Wow, a really big Christmas hit! Dad is retired-twice!-and said he'd love to have some suspenders to wear instead of belts. Naturally, he gained weight right after he retired, but has been losing for the last year, and he is in-between sizes (I'm jealous actually, it's so much easier for him to lose than for my mom or me!). So I started looking for suspenders on amazon, because it's my favorite, most reliable online shopping 'store'. I found three sets which I thought might fit the bill. Most sets which weren't obviously shoddy had button fasteners. I don't know much about men's pants, other than jeans or suits (but not tuxedos) or Army Uniform pants (Dad was a Chaplain for 20 yrs-I'm an Army brat). I was fairly sure buttons wouldn't work, especially for his jeans! There was one pair which was 'convertible' between built in button fasteners & removable clamps (alligator clips? don't know what you call them!). I almost got those, but on second thought, figured the clamps might remove themselves from the suspenders before the pants! Not a good result...more like a good nightmare, lol! So I looked at clamp-only styles, and to be honest, many of them looked pretty wimpy! Then I ran across these, noticing the patriotic 'flag' striping first of all. Then I read the details-very strong, sturdy construction, powerful clips for 'dungarees' (very old style description of jeans :), and a decent price. Though not made in the USA, I decided to give them a try...and Dad loves them! Honestly, if they weren't tagged 'Made in China', I'd never have thought it! I usually have a low opinion of stuff made in China, but these are heavy duty, rugged, sturdy clip on suspenders with real leather at the back. Dad joked about being careful where he fastened the clamps...his sense of humor leaves a bit to be desired...but his point is a good one. I think these suspenders would hold up a shower curtain or fabric curtains just as well as jeans! Once he got them adjusted, they were very comfortable, and he has worn them practically every day since he got them. This company also makes a pair which is identical, except it's designed to look like a yellow carpenter's tape measure. Might get those for his birthday, or father's day.... The clamps have a nice 'cover' over them to give them a slightly less "utility guy" look. It's nice, but a bit stiff to open & close at first. If your hands get numb or are arthritic, you might need to have someone else open and close them a few times to loosen them up for you. Don't get your finger caught between clamp and cover, either, it'll hurt. This is not the best comparison, but adjusting the suspenders for looks (they had to be even-mom's got a sharp eye, and the old military precision from years of uniforms causes dad to be conscious of the same thing.) and for comfort is a little like adjusting a new bra. You want it to look nice, wear evenly, etc. but if you have one shoulder even a bit higher than the other (or other reasons I won't go into here-lol), you have to decide whether it's worth the discomfort. The biggest difference is that the suspenders are generally seen by everybody when you wear them. I'm assuming any of you who wear bras don't habitually wear them outside your clothing :) I highly recommend these! If you're looking for tuxedo suspenders, or something for dates or church, etc., these might be a bit too casual, but for everyday wear & casual dress, when wearing pants which won't get snagged by the clamps, these are an excellent, high quality choice. The price was just right too. Kinda makes me want to wear suspenders...nah. I don't like shoulder straps THAT much!
