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How To Choose & Wear The Perfect Belt
The Oxford Dictionary describes a belt as “A strip of leather or other material worn, typically round the waist, to support or hold in clothes or to carry weapons.”
But let’s dig deeper, shall we? First of all, what is a belt really about?
Holding up trousers? Sure. But there’s more to it than that. They can be used to make a style statement, add a personal touch to formal wear, create a clear distinction between your top and bottom half, tie an outfit together, and much more.
In order to make the very most out of this classic accessory, your choices should be informed, reflect your personality and, in the end, improve whatever you’re wearing.
With this in mind, we bring you the complete guide to men’s belts…
Belt Sizing ABC
Do you know your belt size? It is often indicated in inches or centimetres.
This number corresponds to the length of the tour of the strap – measured from the buckle to the mid hole – which is where it should be fastened, allowing for slightly higher or lower waist trousers and the natural variations in waist circumference we all go through:
However, some brands choose to size their belts in the same way they do clothing (S, M, L, XL), which often comes with a waist range, such as 34″-36″:
Formal Belts
Your formal belt – the one you’ll wear with tailored trousers and suits, and nothing else – should be completely understated.
It will be 2.5 – 3.5cm wide, made of fine leather and come in brown, black or another subtle colour. You want your formal belt to discreetly finish off your outfit and play a supporting role to whatever you’re wearing, never steal the show.
Formal attire is all about advertising yourself. For this reason, a silly distraction (such as a ‘quirky’ belt) may quickly turn you into an undesirable ‘product’. Make sure your belt and shoes match and stay away from loud buckles.
The strap can have a subtle pattern, such as a fine weave, leather grain or patent finish, but that’s it. Leave contrasting stitching for your casual belts.
Extra advice: for increased wardrobe versatility, pick your favourite metal finish (gold or silver) and stick with it throughout your hardware selection, including jewellery and watches.
Formal Belts Lookbook Inspiration
Casual Belts
You can express your personality and be more experimental with your casual belt.
The width range is undetermined, but there are some general guidelines to adhere to. For instance, thin belts (width ranging between 1.5 and 2.2cm) are suitable for skinny jeans only, whereas wider styles can be worn with any casual trousers including chinos, jeans, cargo pants and shorts.
This is what you should be considering when it comes to purchasing your new belt:
- Buckle or Strap? Either part can be unusual, eccentric or loud, but never both at the same time.
- You don’t need to match it with anything. In fact, try to avoid matchy-matchy shoe and belt combinations – they can appear contrived – and stay away from conflicting branding.
- If your jeans have a branded leather tag on the waistband, your belt should cover it.
- Anything wider than 4cm requires the following questions: will this pass through the loops on my trousers? And “is this really a good idea?”
- Woven leather, fabric webbing, studded, embroidered, tooled leather, exotic skins, printed straps… the options available on the current market are so varied, you have no excuse to wear your formal belts with a casual look. It just doesn’t work.
Casual Belt Lookbook Inspiration
5 Must-Own Belts
If you’re starting your new and improved belt collection from scratch and need help drawing a plan for it, check out below the essentials:
1) A formal, black or brown belt, to go with your formal shoes (it isn’t difficult to find a double-sided style that features both colours):
- Reiss Danton Formal Suit Belt Brown
- Reiss Danton Formal Suit Belt Black
- Austin Reed Black/brown Reversible Belt
- Uniqlo Men Embossed Dress Belt
- Leather Square Buckle Belt
- He By Mango Leather Suit Belt
- Saint Laurent Slim Leather Belt
- Leather Reversible Belt
- Lanvin Reversible Leather Belt
2) A tan or natural leather belt you’ll wear with jeans. It can be woven or braided, as well as a simple leather strap:
- Topman Tan Plaited Belt
- Mulberry Woven-leather Belt
- River Island Belt
- Reiss Gaston Lattice Weave Belt Brown
- Leather Jeans Belt
- Tan Casual Leather Belt
3) A webbed, fabric version with a double-D buckle fastening for summer. Make sure this one is in a colour you can easily work into your existing wardrobe:
- Asos Web D Ring Belt
- J.crew Reversible Web Belt
- Nordstrom Double Stripe D-ring Belt
- Scotch & Soda Woven D?ring Belt
- Gucci Striped Canvas Belt
- Thom Browne Men’s Navy Blue Ribbon Belt
4) A novelty item. Coloured, snakeskin, beaded, studded, metal chain – this is the belt that you will use to mark yourself out from the crowd and has the potential to become a signature piece:
- Topman Tmd Silver Belt
- Ted Baker Colour Block Leather Belt
- Oliver Spencer Suede Belt 188796
- Carhartt Parker Belt
- He By Mango Camo Double Ring Leather Belt
- Valentino Slim Studded Leather Belt
- Burton Grey Distressed Stud Belt
- Etro Raised Paisley Belt
- Oliver Spencer Suede Belt
5) None at all. If your trousers fit you correctly you don’t actually need to wear a belt, allowing you to go beltless when you feel your accessorising has gone too far. This might end up being the most important belt you own.
The Logo Buckle Controversy
Let’s face it, men love to sport logos.
Obvious, direct, no mixed messages – whether sticking out of the bonnet of our car or embroidered onto our clothes, branding is an important aspect of modern life.
However, when the hardware in question is a very obvious belt buckle, opinions are divided. While some crave it, others are repelled by the ‘douche appeal’ they may carry.
Nearly every designer brand produces a logo buckle belt, and it’s usually a best-seller. So, if your lifestyle calls for a statement like this, pick your brand and advertise away – just make sure the buckle isn’t overtaking your personality. Now, that would make you a douche.
How To Choose A Standout Belt
You can find a great belt anywhere. It could be a handmade belt you bought on holiday, a crocodile designer style you couldn’t resist or a high street version that complements your favourite pair of trousers.
Is it a buckle design that caught your attention? What is it inspired by? If you fell for the strap, is it artisanal, an unusual weave, a great shade of brown or colourful fabric webbing? Make sure you look for details that make your belt unique and wear it wisely.
General Styling Guidelines
A belt is essentially a mid-sectioning line that cuts your body into two halves, creating a shortening visual effect. If you dress to look taller, make sure to match your belt with either your trousers or your shirt/jumper, making the ‘line’ less pronounced.
If you are a taller male and looking to break up your vertical line, complementary colours or clashing hues work well, so take advantage of this effect with bright belts, or detailed styles.
A vintage, aged leather or buckle belt brings an effortless, laissez faire feel to any look, while shiny finishes can add polish to an old pair of jeans.
For a modern approach to casual wear, try to get your belt to counterbalance what your clothes say. For example, try pairing tailored trousers with a studded belt or patent versions with ripped jeans.
And remember: Beltless is always better than a belt too much.
Beltless Lookbook Inspiration
The Alternative: Braces
A quick note to finish: remember that rule about not wearing a belt with braces? It’s 100 per cent correct. If you want to hold up your trousers with your shoulders, the belt stays at home.
Obviously, clip-on braces are relatively inexpensive and can be picked up in many shops on the high street – a convenient option for those wanting to try something different.
Yet those that want a slightly more authentic/vintage take should start looking for tailored trousers that feature braces straps instead of belt loops. It will take commitment, but embracing (no pun intended) the look with consistency does pay off:
Key Pieces
- Austin Reed Navy Blue Stripe Braces
- Austin Reed Burgundy Textured Braces
- Topman Grey Wide Plain Braces
- British Braces
- Asos Vintage Denim Braces
- Burton Red Skinny Braces
- Navy Braces
- Brooks Brothers Elasticated Woven Braces
- Navy & Burgundy Stripe Braces
- John Lewis Button And Clip Braces
- Brooks Brothers Elasticated Woven Braces
- Paul Costelloe plain Red Braces
Final Word
So there you have it – unnecessary and essential, universal but highly segmented – the belt and some ideas on how to choose your next style.
Have you any thoughts on the subject? What is your favourite/signature belt like?
Let us know in the comments section below…
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Good article, well written. I’ve never been a fan of the beltless look when your shirt is tucked into your trousers – it just looks like something is missing. Others will probably say that a belt ruins a clean look however.
Nice article, but it disagree with never matching your casual belts or wearing a formal belt in smart casual outfits (which is 95% of the time for some of us).
I have blue suede loafers of happily wear with a navy suede woven belt and a brown ‘formal’ belt I always wear with brown shoes. I probably wouldn’t do the same with black though, I just find brown a bit more flexible.
Word on the ‘douche appeal’ on the Logo Buckle Controversy.
It’s like shouting “Hey! I’ve got money to advertise these designers, so I’m better looking/richer than you are”
Walking advertisements.
Classic belts are the best.
Thanks for the very detailed overview.
My belt collection consists of 5 different belts and I is complete in my eyes.
#1 brown and wide (4,5cm) rougher leather belt for the more country looking looks
#2 black woven leather belt for any casual elegant moments
#3 black classic thin leather belt very back standing for formal wear
#4 yellow not detailed leather belt for setting color accents
#5 striped in bordeaux/green/blue thin and effective textile belt for casual events of any kind
Furthermore I am a fan of belt-less looks, which sometimes feel more comfortable and leger.
Good article. However, it brings up more questions for me. What are the rules for belt color matching shoe color? Are there any? Do the belt and shoe color need to match? I know I’d never wear a black belt with brown shoes. But how about all the varying shades of brown? And texture? Is a dark brown belt ok to wear with tan shoes? Does shoe hardware need to match the buckle hardware? When I buy new shoes I try to get a matching belt too. Most of the time a match is hard to find.
You raise some interesting questions. Black aside, I think being too shade coordinated looks a little try-hard and contrived. I actually prefer for the shade and even texture (say brown leather shoes with a suede belt, or vice versa) of a brown belt and shoes to differ somewhat. When it comes to outright light tan though I do try to match as closely as possible, or otherwise go the other way by pairing my tan brogues with a navy woven belt for example. I wouldn’t worry about the buckle so much other than trying to keep it slim and discreet; I prefer burnished or matte as opposed to shiny buckles. For me style is about putting thought into something that looks casually thrown together and not too “matchy-matchy”.
Thanks, Andrew! I do agree with you and definitely do not want the “matchy-matchy” or “trying too hard” look. Good to know that “close enough” is good enough. Good idea too on the navy woven belt. I have a pair of tan shoes that I am going to try that with. Did not think of that. I’d usually just wear those shoes with a sweater and not have to worry about the belt!
My issue is not knowing which color belt to wear with my formal looks. Blue suit? Grey suit?
My view is that, in a formal context, belt and shoes should match. In my case, it’s easy: as I always wear black shoes with suits, I wear a black belt. I think brown is a tad casual – but I am quite old-fashioned!
Hey Zach,
Default can always be black although it can sometimes look a little harsh even on navy. My preference would be to match my belt with the suit colour – so even if wearing black shoes with a navy suit a nice dark navy belt would work, likewise with grey. Perhaps a nice dark charcoal grey belt, either uniform in colour or perhaps with a slight polished effect (that hints at grey and black at the same time) would be ideal. I use a lot of brushed cordovan leather belts for that reason as they allude to more than one colour…
Hope that helps,
Justin
As a general rule if the suit has belt loops I think a belt should be worn. Suits with tuxedo style side adjusters instead are so clean and classy though, just harder to come unless you’ve got the means to go bespoke as they require a very tailored fit.
What about European sizing?
Great article very informative and interesting as always. Any thoughts on wearing braces but not putting them over the shoulder i.e. just leaving dangle from your waist down?
Cheers,
Joe.
Great article, but I have a question.
I frequently try to match my belts with shoes in formal and smart casual looks, I’ve recently purchased a pair of tan brogue boots and a belt which matches well but then there’s the issue of a watch. I usually wear a metal band but I’d like to tey something else. Would you recommend I match with a tan leather watch strap, brown or something else entirely?
Many thanks
Hey Dan,
Best bet in your case now that you’ve sorted the shoe/belt dilemma (and to avoid driving yourself crazy) is to go contrast with the watch strap. Match the strap with your shirt colour or some other small highlight detail in your outfit. Personally a flash of colour could be in leather, steel or rubber I don’t think the material matters. I buy a lot of rubber fossil watch straps which as it happens are interchangeable (and inexpensive) – and then match the strap to the outfit. A navy or bright blue can be fun and is really versatile but brighter colours work year round in my book. People do tend to notice this detail a lot. I also do the same with my belts – matching up with something in my outfit other than my shoes is a fresh approach. Hope that helps…
Justin