Men's belt: how to choose, how to properly wear

Classic men's belt

The width is less than everyday, traditional colors - black or brown. Leather material. The buckle is simple, rectangular, the color is silver, sometimes golden, of small size. Generally, if we talk about the size of the buckle, then there is a dependence: the more - the less official style is assumed.

Casual men's belt

There may be completely different options, limited only by your imagination and good taste.

How to choose a men's belt

The first thing you need to do is to check the quality of the material from which they are made.

There is a usual rule that applies not only to the topic of today's post: the better the material, the longer the thing serves and the better it looks. Run your fingernail on the back of the belt. If there is a trace, then the skin is soft and supple, which indicates good quality. On the contrary, the old hard skin is not susceptible to such tests - it is not worth taking.

A badly stitched belt and protruding ends of the threads also do not add points.

When choosing a belt for many decisive brand. In my opinion, this is not the case when you need to overpay. You better emphasize your quality.

Which buckle to prefer?

In most cases, the open simple buckle will be the best option. Minimalism in clothes is a philosophy. In addition, there are two more types of closed belt : with an anchor on the reverse side and with a clamp that does not imply holes. They are mainly found on fabric belts.

There are belts with interchangeable buckles. For some, such an opportunity will be the reason to buy just such a type.

Men's belt size

The belt is popular as a gift for men, which entails the corresponding problem with determining the length.

The knowledge of the following tips will help you correctly navigate this issue:

Take the waist size of your jeans and increase it by a couple of points. For example, if it is 34 ″, then the belt should be 36-38. It is in inches, and this is useful if you are shopping on ebay, because there almost all the dimensions are American. In our stores you just have to convert to centimeters, multiplying by 2.54. Thus, 38 rr is about 95 cm. In any case, there is no more reliable way than trying on the store itself.

Next, you need to take into account the length of the tail on the left in a buttoned fashion: for classics it is about the size of a thumb (from the beginning of the joint), for casual it can be more - but in both cases the length of the men's belt should not reach the second loop.

A good size will be the one in which the above conditions are met, and at the same time the belt is fastened to the second or third hole.

How to wear a men's belt

First, you need to decide - either a belt or suspenders. I mentioned this in the article about mistakes in men's clothes.

Secondly, it is not necessary to thread it under the jeans label - this is a bad form.

Leather men's belts are appropriate in any set. If you wear chinos or cargo pants, a fabric belt is fine.

Exotic skin types - I mean ostrich, snake and other reptile skin, should be used with caution. They tend to attract additional attention to your waist, and if this is undesirable for you, discard such materials. In the same way it refers to bright colors - use, only with due certainty.

Braided belt is suitable for different situations. But be careful with formal clothes, as its bulk texture can drown out the modest matter of the suit.

Suede is also a fairly common base. As you know, the most successful here is a combination with suede shoes.

Combine the color of the buckle (gold or silver) with the color of other accessories: watches, cufflinks, tie clip. The engagement ring is an exception.

The color of the belt, if it is a strict enough dress code, should be combined with the color of the shoes.

Casual style - a combination of shoes and belts

Naturally, as soon as black shoes appear in your arsenal, your next purchase should be a black leather belt. In the style of a smart casual, such a relationship is not paramount. But still, to achieve harmony, you need to choose the color of the belt to match another leather accessory - a watch strap, a bracelet or a bag.

On the left - a combination of a strap and a watch strap, on the right - the colors of a belt and buckle with a bracelet

Read more about mixing colors in men's clothes.

The glossy belt looks good with polished shoes, matte with matte.

The greater the contrast between the belt and the trousers, the more sporty the look is.

To make the transition from trousers to shirt and jacket more subtle, which is good for short stature (in general, horizontal stripes in any form should be avoided to increase harmony), you need to maximally bring together the colors of the belt and trousers.

Can I wear a narrow men's belt with wide jeans loops? Yes, if you reconcile it with the rest of the details: jacket lapels of similar width, narrow tie and tapered toes.