My style journal - week twelve - Trench Coat

This look is a mix of items i have been blogging about for these last few months. A couple of weeks ago i had a post about the Trench coat, and how to incorporate it into your wardrobe. My trench coat is a casual cotton trench with contrast top stitching and buttons, but since i don't wear suits in my daily life it works perfect for me. I added suspenders which i have posted about last week, and just had them hanging down my hips as an accessory to add a bit of a militant touch... and yes i know most gentlemen will probably not approve of the way I'm using the suspenders ....but, oh well this blog is all about personal style, right???
I love this gingham military style shirt, it's one of my favorite shirts that i have made so far, the fit is amazing,its slim but very comfortable, and the details like the long tabs in the back of the sleeve or the tab+button in the back collar or even the red buttonholes on the cuffs are subtle but still stand out just enough to make it unique.
The black corduroy vest added a fall season touch and made it more interesting when i took off the coat...The jeans are skinny in dark blue and i liked that they are bunched up it supported the militant/roughness feel of the look.

This week I'm wearing:

Trench coat - Report Collection

Corduroy vest - BOAZ

Purple gingham shirt - BOAZ

Dark jeans - Levis

Boots - Paul Smith

Suspenders - Gillmons

How to wear suspenders?

Paul Stuart

I love suspenders and have been using them on and off since i was about 10 years old, I think they are a fun accessory that can impact your style and make it even more individual. Recently Brooke, my wife started using some of my suspenders (which BTW looked really cool) and that inspired me to write this post.
Historically the Suspenders were used for about 300 years but the modern type we all know was invented in 1822 by Albert Thurston and just almost any other item they were created with a specific purpose which was to hold up one's trousers and also keep the shirt in place. But after WWI (again this horrible war had such an impact on the fashion world...its crazy) the belt took over that specific job and since than the suspenders come in and out of fashion. In traditional fashion and old school books the suspenders (which BTW are called Braces in the UK), were actually considered to be an underwear worn under a vest and not shown,  they were meant to be worn with high waist trousers and buttoned to the inside or outside waistband (when buttoned they are more secure and less likely to damage the pants fabric) and absolutely without a belt!(Since both serves the same purpose there is no need to double up...) while the clip-on version was used only for working uniform. 

Over the years modern life and fashion styles had their share of influences, pants styles become more fitted and hugging the waist while the actual waistband drooped to around the hip rather the physical waist (generally nowadays they don't even have the buttons for the suspenders anyway which made the clip on versions more popular and useful) turning suspenders into a style accessory rather than a necessity while different class groups used them as a staple item of their style, whether be it the upper class wall-street guy  who wears a wide buttoned suspenders over a light blue spread collar dress shirt and gold cuff links, the gangster type man who has them under his pimp suit or the the British punk skinhead who wears a thinner (around 1") clipped on version in colors and patterns.

All that leads to the big question of - 
HOW SHOULD YOU WERE SUSPENDERS?
In short my answer is simply it's up to you! Don't be afraid to use