Suspender Belts for Men – Why Men Wear Suspender / Garter Belts

Suspender Belt Advice for Men / Male Wearers

I have written this brief guide because I know from the amount of emails and telephone enquiries we receive from men that some advice is needed when it comes to styles and sizing.

Suspender / Garter Belts made specifically for male wearers are very rare and certainly not available in the mainstream markets yet, the cutting pattern would be need to be changed with little difference in the waist and hip measurements, whereas for women additional inches are required to accommodate hips that are wider than a mans.

So given that a man probably needs to buy from a selection sized specifically for ladies, what should he look for to get the best possible fit?

• For men, it is better to go for the less stretchy styles and those with less adjustment that will sit tighter on your waist. Some of our styles for instance have waist sizes with up to 4″ stretch per size which are probably better avoided without hips to help hold them in place.
• Thick straps are better because they’re less likely twist and they provide a better hold.
• Suspender girdles and panty girdles are good because you get more coverage, therefore more support.
• Choose sizing by exact waist size and if between sizes go for the smaller.
• A wider belt or girdle like some of the vintage / retro style lingerie shown below is also more comfortable to wear and more supportive than a skimpy piece of lace that ‘hangs’ around the waist.
• When selecting stockings to go with your garter belt, avoid buying ‘regular’ sized stockings, choose from a range that offer a variety of sizes and make sure you get the correct size for your height. If you wear stockings that are too short, they will pull on the belt.

Below are some of the suggestions we have made to male wearers in the past and received excellent feedback on, all can be found in the Swanky Pins Shop:

Why do men wear suspender belts?

There are a number of reasons why men choose to wear a suspender belt – some are covered in much more detail in our article on Cross-dressers and the relating comments, but the main reasons seem to be as follows:

For men who need to wear compression stockings.  A good number of calls we get are from men, or their wives, asking for advice on a good suspender belt to keep compression stockings in place.  We would suggest going with all of the above advice, plus you need to make sure you get something with sturdy metal clips as these stockings tend to have a thicker welt than ‘normal’ styles.  Flimsy plastic is unlikely to hold them secure.

Men Prefer Women’s Lingerie.  Many men like the feel of women’s lingerie next to their skin and in contrast to non-supportive and uncomfortable boxer shorts, a pair of ladies knickers feel silky & soft, sexy and comfortable.

Secrecy.  Many men are ‘secret thrill seekers’ and seem to love the thought that they are wearing a suspender belt, stockings and lacy knickers in public under their ‘male clothes’ and nobody knows.

Cross-dressing. Even in this day and age, cross dressers are still seen by some as ‘deviant’, but the reality is it’s more a form of self expression, comfort and just ‘being themselves’.  Some are born with, or develop as a youngster, a strong feminine side and dressing as a women seems a part of their ‘natural self’.   A surprising number are ‘normal’ men in stable relationships who simply love to wear women’s clothes.

Sexual/Fetish.  Surprisingly enough, it seems that this is the least likely reason that men wear stockings, suspender belts or other types of women’s lingerie.

Research, plus many of the comments on our post about cross-dressing, shows that the majority of male wearers are heterosexual, a lot of them being married with kids – some hide the fact from friends and family because they fear being ‘classified’, others have ‘come-out’ publicly and wear lingerie daily or dress fully as a female when and where they choose.

Girdles, corsets and deep suspender belts are worn by men as they help achieve a more feminine shape which will make dresses and outer clothing fit better.