mans belts

Belts.

They can make or break your outfit.

The difference between…

impeccably well-dressed
why is everyone looking at my belly?

Do you know the rules for stylish belts?

Can you tell a ‘jeans' belt from a ‘suit' belt?

An accent belt from a statement belt?

Belts are a whole lot of fun to play around with — especially the kind you can deconstruct and reconstruct to suit different outfits and occasions.

What's more, pants with belt loops look naked without them.

Buckle up for a fast ride through everything you need to know about these classic masculine accessories.

What Is A Belt?

Let's start by defining what we're talking about.

#1) A belt is a cinching system that goes around the waist using tension to hold up a person's pants. A piece of string can be a belt!

#2) A belt can be for carrying things. Look at Batman and his utility belt, or a gentleman who decides to concealed carry.

#3) Most belts are purely decorative.

Anatomy Of A Belt

The vast majority of belts have two parts: the buckle and the strap. (The piece of string would just be a strap, but that's outside the scope of this website.)

Many belts also have a keeper loop and/or an end tip (the end tip is usually metal, or leather on cloth belts). The end tip protects the end of the belt and can make it easier to buckle. After it's buckled, the keeper loop stops the free end flapping around.

In some belts, the strap and buckle are permanently joined together; in others they can be taken apart and switched out. The part of the buckle that joins it to the strap is called the chape.

Buckle Types

#1. FRAME-STYLE

Seen on nearly all formal belts, and also on casual belts
Strap goes through frame
Prong goes through holes in the strap to fasten the belt

#2. PLATE-STYLE

Usually detachable – paired with snap belts (straps without buckles)
Plate is usually decorated – e.g. in cowboy and biker belts
Hook goes through the front of the strap
Throw (distance from chape to hook) adds to the length of your belt

#3. BOX-FRAME

Box is hollow, metal and open-ended
Post presses the strap against the inside of the box
No need for holes in the strap

#4. BOX-OUT

Mostly found in women's fashion
A simple leather or synthetic frame – the belt threads through
Not very durable – more for decoration

#5. MICRO-ADJUST

Uses a ratchet-style track system that requires a special type of strap
A folding piece of metal presses the ‘teeth' of the track system into the strap
No need for belt holes – allows minute adjustments

#6. O-RING/D-RING

One or two rings form the buckle
Belt is fastened by threading through them
Casual, used with braided, webbing and canvas belts

#7. SNAP

‘Male' and ‘female' ends snap together like a seat belt
Very casual and functional, often found in outdoor pursuits gear
Not to be confused with snap belts

Strap Widths

#1. 1.25 inches

Formal belts
Belts for smaller guys (waist under 34”)
Belts for skinny jeans and tapered trousers

#2. 1.5 inches

Formal to casual
Goes well with denim, chinos and heavier fabrics

#3. 1.75 inches

Rarer and definitely casual
Perfect with jeans and casual trousers
Suits statement buckles as well as classic buckles

Strap Materials

#1. Leather

Cow And Calf

Cowhide is the most common leather used for belts, and comes in a few variations:

Full grain leather is the best looking and most hardwearing, while calfskin is the softest and most supple. The highest quality formal belts will be full grain calfskin.

Braided leather is used with a frame-style buckle to make very adjustable belts: you can put the prong in any hole in the braid. Multicolored braided leather is a casual summer look, while monochrome braided leather is too casual for a suit but good with a sports jacket.

Tooled leather is decorated by “tooling”, a stamping process that leaves patterns on the leather, which are often then stained to make them stand out. Tooled belts work well with simple outfits, such as a pair of jeans and a basic button-down shirt.

Suede is also often used for casual belts. It's less durable than full grain leather, but usually has a full grain leather backing for extra strength.

Exotic Leathers

Ostrich, lizard, crocodile, and alligator are all technically casual, but can work as formal in a dark color.

Ostrich belts are a bold look, dotted with pockmarks from the feathers – imagine the biggest, most stylish plucked chicken you've ever seen. They tend to fetch a high price.

Lizard, and especially crocodile and alligator belts, are even more upscale and have a subtler pattern and texture.

#2. Other Materials

Leather-backed ribbon is a casual material that allows you to stand out with bright colors and bold motifs, and is usually paired with a frame buckle. Leatherback ribbon belts go perfectly with sailing, golf, and boat shoes.

Canvas as a belt material has a military origin. It's used for functional rather than decorative belts, and usually goes with a box buckle.

Webbing is another functional material, good for outdoor pursuits. It can be found in fun colors and patterns, and most often comes with a D ring buckle.

Rope belts are mostly a women’s fashion, but worn by men in nautical circles. Often fastened with a knot and loop rather than a buckle, they're a bit preppy but durable and easy to clean, and can take a soaking better than leather.

Vinyl is cheap, often colorful, bold and alternative. Vinyl belts are a young man’s style and can look tacky on older men.

Faux leather is made with polyurethane on a fabric backing. It's durable and low-maintenance, and the best faux leathers look realistic, although they don’t develop the same patina as real leather. On the other hand, cheap fake leather looks cheap and fake.

Accent Or Statement?

An accent piece is subtle, low-key, and complements the rest of your outfit. It's usually in coordinating or neutral colors.

A statement piece demands attention, and contrasts with the rest of your outfit. It works best when the outfit isn't too filled with colors and patterns.

Casual belts can be accent or statement accessories. Dress belts are pretty much always accents.

Don't wear an eyecatching statement belt if you're not confident about drawing attention to your waist.

Top 3 Go-To Belts For Men

Dress belt – for business and evening wear

1-1.5 inch strap
Only about 0.1 inch thick
Black or brown leather
Usually shiny
Undecorated – maybe a little broguing or hand burnishing
Small, plain, polished buckle – normally frame style
Match leathers, match metals

Casual belt – for jeans

1.5 inch strap or wider
Can be thicker than a dress belt
Tan or natural leather
Matte, rugged and can be braided, textured or decorated
Can have a larger and/or more decorative buckle – plate, box or frame
Doesn’t have to match leathers exactly (e.g. brown with tan, tan with white)

Webbed fabric belt – for summer casual

1.5 inch strap or wider
Choose a strap color that goes with your wardrobe
Strap can be patterned
Usually has a double D-ring buckle
Wear with chinos or shorts

When You DON’T Need A Belt

You don't need a belt if your pants don't have belt loops.

In general, you should wear a belt with all pants (including jeans) that have belt loops. Leaving it off can look sloppy. But if your outfit is looking too busy or you don't have a belt that matches it, you might be better off going beltless — provided your pants fit well enough!

You can choose suspenders as a stylish and fun alternative. Although it's a little more effort, I recommend button suspenders over clip ones, which can damage your waistband.

Suspenders are a great way of dressing well for larger men — they'll hold up your pants more effectively and reduce bulk at the waist. They also make a short guy look taller (or at least, they don't make you look shorter by breaking the line of your body the way belts do.)

Despite what you may have heard, you can wear a belt with suspenders — but only if it's a work belt. With anything less casual, it's overkill. It looks as if you either don't know what you're doing, or are just that worried about your pants falling down.

How To Buy Quality

Don't succumb to the lure of cheap leather — it cracks easily and makes you look shabby.

Indicators of good quality in belts include:

– Soft supple leather that doesn't crack — the best (and most expensive) belts are made from calfskin.
– Leather can be marked slightly with a fingernail, meaning it's still soft and fresh.
– Good stitching — small, tight stitches with no loose ends.
– Interchangeable snap buckles.

Brand names, in my opinion, are NOT worth paying more for when it comes to belts, because nobody's likely to notice where your belt came from! If you've got a little extra to spend, invest in quality instead.

Belt Sizing Guide For Men

Your belt size should be 1-2 inches longer than the size of your pants waist. So if you take a 40 in pants, you want a 41-42 inch belt.

Alternatively, you can work out the size of your new belt from your old belt. Measure from where you always buckle it to the opposite end of the strap, and get the closest size to that.

When buying a plate buckle, remember the throw (distance from chape to hook) adds to the length of your belt.

If you love a belt that's the wrong size (or your size has changed since you bought the belt) DO NOT be tempted to gouge a hole in it with your pocket knife or kitchen scissors. It will be obvious, and the belt will end up breaking. Take it to your local cobbler to get a hole made properly.

Dress belts should only have a short tail end. You just want a few inches of leather to the left of the buckle when it's fastened, long enough to tuck through the first belt loop or the loop on the belt itself if it has one.

Casual belts can have a little bit more of a tail, although TOO long will still look awkward. Military-style canvas belts with brass buckles traditionally get their tails docked right down to the buckle.

If all this sizing math seems too complicated, try Anson Belt & Buckle. Their micro-adjustable belts can be adjusted to within 1/4 inch and trimmed to fit any waist.

Instead of maybe 5 holes an inch apart, their belts allow for 30+ “micro-adjustments” to fit you perfectly. No holes means no wear and tear from getting poked by the pin, so they stay looking new and clean for longer.

All their buckles and straps are interchangeable within the same widths (1.25″ and 1.5″), so you can create tons of combinations. For the best value, go for the belt gift box with 6 possible belts for under $100.

They come with a lifetime guarantee and can be trimmed to fit your waist — especially helpful for smaller waisted guys.

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