Ask A Woman: Do suspenders belong strictly to old men and hipsters?
If you’ve got a question that needs the female treatment, chances are you’re not the only one who wants to ask it. Beth is our source for the answers. From opinions on men’s style to decoding the sometimes mysterious ways of women, she’ll take on a different question every Thursday. And don’t worry, your identity will be protected too. Click here to get to know Beth, then get in touch with her by sending your question to: askawoman@dappered.com
.
Dear Beth,
A few days ago I was looking at the family photo album and I saw a 50 year old photo of my grandfather wearing suspenders. So that kinda got me thinking: what is the way to pull off suspenders without looking like you’re trying too hard? Is this even possible in the 21st century? I’m afraid I’ll end up looking like a hipster or one of those 20-something guys who fail to see that wearing a fedora with their casual outfit is generally frowned upon.
Thank you for your help!
-Kristian
Dear Kristian,
“Trying too hard” is a complicated turn of phrase, isn’t it? When I think of trying too hard, I think of orange spray tans on men, a pound of foundation on women, and stiff, immovable hair on both. Basically, trying too hard in my world is an excess of something. It doesn’t mean super trendy. As much as Dappered focuses on and promotes classic taste, I think everyone here likes to dabble in trends now and again…we just don’t want a whole wardrobe stacked with trends that are only wearable for a season or two.
Suspenders are certainly trendy, in the way that fedoras are (er, were), but the trick is to add it to an ensemble that’s subtle in other ways. So you don’t want an outfit that features suspenders, fedora, man cardigan, black nerd glasses, skinny jeans, and a fashion scarf. It’s not that these items separately are offensive, in fact, I like most of them on their own. But you want to use them sparingly…like ant killer, or anchovies on pizza.
Yes, suspenders are hipster-ish, but to some extent, that’s not fair. The hipster style is basically a reclamation of older, now-uncommon trends (see my list above). It’s not like they invented the suspender–it’s been around forever. The only reason suspenders went away is that belts were created and men stopped wearing formal attire like vests and suit coats which hid the suspender from view. So I say, Kristian, wear suspenders if you dig them. Like any uncommon piece of clothing or accessory, you’ll definitely get noticed in suspenders, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Some dudes who look dapper in suspenders: Andre 3000 who wears them better than anyone else; Ian Somerhalder looks dashing in them; Ed Westwick wears them conservatively; Denzel Washington is a bad ass in them; Jon Hamm smolders in them.
As far as your options, there are quite a few. I prefer striped vertical-striped suspenders myself, like these navy and cream ones, or these red, white, and blue ones. But they also come in patterns, like these navy and red. And of course, your basic solid colors, like these in burgundy, navy, black, and olive.
Finally, a salute to the most faithful wearer of the suspender–our friend…Larry King.
-Beth
Got a question for Beth? Send them to: askawoman@dappered.com
Suspender belt duo photo credit.
What? Fedoras are out of style? Just when I got old enough to wear them – not fair!
“Can a young, non-hipster pull off suspenders?”
Sure. If you want to look like a fashion-clown, or a douxhe.
Next question.
I wear suspenders with some of my indochino suits in the office. The older guys (i.e. my bosses) appreciate the touch, as well as the younger crowd….but you certainly don’t want to overdo it…
Wear braces that button to your trousers, not clip-on suspenders.
Nothing holds your pants up better.
Like JD said, braces that button onto the trousers are a classic stylistic choice that looks 100% appropriate with suits. If we’re talking about casual suspenders, that’s a different story, but it’s worth differentiating.
Things like suspenders, fedoras, and even arguably tie clips, all generally fall into the category of things that were once commonplace, but aren’t anymore. I would argue that it’s not because these items lost their style or utility, but rather because most guys are pretty lazy about how they look. A LOT of men who work in the DC area can’t even be bothered to wear anything beyond khakis and a button-down shirt, let alone a tie or a jacket. So yeah, to your point, something like this that is so far beyond the bare minimum might seem out of place to some. If nothing else, this site has taught me to figure out what works for me and what doesn’t. Some guys simply cannot pull off a seersucker suit, other guys look like a million bucks. The only way to figure this out is by trial and error. As long as you’re not going so overboard with accessories as to give the impression that all you want is attention, you’ll be fine. Don’t get hung up on looking like a ‘hipster’ (a term that is thrown around and abused to the point of becoming almost meaningless…especially around these halls).
Spot on with this quote:
“As long as you’re not going so overboard with accessories as to give the impression that all you want is attention, you’ll be fine.”
Couldn’t agree more.
No. The short answer is no you can’t. If you are under 40 it will look affected. 40-60 it will look pretentious but you can probably pull it off. Over 60 you’re just an awesome older guy in suspenders.
The only time I wear suspenders is when I wear sweatpants to Thanksgiving dinner. I need all the help I can get…
I’m not a massive fan of how Ed Westwick is wearing them. Clearly he spent some money on the outfit which is why I am disappointed that he is wearing suspenders (or braces as Ed would call them) with trousers that have belt loops. If you are going to wear a suit with suspenders go for trousers with covert buttons to mount the suspenders and side adjusters to pull in the waist. This gives a much more streamlined appearance and does not leave you with redundant looking belt loops.
While I agree with your technical commentary, I can’t help but feel it’s a bit unnecessary. For one, he pulls the whole thing off better than the others put together, in my opinion. He looks better than Gordon Gekko, who had the buttons. The whole thing looks really Wall Street circa 1987, but it doesn’t really look dated, at least not how he’s doing it. Then again, he has lots of money and probably a personal stylist. And he’s Chuck Bass…
The answer to this question is, ‘Absolutely yes.’ But the key to suspenders is that they’re really underwear: you should only wear suspenders if you’re also wearing a jacket (sportcoat or suit), so nobody would ever see them until you took off your jacket at the end of the day. Like others have mentioned, they should button, not clasp. And the current trend of low-rise trousers really does not work with suspenders, while mid-rise trousers that hit at the very top of your hips (or higher) would.
With suspenders, you shouldn’t even need side adjusters, since the suspenders should “float” the trousers in the correct position.
Ahhhh yes. The use of “Next Question”… the tell tale sign that you’re dealing with, as you would call it, a “douxhe” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41rdU-3fiMA
My opinion as a suspender wearer: if people can see them, you’re doing it wrong.
I always wear suspenders with a vest, but unless you’ve got something like that to cover up the belt loops or don’t have them at all, I feel like it looks strange to wear pants without a belt.
I wore suspenders to prom instead of a cummerbund. I was the only one wearing them, but I got tons of compliments when I took my jacket off. I also got my dream compliment, “You look so James Bond.”
I was also the only one at prom who wore all black, except for my white shirt. Everyone else had colors going in the ties, cummerbunds, and tuxes. I am too boring to enjoy colors much, I guess.
I wear braces all the time with my suits, and people mention them positively very often! I prefer them over belts because I am a bit overweight and they look so much better then having a cinched belt over your belly haha. Also gives you a chance for fun ways to use new colors to accent! (Ed has red socks to go with his suspenders if you didnt notice!)
Can’t believe how much more comfortable suspenders are compared to belts. Yes, they are bound to show at some time, but what the hell. They are only clothes, and at least your underpants won’t show above your pants!
My cousin, who’s 22, wears suspenders to work most days. He works in a jewelry store and usually wears trousers, a vest, and a tie, with suspenders. Vestless days, he uses a belt. He looks extremely sharp every day.
Time Lords can pull off suspenders and bowties very well. And you might see a few Whovians have donned the Eleventh Doctors threads along with the suspenders and jeans look.
As a friend of mine pointed out, “when we’re looking back at prom photos in 30 years, y’all are going to talk about how stupid you looked and I’m just going to look classic – who can argue with a classic tux?”