To Get Hang of Suspenders, Lose the Belt

One Belt Too Many: Although they’re not as popular as they were a few years ago, suspenders are still the choice of many men who want to keep their slacks up in a stylish manner. However, several guys have been spotted in a kind of evolutionary phase.

A nice pair of suspenders are holding up their pants, but they’re also wearing a belt. Was it the rush of getting to work in the morning, or perhaps the thought that they have insurance should the suspenders snap?

Regardless of the reason, it’s wrong to wear a belt with suspenders.

“Make sure you’ve got just one or the other on when you leave the house,” says Bill Snyder of P.O.S.H Gentlemen’s Clothing in Newport Beach.

When selecting suspenders, match the colors to the tie, because that’s the most prominent part of your wardrobe when your jacket’s off.

All Choked Up: When the preppy invasion attacked our coast from the ivy-covered walls of the East more than a decade ago, one of our casual casualties was the simple V-neck sweater. It was buried by the more rigid, uptight crew-neck sweater.

In cotton, cashmere or an acrylic blend, the comfortable V became acceptable only for chilling morning swings on the golf course.

While the crew still dominates the pullover sweater market, Vs are sneaking back, but you won’t see the same ones you wore in the late ‘70s.

“It was OK then to wear, say, a light blue V-neck sweater over a darker blue shirt and blue slacks,” says fashion designer Blaine Keil of Los Alamitos. “If you wear that today, people are going to wonder if you’ve been in a time capsule.”

Trevor Trumbo of Chess King in Mission Viejo says there are some exciting styles available in V-necks. “Thick cable-knit fabrics are used, and you can find them with interesting designs. You don’t have to wear a plain, solid color.”

White Elephants: Your grandfather probably looked like the cat’s meow as he took off for summer parties wearing white buck shoes and seersucker pants. But that was the 1920s, and unless there’s a new film version of “The Great Gatsby” starring Jason Priestly it’s unlikely that white bucks will return to the fashion scene anytime soon.

They’re still available, mostly through mail order, but when should they be worn? Usually in the summer, with pastel-colored pants or light shades of corduroy. But “they’re really out of style right now,” says John Richardson of Johnston & Murphy Shop in Brea. “If you have them, it’s probably best to put them away until they come back again.”

Park them in the closet and pine away the winter reading F. Scott Fitzgerald.