Why Suspenders?
HISTORY
Suspenders have a long history, starting in 18th century France. Suspenders as we know today, have been similar in design to the model British designer Albert Thurston first started manufacturing in the 1820s (he likely referred to them as braces, as was and is popular in Britain). Times sure have changed.
While suspenders originally existed solely to hold up your pants, they fell to the wayside when pants were created to fit people normally. This did not last long, as belts later took over, despite Doctors often recommending suspenders to overweight patients. "There are more big stomachs caused by the wearing of a belt than any other one thing I know of," said a Chicago doctor named Dr. V. S. Cheney in 1928. Life magazine reported that in 1938 60% of American men chose belts over suspenders.
TODAY
Suspenders today have been left out of the limelight to say the least. Certainly we all remember the likes of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street, painting the picture of suspenders as an upper-class formal look. We know suspenders today to be typically associated with formalwear. How could we forgot the checkerboard suspenders sold throughout Hot Topics all over the US in the early 00's? Today, suspenders stand in a middle ground while fashion moves around them. No one has considered updating them, until now.
WHAT MAKES BETTER THAN BELTS DIFFERENT
Simply put, suspenders are better than belts. This isn't true all the time, but it is in our case, as we redesigned the traditional suspenders for use in 2019. Our pants are different than they were in the 1820's, and fashion has had some minor changes too in the past 200 years. We no longer own pants that have buttons for suspenders, nor do we have the five minutes it may take to attach those suspenders to pants. Clips are easier. Our unique jumbo clips provide the same strength as buttons, yet the ease of clips. The Y-back allows you to attach suspenders quickly, even while standing. Our adjusters are smooth as butter to create a versatile genderless suspender. The designs are playful enough to wear with tees and sophisticated enough for a tuxedo. Our elastic is extra comfy in order to achieve all-day comfort. We set out to create the best suspenders in the universe, and we believe we got pretty darn close.
About Better Than Belts; Suspenders for the modern human
Better Than Belts (BTB) was founded by siblings Tori and Tyler Farley who are alumni of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Tyler’s weight fluctuated due to health issues and he grew tired of tight belts. He wanted to buy suspenders but found everything on the market to be costumes / novelty goods, formal wear, and construction apparel. No clothing brand was making a suspender durable and good-looking enough to replace a belt. Cue BTB, a modern suspender that is comfortable and versatile. As he neared launch, Tyler recruited his sister Tori who has extensive experience with startups, growth marketing, and analytics. The BTB Kickstarter raised $11,400 in one month, bringing the project to life and spreading quality, genderless suspenders to our first wave of dedicated customers. The suspenders are made in New York, USA of the highest quality components sourced from around the globe.