Mens fashion - Suspenders with a suit or nice shirt

[Hoov]

So, i've always liked the look of nice suspenders with a real nice suit... such as Gene Hackman wore in the Movie "The Firm".

I got a few pair of custom leather suspenders for christmas. I have a brown and wine colored pair and a black pair that is a little thinner than the other 2.

They all have a Y back.

They have clips not buttons and the clips are silver "triger clips" so these suspenders are different from the usual suspenders that you see people wear with the alligator teeth clips. (trigger clips look like a metal circle that has a small peice you press on and the circle opens up like two opposing clasps that then clasp back together over the fabric of the pamts). The clasps are real nice looking but definitely a little edgy compared to what you normally see - which is fine for my taste, i personnaly think they look cool.

However, i have never worn suspenders before and while i dont mind standing out or having a look that is "edgy" (i currently am sporting a handlebar moustache and have longer hair than most men)... dont want to be looked at as the "guy who doesnt know".

I just read that it is a major fashion mistake to wear a belt with suspenders so i now know that much.

I also read it is preferable to wear pants without belt loops - but that it is OK to wear pants with belt loops and still wear the suspenders as long as you dont wear a belt.

So - for those guys that do like to wear suspenders - what do you think about wearing nice quality leather suspenders to enhance a dress outfit as opposed to only wearing the leather suspenders with rugged outfits ?

And do i need to change the type of clips or can i still use the trigger clips with a suit. I wore the black ones the other day with a dark red shirt, nice pressed gray trousers and in the front i put the trigger clips through the belt loops and in the back just clasped it on the pant material in the middle. I thought it looked real sharp and so did my girlfriend.

My family didnt comment....but they dont really know fashion anyway so i cant go by them at all.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Myself don't wear suits. Just me.

 

[WV Cowboy]

If you like it and your girlfriend does too, .. who cares what anyone else thinks. Go for it!

 

[Jammer]

I don't wear suspenders, but I have thought about it before. There are a couple of guys at work who do wear them. One guy is very obese. He works in our warehouse so his pants of choice is regular jeans. I think he wears suspenders because belts seem impractical for him. The other guy dresses very dapper compared to the rest of us. We wear dress slacks and shirts but more often than not the dapper guy wears a suit with suspenders. I think it adds a bit of style and he pulls it off very well. I say go for it.

 

[Doomsday]

Ive always liked the way suspenders looked, but feel uncomfortable wearing them.

 

[cajuncocoa]

If you like it and your girlfriend does too, .. who cares what anyone else thinks. Go for it!

This answer gets my vote.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

If you like it and your girlfriend does too, .. who cares what anyone else thinks. Go for it!

This /\, but I will throw in my 0.02 and what I was taught by some pretty knowledgeable fashionistas, FWIW.

Leather "braces" w/ a suit...a definite no. With a sport coat or blazer and a pair of casual slacks and/or jeans...no prob.

Also suspenders with clasps of any kind are not exactly the equivalent to, but as far as fashion goes, on-par w/ clip-on ties. If you're going to wear them w/ a suit, they must be the button type, and the suit pants really should be belt loop free.

But like WVC said. If you like them and feel good wearing them, the rest be damned.

 

[WV Cowboy]

But like WVC said. If you like them and feel good wearing them, the rest be damned.

LOL, .. always has worked for me.

 

[Hoov]

Thanks for the replies.

I probably should have added its for the look

My pants pretty much won't move at all even if I don't wear a belt.

I won't be wearing them to work because most people wear scrubs at my job so it really is not the right venue.

I'll be wearing them out as far as going to dinner or events so it will primarily be an accessory to add flare to a pRticular outfit.

I think I'll just experiment with them and see how it goes.

 

[vlad]

Hey Hoov


Best advice I could give is see what Glenn O'Brien thinks on the subject. He's known as like the man's man oracle for style, elegance, etc...classic style. I did find this excerpt from his book, which is supposed to be like a great single source type thing. Just like anything in life, there is a "proper" way of doing things - I'd go with whatever he says, there is no more ultimate authority. Or I'd see what Tom Ford has to say on the subject - dude has it put together.

That book is supposed to be great.

On a side note I always cringe on these pre-game shows, ESPN, etc where these guys who can afford better (or I think just have it given to them) wear suits that look like hand me downs from the Incredible hulk! Particular for the guys that are in-shape, nothing looks as cool and drive the ladies wild (or dudes ) as a well fit suit if you can pull it off (I cannot,lol).

 

[Risen Star]

I'd wear suspenders but I don't want to attract that many chicks.