The wear of suspenders is authorized by all five branches of the United States Armed Forces. Each service has its own distinct regulations regarding suspenders, but all the rule share one thing in common: suspenders are to be worn only by male personnel.
In the United States Army, suspenders are authorized for wear with the Dress, Mess, and Evening Mess uniforms provided they are not visible when worn. Suspenders manufactured in branch colors are typically worn with the Dress, Blue Mess, and Blue Mess / Evening Mess Dress uniforms; white suspenders are worn with the White Mess / Evening Mess Dress uniforms to eliminate any possibility of being visible through the white jacket.
The Air Force is the only service that mandates the wear of suspenders. Besides stating the obvious—suspenders “will be attached to the trousers”—Section 4.3.4 of AFI 36-2903 specifies that they are required as part of the Blue Mess Dress. Solid white, dark blue, and black are the only colors authorized for wear, and as in the Army the suspenders must not be visible when worn.
White suspenders are optional wear items in the Marine Corps; they may be worn under the Evening Dress coat or under the Blue Dress coat in place of the web belt. White suspenders are authorized for wear with the white web sword belt. All suspenders are to be of “plain design as commercially available.”
The Coast Guard allows the wear of plain, white suspenders, but only when personnel are wearing the Formal Dress Blue or Dinner Dress jackets. Similarly, the United States Navy Uniform Regulations say that suspenders are to be “plain white without design or ornamentation,” and are optional component of the Formal Dress, and Blue and White Mess Dress uniforms