How Suspender Clips Work and How To Fasten Them

As you begin to develop your own sense of suspender style, one of the first things you notice is that suspenders can come with different kinds of clips. Now, it's true that all of these suspender clips serve the same function of keeping trouser bottoms from falling down, but they also have some key features that can make wearing suspenders more practical and enjoyable for your daily outfit choices. This quick guide shows what various suspender clips look like, how they function and which might be best for you.

Suspender Styles

X-Back Suspender

• Need to find where on your body the strap meets the pants without having any fold, buckling or looping
• This will generally be 3-5" on either side of the center of your back
• Exact placement will vary with your build and dimensions

Y-Back Suspender

• Put the clip exactly in the middle of the top of the pants in the back, if there is no center rear belt loop
• Put the clip just to either side of the belt loop if there is a belt loop in the middle of the back of your trousers

Different Types of Suspender Clips

Selecting clip-on suspenders can be a breeze once you understand what each style of suspender clip does for you. Many people are familiar with the finger clip due to it being a popular clip design that is easy to open and close. If you're wondering how to wear suspenders, a clip suspender might be a good, simple style to start with. Plus, it looks great with a wide range of fashion suspenders. But there are seven additional types of suspender clip to learn about, and you may want suspenders with these too at some point.

Getting familiar with more than one clip style also gives you a lot more options for how you can wear them. For instance, did you know there are clip suspenders made especially for those who perform rugged duties at work?

For those working jobs that require lots of physical labor, the construction clip offers heavy-duty hold with every movement. Or, if you work in an office environment, you might choose to wear a suit and tie with pin clip suspenders because of their no-slip grip feature. Other styles are the belt clip, trigger snap, side clip, BuzzNot airport-friendly clip and convertible clip. As you can see, there are a multitude of clip options you can choose from when it comes to wearing suspenders for work or for everyday style.

Suspender Clips

Finger Clip

• Do not place the clips over a belt loop (or a belt) since over time that will loosen the grip
• High marks with those seeking both a traditional look and the versatility to be worn with either a suit or casual pants
• Comes in both X-Back and Y-Back styles

Shop Finger Clip Suspenders

Construction Clip

• Do not place the clips over a belt loop (or a belt) since over time that will loosen the grip
• These heavy-duty construction clips have a super strong grip that will not let you down

Shop Construction Clip Suspenders

Belt Clip

• Heavy duty plastic hooks that slide onto your belt (up to 1.5-inches wide)
• Provides dual support of the belt and the suspenders

Shop Belt Clip Suspenders

Pin Clip

• Made with heavy-duty nickel pins that go straight through the fabric for a 100% no slip grip
• Decorative clips are also reinforced with plastic teeth securely holding both sides of the fabric

Shop Pin Clip Suspenders

BuzzNot Airport Friendly Clip

• Easy-open plastic suspender clips that securely grip any material or fabric
• Convenient suspenders keep your pants up and your travel schedule on time
• Also good for active sports wear like ski and bike pants since the plastic clips will not damage the material

Shop BuzzNot Clip Suspenders

Trigger Snap Clip

• Traditionally found on leather and western wear but now also available on regular elastic suspenders
• Similar to a dog leash attachment - push down on the clip and attach to your belt loops

Shop Trigger Snap Clip Suspenders

Side Clip

• Put your arms through the suspenders as though you are putting on a shirt
• Attach the clips one on each side
• Exactly where the clips attach will depend on your build

Shop Side Clip Suspenders

Convertible Clip

• Two suspenders for the price of one - choose to wear them as clip suspenders one day and button suspenders the next
• Simply undo the leather tab, remove the attachment you don't need and refasten the tab

Shop Convertible Clip Suspenders

How Do Suspenders with Clips Work?

Now that you're a bit more familiar with the names of our featured clips, it's time to move on to learning about how they work. We make that easier to do thanks to our helpful visual guides. Each mini guide includes an image of the clip by itself, a pic of what it looks like on a pair of suspenders and a short overview. Take a moment to look at how each suspender clip works to see which clip styles are best for you.

One of the things you might notice is that some of these clips may look more like suspender clamps: Up close, you can see that the jaws of the clips are able to clamp down onto pants and stay put thanks to a strong working mechanism. That's typical for the clips that come with our suspenders.

Where to Clip Your Suspenders

When it comes time to wear your suspenders with clips, you may want to have some guidance, especially if it's your first time. Our video on how to attach clip suspenders shows you where to clip your suspenders for the best overall fit.