The men's belt guide: the leather belt that matches your shoes

The belt is the accessory most men use every day and think about least. It shows every time the jacket is open, and it reveals faster than anything else whether an outfit has been thought through: the wrong belt for the shoes, the worn belt with the new suit, the wide belt in the narrow loops. This is our guide to men's belts - colour, width, size and when braces are the better answer. All belts and braces are from our own collection and ready to ship.

The rule that is never broken: the belt follows the shoes

Black belt with black shoes, brown belt with brown shoes. It is the only rule in the belt guide without exceptions, and it applies to suits as much as to jeans. The shade may differ slightly - a cognac belt with dark brown shoes is fine - but the family must be the same. The buckle follows the watch and the other metals: silver-toned with a steel watch, gold-toned with a gold one. If you own only one belt, let it be brown; it goes with more trousers and more shoes than the black one.

Width: suits and jeans are two different belts

With a suit and tailored trousers the belt should be slim, around 3 cm, in smooth leather with a simple pin buckle. It slides through the loops without bulging and disappears under the jacket, as it should. With jeans and chinos the belt may be wider and the leather more robust, because the loops are wider and the trousers heavier. That is why two belts are the minimum in a wardrobe with both suits and jeans: one slim for the formal, one for every day.

Classic brown leather beltClassic black leather beltBrown leather belt, slim profileBlack leather belt, slim profile

How to find your belt size

Your belt size is not your trouser size. Measure a belt you already wear from the pin of the buckle to the hole you use - that number in centimetres is your size. Without a belt to measure, take your trouser waist and add about 5 cm. A belt fits right when you use the middle hole: then there is room for both winter knitwear and summer linen. Our classic leather belts come in lengths from 75 to 110 cm, and in the Showroom your designer measures it for you, so you never end up with a belt whose end sticks 20 cm past the first loop.

The leather and the patina

A belt in genuine leather gets better with use: the surface gains depth and the edge softens. All it needs is rest - a belt worn every day lasts many years; one worn every other day lasts even longer. Hang it or roll it loosely, never leave it bent in the trousers, and wipe it with a dry cloth if it gets wet. That is all the care it needs.

Braces: when the belt is the wrong choice

With a three-piece suit and with the dinner suit the belt is wrong: the buckle bulges under the waistcoat, and dinner suit trousers have no loops at all. Here braces belong. They hold the trousers in a calm line all day without tightening around the waist, and they look right when the jacket comes off. Our braces are Y-back in elasticated weave with leather details and come with both clips and button tabs - clips for trousers without brace buttons, button tabs for the formal. Never wear a belt and braces together.

Brown bracesBlack bracesLight bracesBlack sleeve garters

Sleeve garters solve a related problem: shirt sleeves that are slightly too long. Worn above the elbow, hidden under the jacket, they lift the cuff to exactly the wrist. An old detail that still works.

Belt loops or side adjusters on a suit

Tailor-made trousers can be cut with belt loops or with side adjusters that make the belt unnecessary. Side adjusters give the cleanest line and are our recommendation for suits worn with a waistcoat or often without the jacket. Belt loops belong to the suit that will also be worn as separates with a blazer. The choice is settled at the fitting in the Showroom, and it is worth thinking about before choosing a belt.