Men’s Belt Collection

Don’t think of your belt as the thing that just holds your trousers in place. Considering a belt is at the dead center of your outfit, it usually becomes a focal point. Therefore, a well-chosen belt can make an outfit, whereas choosing the wrong belt can ruin an otherwise stylish look. You can’t just combine any belt with any outfit and expect it to look good. Here are some useful tips to ensure that your belt game is on point.

Who invented the belt?

Before we dive into all the tips and tricks we want to give you with a very brief history lesson. The first records of men's belts date back to the Bronze Age in South Asia and the Middle East around 3300 BC. Initially, belts were used in a purely functional way to carry weapons and tools. From the 19th century onwards, the belt developed into a central fashion piece of everyday life. You can read more about the history of the belt here.

When should you wear a belt?

The rule is actually quite simple. If your trousers have belt loops, you should wear a belt. Otherwise, it will look like you forgot something. However, if you have opted for suspenders, it is better to leave the belt at home. If you wrap a belt around your waist as well as suspenders there will be going on too much around your waistline.

One fashion piece you should always wear without a belt is a Tuxedo. A Tuxedo almost always has adjustable tabs at the sides that will take over the function of the belt.

How to wear a belt?

This might sound like a silly question and you might just say “threat it through the loops” but in general men usually wear their belt counter-clockwise, i.e. the belt buckle is on the left side, whereas for women it is the other way around. However, you shouldn’t lose too much sleep over this: Any way is fine really.

Choosing the right belt

1. Make sure you belt matches your style

You should always make sure that the belt you choose goes well with your style and not say something completely different. It is important that you identify your general style or at least the look you are going for with a particular outfit, and then choose a belt that matches and elevates this style. Paring a minimalistic outfit with a brightly colored belt might not be the best choice as is a rugged belt with a tailored suit.

Should the belt match the shoes?

The answer is a resounding "yes"! Belts and shoes should definitely be matched in colour. Even better, one also matches the type of leather, i.e. smooth leather belts with smooth leather shoes and suede belts with suede shoes. This combination gives the outfit a harmonious look. With our sneaker belt combos you can easily find the perfect belt for every sneaker.

Which belt goes best with white sneakers?

We just told you that you should always try and match the colour of your belt to your shoes. When it comes to white sneakers, however, opinions differ. There are outfits where you pull off a white belt, but with white sneakers we generally recommend combining the belt with the rest of the outfit. We show you how to do that here.

What is the one colour I definitely need?

It is definitely advisable to have different belt colours in your wardrobe. However, a black and brown belt have a place in every man’s wardrobe. But if you really want to get by with just one belt, we recommend a dark brown belt like our Manolo, Olivier, Rafael, Domenico or Stefano.

Which belts are trending?

Classic belts are always a safe choice. However, with the increasing acceptance of more casual outfits in the office, we see a definite trend towards braided belts, or elastic belts made of viscose or wool. Find out more reasons why braided belts are so popular and how you can style them here.

2. Choose the right belt length

The correct belt length is the length at which the belt reaches around the hips so that the prong of the buckle can be pushed through the middle belt hole. Any shorter and the belt can look a little stubby. Too long and the tail may no longer lie flat against your body. To find your correct belt length, you should ideally measure your hip circumference by pulling a flexible tape measure through the belt loops of your trousers and note the length where the tape reaches exactly once around your hips. This is your belt size. Find out more in our belt size guide.