Men's belts

Men have far fewer accessories in their wardrobe than women, which can emphasize individuality. Here everything is subject to classical canons and traditions. Such attributes necessarily include a watch, a tie, a purse or men's belts. The latter have a lot of varieties and their individual characteristics, which are worth considering in more detail.

Initially, the men's belt appeared as a detail of the uniform of warriors and performed exclusively practical functions, and then they did not think about the individuality of the image. Later, aristocrats began to use it, emphasizing their high status. It was made of durable genuine leather, inaccessible to commoners - they girded themselves with a simple braid or rag rope.

As for the practical functions of the belt, it supports pants or trousers, and also makes the figure more slender and helps to shape the posture. Much more interesting is its purpose as a decorating accessory: a belt can emphasize the status of a man, testify to his strength and confidence, reflect character, attitude to fashion and style, belonging to a certain subculture.

The belt in its most general form has the form of a dense belt of different thicknesses with a solid buckle and punched holes for fastening and adjusting in size. This definition, of course, is completely incomplete, since there are many varieties with their own design features, details and decor. For example, a belt with an automatic clasp or buckle does not have holes.

From the whole variety of belts - branded or bought at the nearest market, everyday or classic, factory or handmade, there are 3 main types that cannot be confused:

• Classic men's belts - those that are designed to belt classic trousers. They have a smooth surface - even or slightly convex, standard width, usually 3-4 cm. The classic version has an unpretentious and not too massive metal buckle in silver or gold color, high-quality options are made of smooth genuine leather.

• Casual style or "Casual", as it is called in the West, has a greater variety of models than the previous ones. These belts are worn on jeans, casual trousers, shorts, chinos. Their width is greater than that of the classical ones, the buckle can also be much more massive and more diverse in forms and mechanisms. Materials are not only leather, but also dense fabrics or weaving.Casual belts are most suitable for young people, but mature men can also use discreet options with a minimum width.

• Sports branded men's belts used with sweatpants, usually made of rubber or fabric. They can also be worn over jeans, but in this case they should be hidden under a T-shirt or jacket. Due to the nature of sportswear, this type is not common.

Models of men's belts, as a rule, differ in the design of their buckles. Its traditional type is in the form of a plaque with a fixed anchor, which is threaded into the hole. Such varieties are found in all classic models and in most casual style belts, they are also called wrapped. Anchor is most often one, but there may be two. Another version of the badge is with a fastener and with an adjustable length, which does not have holes, such as, for example, traditional soldier's belts.

Without holes, there are belts with an automatic buckle, which are the most practical. They fasten with one easy movement, which is very convenient for business men with a fast pace of life. For the reliability of the mechanism from such a model, it is best to buy products from trusted brands. Belts with automatic buckle are represented by many design solutions.

Buckles with anchors are most often placed on leather models, and automatic fasteners with loops or clips can be installed on rag and wicker models. ToIn addition to this, in modern fashion there are belts with detachable buckles. This option is good for double-sided straps. In such accessories, the two sides have a different color or pattern.They are convenient in that one belt can be used for various costume options, because in terms of color it must be combined with shoes, a tie and other wardrobe items.

The most suitable length of a men's belt should be such that it fastens with 2-3 holes, while the free end is threaded only through the first harness on the trousers. And if it is without holes with a buckle-clasp, then it should be adjusted so that the excess part inside is no more than 10-12 cm. The free end of the belt is too long, although it is tucked in, it does not look very aesthetically pleasing.

In order to determine the size of the belt, you should measure your waist in centimeters and then use one of the two tables on the European or American scale. The European marking has values ​​​​from 70 to 125 with a waist circumference of 66 to 129 cm, the American one - from XXS to XXXXL with a waist circumference of 61 to 127 cm. When buying, please note that the waist changes slightly in girth during the day, so you should purchase belts with a margin of several large sizes.

french brand Lacoste Known around the world, the company began producing fashionable clothing and accessories back in the 1930s. Their belts for men made of genuine leather are incredibly durable and have a strict, but very stylish design.They are easily recognizable by the brand's alligator logo, which can be embossed on leather or engraved on a metal plate.

Stylish men's belts from the brand Hermes recognizable from afar by the unchanged metal buckle in the shape of the letter H. The manufacturer does not produce accessories in large quantities, often it is a very small number of products or an individual order. Their prices are very high, but they are justified by the impeccable quality. Another characteristic feature of Hermes classic collections is a perfectly even seam along the edges.

Sevaro Elit is a well-known Italian manufacturer of leather products. For men, there are collections of wrapped belts and a machine gun in a casual style with a badge. Leather products can be of various colors: black, brown, beige, blue. There are also woven accessories that can stretch - one-color or with interlacing threads of different colors. All products look very stylish.

American design house Tommy Hilfiger has been producing original accessories and footwear for more than 30 years, among them there are many models of narrow men's belts made of leather, suede, fabric or nubuck. In the Tommy Hilfiger and Hilfiger Denim collections, you can find classic leather, youthful fabric and canvas or elegant wicker products for every taste.

Belts from the brand Calvin Klein are produced from completely natural leather without synthetics. They can always be recognized by the company logo from the abbreviation of the name, which will be present on the label and the product itself. There are classic wrapped options with a metal buckle frame especially for jeans. This look has remained unchanged and popular for several decades.There are also fashionable everyday models with an original plaque design.

Brand Diesel in the 2017 season, it presents more than 40 models for men that will successfully emphasize a slender torso and masculinity. This feature has always distinguished the products of the company. The most popular are the "Only the brave", "B-round", "B-washy" and "B-fuel" collections, which are harmoniously combined with any trousers or jeans in a sporty and youthful style.

Italian leather belts Gucci always have a completely original design that goes beyond the classical canons. They are unlikely to look harmonious on respectable gentlemen in formal suits, but they are also perfect for young people in stylish clothes. There are options from leather or dense fabric, monotonous or with several colors, with elegant or brutal massive plaques.

Products Levi's widely known in many countries, incredibly stylish belts for men with smooth or embossed leather, with thin or massive buckles are no exception. These accessories are successfully combined with classic jeans, especially the brand of the same name. And today almost all fans of fashionable clothes know about their neat cut and durability.

World famous brand Louis Vuitton this season presents the collections of men's belts "Dynamo", "Metropole", "Pont Neuf", "Stamp", which have a very bold and not strict design, suitable for young guys. A pleasant novelty for fashionistas can be accessories from the collections "Boston", "Damier Print", "Slender", which are double-sided.

Italian manufacturer Piquadro offers classic models of leather straps with a non-strict design. You can choose different colors: black, gray, beige and blue.

Clothes and accessories from Hugo Boss always distinguished by sufficient severity, which can emphasize strength and courage. Therefore, belts from this brand are suitable for confident men of any age. This season, dark leather models with a classic but massive frame-shaped buckle are especially popular.

Belts Wrangler - This is a quality product from an American manufacturer, known since 1986. Today you can choose products of various styles from black, beige or brown leather in a classic version. They are perfect for both jeans and trousers from a men's suit.

Of the styles popular for this season, one can distinguish classic narrow leather belts, but there are slight differences from the fashion of previous years. Plastic buckles and a textured, slightly convex surface are in trend. Also, under jeans, options in the style of the Wild West with a golden buckle remain in demand.

For reliability, it is best to choose genuine leather - smooth or textured. This material will always remain in fashion, in addition, it is visually noticeably different from leatherette.

Fabric belts of various colors with various forms of buckles are produced from dense material. They practically do not wear out, so you don’t have to worry about a short service life. A braided belt can also be an excellent and relevant option, but due to the thinness of its threads, it is better to choose genuine leather.

Of course, for a classic suit, it is always necessary to choose a black or brown belt of the appropriate style, combining it with shoes. But the "Casual" or sporty style can be combined with many colors. Thin leather straps in blue, white, beige or light blue are popular. Fabric models should be chosen with several colors, for example, red, green and white or any other palette to your taste.

Many people know that you need to choose a belt to match the color of the boots, but it is even better if the shades match. For example, there is not just brown, but also dozens of its varieties. Each has its own name, and fashion experts and many experienced clothing salesmen know them, so there is someone to consult with. Not only colors and shades should be combined, but also texture: for a smooth belt - smooth shoes, for a wicker - the same shoes. Then the image will become really spectacular and as harmonious as possible.

For office work, business meetings or other serious events, of course, you should choose the classic style of smooth monotone leather with a small buckle. But on vacation or while walking with light loose clothing, it will look out of place. In this case, you can wear a woven strap, and best of all textile. If it has bright colors, then you should also not forget about their combination with other accessories, but here this is not so significant.

Ideally, the buckle can also be combined with other accessories, such as a cufflink on a tie or bracelets on the arm. But this is not too important, such a pedantic approach can only be used by the most ardent fashionistas. In general, it is worth remembering that in many cases the belt is not visible to others at all, for example, under a long sweater or a jacket with low floors. Then in general you can use any model, taking care only of your convenience.

Instead of buying several models for different styles of clothing, you can choose something in between, a roughly universal option. This can be, for example, a leather belt in black, beige or brown colors. It should be monotonous, without unnecessary patterns and embossing. And the plaque at the same time can be metallic silver in the form of a small thin frame. Thickness no more than 4 cm.

It is important not only to choose such an accessory correctly, but also to wear it according to certain rules. First, you should always remember which side to fasten it. The men's belt is put on the belt with a buckle on the left, and the free end on the right, on the contrary, is worn by women. Of course, a great many models have inscriptions, labels and different images, then it is difficult to make a mistake. Reversible belts have a specially designed detachable buckle for proper wearing.

As already mentioned, you need to choose a men's belt so that its free end is not too long, if it sticks out, let alone hangs, then this spoils the whole look of a man. It must be worn in all harnesses that are in trousers, but in no case under the label of jeans - this is recognized as bad form. Some models additionally have a special trench coat, sometimes there are several of them - it will also help to gird the trousers well and beautifully.

Too wide options, which are more than 4 cm wide, should only be used with jeans, this is also true if there is a massive figured plaque.

A thin strap of 3-4 cm is ideally combined with trousers. There are 2 types of such accessories: glued and stitched, the second option is more reliable, as it does not unravel at the tip over time. But some models are equipped with a metal heel at the end to avoid this.

Belts should be stored rolled up or hung at one end in a dark place, but where there is access to oxygen.

Washing leather products is not worth it, even just getting water on them can cause deformation. To remove dirt, it is best to wipe them with a clean cloth dipped in soapy water and let dry. When using perfumes, do not allow drops to fall on the surface of the belt, this can lead to stains.