Suspenders

/səˈspɛndərz/ noun

Definition

Suspenders are straps worn over the shoulders to hold up pants or trousers. They attach to the waistband at the front and back.

Etymology

From 'suspend' plus the noun-forming suffix '-er', meaning 'that which suspends'. The word describes something whose job is literally to 'hang up' your pants.

Kelly Says

Suspenders solve a simple physics problem: gravity is trying to pull your pants down, so you recruit your shoulders to fight back. Fashion often begins as clever engineering that we later forget about.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Suspenders historically were associated with men’s clothing, especially in Western formal and workwear, though women have also worn them. Marketing and cultural imagery often coded them as masculine.

Inclusive Usage

Use neutrally as a clothing term; avoid assuming only men wear suspenders or using them as shorthand for masculinity.

Inclusive Alternatives

["braces (in some dialects)"]

Related Words

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