level by incorporating suspenders.

This article will focus on the more business and formal context of wearing suspenders, however they certainly can bring a trendsetting aura to casual wear when intelligently coordinated with your shirt and slacks.

The primary function of suspenders is to keep your slacks up by allowing them to “hang” from the waist line as opposed to being cinched around the waist with a belt resulting in a more tailored appearance.

Do know If you’re wearing suspenders you don’t wear a belt. Wearing a belt with suspenders or braces is counter productive and bad fashion taste.

If you’re just entering into the world of suspenders the first thing you want to consider is the two methods that they can be attached to your slacks. Should you go with metal clip-on's or buttons?

The metal clips on the clip-on style suspenders are sewn onto the bottom of each brace strap making it possible to attach them to the top of the slack’s waistband.

This style of attachment is good for those men that are just getting their feet wet in the world of braces and suspenders. The metal clip style is easy to find and doesn’t require that the slacks have the additional buttons inside the waistband of the slacks to be attached.

The downside to the metal clip-ons is they have sharp teeth that grip the waistband material. They are sometimes called alligator clips. This can lead to the waistband material of being possibly damaged over time from repeated clip ons and offs. The metal clips also tend to slip during wear and can become detached.

And last but certainly not least wearing clip-ons with a formal or really tailored suit can look tacky. It’s akin to wearing a clip-on tie with a custom tailored shirt. Also, most clip-ons have one connection at the center rear waistband of the slacks that can give you the “wedgie” appearance if not adjusted properly.

I highly recommend the button attachment style suspenders and braces. Button-ons will provide a more comfortable feel because of by the way they attach to the slacks.

Where clip-ons have one point of contact with the slacks, button-ons have two for each strap. Button connections have a leather strap usually shaped like a “U” that have two button slits at each end per strap. This provides six connection points to the pants, compared to a minimum of three connections with Y-style clip-on suspenders. More connection points allows your pants stay in place better and the straps will not move as much. Your pants will still stay up even if you pop a button.

Now there are some caveats with button on suspenders.

There are the two tab options. The inverse V-tabs and inverse U-tabs. V-tabs have 2 separate straps or tabs that connect to the buttons, while U-tabs are a half loop (think D ring). Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

V-tabs are more traditional, with a D-shaped ring that allows the straps to pivot over the shoulder strap. When the suspender wearer moves, the straps will pivot along the ring, but tend not to shift left or right when the wearer leans left or right. Therefore, when you lean sideways, the opposite side will feel a pull on the outer button, pulling the pants up. This increased strain is the number one reason for buttons popping off.

Now U-tabs are somewhat more reliable with a strap to allow the shoulder strap to hold the suspenders in place. This allows the suspenders to move left or right to accommodate to the body’s movement. In front, when you lean sideways, the strap slides along the U resulting in less strain on the buttons. When you wear Y-back suspenders and lean left, the back strap will slide left and when you lean right, the back strap will slide right. The front straps perform in the same manner. So if at all possible seek out U-tab suspenders of suspenders for your wardrobe.

The last caveat concerning button on suspenders is the slacks you intend to wear them with will need buttons inside their waistbands so the suspenders can be attached. If you are an off the rack suit purchaser it’s a 99% chance that your slacks aren’t going to be button suspenders ready.

You will have to invest a few dollars in a tailor or dry cleaner to add the buttons. The buttons should be attached as to align the front brace straps with the center crease of the slacks and the back center strap should align with the center seat seam of the slacks. If you’re purchasing a suit or slacks upward of two hundred dollars, some retailers will add the buttons along with any other alterations they are performing on the slacks.

All forms of suspenders can be adjusted with the adjustment levers located on the front straps.

Note! Unless there you have a shoulder deformity these adjustment levers should always line up with each other. If your slacks feel constricting in the crouch area, they should be adjusted. Using suspenders to compensate for a bad hem job does not work and I strongly advise against this. Attempting to raise slacks that are too long with suspenders will result in a wedgie look in the back and the Urkle look in the front.

You don’t want that. Using suspenders to lower pants that are too short can result in you looking like one of those butt sagging jean wearers with suspenders on. You don’t want that either.

When it comes to the shirt worn under the suspenders if at all possible it should be a fitted shirt or at the least one that is not ill-fitting. You do not want to ruin your look with excess loose shirt material protruding out and around the straps of your suspenders.

There is the 101 on suspenders. If you aren’t a man that has at least tried them you should. They add a look of refinement and class to a well-tailored suit shirt and tie combination.

Suspender FAQs

Is it proper to wear suspenders and a belt together?
I’ve never heard or seen a hard and fast fashion rule that says you shouldn’t do this. My advice is don’t do it because it can result in a cluttered appearance at the waist where the suspenders are attached.

What are your thoughts on matching suspender and tie sets?
As long as the patterns don’t clash against the color of the suit or slacks and compliment the shirt you’re good. Also, if it’s a business or formal setting you’re dressing for keep the patterns and design conservative.

How Do I clean my suspenders?
If the material is elastic, we suggest cool water, a cap full of Woolite and a light scrubbing with a soft brush. Allow them to air dry. Do remember depending upon what the metal the clips are made of they may be subjected to rusting. Never wash suspenders in a washer, or dry them in a dryer.

Never wet the leather attachments or soak them. The subjects them to future rotting.
If the material of your suspenders is made of a material that requires dry cleaning we suggest you let your dry cleaner take care of the cleaning chores.

Do you recommend wearing a tie clip to hold the tie in place if I’m wearing suspenders?
Yes, as long as the metal tone of the clip is the same tone as the metal appointments and adjustment bars on the suspenders. Match gold tone with gold tone, and silver tone with silver tone.

There you have it. Now go out and wow the crowd with a dapper Don look of your own.