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Suspenders with jeans

väänänen

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Didn't find much discussion about this topic here. Suspenders with jeans can be stylish but still relaxed look, and i wanted to try it out this summer. But I've got some mixed information from forums this past day during my research.

Some say, jeans are too big in the first place, if suspenders/belt is needed. Others, that you should only use suspenders if they're needed. Which one is correct or both? I'm looking into getting new jeans, something dark and then leather suspenders that match my shoe color. Propably going to sew few buttons into the jeans, since I like the button style more than clip-ons.

male-fashion-how-to-wear-suspenders-with-jeans-outfits-style-ideas.jpg

rugged-manly-how-to-wear-suspenders-with-jeans-outfits-style-ideas-for-guys.jpg
 

Phileas Fogg

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Probably better to ask the streetwear guys. Assuming this even qualifies as such.
 

johng70

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I will have to disagree on it being stylish. Especially not when the jeans have belt loops. But, in my opinion, the pictures you posted are a bad look. But, it's just one person's opinion.
 

qubit

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I don’t think suspenders/braces are ever going to look good on trousers with belt loops, especially not jeans. If you really want to wear suspenders in a SWD context then look for repro Military/workwear trousers - like Old Town or Nigel Cabroun etc. Or just go vintage.
 

breakaway01

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Some say, jeans are too big in the first place, if suspenders/belt is needed. Others, that you should only use suspenders if they're needed. Which one is correct or both?

I think these are not really the right questions. Suspenders are not independent of the trousers you wear them with. Trousers that you wear with suspenders are meant to fit more loosely in the waist because the suspenders are holding them up, and you are not relying on a tight fit at the waist to hold the trousers up. So it’s not that the jeans are “too big” if you “need” suspenders but rather that if you decide you like the way suspenders feel and look then the waist should be looser for comfort.
The other thing is that trousers are/should be cut differently for suspenders. At the very least you should be wearing higher-rise jeans with suspenders, not the low-rise jeans shown in your pictures.
 
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väänänen

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I think these are not really the right questions. Suspenders are not independent of the trousers you wear them with. Trousers that you wear with suspenders are meant to fit more loosely in the waist because the suspenders are holding them up, and you are not relying on a tight fit at the waist to hold the trousers up. So it’s not that the jeans are “too big” if you “need” suspenders but rather that if you decide you like the way suspenders feel and look then the waist should be looser for comfort.
The other thing is that trousers are/should be cut differently for suspenders. At the very least you should be wearing higher-rise jeans with suspenders, not the low-rise jeans shown in your pictures.

Cheers for the solid answer.

Can you go more in to detail why higher-rise jeans should be worn? And how high are we talking?

Screenshot 2020-05-28 at 9.49.04.png
 

dieworkwear

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Don't wear suspenders with jeans. It makes you look like a hip bartender from 2008.
 

dieworkwear

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It's just not a good look. There are plenty of other casual looks you can try out.

Granted, everything in fashion is an affectation, or at least close to it, but decorative suspenders is one of the worst of them.
 

väänänen

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It's just not a good look. There are plenty of other casual looks you can try out.

Granted, everything in fashion is an affectation, or at least close to it, but decorative suspenders is one of the worst of them.
Is this a personal opinion? Common opinion of Styleforum? Certainly it is not an objective fact shared by all people in 2020.
 

dieworkwear

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Is this a personal opinion? Common opinion of Styleforum? Certainly it is not an objective fact shared by all people in 2020.

I don't presume to speak for all of StyleForum, but I think you'll find this is a common opinion on this board. You can also try asking this at Reddit's Male Fashion Advice, which is another popular board for people who are looking for opinions on such things.

There are no "objective facts shared by all people" when it comes to fashion. You are asking about aesthetics, which is an inherently subjective field.
 

väänänen

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I don't presume to speak for all of StyleForum, but I think you'll find this is a common opinion on this board. You can also try asking this at Reddit's Male Fashion Advice, which is another popular board for people who are looking for opinions on such things.

There are no "objective facts shared by all people" when it comes to fashion. You are asking about aesthetics, which is an inherently subjective field.
Thank you for your advice.

My initial concern wasn't if this is a good look, but about the size of jeans. If this is wrong forum to discuss logistics of dressing and more on opinions of looks, can you point out other forums?
 

dieworkwear

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Thank you for your advice.

My initial concern wasn't if this is a good look, but about the size of jeans. If this is wrong forum to discuss logistics of dressing and more on opinions of looks, can you point out other forums?

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.
 

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