Why Men Stopped Wearing Suspenders

In a period of 50 years, how did suspenders go from being an essential part of every stylish man's wardrobe to now becoming an accessory that's so rare that most stores don't even carry them? In fact, nowadays, belts outsell suspenders by a margin of 100 to 1. Well, the answer to that question is actually right here in this photograph. Look close, do you see it? And no worries if you didn't because here at the end of this video, you're going to be able to spot the detail I'm talking about. In fact, by the end of this video, you may decide to go out there and get a pair of suspenders because as you probably know, there are so many benefits to wearing them. When compared to a belt, suspender wears square by the superior comfort of their AKA braces. Now, the reason for this is suspenders distribute the weight across the shoulders versus with a belt, you're cinching around the waist. Another advantage, if you got a hard to fit body type, if you're a bit rounder around the mid section, you're going to find suspenders simply work better than a belt. And straight up, a lot of guys just like the look. The freedom from the tightness around the waist for a lot of guys just gives a better fit. And I've seen guys report that when they wear suspenders, they actually stand up straighter. Oh, and did I mention they're timeless and perfect for formal wear? Now, at this point, you may be asking the obvious question, if suspenders are so perfect, why did men stop wearing them? How in the world did the belt take over men's fashion? That, gentlemen, is the subject of today's video. So, to answer this question, I need to test your knowledge of fashion history. Actually, it's more of a question I had as I started doing research for this video. And that is how did ancient men or even men in the 16th century keep their pants from falling down to their knees? Because belts as a tool to hold up pants have only been used for about a hundred years. And suspenders, only a little bit longer, just coming in on 300 years. So, what were guys doing going back 400 or even 4,000 years ago? Well, the earliest device that we have archaeological evidence that men used as far back as 5,000 years ago was the drawstring. Basically, a simple string made from an animal hide or a fabric. Drawstrings provided a basic method of tightening the clothing around the waist. Now, in the medieval ages, we saw the rise of the girdle. Similar to a belt, these were tied around the waist and they would secure a tunic, robe, or other garment. And depending on how much money you had and where you stood in society, you could decorate these with embroidery, precious stones, or even a metal buckle. Now, in the 15th century, we saw the rise of the codpiece. See what I did there? But, seriously, besides highlighting the crotch, the codpiece actually did have a little bit of a functional role as it helped a man's doublet, his jacket, connect to his trousers, the hose, and it helped everything stay in place. And in the 16th century when breeches became more popular, we saw the rise of the sash. And although they did provide a functional aspect, most sashes at the time were decorative. Now, the point I want you to take from that history lesson is when it comes to holding up your pants, your decision of the tool you use is less of a choice as it is a matter of fashion. Which is an important point because it emphasizes our current love affair with belts isn't so much a conscious decision, but a fashion trend that we're currently in. Now, speaking of belts, today's video is sponsored by my favorite belt company, Anson Belt & Buckle. I've got proof right here that I have been a fan of Anson Belt & Buckle for over a decade. Check out this video. I made this back in 2011, way before they were a sponsor. Seriously, back then, I was impressed with them and today, I'm still impressed because I know most men are wearing a belt that's obsolete. Seriously, with Anson Belt & Buckle, they leverage the micro adjust system. This is a belt that has no holes and you can adjust to a quarter of an inch. And on top of that, you don't have the issue of the ugly stress mark. And let's face it, when it comes to your accessories, when it comes to a belt, you want it to look good, right? Well, with Anson Belt & Buckle, your belt is going to look amazing because you got tons of options when it comes to straps to buckles. You've got them in a wide variety of different colors, different styles, different looks. And that takes me to another thing I love about Anson Belt & Buckle is the interchangeability. Most people are going to see three belts here, three buckles, three straps. Now, what I see here, nine different combinations. When every strap goes with every buckle, you have nine different looks that you can wear. And that's why by far the best offer on their website is to grab a box set. When you get over there, you can choose two buckles, three straps, two straps, three buckles. Or if you want three and three, they've got that option as well. And let's talk about their legendary customer service. Remember, one of you guys reached out to me and said, Antonio, I can't believe it. I cut that belt strap a little bit too short. And he reached out to Dave and said, hey, man, I need to get another strap. And Dave, the owner, he said, don't worry about it, I'll take care of you and sent him a replacement strap at no cost. And, gents, that's why I love Anson Belt & Buckle and I support them so feverishly because this is a US-based business that treats their customers like gold. And, of course, gentlemen, to always get the best deal on the web, use the link I'm putting in the description of today's video. Make sure to sign up for their email list. Occasionally, they got flash sales up to 20% off on their email list and on their text club up to 30% off on occasion. Seriously, gents, an amazing company. I've known them now for over a decade and I've supported them and I love what they're doing. So, again, use that link in the description of today's video to get the best deal on the web. So, we trace the birth of suspenders back to 1736 when a French ribbon manufacturer began producing and selling decorative suspender straps. Now, these early iterations were connected to the trousers with buttonholes, which is a tradition that continues today. And over the next hundred years, the fashion and the industry of suspenders flourished. And as I mentioned earlier, the reason for this was the simultaneous rise of breeches. These knee-length trousers became all the rage. And as more men wore them, the need from keeping these breeches from falling down all of a sudden became evident. Now, early suspender materials really depended on how much money the person had to spend. A man that was working class perhaps would go with a cheaper cotton or a very simple durable leather, while a man of higher status that had more means could go with a beautiful pair made from silk or a combination of all three of those materials. But the big innovation with suspenders came in 1822 when Albert Thurston brought the X and Y designs, which we see on the back of the suspenders, to the masses. At about this time as well, we saw the use of elastic materials, which made suspenders not only more comfortable, but ensured they maintained a snug fit throughout the day. And by the mid-19th century during the Victorian era, this was the height of suspender usage. Throughout Europe and North America, suspenders were seen as an essential men's accessory. That being said, it was one of those accessories that most people didn't even see on a man because it was considered underwear. It was one of those items that was worn under the jacket and men did not take off their jackets in public. Still, if a man had means, if he had money, he would oftentimes go with a decorative pair. For certain industrialists or aristocrats, it was one of those small details that sent the signal you had the money to spend on those little details that most people, well, just aren't going to spend the money on. Because at this point, everybody had a pair of suspenders. It didn't matter if you were a farmer, if you were a laborer, you owned a pair of suspenders because it was the only practical item in your wardrobe that would keep your pants up. But the dominant position that suspenders held in menswear was about to end. So, the belt, as we know, it has only been used to hold up men's trousers since really the 1920s. Prior to that and for thousands of years, belts were used as a utility item. For thousands of years, leather belts have been used to hold weapons, gear, and other items that could be strapped to them. Now, this may sound cumbersome to many, but when you're riding a horse and you need quick access to a weapon, a utility belt is incredibly functional and a great tool that in my time in the Marine Corps, I still saw used. But, as an accessory to hold up clothing, it really didn't make sense especially in the 1890s, 1900s, because most men were wearing their trousers at their natural waist point. And this is important to note. Notice that this is where your natural waist is, not down where most of us are wearing jeans nowadays. Well, lo and behold, in 1914, the world falls into World War I. For the next four years, all the resources of the major powers around the world are going into combat arms. And as the resources for making clothing is scarce, all of a sudden, designers and manufacturers are trying to come up with new ways to be able to make garments, so that they use less fabric. Well, one innovation that can save you about 10% when you're manufacturing a pair of trousers is to make the waist lower. Almost all shirts at the time were made long enough that they could make up this difference. And so, we started to see some military uniforms and civilian clothing made with a lower rise, which the rise of the pair of trousers is the measurement from the waist point all the way down to the length of the crotch if the trousers were laid out flat. Now, post-World War I, you got a lot of these soldiers coming back, they really liked their uniforms because they were more casual, they were actually more comfortable than a lot of the day-to-day formal wear that these guys have been wearing at home. And manufacturers started to oblige by producing more and more casual clothing to include this new style of trousers that had a lower cut. And strangely enough, these things called belt loops. And by the 1930s, the silver screen, the growing Hollywood industry with stars like Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart, all of a sudden put men in front of millions of people who were wearing these lower cut trousers. The manufacturers that picked up on this, belts were being produced in mass. And because they had less parts than suspenders and you saw a lot of demographic shift in the younger generations wanted to separate themselves from the older more formal generations of yesteryear, by the late 1930s, we saw belt sales just about equal suspender sales. Well, from 1939 to 1945, again, wartime period, so we saw the manufacturing of civilian clothing really cut back. Belts went back to being a functional item on a uniform, suspenders were still used in many of the uniforms of World War II. But, post-war in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, once the GIs returned home, we continued to see the rise of the belt and the fall of suspenders. Again, Hollywood is having a big effect. We see guys like Cary Grant, James Dean, all wearing belts. This is the new style. The only guys wearing suspenders? Yeah, those are the guys that can't let go of old habits, the guys in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. In the 1960s and 70s, we see the counterculture movement. The hippies all of a sudden take on the belts. Musicians like the Beatles, everyone's wearing belts and they're having fun with it. All types of casual styles, casual materials, it becomes a fashion item. And just as we think suspenders are going to die, guess what? The 1980s happened, Gordon Gekko, the whole Wall Street look, all of a sudden suspenders are back. Sales shoot up, all of a sudden the idea of a man of power, of a man that's in charge wearing suspenders in a power suit. We see suspenders shoot up, but it's a false positive because by the 1990s, suspender sales, again, are in free fall. And that's where we're at today. Suspenders, you can find them in specialty stores, but they are a niche accessory that to be honest if you were to go into a hundred men's wardrobes, you'd be lucky to find a couple that had a pair of suspenders. Now, getting back to that picture that I showed you earlier, can you spot now the detail that was the death knoll for suspenders? If it's still not clear, let me show you another picture side by side. You see the difference? Yes, it is the position of the trousers, the waistline. That small detail right there, gentlemen, is the number one reason why suspenders fell off, why most men don't wear them today is simply the trousers that we buy are not designed to be worn with suspenders. In fact, I hinted at it when I was talking about 1920 how we started to see trousers made with belt loops. Well, good luck nowadays walking into a store and finding a pair of trousers that doesn't have belt loops on it. In fact, if you want pants that are designed to be worn with suspenders, they're going to have the higher waistline, you pretty much have to get them custom. Throw onto that the rise of casual fashion and the impact of influencers. Yeah, the social perception of suspenders despite them having tons of advantages is that they're old fashion. And even a guy like me that has an extensive wardrobe, I can tell you that the number of times I've worn suspenders, I can count on one hand. All right, gents. So, if you enjoyed this video, you are going to love this one. Yes, the whole Why Did Men Stop series. I've got a number of videos. I just find it really interesting. And if you love history, if you love really understanding why we do what we do, you're going to – yeah, just check it out. Solid video, boom, right here. Oh, yeah.