Suspenders are straps worn over the shoulders to hold up pants. They usually clip or button onto the waistband of your trousers, creating a Y-shape or X-shape across your back. Before belt loops became standard on pants in the early 1900s, suspenders were how most men kept their trousers from falling down.

You might see suspenders on firefighters, who need their pants to stay secure while they work, or on people dressed formally for special occasions. Some people simply prefer suspenders to belts because they're more comfortable and don't squeeze around the waist. Suspenders can be practical, stylish, or both.

In Britain and some other English-speaking countries, people call them braces instead.

While suspenders aren't as common today as they were a hundred years ago, they've never completely disappeared. They're a classic piece of clothing that solves a simple problem: keeping your pants where they belong.