Belts serve a dual purpose, blending functionality and style. This seemingly insignificant accessory can significantly impact your overall appearance, either enhancing your outfit or becoming a distracting element.
Unfortunately, many men lack comprehensive knowledge about belts beyond their basic function of securing pants around the waist.
This guide aims to provide a complete understanding of belts, covering when to wear them, the various types available, how to choose the appropriate belt for different occasions, and how to ensure a proper fit.
Understanding the Basics: What Is a Belt?
At its core, a belt is a system that encircles the waist, using tension to hold up pants. Even a simple string can technically function as a belt!
While belts can serve practical purposes, such as carrying tools or concealed weapons, most belts are primarily decorative accessories.
Now, let’s delve into the specifics of belt anatomy.
Anatomy of a Belt
Most belts consist of two main components: the buckle and the strap.
Many belts also include a keeper loop and/or an end tip. The end tip, often metal or leather, protects the belt’s end from damage and facilitates buckling. The keeper loop secures the free end of the belt after buckling, preventing it from flapping.
The chape connects the buckle to the strap. Some belts have permanently attached straps and buckles, while others allow for interchangeable buckles.
When Should You Wear a Belt?
Generally, belts should be worn with all pants, including jeans, that have belt loops. The loops serve a purpose! Omitting a belt can appear unkempt, especially with formal attire when shirts are typically tucked in. While you might forgo a belt with more casual outfits and untucked shirts, remember that belts offer functionality by helping keep your pants in place.
As an alternative to belts, suspenders provide both style and functionality. Suspenders can be an excellent option, holding up pants effectively and reducing bulk at the waist.
Avoid wearing both a belt and suspenders simultaneously, as it suggests uncertainty or excessive concern about pants falling down.
Formal vs. Casual Belts
Belts can be broadly categorized as formal and casual. Let’s explore the distinctions between these types and how to wear them effectively.
Formal Belts
Formal belts exhibit limited variations and adhere to specific characteristics.
Buckle Type
Formal belts typically feature a frame-style buckle, where the strap passes through the frame, and the prong fastens through holes in the strap.
Dress belt buckles are usually shiny, sleek, gold or silver, and smaller and flatter than those on casual belts.
Strap Width
A dress belt should be 1-1.5 inches wide, with thinner belts conveying greater formality. A 1-inch belt suits smaller individuals with waists under 34 inches.
Strap Material
Leather, or a high-quality leather substitute, is the exclusive material for dress belts.
Cowhide: The most common leather used for belts, available in full-grain (the most durable and visually appealing) and calfskin (the softest). Full-grain calfskin represents the highest quality for formal belts.
Ostrich, lizard, crocodile, and alligator: While technically more casual, these skins can function as formal in dark colors.
Ostrich belts, distinguished by feather pockmarks, command a premium price.
Crocodile and alligator belts are more upscale with subtle patterns and textures.
Faux leather: Constructed with polyurethane on a fabric backing, faux leather is durable and low-maintenance. High-quality versions can mimic real leather, although they lack the patina development. Inexpensive faux leather appears noticeably cheap.
Strap Color/Pattern
Formal belts should subtly complement an outfit. Surfaces should be solid and smooth, often with a sheen, and feature minimal patterns. Black and brown are traditional colors for dress belts, while oxblood, tan, navy, gray, and white may appear in smart-casual contexts.
Matching a Formal Belt with Your Outfit
When wearing a formal belt, ensure you match your leathers and match your metals. The belt strap should match the color and sheen of your shoes and other leather accessories. The buckle should align with your other metal jewelry and accessories, except for your wedding ring.
Casual Belts
Casual belts offer greater diversity in types, styles, and colors than formal belts, allowing for personal expression.
Buckle Types
Frame-Style
- Frame-style buckles can also be used for casual belts, usually with a larger/thicker profile.
Plate-Style
- Usually detachable and paired with snap belts (straps without buckles).
- The plate is often decorated, like on cowboy and biker belts.
- A hook goes through the front of the strap.
- The throw (distance from chape to hook) adds to the belt’s length.
Box-Frame
- The box is hollow, metal, and open-ended.
- A post presses the strap against the inside of the box.
- No need for holes in the strap.
O-Ring/D-Ring
- One or two rings form the buckle.
- The belt is fastened by threading it through the rings.
- Typically used with braided, webbing, and canvas belts.
Snap
- “Male” and “female” ends snap together like a seat belt.
- Very casual and functional, often used for outdoor activities.
- Not to be confused with snap belts.
Micro-Adjust
- Utilizes a ratchet-style track system with a specialized strap.
- A folding metal piece presses the track system’s “teeth” into the strap.
- Eliminates the need for belt holes and allows precise adjustments.
Strap Width
Casual belts typically measure 1.5-1.75 inches in width, with wider belts conveying greater casualness. A 1.5-inch belt complements denim, chinos, and heavier fabrics. Wider belts suit jeans and casual trousers and can be paired with classic and statement buckles.
Strap Materials
Leather
Full-grain leather: Casual leather work belts are typically made from the outer layers of a cow’s hide and are broader, tougher, and stiffer than leather dress belts. Some may even feature marks from scars or brands acquired during the cow’s life.
Some leather belts feature a snapped loop for interchangeable belt buckles, ideal for those who enjoy collecting and showcasing different buckles.
Braided leather: Used with a frame-style buckle for highly adjustable belts, allowing the prong to be inserted into any braid hole. Braided belts offer simplicity and texture without being overwhelming. They are widely available and often inexpensive.
Braided belts are more casual than flat leather strips and should not be worn with suits but can work with sports jackets.
Multicolored braided belts are even more casual and are sometimes paired with summer ensembles for a prep look: khaki shorts, a light polo or button-fronted short-sleeved shirt, and boat shoes, with the bright belt holding everything together.
Tooled leather: Decorated by “tooling,” a stamping process that creates patterns on the leather, which are often stained to emphasize them. Most are designed for interchangeable buckles.
Tooled belts work well with simple outfits, like jeans and a basic button-down shirt. Their visual busyness can overwhelm when paired with too many other patterned or textured items.
Suede: Often used for casual belts, suede is less durable than full-grain leather but usually has a full-grain leather backing for added strength.
Other Materials
Leather-backed ribbon: This casual material offers opportunities for bold colors and motifs and is usually paired with a frame buckle. Leatherback ribbon belts pair well with sailing, golf, and boat shoes.
Canvas: A staple of uniforms, canvas belts with metal buckles offer a plain, functional style. Most feature a flat box buckle with a sliding peg that secures the strap in place.
The most common styles are plain monochrome and monochrome with a single contrasting stripe. Both have been staples in men’s casual wardrobes for decades.
Webbing: Another functional material ideal for outdoor activities, webbing is available in fun colors and patterns and usually features a D-ring buckle.
Rope: Primarily a women’s fashion item, rope belts are worn by men in nautical circles. Often fastened with a knot and loop rather than a buckle, they are preppy, durable, easy to clean, and water-resistant.
Vinyl: Cheap, colorful, bold, and alternative, vinyl belts are a young man’s style and can appear tacky on older men, or even any man outside of a concert setting.
Strap Colors/Patterns
Brown is the most popular and versatile color for casual leather belts, while black belts do not pair well with jeans and khakis. Casual non-leather belts offer a wide range of colors, patterns, and hues.
Accent Piece or Centerpiece?
When wearing a casual belt, consider whether you want it to be an accent piece or a centerpiece.
An accent piece is subtle, low-key, and complements the rest of your outfit, typically in coordinating or neutral colors.
A centerpiece demands attention and contrasts with the rest of your outfit.
Dress belts are almost always accent pieces, while casual belts can be either accent or centerpiece accessories.
Both approaches are valid, depending on the desired effect.
A good accent belt shares characteristics with other pieces in your outfit, such as similar or matching colors. Casual belts should still match your metals, but you have more leeway with leathers – brown with tan or tan with white is acceptable. Often, casual outfits do not involve leather shoes or belts, so matching the color of a leather or other material belt with canvas/cloth sneakers is unnecessary. Focus on how the belt’s color works with your overall look; when in doubt, choose brown.
Centerpiece belts provide deliberate contrast, injecting a sharp, divergent punch of color or style. They work best with outfits that aren’t overly filled with colors and patterns. One or two bright elements are sufficient – more can appear gaudy and busy.
Avoid wearing an eye-catching statement belt if you are uncomfortable drawing attention to your waist!
Formal or Casual?
Here’s a summary of the differences between formal and casual belts:
Formal:
- Smaller, sleeker buckle
- Thinner strap width
- Thinner, softer, sleeker strap material, sometimes with a sheen
- Always leather
Casual:
- Larger buckle
- Broader strap width
- Tougher, thicker, stiffer, more rugged, often matte strap material
- May be leather or other materials
Similar to shoes, some overlap exists between dress and casual belts. Dress belts are primarily for suits and business attire but can sometimes be paired with more formal sports jackets/blazers and trousers. Conversely, casual belts are largely worn with jeans, khakis, and shorts but can work with nicer chinos and more rugged sports coats.
When an outfit clearly leans towards one category, select the belt that best complements it. Wearing a dress belt with casual pants can make it look too delicate, nerdy, and out of place. Conversely, wearing a casual belt with a suit will look jarring and undermine the formal effect.
The Top 3 Go-To Belts for Men
If you are unsure which belts to add to your wardrobe, consider these 3 essentials:
Dress belt — for business and evening wear
- 1-1.5-inch strap
- Approximately 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/khakis
- 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
How to Choose the Right Size Belt
Your belt size should be 1-2 inches longer than the size of your pants waist. So if you wear a size 40 pants, you will need a 41-42 inch belt.
Alternatively, measure an old belt from where it’s buckled to the opposite end of the strap, and choose the closest size.
When buying a plate buckle, remember that the throw (distance from chape to hook) adds to the belt’s length.
If you love a belt that is the wrong size (or your size has changed), DO NOT be tempted to gouge a hole in it with a knife or scissors. This will be obvious and weaken the belt. Take it to a cobbler to have a hole made properly.
Dress belts should have a short tail end. Just a few inches of leather to the left of the buckle when fastened, long enough to tuck through the first belt loop or the loop on the belt itself, if it has one.
Err on the side of shortness rather than wrapping a long tail of leather around your hip a second time.
Casual belts can have a slightly longer tail, although too long will still look awkward. Military-style canvas belts with brass buckles traditionally have their tails docked right down to the buckle.
How to Find a Quality Belt
Casual belts may be replaced periodically to explore new styles. However, a formal belt should be a long-lasting investment. A quality belt can last for years, so it’s worth investing in a top-notch piece that looks good and wears well.
Similar-looking belts can vary significantly in cost. Leather quality is one key factor. Calfskin is the most common material, and a good belt will have soft, supple leather. Flex the belt to check for brittleness or cracking. Another test is to lightly score the back with your fingernail. If a faint line appears, the leather is still soft and fresh. Old, hard leather will resist your nail.
Construction also significantly impacts the price. Look for small, tight stitching with no loose ends wherever the leather has been sewn. Buckles attached with a snap can be changed, while a buckle stitched in place is permanent. Some may value the flexibility of a snapped belt, especially in good leather. Belts can be custom-cut at some leather goods stores.
Brand names are generally not worth paying extra for when it comes to belts, because nobody will likely notice where your belt came from! Invest in quality construction instead.
