Suspenders are adjustable straps that hold up stockings through the use of a suspender belt, along the bottom of a basque, slip or corset.
Suspenders are known as garters in the U.S. They are an elastic band worn around the leg to hold up a stocking or around the arm to keep the sleeve pushed up. They may also be a belt with attached fasteners to hold up a stocking or socks.
Suspender belts, or garter belts, are a type of women's undergarment that was fashionable between the 1940s and 1960s. Before the invention of elastic, suspenders or a suspender belt was the only way to keep up stockings or socks.
A simple suspender belt was a piece of fabric that went around the waist and had long stretchy fasteners that were used to attach stockings. These suspenders had between four to six attachments. A wearer would attach one hook on each side of the stockings and the other on the outer side of the wearer's thigh.
Suspender belts were considered sexy in the 1940s and 1950s and pin-up models often were shown wearing them with fancy stockings, bras, and panties. Some men still consider them sexy and they can still be bought in lingerie stores.
A disadvantage at the time was that if a woman's clothing was tight-fitting, it wasn't hard to see the marks of a pair of suspenders being worn underneath. However, when the pantyhose were invented in the late 1950s, suspender belts and suspenders started going out of style since pantyhose were much easier to wear and didn't show under tight clothing.
Suspenders are actually worn by both men and women. Some men still use them to hold up their socks or other garments.
One tradition that suspenders are still very popular for is the wedding suspender. The bride wears one on her leg and the groom gets to take it off and toss it out for male guests to catch. It's a sexy scene that symbolises the deflowering of the bride. It is also considered a guy's version of tossing the bridal bouquet, with whichever man catching the garter or suspender being the one who would marry next.
While they have gone out of style for the most part, suspenders are still worn by some men and women. Women use them more for a sexy addition to lingerie than for everyday usage, but they can be found in assorted colours and fabrics to add a romantic look and feel to an outfit.
