# Why suspenders? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433 "2005-08-17T14:09:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/21 "2005-08-17T18:07:04Z")
Maybe it’s just my sugar high, but these pics of guys in suspenders (and the mental image of a man wearing a bowtie and nothing else 😃 ) is cracking me up. Not a good thing while at work. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/22 "2005-08-18T00:34:20Z")
But I _like_ suspenders: I like the way they grope one’s thighs as I walk. Ah, all right then. 🙂 btw - why does **Padeye** shoot cowboys? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/23 "2005-08-18T02:13:17Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Belts won’t pull your pants up, braces will. Let me get this straight. \*\*Mycroft \*\* asked, “Why do salesmen wear suspenders?” and your answer is “To keep their pants up.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/24 "2005-08-18T02:39:30Z")
> [@biscuitsandgravy](#): > > Neither. The Mork from Ork kind (I always call them “seat belts”) we leave to construction workers and birthday party clowns. Skins generally wear thin, fabric braces - between 1/4 and 3/4 of an inch wide. I prefer English-made, with the plastic bit in the back - the kind that don’t cross, but run side-by-side. But a lot of skins just wear the thin American ones that don’t actually do much to hold you pants up. Especially when you’re feeling aggro or lazy and just let them dangle around your ass. Do you keep an extra pair in your Vespa? ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/25 "2005-08-18T03:01:53Z")
My father wears suspenders every day for one simple reason - He has no ass. He just has legs growing out of his back. In Jeff Foxworthy’s words, he looks like “a frog stood up.” (paraphrase) So a belt does him no good. He couldn’t walk across the room without suspenders before his pants came down. ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/26 "2005-08-18T03:38:18Z")
> [@biscuitsandgravy](#): > > …some sort of suspender gang, or should I be worried?" I’m afraid to ask - but what is a suspender gang? And why would that be a cause to breathe a sigh of relief? “Thank Og! It’s just a suspender gang.” ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/27 "2005-08-18T04:47:39Z")
I got a suit once that had all these buttons on the inside. I was confused at first, but then realized they were for suspenders. So I got some suspenders, and they were much more comfortable than a belt. That suit got worn-out, unfortunately, so I’ve had no reason to use suspenders since. But I do miss them. They’re more comfortable, but more complicated, and not many suits accomodate them. ---
**Author:** ![biscuitsandgravy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@biscuitsandgravy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biscuitsandgravy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/28 "2005-08-18T14:17:18Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#): > > Do you keep an extra pair in your Vespa? Yes, right next to an extra pair of boot laces. (In all honesty, of course, none of the skins I know can afford Vespas - the cost is out of control.) > [@cabdude](#): > > I’m afraid to ask - but what is a suspender gang? And why would that be a cause to breathe a sigh of relief? He was making a joke. There were about 10 of us skins at the party, and most of us had braces on. He was basically asking if we were nazis or just some sort of oddly dressed group of drunks. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/29 "2005-08-18T14:39:54Z")
Does anybody call them “galluses” anymore? ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/30 "2005-08-18T14:44:51Z")
> [@AerynSun](#): > > Let me get this straight. \*\*Mycroft \*\* asked, “Why do salesmen wear suspenders?” and your answer is “To keep their pants up.” 😃 Why do firemen wear red suspenders? To keep their pants up! 😛 Okay, I’ll leave now… ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433/31 "2005-08-18T15:10:53Z")
I always liked the suspenders worn by [this guy](http://www.redgreen.com/). They’re available in [the store](http://www.redgreen.com/OnlineStore/index.cfm?app=cart&a=list&categoryID=8¤cy=US) on the site. “If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-suspenders/317433.md?page=1)