What to look for when buying a belt
what makes a good belt? What brand use high grain leather, and does it even matter?
Hey yall, horsesheep girlboy here
Looking to buy a belt for my bday upcoming in 2 weeks, I don't really have a good one at the moment and none that I can use in casual / formal settings.
I had my eyes on front office, Yohji and Lemaire but im not really sure what to look for.
I tend to like slimmer belts as they don't hug my gut as much as I sit down / lean over, if anyone has any reccs or any advice id love some
My wardrobe is mostly earthtoned + alot of navy and black. Preferably looking for a brown or black belt.
https://frontoffice.co/en-ca/products/fnt-049-brown-leather-workwear-belt
https://www.ssense.com/en-ca/men/product/yohji-yamamoto/black-matt-soft-leather-30mm-plain-belt/18301771
https://www.fwrd.com/product-needles-peace-steer-leather-buckle-belt-in-brown/NLEF-MA11/?d=Mens&tCurrency=CAD&tCountryCode=CA&deeplink=true
Budget id say is $200 usd max
Front Office
FNT 049 Full Grain Leather Belt (Brown)
FNT 049 Full-grain Leather Belt We have brown and black belts available to be outfitted with any of our jeans and workpants. The brown belt features two metal 'keepers', 100% full grain leather. Belt sizing: please add 2 or more inches to your usual waist size (e.g. if you are a 32 inch waist, a 34+ belt is recommended
Needles Peace Steer Leather Buckle Belt in Brown | FWRD
Shop for Needles Peace Steer Leather Buckle Belt in Brown at FWRD. Free 2 day shipping and returns.
10 Replies
Just popping in to say grain and such doesn’t really matter for the price point and styles you’re looking at. That mostly distinguishes between literal garbage from like Kohl’s and any real leather belt
That solves alot of the concerns for me just because i wouldn't want to get something cheap that starts flaking (which is a vegan leather thing mostly ik)
Most vegan leather is a form of plastic yeah. If that’s a concern my best rec is to go used/vintage unless you want to avoid leather entirely
custom commission a belt from a leather worker
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they do boots too
I suggest getting a belt where you can swap out the buckle. I'm personally fond of getting something used from a reputable old brand (I have a tony lama that I just adore. It is very yee haw) or Redwood Durable (https://redwooddurable.com/#!/Belts/c/177769687, shockingly cheap for american made and american tanned stuff and I had the pleasure of meeting the maker at a local fair recently and he is cool as hell)
although, if you want extremely high quality leather you could try and get something made out of shell cordovan (horse butt leather, very tight grain and ages well)
Those tend to run out of your budget when new (Alden sells 'em for $350, Horween for $395) but you can find them used for $100-200
https://www.ebay.com/itm/357284412977
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267383127801
eBay
Exc Brooks Brothers #8 Shell Cordovan men's dress belt $298 32 READ...
Excellent condition! Light wear only. When worn, there are no visible signs of the alteration.
eBay
Brooks Brothers Size 34 Leather Belt Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan...
Preowned with scuff or other mark. Overall good condition. Please view images for measurements.
but as Beams said above, anything that isn't total cheap junk should meet your needs just fine and make you very happy for a long time.
Only tangentially related but I was examining the Assembly NY belts in store recently and noticed they’re white labeling belts.com and onlinebelts.com.
https://www.assemblynewyork.com/products/leather-ranger-belt
https://belts.com/s5354-antique-smooth-buckle-western-oil-tanned-genuine-leather-ranger-belt/
https://www.assemblynewyork.com/products/black-leather-wide-stud-belt
https://www.onlinebelts.com/products/101047-embossed-vintage-cowhide-thick-leather-riveted-nailhead-studded-casual-jean-belt
Assembly New York
Black Leather Ranger Belt
Shop Assembly New York. Rare labels, emerging designers and cult brands for both men and women. Enjoy 15% off your first order.
Assembly New York
Black Leather Wide Stud Belt
Shop Assembly New York. Rare labels, emerging designers and cult brands for both men and women. Enjoy 15% off your first order.
OnlineBelts
Embossed Vintage Cowhide Thick Leather Riveted Nailhead Studded Cas...
online belts Shop OnlineBelts.com for Embossed Vintage Cowhide Thick Leather Riveted Nailhead Studded Casual Jean Belt, free shipping in the US