Suspending the Old Belly

From an alert and knowledgable reader, we've recently recieved this:  

Suspenders dear sir were the illogical logical development of some simpleminded ungentlemanly gentleman who to chose to mask their overeating by "creating" a novel style of dress,i.e. suspenders, which in effect are not different for belts except one is vertical and one is horizontal. Suspenders of course can stretch to accommodate the, well, the overly large person's ability to remain dressed, at least from the waist down. Suspenders did not come first, belts came first. Stylists did do a good job though in convincing many men that it was the "proper" dress. Of course the "real" gentleman continues to use a belt.

Well he's right of course--belts have been used for thousands of years, whereas suspenders were invented in the late-ish 1800's.  Suspenders do make for more comfort when one has a belly growing out of all due proportion.  

But that doesn't completely answer the question.  Are suspenders to be totally checked off the list of sartorially correct items of gentlemanliness?  I would say no, for three reasons:

1)  Suspenders allow the wearer greater freedom of movement without much fear that one's shirt or pants will move out of place.  Suspenders hold the pants precisely where they should be; with belts, if not quite tight, the pants could sink with much movement, which could also lead to the shirt becoming de-tucked here and there.

2)  Suspenders have become an acceptable sartorial item.

3)  More than ever, there are lads with, er, baggage in the stomach department.  

Disagree?  Agree?  Don't let the lads sit in suspense, tell us what you think.  

Pip-pip!