Gone are the days when men wore belts as a functional item only. Today, the belt you wear can easily make or break your outfit. A belt isn’t just an item that’s used to hold your pants in place.
When selected and worn properly, it can be an accessory that makes a fashion statement. As such, you must learn how to choose the best belt for yourself.
This article will help you with that. It’ll give you tips to help you select the best men’s belts. Keep reading to learn more.
Leather Belts
The best men’s belts are made of leather. There are different types of leather used to make belts based on the quality. The highest quality leather belt is made from full-grain leather. Full-grain leather is made from the top layer of an animal’s hide. The animal’s hide is strongest just below the hair, which explains why that kind of hide makes the highest quality of leather.
Other types of leather belts include:
- Suede leather belts
- Corrected grain leather belts
- Split leather belts
- Braided leather belts
- Tooled leather and
- Exotic leathers
Because it can be hard to tell the types of leather apart, you should shop your belts from brands that have a good reputation for dealing with genuine leather.
In Ukraine, Von Baser deals in the best men’s belts. Von Baer men’s belts are made from full-grain leather, which is the highest quality you can buy.
The article will discuss this further, among other tips to help you choose the best men’s belt. The tips include:
- Know The Use Of The Belt
While it’s definite that a belt is either used as a functional item or a fashion accessory, the uses of a belt are further divided into two major things; casual and formal use. Hence there are formal and casual belts.
The first step in selecting a belt is knowing whether it’ll be used for a casual or formal outfit. That lays the ground for any other selection you’ll make along the way.
Formal belts are used for official attire, usually suits and trousers. To achieve uniformity, formal belts tend to be restricted to the same size for the buckle and a standard style. Similarly, you’ll notice that the best formal belts are either black or brown. If you’re looking to purchase a formal belt, you’ll never go wrong with one made of leather.
Casual belts, on the hand, are used in casual attire such as jeans and khaki pants. Because of their lenience to uniformity, casual belts vary in color. They’re more colorful. They also differ in terms of buckle size, shape, and material.
That said, it’s recommended that you have both casual and formal belts, at least two for each category. Alternatively, you can purchase multipurpose belts to serve a casual and official look. Some of the best multipurpose belts include full-grain leather belts and woven suede belts.
- Choose The Material According To The Use
As mentioned above, the best material for formal belts is leather. However, leather belts can also be used as casual belts; for example, belts made from cow leather use different grain patterns. The belts, therefore, tend to come in various shapes and colors, making them good casual belts. Additionally, suede leather is sanded, giving it that vintage look that’s perfect for your casual look.
Still, on leather belts, the exotic leather belts made from ostrich, python, or alligators’ hide are usually so detailed, and they hence garner a lot of attention. Therefore, they don’t make a good fit for formal belts. However, if you’re looking for a belt that makes a fashion statement, exotic leather belts are your plug for the best men’s belts.
Other than leather, belts are made of other materials such as:
- Polyester And Nylon
This material is used to make colorful belts that are mostly used for old attire.
- Vinyl Belts
These belts are equally colorful and bold. They are, however, meant for a young man’s style. When worn by an older man, the belt can look misplaced.
- Fit The Belt Before Buying
If the belt is too big, and mostly it’s, you’ll have to wrap a long tail of the belt around your waist, which may assassinate your fashion style. Also, the tip of the belt hanging isn’t a good thing. Therefore, you must buy the correct size of the belt.
The best way to determine if the belt is the right size is by fitting it before buying. If you’re purchasing the belt online, you may need to know your size. Therefore, you’ll have to measure the size of the belt that you have. Start measuring from where the belt buckle and the buckle pin meet all the way to the middle hole of the belt. Add about 6 inches or 15 cm to the total length you get to estimate your most accurate belt size.
- Ensure You Have A Brown and Black Belt
Whatever you do, make sure you have a black and brown belt in your best men’s belt collection. These two colors will come in handy when it’s time to match your outfits. Black has proved to be undisputedly resourceful for your formal attire. However, the real benefits are in having a brown belt.
First, brown belts are versatile. You can use them for formal and casual looks. You have to know how to place the belt with the rest of your outfits. Preferably, go for the brow belt made of undyed leather. This type of leather is unique and classic. It also becomes more exotic with age, so you can ensure you have a timeless accessory in your wardrobe.
- Choose A Belt With A Multi-Purpose Buckle
There are different types of belt buckles, including
- Auto-lock buckle
- Double ring
- Snap buckle and
- Tongue buckle
When choosing a belt based on its buckle, there are several metrics you can use. For starters, the material of the buckle. Most buckles are made of brass or Zamac. Zamac is a cheaper alternative to brass. Belt buckles made from brass are luxurious and expensive.
The best way to tell the buckle material is to look for embossing. Brass buckles are usually embossed, while Zamac buckles aren’t
Another metric you can use is the color of the buckle. Most buckles are either silver, gold matter, or shiny black. When selecting the color of the buckle, keep in mind how you’ll pair it with your shoes and accessories like a watch. The metal of your buckle should match the color of your shoes and any other metal you have worn. It should also match the level of polishing. So, a matte belt buckle goes with matte shoes.
You can also consider the occasion, big buckles don’t make good accessories for a formal look, but they’ll complement your casual outfit. Choose the buckle you feel most comfortable wearing if all these metrics don’t work. Also, make sure that the buckle is multipurpose to wear it in a formal and casual setting.
Wrapping Up
Dear men, belts are no longer the only functional items in your wardrobe. You can use them to make a fashion statement. To do so, you first have to purchase the right belt.
Hopefully these five tips guide you through buying the best men’s belt.
