What are Cap’s suspenders for in the concept art?

I was looking at concept art for Captain America: The First Avenger by Ryan Meinerding recently and noticed Cap wearing some kind of suspenders. I stared for a while but just couldn’t figure out what they’re for.

Are they to support the cartridge belt? Are these standard issue or custom suspenders? Are they attached to/used for something else entirely? It’s especially interesting to me that when he has the jacket on, only one strap of the suspenders is visible.

Please let me know, I’d love to hear.

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Commentaires

rubyschnees2025-11-04 22:04

to hold his pants up

steelcity72025-11-04 22:05

Fella needs to keep his britches on

Electro_Llama2025-11-04 22:07

To keep America's ass covered.

kennyofthegulch2025-11-04 22:08

Back support.

Vakobi2025-11-04 22:08

Seems to me like his belt is just for utility pouches and it doesn’t actually attach to his pants?

CollinsCouldveDucked2025-11-04 22:12

even if the belt did attach to his pants, the belt alone would be so heavy from all the pouches it would be doing the opposite of kepping his pants up.

TrueLegateDamar2025-11-04 22:12

I think it's a military harness for the pouches and not suspenders.

cragmadecanyon2025-11-04 22:14

They look to be the WW2 era harnesses (M-1910 or M-1936). Similar thing as ALICE stuff in the 70s-early 90s, or MOLLE gear from the 90s through today. Just part of an overall weight-bearing system for packs, pouches, or holsters.

PootSnootBoogie2025-11-04 22:16

It's a version of web gear.

Shoulder harnesses that attach to the web belt. The belt and harness allow you to attach canteens, magazine holders, first aid kits, etc.

Basically the precursor to the MOLLE system that most troops use nowadays.

Alpha_Storm2025-11-04 22:16

Suspenders hold up pants. That's what they are for. What kind of a question is this? Lol

Ok-Development-40172025-11-04 22:16

To hold his pants up?

K1ngofnoth1ng2025-11-04 22:16

When you have that much stuff attached to your belt, you need suspenders to hold the belt up as at that point it is no longer keeping your pants up… in fact it will pull them down more.

itsarudeworld2025-11-04 22:22

besides the practical answers here, maybe the artist just wanted it aesthetically. as a way to tie the brown pants up to the color story happening with his top

in caps final suit design in captain america first avenger you can see the brown accents all over the straps in his suit, its a neat design technique to unify the whole thing

JBTriple2025-11-04 22:31

Suspending his pants.

clocktickmakemecrazy2025-11-04 22:33

To hang his shield? In some movies, we see that he attaches his shield at the back before jumping from a plane or running. It's replaced with the smaller straps going over his shoulders and under the armpits in the actual costumes

clocktickmakemecrazy2025-11-04 22:36

https://share.google/BS4ENrmpwvA7PH9ls

It's visible in this, just earlier it might've been a suspender with cross straps on the back

VesperX2025-11-04 22:33

To hold his pants up. Look at the buckle on his belt. It’s not going through belt loops on his pants. It’s is purely a utility belt. So he has suspenders to hold up his pants.