Suspenders with jeans

[väänänen]

Your question doesn't make any sense because suspenders aren't traditionally worn with jeans.

Suspenders came into fashion in the early 1800s when British men switched from breeches to trousers. Breeches sit lower on the hips and they're traditionally worn with a belt. Trousers, at the time, were high waisted, so they're worn with suspenders.

Both of these things are just ways to keep your pants up. Traditionally, the cut of your pants (jeans or trousers) determines whether you wear belts or suspenders. Low rise pants are worn with belts, as they sit closer on the hip bone. High waisted pants are worn with suspenders.

But shortly after the First World War, suspenders started to go out of fashion. First, sport became an increasingly dominant narrative in men's dress. And people who played sport wore belts, as suspenders aren't as practical when you're quickly moving around. If you think of the ways in which suspenders are worn, they shift about too much if your have to turn your torso. When you shift your shoulders around like a torque, they will also move your pants. So sports players wore belts and many other men followed. This was also around the same time sports coats became popular.

The more important reason has to do with the Duke of Windsor, who was an influential fashion figure in his day. The Duke favored the more casual belt over suspenders. He felt it suited his figure (he was short) and looked more casual (it was) and young (also true). When he started wearing belts, other men also followed.

After the Second World War, American men returning home from the trenches in Europe often repurposed their military clothes for civilian life. This was the broad introduction of things such as chinos (originally a military garment). Those, too, were worn with belts. Additionally, the cowboy became a popular figure. And cowboys wore belts partly because they wore jeans and partly because belts allow you to show off a fancy rodeo buckle.

This is largely a story about England and the US, but trends that happened there largely spread out through much of the world. Over time, suspenders were increasingly considered fusty and old, and so more men adopted belts. Additionally, as more men wore jeans and low-rise trousers, suspenders became all but pointless. You simply don't wear suspenders with low-rise pants or denim. Suspenders are for high-waisted trousers.

In contemporary terms, no one will really know this history because it's too old. Mostly, people will just see you as a hip bartender from 2008. The real problem with this combination is that it's associated with corny people. Fashion is not a logical system. It's a language. You wear things to communicate certain things to people. The combo you're talking about is bad not because of the history of suspenders, but the social history of people who wear them.

Interesting read. And you're communicating something more of a value for someone who has no knowledge of the industry, instead of just stating "dont do that."

So problem is not that suspenders with jeans look bad per se, but they communicate something. I browsed Reddit for a while and found out that this look might be associated with skinheads.

But in overall, it wasn't shared opinion that the look doesn't work. To me the look itself is appealing, and it fits my style in general. And this is why I'm interested to whom and what it communicates.

Fedora fits very differently to different people. And you can find opposite views on the topic.

 

[Anachronist]

There were times long ago, when working trousers similar to jeans were worn with suspenders, but the cut of the trousers is different (high rise, often with fishtail back) and, as stated previously, they don't have belt loops. If you find jeans in that look, it could work, but it creates a bit of the wild west farmer image IMO. If you don't mind that and go down that route, just avoid clip-on suspenders at all cost and buy ones for buttoning and have some buttons sewn into the seam of the trousers. Clip-ons have this horrible "el cheapo" poser look... just my view

 

[johng70]

I think suspenders are an excellent and fashionable alternative to a belt

I mean no disrespect - I'm just curious: how do you join the forum and your first post is responding to a thread that hasn't been posted to in 2 1/2 years?

 

[ValidusLA]

I mean no disrespect - I'm just curious: how do you join the forum and your first post is responding to a thread that hasn't been posted to in 2 1/2 years?

Came to advert cheap suspenders?

My two cents:
Suspenders w/ jeans is a horrible look.
Suspenders with a tie and no jack is a horrible look.
Suspender swith a tie, no jacket, and jeans is disgusting.