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A Guide to Suspenders (B)

When they appeared, suspenders were considered underwear, so it was not customary for them to be visible. Times have changed, and suspenders became a very common (and great-looking) fashion accessory.

They are highly versatile and go with pretty much any type of outfit. What you will learn is that it’s not the suspenders that set the tone of the outfit, but it’s the outfit that sets the tone of the suspenders.

Suspenders were most fashionable in the midcentury, but as most classic men’s fashion items they are making a come-back. And, let’s face it, suspenders didn’t actually go out of style (they probably never will), they just let the belt take the spotlight.

 

 

Suspenders and occasion: From casual to business

The great thing about suspenders is that they go with almost every type of outfit. They are perfect for a casual everyday outfit, but also for a business one. They look just as great on a bartender as they look on a Wall Street guy. Formal suits well with suspenders and look really fun and elegant at the same time.

 

Casual wear and suspenders

To obtain a certain look, it’s not the suspenders in themselves that make the outfit, they are just an accessory, it’s the overall vibe that sets the tone.

A casual look with suspenders

 

So, if you wear them with chino pants and an informal shirt with its sleeves rolled up, you will definitely get an amazing casual look.

 

A casual look where the suspenders are not visible all the time

 

Wearing a business-oriented outfit, with a tie and dress pants will grant you the Wall Street with suspenders look.

 

This is what we call “Wall Street Suspenders”

 

Extremely casual wear and suspenders

Speaking of casual looks, you can get even more casual. If you’re the kind of guy that wears a tank top on a daily basis or a rugged t-shirt, suspenders can also give you an extra edge, and in this case the tone will be rather punk than just casual.

 

Very casual outfits with suspenders

 

Formal wear and suspenders

If you wear a formal shirt, a tie and dress pants, the suspenders will become the accessory that will add a lot of personality to your outfit.

 

Formal suspenders. Actually, it’s the outfit that’s formal while the suspenders only support it

 

Suspenders are also an important part of black tie outfits. You should know that there is no such thing as a formal belt. Usually, suspenders worn with black tie outfits should black or white, and are not supposed to be seen beneath your jacket. Quality formal suspenders usually end in braided silk ends rather than leather tabs. Tabs are, perfectly acceptable as well, but clips are not.

 

And, even though it’s not the suspenders that set the vibe, we highly recommend to keep the tone of the suspenders within the tone that you wish to convey. A formal, business-oriented outfit will not look its best with suspenders with a pineapple print.

 

 

How To Wear Suspenders

 

If you are wearing suspenders that have leather parts or are entirely out of leather, they should match your shoes

 

Many men will normally fasten their suspenders in the back, then put their trousers on, and then fasten the suspenders in the front. Some suspenders designs use a metal clasp that pinches the fabric of the trousers, while some have small buttons at each end of the suspender. The second type are, in our opinion, better because they do not compress and in the end damage the trouser fabric, but the thing is that you can only wear them with trousers that feature button-flaps for suspenders (these are usually situated on the inside of the waistband to either side of the central button and fly).

Trousers that are not made with button-flaps for suspenders can only work with clamp-style suspenders. They will usually be made with belt-loops.

 

 

The golden rule

Whatever you, don’t wear suspenders with a belt. Are you so afraid that your pants will fall off? The purpose of suspenders is from a practical point of view, the same as that of a belt, which is to hold your pants up. Wearing both will be like wearing two blazers one over the other.

 

Suspenders are really an amazing piece, but sometimes belts are better. Try them both and see which works best for you. Including suspenders in your wardrobe will only give you more tools to use when you are dressing up everyday.

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

Further reading:

How to wear suspenders (more cool pics)

How to wear bow ties with suspenders

5 rules men should consider when wearing accessories

P.S. What do you think of suspenders? Do you like to wear them? Do you like men who wear suspenders? In which environment do you wear suspenders?  Share your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!

 

54 replies on “A Guide to Suspenders (B)”

I love suspenders! They can really add zing to a boring outfit…:)
I’m a girl, and even I have a top with in-built suspenders, which is casual wear…
This post was really interesting and informative…I didn’t know that suspenders were considered to be underwear before! 🙂

Hello

Thank you for your message! You are right, suspenders can really take an outfit to another level! We’re glad you found the information suspenders as underwear to be interesting!

Best,

F&F

I was curious to know if you knew the company that made the leather suspenders in your last image? The one with the red shirt and jeans. I have been looking for a good pair of leather suspenders with no luck.

Could you please let me know where I can find the leather suspenders which the guy in the plaid shirt and jeans is wearing. Thank you.

i also would love to know who makes the leather suspenders in the last photo. any help is much appreciated and thank you,

Hi im frm Singapore & I Truly Luv yr Site. Pls let me kno where I could buy tis Leather Suspender model wif Red Checked Shirt.(Also same enquire d by Mr Warren)
Pls do reply & my email add is : samdayang@hotmail.com

Thank You very much, bro may u be “blesed wif more Creative Juice”….emmmm

Hello Sam,

Thank you for the comment! We’re glad you like the site! We will get back to you shortly, make sure you check your inbox!

Best wishes,

F&F

Hi would be very grateful if you could tell me where I could get the suspenders in the last image with the red checked shirt! I’ve looked all over the net and can’t find them! Brilliant site!
Many thanks and keep up the good work! 🙂

Hello Dave,

Thank you for the question! We will get back to you shortly via e-mail!

Best wishes,

F&F

F&F,
Great write up. I am, as well, very curious as to who makes the leather suspenders in the article with the red shirt and blue jeans (last image) and where I might grab a pair.
Would love to know if ya have the info to forward! Thanks a bunch.
Pete

Fraquoh and Franchomme,
Great article.
Like others, I am very curious as to who makes the leather suspenders featured in the last image in the article (with the red shirt and blue jeans) Can you please advise where I might purchase a pair?

I have a quick question what sort of body types go well with suspenders? I’ve been tossing the idea around for a while but I just feel like they would make me look larger than I am… I’m about 5’6 and 200 lbs (a bit on the stocky side). I have 7 custom Darzi suits and want to add an extra oomph without looking like I’m outgrowing them.
Thanks!

Hy Jacob,

Actually, all body types go with suspenders, you don’t have to worry about that. Suspenders have the tendency to make you look a little bigger, but not necessarily in a bad way. To make the best out of your suspenders, you should make sure that you keep your overall outfit simple. Make sure that the shirt you are wearing don’t have any pockets, that your pants are simple and that you are not wearing many accessories.

Also, in our opinion, suspenders work best with single-breasted jackets. You should know that double-breasted jackets work best for thinner guys, so if you are a little bigger, you should wear simple jackets. At a BMI (body mass index) of 32, you should be able to pull suspenders off, but we would recommend to tone down other accessories.

If you have any questions, feel free to write to us or e-mail us at office@attireclub.org

You’re welcome, Jacob!

One more thing: make sure that when you pick out suspenders, you go for a pair that has wider straps, rather than one with thinner straps. Thin straps might make you look a little strangled, but wider one are sure to frame your body well.

Good luck!

Best wishes,

F&F

I was also wondering where I might be able to purchase the suspenders in the bottom photo. I have been looking for days now with no luck and was hoping to find out here? 🙂

Love wearing suspenders or braces when I can. I have a pair of leather ones that attach to a belt (they’re more fetish-y) and I love that they come in so many colors and styles!!! Awesome post!!!!

Hi Fraquoh and Franchomme

I’d love to know where I could purchase that last pair of suspenders too. The pair with jeans and red checked shirt, or any other great suspenders you’ve come across.

Thanks
Nick

A popular question it seems. I would as well as many others like to know where I can get a pair of the Y-back leather suspenders in the last image.

I would also like to know the maker and website of the leather Y back suspenders in the jeans and plaid shirt pic.

Hi guys. I love your article on suspenders, but you need to correct a small grammar error right away. In the sentence: “A formal, business-oriented outfit will not look it’s best with suspenders with a pineapple print,” you need to remove the apostrophe from “it’s,” which will give you “its,” the correct form here. The form you used (with the extra apostrophe) is a contraction for “it is.” Read THAT into your sentence, and you’ll see that it clashes. THANKS

Dear Ben,

We’re glad you liked the article.

Thank you for noticing the typo. We are always happy to improve our posts!

I want to start wearing suspenders but I don’t know if the suspenders are supposed to match my shoes, or tie or just the outfit itself. Can you please help me?

Dear Erik,

Thank you very much for the question – first off, we need to tell you that we have an article on suspenders coming up within the next days! Make sure you subscribe to our website to receive it in your e-mail when it goes live.

Regarding your question, we can tell you that your suspenders are not supposed to be an exact match to anything, but they do need to go with the overall color scheme of your outfit.

To learn more about coordinating colors, check out these articles:

A Guide to Coordinating the Colors of Your Clothes: http://attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/

Choose the Colors of Your Clothes Like a Pro: attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/

Basically, you can match your suspenders to another accessory, but this is not mandatory, they simply need to be integrated within your overall look – you can create a color scheme or keep the suspenders neutral. If you wear neutral suspenders (neutral colors are black, gray, beige, khaki, tan, ivory, dark blue, brown, etc.), you can wear them with any other color – there is no way of going wrong with neutrals. If your suspenders are very colorful, but all other pieces are neutral, that works very well too.

If you want to see some examples or wearing suspenders with bow ties or ties, you can click this article:

How to wear bow ties with suspenders http://attireclub.org/2014/07/08/wear-bow-ties-with-suspenders/

Let us know if you have any other questions and make sure you come back soon for the suspenders article!

Fraquoh and Franchomme

I really like the the leather suspenders on the guy with red shirt and jeans. Can you tell me where I might find them?

Dear Greg,

Thank you very much for your comment.

You can definitely wear a tie with red suspenders and a white shirt. Just make sure that the color of your tie goes with red. White is a neutral and goes with anything. Some colors that go well with red are: blue, orange or a pale shade of green.

To read more about color coordination, take a look at this article: “Coordinating the Colors of Your Clothes”: http://attireclub.org/2014/05/05/coordinating-the-colors-of-your-clothes/.

and “The Professional Way to Choose the Colors of your Clothes”: http://attireclub.org/2013/01/05/the-professional-way-to-choose-colors/.

We also spoke about wearing suspenders with a tie in our article “How to Wear Casual Bow Ties With Suspenders” – the rules apply to ties as well and at the end, there is a section that is dedicated to ties and suspenders outfits. http://attireclub.org/2014/07/08/wear-bow-ties-with-suspenders/.

Let us know if you have any further questions!

Yours sincerely,

F&F

I’m a big guy and wear suspenders to hold up my pants but I feel weird without having a belt on too , but I don’t want to look awful in appearance. How should go about wearing the 2 , matching or ?

Dear Danny,

Usually, we would not go for both, as they serve the same purpose. Maybe you can find a larger belt or a pair of double suspenders if you are not sure about how you will be supported. If you do feel that you need to wear both and can’t do without, then we would say that they should match exactly, so that it looks like a single item and not two items.

F&F

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