Men’s Leather Belt Guide – How to Choose to the Best Belt for you
Considerable research has been undertaken on the subject of men and their belts – how should men wear belts – should men’s belts match their shoes – how to choose a men’s belt – and the simple answer, is absolutely yes, men should wear belts – it’s a dressing catastrophe to see empty belt loops, as well as being a functional mistake and deeply unattractive to have to endlessly hitch your jeans or trousers up as they slip down for the umpteenth time. I know many people who, at a glance, will make a strong first impression by the quality of a man’s accessories, and decent boots or shoes, and belts are all important factors.
A man’s belt can be a perfect way to add some style, colour and interest to an outfit – BE BOLD and wear a belt that really adds to your look. Most men’s trousers and jeans are fairly unexciting and the tendency to go for blue shirts and jumpers is common, but then add a great belt with some interest and variety in the colour and pattern, and you have a much stronger look, showing individuality and strength of character, ‘I want to look good and stand out, my belt can help me do this!’
Should you Match Men’s Belt Colours & Should Men’s Belts Match Their Footwear?
In research about mens belts, the same line came out time and again – ‘my belt has to match my shoe colour’, this tends to be a rule of thumb for most men of a certain generation (over 40!). I know many who can not leave the house if they have not matched their shoes and their belts, unless the belt is completely hidden by a sweater. Therefore many men will have a black belt and a brown belt – some will have had them since they were a teenager (if they have not expanded too much!) and they tend to stick with these. Younger men tend to be more adventurous and the introduction of the colourful Argentinian polo belts have been a massive help in encouraging men to wear more varied and interesting belts.
Which Colour Belt do I Wear with White Trainers?
This is a common question and often asked by our younger customers – well the answer is not a white one! The best guide is to match the belt to the rest of your outfit, so it must co-ordinate with the colours of your jeans / chinos and top – one fashion rule that remains flexible…
Some of Our Top Selling Men's Belts
What Kind of Belt Goes with my Outfit? How Wide Should a Men’s Belt be?
I am often asked ‘what kind of belt goes with men’s jeans?’ Well, most men’s jeans have a 40mm / 1.5” wide belt loops, allowing for the majority of belts that are this width. The exception to this rule is suit trousers and chinos, which can have a narrower loop, and then a 30mm / 1” belt is a better option as a belt for men’s formal trousers – also it is more subtle, being slightly narrower.
Often men who wear suede loafers tend to choose a suede belt to match the texture – suede can also be dressier. Overall, some of Peachy Belts’ best-selling belts for men are the embossed cowhide belts with a crocodile or ostrich print. These are a bit more interesting than a simple plain leather and much smarter too – don’t just duplicate the same black and brown belts you have, be brave and try something different!
How to Choose the Right Men’s Belt Buckle
Generally, men are pretty conservative when it comes to their belt buckles – I would suggest that the simple silver or gold buckle that comes with a Peachy Belt will be fine for most men – if you tend to wear gold watches/cufflinks co-ordinate with a buckle to match. But the great thing is for our more adventurous male belt wearers – a different buckle can transform the look of what you are wearing, as well as creating a great talking point.
The easy option of changing your detachable buckle means you can keep a simple buckle for everyday wear, and then create a statement belt by swapping to a feature buckle for other occasions. Our Cartridge buckle, Steering Wheel belt buckle and Steer’s Head belt buckle are popular buckles for men who want their belt to be more of a standout accessory.
Choosing the Right Belt / When to Wear a Belt
When it comes to the quality of belts, choose quality over quantity. Full-grain leathers are essential for a quality belt – and generally, cowhide skins are the most cost-effective choice, plus are hard wearing and long-lasting. Full-grain leathers will soften and improve with age, and vegetable-tanned skins are preferable to chrome tanning – plus vegetable tanning creates a more interesting finish and is more environmentally friendly.
If you choose a leather-lined and stitched belt, this dramatically reduces stretch and misshapen belts, nubuck-lined belts are lovely as they provide a pleasing feel and finish.
The British have a fabulous history of leather craftsmanship, and Peachy Belts are made in a Leicestershire factory that has been producing belts by hand for more than 60 years – a perfect handmade English belt is a lovely item to own. To answer the question of when should men wear a belt its simple – always!
Choose the Perfect Men’s Belt Size
It is not the overall belt length that provides you with the right size of belt, the positioning of the holes along the strap can vary dependent upon the make, as can the length from the last hole to the end of the belt. Peachy Belts are sized to the middle hole of 7 of the belt, and we would always recommend that a man goes up at least one size from his jean size – e.g. if he is a 34 waist on a jean, buy at least a 36 belt – sometimes you need to go up 2 sizes if you have very bulky trousers or wear lower jeans. So if a Peachy Belt says it’s a 34 – on the shortest hole it will measure 31”, and on the longest 37” – this is useful to use on all of your trousers and jeans.
Some belts are sized S, M, L – check the size range of the manufacturer but generally, a S will go up to a waist size 32, a M up to waist size 36 / 38 and a L up to a 42. You can see more about our belt sizes here.
Where Should I be Doing my Belt up?
We suggest you are doing up onto the 3 or 4 hole – any tighter and you will have too much tail on the belt, and if you are struggling to get it onto the first hole, you look like you have had too many pies!
Men’s Plaited Belts
An extremely comfortable and flexible belt for men – with the lovely option of being able to stick the buckle pin through at any point on the plaited belt, and also with a degree of stretch from the plait, this is the ideal casual belt for many men. Again be sure to buy quality, a fraying edge, cheap leather plait is a tatty accessory on a pair of jeans, so stick to full-grain leathers.
Guide on How to Care for Your Belt
Most quality belt leathers have a good finish on them that will protect them to a degree – but leather will dry out over time and so a light saddle dressing or leather soap of some sort can be used on the top leather (the side that you see), to replenish and feed it – this will renew the colour. Do not apply to the lining of the belt in case it marks your jeans. Suede belts can have an occasional suede brush to remove marks and improve the colour – cowhide belts (the hairy ones) do not require any care.
Don’t Buy Cheap Belts
It is a really bad idea, non leather belts, or poor quality leather mens belts will crack and split in no time, they don’t compliment your look and can be easily spotted as a economy buy – if you care at all about how you look, if you like nice watches, cufflinks, shirts and shoes, invest in a quality leather belt that you can enjoy for many years.
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