The History of Suspenders (2024)

FAQs

What was the original purpose of suspenders? ›

The Invention of Suspenders

Suspenders for men first hit the fashion scene in the 1700s in France, and like HIKERS™, they were originally made to be worn as an undergarment. In fact, it wasn't until the 1930s that men started pushing the norm and wearing them over their shirts.

Albert Thurston first invented modern suspenders in 1820.

A belt is like a tourniquet that goes around your waist. If it's too tight, it can disrupt your circulation. Your body needs the blood to flow, so make the switch to suspenders. These don't put pressure on your waist or any other part of your body, so they're much safer to wear.

As men wore more trousers of casual styles, they were discouraged from wearing suspenders as they would have to add in the suspender buttons themselves. This, then, created a self-perpetuating cycle where more customers seem to favor casual trousers with belt loops.

When you have them on, your suspenders should fall in a straight line down from your shoulder to your waist. To put button-on suspenders on your trousers, start in the back. Once you've buttoned them on, put your trousers on, pull the suspenders over your shoulders and button them in place in the front.

- Another name for suspenders for trousers.

Suspenders (American English, Canadian English), or braces (British English, New Zealand English, Australian English) are fabric or leather straps worn over the shoulders to hold up skirts or trousers.

As a result, you may be asking yourself, “are suspenders still in style?” The answer is yes! Modern day suspenders look different than suspenders of the past, but they are still a fashionable accessory designed to elevate your casual or formal look.

Physical Description. The name "ROOSEVELT" is repeated in gray-black lettering on the white center stripe. The reverse of the straps are plain white.

Amish Men:

The trousers that the men wear have no zippers and instead have buttons that button up the flap. One or two suspenders also hold up the trousers since no belts are allowed because of the flashy buckle that is present. For church services, Amish men wear a plain white shirt with a black coat and vest overtop.

What do British call suspenders? ›

In British English, suspenders are a piece of underwear used for holding up stockings. This is also known as a suspender belt in British English, or a garter belt in American English.

Sometimes you think something is less likely to match with your personality but once you give it a try, it becomes your favourite. Same is the case with suspenders and jeans. So, the answer is a BIG Yes! Suspenders with jeans look super-hot.

Disadvantages of Suspenders

A loss of fit or elasticity in older suspenders can cause trousers to sag embarrassingly. Well-made belts provide more utility than suspenders because they can hold small items. Typically, suspenders are less expressive than belts.

The first "jeans" they invented were actually "waist-high overalls", consisting of denim pants with suspenders attached with buttons, but with no bib. From the beginning, denim overalls were popular workers' garments due to their durability.

A suspender belt (also known as a garter belt) is designed to keep your stockings from slipping whilst creating an alluring silhouette and gives a polished look to your lingerie set.

Frank : Wobbles, how can you trust a man that wears both a belt and suspenders? Man can't even trust his own pants.

It's also important to know that it is never advised to wear both a belt and suspenders at the same time. No matter what attachments you're using.

The real answer is that you can wear them either over or under - whichever way you prefer. For some people, wearing their knickers on top pinches the straps into their sensitive skin, or they prefer the visual effect of wearing the straps on top.

Suspenders, also known as suit braces, are long strips of fabric worn over your shoulders with the purpose of holding up your trousers. They attach to your pants with either suspender clips or suspender buttons.

Traditionally, suspenders should always be covered by a jacket, vest, cumme*rbund, sweater, or a combination of those items. Suspenders are not an accessory that is meant to be shown off, like a pocket square.

What are suspenders called in Germany? ›

German boys used to wear lederhosen up to the age of about 16. These lederhosen were not decorated with embroidery, and had the typical suspenders/braces and drop-front flap. Even today, some German and French Scouts wear various forms of lederhosen, although in most cases, they are not part of their official uniform.

The word jumper is usually used more in the UK. A jumper is a long-sleeved item worn on the top half of your body, and like a sweater, is usually considered knitted or crocheted, but also seen made of jersey fabric or cotton too.

Suspenders, also known as braces, have been proven to improve posture, increase blood flow to your internal organs, improve circulation to your legs and feet, and reduce back pain, all while keeping your pants from falling down.

The answer is - absolutely! Not only do shorts and suspenders look stylish, but many wearers of this style feel that losing the belt during the summer months contributes to the free and easy vibe of the season. Pairing suspenders with shorts is a look that can take a few tries to master.

Perfect accessory especially in the presence of tailored suits, the suspenders are suitable for weddings, religious or official ceremonies, for gala evenings and formal events in which it is required to wear the most rigorous suits, such as suits, tuxedos, tight or frac.

If you recall Mickey Mouse having suspenders to hold up his iconic red shorts, you're far from the only one — but since his debut in 1928, he's never worn them.

Suspenders for Infantry branch personnel are manufactured in Light Blue, which has been the official branch color since 1902. Army regulations allow the wearing of suspenders with all dress uniforms, but with two caveats: They may be worn only by males, and they must not be visible when they are worn.

Union Soldier Colors

Some common features of their uniforms were as follows: The jacket had brass buttons. Trousers were done in dark blue and held up by suspenders. A belt was used to hold supplies such as a canteen and rations.

Buttons, like zippers, are seen as a form of modern convenience. They're believed to promote vanity and draw attention to the clothing considered inappropriate in the Amish community. Instead, they use straight pins or hooks and eyes on clothing that require closure.

Why do Amish girls go barefoot? ›

The Amish believe that going barefoot keeps them closer to the earth and nature, and therefore keeps them closer to God. There's no easier way to enhance the bond with God's natural creations. As such a pious people, this is of great importance to the Amish.

The Amish are best known for their plain clothing, most of it self-made, and nonconformist lifestyle. Men and boys wear broad-brimmed black hats, dark-coloured suits, straight-cut coats without lapels, broadfall pants, suspenders, solid-coloured shirts, and black socks and shoes.

If you call suspenders braces, you are either British or a sartorially-inclined gentleman. Braces is the term the Brits use for the accessory, after all.

The word gealaisí in Irish means 'braces'/'suspenders' and is a borrowing of galluses.

Braces = suspenders. Under no circ*mstances should men admit to wearning 'suspenders'; these are used to hold women's [sexy] tights!

Yes. But you may not want to wear just any old pair this way. If you already own one or more pairs of elastic suspenders (forget about doing this with leather suspenders), you can experiment with wearing them over a t-shirt to see how they feel.

Keep your shirt untucked or tucked in - either way works.

Loggers do a lot of bending, walking and lifting during their daily job duties, and spending the day cutting and hauling trees is a rugged job. Men and women loggers who prefer wearing suspenders know how crucial it is for work performance and safety to have suspenders that are equally rugged.

How Tight Should Suspenders be? Your braces should never hang loose. However, they should sit snugly over your shoulders but not too tight. Remember the purpose of wearing braces is to hold your trousers up in a comfortable position and so the length of the trouser leg sits smartly above your shoe.

Ideally, the best type of pants to wear with suspenders is a pair without belt loops that has buttons sewn on the inside for suspenders to loop onto. If you don't have buttons on the inside of your pants, they can be sewn on, making wearing loop suspenders easy to wear.

Did suspenders or belts come first? ›

It wasn't until the early 19th century that men's pant waists fell a bit and belt loops were created. Suspenders have been traced back to 18th-century France.

With suspenders, I can loosen my belt (I had to get a longer one) and be comfortable again. And I don't have to worry about low-riding pants, walking on my cuffs or falling from grace in the public's eye. I can even fill my pockets again if I just adjust the suspenders a little to accommodate the heavier load.

Rise in Popularity

With the advent of trousers in the early 19th century, came the commercialization of suspenders for men. British tailor Albert Thurston is credited with the invention of the modern suspenders, or “braces” as they would have been and indeed still are referred to by the English.

Suspenders, also known as braces, have been proven to improve posture, increase blood flow to your internal organs, improve circulation to your legs and feet, and reduce back pain, all while keeping your pants from falling down.

So the belt came along well before the suspender, but there was a time when suspenders took the lead role in holding up pants.

As a result, you may be asking yourself, “are suspenders still in style?” The answer is yes! Modern day suspenders look different than suspenders of the past, but they are still a fashionable accessory designed to elevate your casual or formal look.

Do you wear a belt with suspenders? Absolutely not. Here's why: Although it is acceptable to wear the straps on trousers with belt loops (although for a more sophisticated look, without belt loops is better), it is absolutely not tolerated to wear suspenders with a belt.

The term “belt and suspenders” is an example of a metaphorical idiom; the meaning is that a person who “wears belt and suspenders” is very cautious. The idea is that a belt holds up a person's pants, and that suspenders achieve same task.

A suspender belt (also known as a garter belt) is designed to keep your stockings from slipping whilst creating an alluring silhouette and gives a polished look to your lingerie set.

Just like pocket squares, suspenders don't need to exactly match your shirt, suit or tie. In fact, the color or pattern of your suspenders is even less important than that of your pocket square because they're not visible under your jacket.

Why did braces go out of fashion? ›

The Decline of braces & suspenders

The trend was suddenly cut short at the outbreak of World War II, as this use of cloth was curtailed. At the same time, a great number of military servicemen began wearing belts to support the trousers of their uniforms – a habit which continued when they were demobbed.