Belts are a basic necessity worn by men and women for function and style. Although it is a small accessory, it plays a vital role in holding your pants. Also, it has surprisingly a large impact on the impression you make. So it is an important accessory that shows your aesthetic sense and fashion style. This post will discuss buying guide on how to buy a man’s belt.
This buying guide is especially for those not fully aware of how to select a particular belt. The belts play a very important role in holding your pants. Still, you should have enough information about what a belt is, its type, and what factors to consider while selecting it.
How to buy a men’s belt: A Buying Guide
We know very well that high-quality belts don’t just hold your pants; they are much more than that. This is why your belt is a focus point for your outfit and shows your fashion sense.
However, belts for people normally serve two purposes. The first purpose is that they hold the pants up, and the second purpose is how they look when you wear them. Although we will discuss this in detail and the material from which these belts are made shortly, the belts are made up of two common materials, leather, and nylon.
And talking about the color of the belts, normally they are available in black and brown color. So we could easily assess that the belt is the main thing that makes or breaks your outfit, fashion style, and looks.
What is a belt?
The main purpose of the belt is to hold your pants. The belt moves around your waist to hold up your pants. Along with this function, people also use belts for decorative purposes. So not just holding pants, they also show your aesthetic sense and fashion.
Now we will discuss how to buy a men’s belt.
Buying guide for how to buy a men’s belt?
Keep in mind that along with the outfit, the belt is also an important thing to consider. Many people consider it a necessity, but it is also a style. People have started treating it as a very important fashion piece along with technological advancement.
So if you want to look unique and stylish, you should start with the belt, not just your clothes. Your belt will complement you and is the first place to start. If you wear a high-quality black or brown belt, then it will give a great touch to complete your outfit. However, on the other side, a colorful exotic belt will become the centerpiece of the whole dress. This guide will discuss choosing the right belt according to the specific situation.
Two main types of belts
There are two main types of belts: Casual belts and Dress belts.
If we talk about dress belts are formal belts, and normally, people wear them with suits. Conversely, casual belts are less formal and wider than dresses. As the name depicts, you can wear these casual belts with shorts, jeans or many clothes. We will discuss each belt type separately, so you should consider every factor regarding the particular belt.
Read more about Look More Professional With Leather Belts
Casual Belts
Casual belts are more flexible than dress bands and are good to wear in any situation. So you can use casual belts to wear in different scenarios. Sometimes, we have different belts that we can use with the same outfit.
Finish
Remember that casual belts are less shiny and come with less finish. So they are matte as compared to dress belts. Some casual belts do not have particular stitching, and many people prefer these kinds of casual belts.
Buckle
You will be surprised to note that casual belts have more buckle options than dress belts. Some casual belts come with polished buckles, and some have matte finish buckles or burnished finish buckles.
Size of the Casual Belts
Keep in mind that the size of the casual belts is not fixed as belt sizing is different according to the different brands and location sizes of their belts. If you are going to shop for belts in a store, then you just have to wrap them around your waist and make sure that the length after the buckle is appropriate for the particular belt.
However, we can easily assess if we are shopping online, then the manufacturers always recommend purchasing the belt two inches larger than the pant’s waist size. Another idea to check the size is to measure your existing belt.
For example, if your waist size is 34, then you would order a belt of 34 in.
Care and Storage
The care and storage of your leather belt are very important. Use a soft rag with warm water if you think your leather belt is dirty. However, on the other hand, if you think it is not thoroughly cleaned, you can use some leather cleaner to give it a next-level clean.
When you think that the mark or stain is gone, then it is good to apply a leather conditioner. The leather conditioner replaces the oils in the cleaner. For this purpose, first, simply use a soft clean towel and wipe the conditioner on the belt. After that, let the conditioner set for 15 minutes because it will be fully absorbed.
After applying the conditioner, you can easily observe that your belt is back in a better condition. Now, you can store your belt in a drawer or shoe box. Many people also use a belt hanger so that it can easily hang flat in the closet.
Width
As you know the casual belts are wider than the dress belts. So the normal width of casual belts ranges from 1 ¼ to 1 ¾ in. On the other side, the most common width of the belts for jeans is 1 ½ in.
Talking about its thickness, the thickness of the casual belt is more than the dress belt ranging in thickness from 1/8 to 3/4 in.
Remember that if the thickness of the belt is more than ¾ in then, you will not be able to bend it around your waist.
Material
You know very well that leather is the most common material for casual and dress belts. However, some belts are also made up of nylon. Talking about the leather, most of the belts are full-grain leather.
If you want to wear the belt regularly, it should be made of leather material. It is long-lasting and comfortable to wear and does not break up quickly. But make sure that it is made up of full-grain leather.
Suede
This is another material commonly used for casual belts but is not as durable as full-grain leather. However, suede belts are a healthy change from your standard leather belt.
Cotton
Some belts are also made of cotton; we especially talk about casual belts. Cotton belts are more affordable and cheaper as compared to leather belts. And keep this thing in mind that it is the most casual material compared to other materials described above.
A standard d ring is a buckle in cotton belts so the belt can easily fold over itself. This condition makes it the most casual belt available in the market. Many cotton belts also have a leather trim at the ends, and the belt is used as a normal buckle with punched holes.
Dress Belts
Now, we will talk about dress belts. They are more formal than casual belts.
Buckle
First, we will talk about the buckle of the dress belts; the buckles should be polished and decorative. Also, the buckles should not have excessive or additional styling because you have to use them longer.
Talking about the buckle colors, normally, the silver buckle is used with black or navy belts, and the gold buckle is used with brown or tan belts.
How to Show Your Fashion Sense While Wearing Dress Belts?
To show your fashion sense, your dress belt should be similar to the shoes you plan to wear. Also, talking about the material, the material of the belt should be the same as that of the shoes. But this thing is very rare. However, it all depends on your own choice and your aesthetic sense.
Finish
As here we are talking about the dress belts, the leather should be shiny. Don’t go for matte finish belts. Some respirators are raised in the middle with good stitching; however, some dress belts are flat without any stitching. Don’t go for any kind of patterning or decoration on the belts. It is good to go with the simpler belts.
Material
As I also discussed earlier, going for leather belts is mostly good to get full-grain leather belts. Although top grain leather or genuine leather belts are good materials, they are code of substandard grades of leather. So if you can afford it, you should buy a full-grain leather belt. But if you can’t, you can go with the other materials.
Although suede material is used for casual belts, manufacturers now use it in a dress belt. However, they are mostly casual, but it could be worth looking at. Keep this thing in mind very clear that cotton is not a dress belt material, so you should not consider it.
Reversible Dress Belts
Although reversible dress belts are available in the market, manufacturers from reputable brands are not manufacturing reversible dress belts. Normally, they are not made up of high-quality material, and sometimes, the other side of the belt is visible during normal wear.
Width of the Dress Belt
The width of the dress belt normally ranges from 1 ¼ to 1 ⅜ in. If the width exceeds that, it will be a casual belt, not a dress belt. However, on the other side, the thickness of the dress belt should be about ⅛ inches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which belt is long-lasting?
Normally, the long-lasting belt material is full-grain leather material. So full-grain leather belts are long-lasting and heavy-duty. They are so long-lasting that even you can pass them down from generation to generation. On the other hand, after full-grain leather material, top-grain leather is also considered the good one.
How Can We Evaluate What Size Belt to Purchase?
Determining the right size for a men’s belt is sometimes difficult. It is a common observation to go for 2 inches more than your pant size. For example, if your waist size is 38, your belt size should be 40 inches. Another consideration is to measure your belt size and then order it online
What to Look for While Purchasing a Belt?
While buying a belt, you should consider the following factors.
- The material of the belt
- The size of your belt
- The belt buckle
- The width of the belt
- Color
- Stitching of the belt
Final thoughts
Here we go, with buying guide discussion on how to buy men’s belts. We must consider different factors while using the dress or casual belt. Remember that we have discussed these factors separately for the casual and dress belts. So you should remember these features in your mind while choosing the belt.
Always go for the trendy one made of high-quality material to show your aesthetics. If you are going out for a party or a business meeting, you will go for the dress belt; however, if you are going to work, it should be a simpler leather belt with an equally simple buckle. I hope you like this post, as it gives you enough information about dress and casual belts. So keeping all these factors in mind, you can easily select your favorite belt.