A Basic Belt Guide
A Basic Belt Guide
Introduction
It's been a couple of years since the good ol' Belt Guide in the sidebar was last updated so here is a newer version.
A lot's changed on the fashion front since the last one, new brands have popped up and as community /r/malefashionadvice now has over 1 million subscribers. So it's high time for a new guide.
This guide was also made in part because of the MFA crowdsourcing threads and discussions from that.
This guide will not cover synthetic/cloth belts as seen in techwear styles or extra long ones seen in Japanese streetwear. They may be covered in smaller expansion guides in the future.
The format of this guide will be the basics on:
Casual belts & recommendations
Formal belts & recommendations
Belt care
Belt Storage
Notes on buying 'frugally'
Casual
Casual belts do not have to perfectly match shoes. For instance you can have dark brown shoes and a mid-brown belt, or you can have white shoes with a light brown belt. I personally advise that the belt and shoes to vary by at least a shade. However we still advise black with black.
The belt's width can vary between 1" and 2", although most casual belts fall between 1 1/4" and 1 3/4".
The leather's thickness can range from below 1/8" up to 3/4".
The belt should be long enough that it goes under the first belt loop after the buckle. The belt should not be so long that is not laying flat against itself. The belt should be no longer than 3 inches beyond that loop. If your belt is weaker you may wish to wear it shorter. An exception includes if you want the belt to "hang" at the side.
Its buckle may be round or flat, small or large, matte or polished. The more casual the occasion, the less elegant the buckle required.
The buckle may be single pronged or double pronged.
D-ring buckles are acceptable. They're one of the most casual types.
Canvas, webbed and striped belts are acceptable, but don't over-do it. Remember to adhere to the basic tenets of style.
Alternatively, needle-point or critter belts have something of a following in preppy styles
Braided leather belts can add some nice texture to your outfit. Braid styles vary significantly.
Exotic leather can also work in some smarter casual outfits.
Be careful about excessive styling. Less is usually more.
There are a lot of different belts out there, some of which aren't covered in this guide. Keep in mind that as your outfit approaches semi-formal, more of the Formal rules apply. Apply prudence as necessary.
Buying recommendations: Casual belts
Many clothing brands make casual belts. Consider:
J Crew
Banana Republic
GAP
Marks & Spencers (UK)
American Apparel
Levi
LL Bean
Land's End
Ralph Lauren
Brooks Brothers
You can find some exceptional casual leather belts from:
From $45 to $85 USD
New Republic by Mark McNairy
Gustin
Thirteen 50 Leather
Leather Goods Connection
Corter
Orion Leather
A Simple Leather Belt Co.
W.H. Earl
Guarded Goods
Narragansett
Don't Mourn, Organize
Trafalgar Belts
Vermilyea Pelle
Above $100 USD
Billy Kirik
Tanner Goods
Hollows Leather
First Settlement Goods
Worcestershire Leather
Equus Leather
Also note that many shoemakers, such as Allen Edmonds and Crockett and Jones also make casual leather belts.
Alternatively, you can make your own if you have the right tools lying aroind.
Formal
The formal belt should match your shoes in color, contrast, hue, and tone. Bonus points if the belt is made from the same leather.
A shinier leather finish is more acceptable.
It should be 1 1/4" - 1 3/8" wide.
The belt should be approximately 1/8" thick.
The belt should be long enough that it goes under the first belt loop after the buckle. The belt should not be so long that is not laying flat against itself. The belt should be no longer than 3 inches beyond that loop. If your belt is weaker you may wish to wear it shorter.
Formal belts usually taper at the edges (AE), frequently due to stitching along the belt's perimeter. Some dress belts have no visible stitching (AE), but are just as acceptable.
The buckle should be minimalist, polished, somewhat narrow, and single pronged.
The belt should lack all excessive styling.
Reversible black/brown belts are certainly the more frugal option. However the opposing side is occasionally visible, so reversibles are not advised.
For less formal, but still dressy occasions consider exotic leather paired with fine shoes. Alligator (RLPL) is the most popular, with lizard also an option. Other exotic leathers to consider include sting ray, crocodile, ostrich, and snake.
Here (C+J) is an example of some beautiful, simple dress belts.
Brands recommendations: Formal belts
Below $75 USD
Bexley (EU)
Anson Belts
Meermin
Cole Haan
Johnston and Murphy
$75-150 USD
Epaulet
Allen Edmonds
Alden
Brooks Brothers
Above $150 USD
Crockett and Jones
Salvatore Ferragamo
Edward Green
John Lobb
This is not an exhaustive list. Just a list of commonly recommended belts from MFA and GYW. A good rule of thumb is to look up quality shoe brands and see if they make belts also.
Fashion brands also make dress belts, such as Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Hermes, Gucci and Prada. For dress belts that contain silver and gold check out M Kelty or James Reid Ltd.
Leather Belt Care
Before we begin, please note that when it comes to leather care sometimes LESS is MORE. Be careful not to overdo it, your leather is naturally tough and resilient. Fresh out of the packaging you don't need to do anything with a leather belt. Just wear it.
If dry use a very small amount of leather conditioner (such as Lexol) on it. Apply with a small cotton rag. Leave for 5-10 minutes and wipe off any left over residue.
If dirty, clean the belt with a soft rag and very little warm water.
If super ultra dirty use a leather cleaner. This will clean the belt but also remove essential oils, so a conditioner must be used afterwards or the leather will dry out and be at risk of cracking.
Scraftes and scrapes can often be buffed out with enough friction and elbow grease. This is less of an aesthetic issue for casual belts compared to formal ones.
Belt Storage
The simplest way to store your belts is to use a belt hanger. If you google belt hanger there are many different options.
If you want to make a cheap belt hanger, you can flatten out a common metal hanger and curl it into an S shape to hold the belts.
Alternatively, if you don't want to hang the belts, you can keep them curled up in a shoebox, or similarly small box. I personally prefer to hang my belts so that they remain straight.
Buying 'Frugally'
'Frugal' is a funny term which gets bandied around a lot, but basically if you want to buy belts for cheaper you can do so several ways:
eBay
Grailed
End of season sales
Any store offers/deals
Proxying niche brands from overseas.
For a good overview of the above please consult /u/sconleye's Beginner’s Guide to Buying Expensive Clothes for Less on ways to grab a potential bargain.
Further reading and resources, etc
GYW: Updated Introductory Leather Care Guide
GYW discussion: Favourite Beltmongers
MFA: Braided versus Non-Braided belt discussion
Questions, Concerns, Comments, Criticism, etc.
Are there any sections that I missed and/or that you would like to see included? Is there any error in the content or maybe a few spelling mistakes? Did I forget to include anything important? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.