A man always wears a belt, regardless of his style of clothing – casual, classic business and elegant. The belt is not only an addition. It also plays a functional role – not only supports the pants, but also gives them the right shape. Without it, even the best suit will look inferior, unsightly and sloppy. Yes, and constantly adjusting falling trousers is unpleasant and inelegant.
How to choose the size of the belt? How to wear a men’s belt? Here are the things you should know before buying this accessory.
What is the best material for men’s belts?
For less formal wear, you can choose:
- leather,
- wicker,
- suede,
- fabric,
- for the more daring – metal belts.
Leather – look smooth and have a characteristic sheen.
Woven patterns are great with jeans, sweatpants and jackets, but can take the spotlight off the gorgeous fabric of a suit and jacket. From a minor addition, they become the main, noticeable element of the outfit.
For a suit and other elegant clothes, choose a classic leather strap and match it to the color of your shoes.
The presence of two leather straps – brown and black – a must have for every man. The black belt should be thin and have a silver or steel buckle.
For casual models, the rules are less strict. But do not abuse bright colors and extravagant designs.
The most versatile street style belt colors are also brown or classic black.
An incorrectly chosen belt can spoil the entire styling of the image. It is desirable that the belt matches the tone of the shoes. Ideally, shoes, bag, belt and watch strap should be made of the same material. A brown strap goes with brown and cherry shoes, a black one with shoes of any shade.
Due to the fact that it is difficult to find the same shade of brown in both the belt and shoes and gloves, it is enough that the belt is in a shade similar to other leather accessories. At least one of the styling elements should match it in color – shoes or chinos.
How to choose a men’s belt in size and wear it correctly?
Like a tie, the belt should match the other styling elements not only in color, but also in width and character.
With an elegant suit, you should wear a narrower classic belt with a rectangular buckle, made of shiny genuine leather.
And for chinos, stylists recommend wide leather belts with a matte finish or braided belts. Another important detail that they always focus on is the length of the belt. It is defined as: waist size plus 15 cm. Most models have an odd number of holes, the ideal size strap is the one that a person will wear with a loop in the middle. A strap in size 90, 100 is nothing but the length of the strap measured from the center hole to the buckle. It is enough to measure the size of the waist and adjust it to the size of the belt. Remember that a belt that is too long does not look aesthetically pleasing, and its end hangs sloppy.
The width of the belt should correspond to the size of the belt in the pants – a maximum of 3.5 cm, that is, no wider than three fingers.
The most popular models on the market have 7 or 9 holes. The intervals between them usually do not exceed 2.5 cm. The straps should be attached to the middle hole – never the last one.
How to wear a men’s belt with a buckle?
Pay attention to how the belt is fastened – with a buckle. It is customary to wear a men’s belt with a buckle on the left so that its free end is, as it were, directed to the right.
The most popular are rectangular buckles made of matte silver or gold.
Brass buckles look more elegant than silver and more modern. The brass buckle changes color over time, acquires a noble patina.
It is desirable that the color of the buckle is in harmony with the shade of the watch case, cufflinks or tie clip.
As for the type of buckle, the classic, simple H-shaped ones are a universal option. Models with automatic clamping are also in demand. It adapts more precisely to the silhouette of the wearer and emphasizes his individuality thanks to the length adjustment mechanism.
