Leather belts are fine accessories that can really compliment your attire in a very subtle, yet impactful way. Belts have a double purpose: they are functional, as they keep your pants up and stylish, as they offer you a lot of self-expression space. This is why knowing how to pick the right belt is something crucial, as, if you are going to do it, you should do it right.

Leather belts are great accessories because they are stylish, leather being a great fabric to begin with and because usually adding a belt to your outfit makes your body look more framed and structured. The fine lines a belt adds to your outfit change the way you look overall.

Leather belts are great accessories because they are stylish, leather being a great fabric to begin with and because usually adding a belt to your outfit makes your body look more framed and structured. The fine lines a belt adds to your outfit change the way you look overall.

 

 

 

 

Let’s look at the things that make the difference in the world of leather belts:

 

 

Size

Length

Generally, a belt should have about three inches / 7.5 cm of extra leather to the left of the buckle after you put it on. The reason for this is that this is just enough material to tuck only under the first belt loop, without wrapping your belt around to the second one.

Usually, the length of a belt is measured from the end of the buckle to the center hole. This rule only applies to belts with pre-punched holes, as braided belts are more adjustable. Since men’s belts are measured according to a man’s waist size it is recommended to get a belt that it one or two seizes bigger than your waist size. For example if you have 38 inch / 96 cm waist, you can get a 39 or 40 inch / 99, respectively a 101 cm belt.

Please note that women’s belts are measured differently than men’s, so if you ask for some help, make sure your helper knows this.

 

Width

The standard width for a belt (usually for those worn on formal occasions) is between 1-1.5 inches / 2,5-3,8 cm. If a belt is wider or even thinner, it means that it is a casual belt and should be worn only in a casual setting.

 

 

Leather quality and pliability

Another very important factor when you are choosing a belt is pliability.  A high-quality belt will be more supple and pliable than a poor-quality belt. This brings us to a very important aspect when it comes to picking up the right leather belt:

 

The different types of leather

There are a lot of types of leather in world of materials, and, of course, the most natural and least processed are the best, compared to very processed leathers which won’t last as long and can go bad easily.

Synthetic leather is basically fake leather. Generally, a belt crafted from synthetic leather is created with different polymers and fibers, so that it has that leather feel. However, just because something looks like leather, it does not mean that it is leather.

Bonded leather belts are made of real leather, but in the making of these belts producers use waste scraps of unneeded leather, left-overs from other products basically. These small fibers are glued together and end up looking like a real belt, but this does not mean that the result is a product of the highest quality.

Genuine leather is a better way to go than bonded leather; however, genuine leather is not the best choice. Genuine leather belts are made from leftovers as well, but the belt will consist of several layers of leather glued or sewn to each other. Sometimes, the surface of such a belt will be covered with top-grain leather or synthetic material.

Full-grain leather is finally the optimal way to go. This is natural leather made from the top layer of an animal’s skin. Sometimes, pieces made out of top-quality leather will have blemishes or scratches. You should not worry about these, as they are the mark that the product is made from the best of the best. This is the toughest and most resistant type of leather. Even though a full-grain leather belt might cost a little more, it cannot be beat when it comes to durability, flexibility and overall presentation.

 

 

 

Some belts, such as those manufactured by Equus leather, which is a brand we like a lot, are made out of bridle leather. Bridle leather means that a piece of cow hide has both the flesh and the grain side of the leather stuffed with greases and then finished with wax. This is a very special process, with costs a lot and demands a lot of work, but the results as absolutely amazing. There are just a few tanneries that produce such bridle leather, so owning such a piece is really something special.

 

The Buckle

The buckle is a very important part of the belt. Even though the leather part is what makes a belt- a belt, the buckle becomes the center of the belt when worn. For both formal and casual settings, we highly recommend that you should go for a simple belt buckle. Simplicity is always the best option. You want your belt to be the star, not the buckle. If you want to make a statement by using metallic pieces, we recommend that you do that through a necklace, a bracelet, a watch or something else.

A buckle that is too big and charged will draw the eye to it, making your belt the center of your outfit. Remember that a belt is still an accessory and that it needs to complete your outfit, not be the star of it.  A professional buckle will usually have about the same width as the belt itself.

There are three major types of buckles: buckles with a hook, buckles with a tongue, and buckles with a sliding latch. Whichever type you choose, make sure it is simple and refined.

 

 

Color

When it comes to color, nowadays, belts come in a very large variety of colors: from the classics black and brown to more bright shades, such as red, violet or even yellow.

 

 

The important thing to note here is that your belt needs to match your shoes; a brown belt doesn’t go with a pair of black shoes. If you want to be more sophisticated, eve in your casual outfits, you can match your belt to your watch strap or a bracelet as well.

 

 

 

Speaking of casual outfits, remember that darker belts are more formal (a black belt is the best way to go if you are wearing a suit and dress shoes), while colorful belts are more appropriate for casual occasions.

Knowing how to incorporate the colors of your accessories in your outfits is not very hard and can be done by creating simple color schemes using the color wheel.

Gloss is also a factor you need to take into consideration when you are purchasing a belt. A formal belt should be glossier, while a casual belt can be glossy, but it can be matte as well.

 

 

Costs

The price of a good belt varies by a lot, so we can’t give you an exact price range in which you should place your budget. A $20 belt might be OK, but it is still on the cheap side and thus, probably not as qualitative as you would expect. A high-quality, reliable belt can go from $80-100 or even more if you are paying for a special product, but we definitely think that the cost is motivated. Think about the cost/wear ratio. If you spend $100 on a belt and wear it 300 times in a year, it means that the cost/wear is $0.3 and we assure you that a good belt will last more than a year, so the cost/wear ratio will be even smaller. If you look at it from this perspective, even a $300 belt is not that expensive!

 

 

Additional tips:

– If you are a guy who only has one belt, we recommend that you go for a dark (black, brown or tan), full-grain leather belt. Make sure it matches your shoes and you are ready to go.

– To make sure you are taking the best care of your belt, always take it out of your pants when you are not wearing it. To keep it strong, hang it vertically, preferably away from the sun. Doing so will maximize the lifespan of a belt and it will prevent it from cracking or drying.

– Belts can be worn with shorts only if you are attending an outdoor event. For example, if you are going golfing, sailing or a similar activity, you can wear shorts with a belt. The only shorts that go with belts are Bermuda style short or something made from a dressy material.

– Also, you should not be tucking your shirt in your pants without wearing a belt. Tucking your shirt in your pants without wearing a belt might make your shirt untuck and your pants to go down and result in a sloppy look.

 

To conclude, we need to say that a good leather belt will tie an outfit together and give you a little more presence than you would have without one. A leather belt is the mark of a person who puts thought into his outfits and cares about making the best out of his look. Matching your belt to your outfit is essential and should be done carefully. The point of wearing a belt is an aesthetic one: you can express your personality through your accessories, but there’s also a deeper practical aspect to it, as looking good means feeling good.

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

What are the things you expect from a belt? Do you like to wear colorful belts or darker ones? How do you match your belts to your outfits? Share your thoughts in the comments below!