Wearing a belt well is one of those litmus tests of fashion: The simple task, done right, confirms you as a man who knows his clothes. They can make or break your outfit and can mean the difference between “impeccably well-dressed” and “why is everyone looking at my belly”?
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.
BELT STYLE TIPS
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Match Leathers
This rule couldn’t be simpler. If you’ve got a dark brown strap, the most logical choice for shoes would be dark brown ones. If your shoes have a distinct oxblood color, then an oxblood strap is the way to go.
Don’t worry too much about a slight difference in the tones of both items. It’s not a big deal if, for example, your dress shoes are darker in the front than at the back. As long as they’re closely similar in color, you got the job done.
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Match Metals
You want the belt buckle to have a very similar color to the metal on your shoes if they have metal. Specifically, we are talking about the buckles on monk strap shoes. You can also match your watch, but it’s not necessary.
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Match Shine
I’m sure if you’re getting the hang of this by now—if your belt is high-gloss, make sure to pair with patent leather shoes, and if your belt is matte, make sure your shoes are as well.
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Experiment
The “rules” above aren’t terribly strict. There’s no shame in bending or breaking them when you know how and have stylish intent.
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When in Doubt
Shoes and belt don’t match? Since people usually notice your shoes more than your belt, you might get away with ditching the belt altogether if you’re wearing a suit jacket, sports coat or blazer. It’s certainly a better last-minute solution than purchasing a new belt just for tonight’s outfit. Just make sure your trousers fit well enough to stay secure without a belt on.
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Formal or Casual?
Just as with shoes, there are dress belts and casual belts. Dress belts are for wearing with suits and business attire. Casual belts can be worn with anything down to jeans and shorts.
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Sizing
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.
BELTS FROM ALTON LANE
Vast Selection of Straps
Each of our eight genuine leathers come in up to 20 colors, allowing us to offer you over 100 total to choose from. We source the best leathers worldwide to provide you with Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et cursus augue, sed congue velit. Ut et hendrerit nisi.
Buckles
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Personalization
If almost 1000 possible combinations wasn’t enough to ensure that your belt was truly one-of-a-kind, we offer ways to further personalize your custom belt. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et cursus augue, sed congue velit. Ut et hendrerit nisi. Quisque viverra eget ipsum eget porta. Maecenas laoreet mollis tellus, a imperdiet orci sagittis sit amet.
GET STARTED
Belts are more than just a way to hold up pants, they are an accessory that can be used to create a bold statement. As with all fashion choices, you need to find one that fits your lifestyle. Getting something of quality that you’ll never wear is just a waste of money. If, however, you find something that really fits your style, you’ll wear it again and again – felling confident every time you do so.