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Thinking of switching to suspenders/braces

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Professorshak

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I'm tired of wearing belts with my dress pants. I have a bit of a gut sticking out and my pants ALWAYS fall and I hate the look of how my belt sags under my belly, adding more attention to this region.

I wear a 36x29 pant, and I'm 5'8" so my legs are shorter than my broad shouldered torso. I want to ditch the belt, make the necessary adjustments and use the more functional method of keeping my pants up by wearing suspenders/braces.

I turned 30 a few months back and am wondering if this will just make me look awkward. I wear a fedora which already puts me in the outlier category but this would push me even further down.

What's your opinion on Gen Y wearing suspenders/braces (the good ones with loops, not the snap on)
 
#2 ·
I sometimes wear braces and I'm younger than you, but I only do so when I know I'll be keeping my jacket on. So that means not to work for me. I mostly keep them hidden, but people may still see them when I'm sitting down with my jacket open.
 
#3 ·
Well, suspenders are ok if you're wearing an odd jacket or a suit. Look at them like underwear: they're not meant to be seen in public.

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#4 ·
I'm a little bit younger than you and I wear them. I don't get as much use out of them as I'd like to though I really only use them in the fall. When I know I will be able to keep my jacket on most of the day.
 
#5 ·
I don't know about the Gen Y portion of this question, but braces are an acceptable part of classic business dress. Of course, being an outlier among one's peers can draw positive or negative attention to yourself depending on the tastefulness of your sartorial choices. Even in my mid-twenties (I'm 39 now), I found braces to be a subtle way to stand out from the crowd. That said, I didn't, nor do I now, wear them every day to work. My reasoning is that much like wearing wingtips every day could cause them to be identified with one's person (i.e. Becoming the "wingtip guy"), I don't wish to become the "suspenders guy". Instead, I alternate belts and braces. The bottom line, though, is that it's an acceptable option and a matter of personal taste.
 
#6 ·
New Member Professorshak,
Your thought is correct in every repect, and your motives are well reasoned.
Braces are your friend; however, there are aspects of your local environs of which one is not cognizant. Some persons who wear fedora's do so for reasons adequate to themselves. Others shed their hats and coats, vests and jackets as soon as they hit the work place door, floor, office--whathaveyou. These are all important considerations that are not to be left from evaluation of your question.
For my own purposes, one has a fondness for both braces and fedora's and many other elements of presentation and aspect available though they were acquired over many decades and after deliberation about the expense and utility v. other things that the same expditure might be put toward. Not as simple as it may at first seem in dangerous times, and we are always in dangerous times of one sort or another.
Best solution is braces as they may be adjusted, replaced, or disgarded if unserviceable at lesser price than a suit of clothes and always remain unseen but may also be put into service with multiple items that fit if things change and are therefore available at your pleasure to wear on the day; Side tabs are also an option for a beltless pant, but have their own design flaws that are inherent to their functionality; and finally, your personal evaluation of the character and worthiness of the persons most immediate in your life is a factor...(will they still love your tomorrow, can they be trusted and have they integrity).
Who may say? One makes a descision based on incomplete and uncertain data sets that may not be completly verifiable under present states of human understanding all the time. It is what we do. Be happy to have the latitude to affirm your instinct, intellect and motives.
Regard follow you,
rudy
 
#7 ·
Brother Bantista has put it well. Personally I much prefer suspenders to belts but only if I'm wearing a vest or at least a jacket over them. I have at times attempted to wear them without the jacket or vest and I was uncomfortable. Why, I do not know. It seems to be a tad silly to consider them underwear and not to be seen when there are so many delightful patterns available on them. Both Chipp2 and Kabbaz and Kelly will even print custom designs for you (for a price!) to advertise your company, you hobby or your (ahem!) preferences. But wearing them uncovered does seem to me to require a touch of a Gordon Gekko-esque style which I'm not sure I can pull off. So as has been stated it's one of those things you have to either do or do not. There is no try.
 
#8 ·
Make sure the trousers sit at your waist. It actually looks more slimming to have no interruption from jacket to trouser, contrary to what fashion designers will tell you now.
 
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#9 ·
This is pure subjective opinion and preference, so take it with however much salt you deem necessary:

I like the look of belts, so I wear belts more often. The only time I ever wear braces are really with black-tie attire, and with the one trousers I have with suspenders buttons (the tailor misunderstood my directions, long story). For my body type, neither belt nor braces are a noticeably better option than the other, so I stick with belts mostly.

As much as style and clothing is about aesthetics, I feel function would - especially for something functional like belts/braces - trump anything else. So if you feel braces are a better option for you, rock them.

But please keep in mind that many may find uncovered braces (that is, with no jacket/sweater/etc.) somewhat unsightly. And then again some may not.

And yes, as noted above, do make sure the trousers are at your waist (or maybe even with a fish-tail back).
 
#10 · (Edited)
Braces are not underwear. A gentleman wears underwear items under his shirt and trousers, not over them. That is why such items are called underwear.

Braces are simply an alternative to a belt, and no more underwear than a belt. But because (i) braces are typically worn only with dress trousers and (ii) dress trousers were traditionally accompanied by a suit or sport coat, I suspect that the misconception of braces as underwear is an accident of the traditional rule against the removal of jackets in public. Today, few folks would insist on jackets being worn all day while in your office (or even walking around your office floor), but because braces have not been very popular since the relaxation of jacket practices, some folks simply find their appearance sans jacket a little jarring or unusual, and from this mistakenly infer an underwear theory.

In my opinion wearing braces without a jacket is akin to wearing a necktie without a jacket. One should not leave home without a jacket if wearing either, but when or whether it is appropriate to remove the jacket is a matter of context and judgment. I don't think that my judgment in this respect would be any different for braces versus a tie.

For the record, I do think that the rule disfavoring the removal of sport or suit jackets still survives, especially if a necktie is worn, but only in much more limited contexts. In general, I wear a coat and tie every day of the week except Saturday. Usually, I wear braces when I wear a coat and tie (or even with just a sport jacket sans tie). While I wear my jacket whenever I leave our offices, I usually remove my jacket while working in our offices and will also occasionally remove it in other forums depending on context. Jacket on or jacket off, I give no more thought to my braces than I do to my belt (less actually, since they are more comfortable and require less adjustment or notice).

Finally, Professorshak, please wear your braces with confidence and comfort.

Cheers!
 
#11 ·
Professorshak said:
I'm tired of wearing belts with my dress pants. I have a bit of a gut sticking out and my pants ALWAYS fall and I hate the look of how my belt sags under my belly, adding more attention to this region.

I wear a 36x29 pant, and I'm 5'8" so my legs are shorter than my broad shouldered torso. I want to ditch the belt, make the necessary adjustments and use the more functional method of keeping my pants up by wearing suspenders/braces.

I turned 30 a few months back and am wondering if this will just make me look awkward. I wear a fedora which already puts me in the outlier category but this would push me even further down.

What's your opinion on Gen Y wearing suspenders/braces (the good ones with loops, not the snap on)
Click to expand...
Go for it. You are never too old nor too young for double breasted jackets, suspenders and vests (double breasted and single breasted).
 
#13 ·
I started wearing suspenders in 1977, for one reason: to keep my trousers up at their proper place without being cinched around the middle. (I've also never had a good middle to cinch). It is far more efficient and comfortable to use braces, IMO, and surprisingly few people will comment at all these days.
 
#14 ·
Nobody will look at you funny if you wear braces under a blazer, sports coat, or suit coat. Even if they notice, I don't think anyone will take it amiss.

At the same time, suspenders over a dress shirt (or OCBD) without a coat look silly and either hipster or way to 19080s. Unless you are wearing a suit or sports coat and take it off for comfort. Than it is ok. The point being, don't walk around the office in braces, let alone walk down the street. But in your office, it is fine to take your jacket off unless you live in 19030s England.

--Me

--Me
 
#15 · (Edited)
kravi said:
Nobody will look at you funny if you wear braces under a blazer, sports coat, or suit coat. Even if they notice, I don't think anyone will take it amiss.

At the same time, suspenders over a dress shirt (or OCBD) without a coat look silly and either hipster or way to 19080s. Unless you are wearing a suit or sports coat and take it off for comfort. Than it is ok. The point being, don't walk around the office in braces, let alone walk down the street. But in your office, it is fine to take your jacket off unless you live in 19030s England.

--Me

--Me
Click to expand...
In my opinion wearing braces without a jacket is akin to wearing a necktie without a jacket. One should not leave home without a jacket if wearing either, but when or whether it is appropriate to remove the jacket is a matter of context and judgment. I don't think that my judgment would be any different for braces versus a tie.
 
#16 ·
Mike Petrik said:
In my opinion wearing braces without a jacket is akin to wearing a necktie without a jacket. One should not leave home without a jacket if wearing either, but when or whether it is appropriate to remove the jacket is a matter of context and judgment.
Click to expand...
I thought that was what I said? Don't wear braces without a jacket, unless you sit down at your desk and pull your jacket off for comfort...? And same thing with necktie. Don't loosen the neck tie unless you are in your office (room), but tighten it back up when walking around the office (area).

--Me
 
#17 · (Edited)
kravi said:
I thought that was what I said? Don't wear braces without a jacket, unless you sit down at your desk and pull your jacket off for comfort...? And same thing with necktie. Don't loosen the neck tie unless you are in your office (room), but tighten it back up when walking around the office (area).

--Me
Click to expand...
Kravi, I'm sorry if my post came across as corrective of yours. I didn't intend that at all. I'm in general agreement with your post and was only trying to add the necktie analogy.
 
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