Oakside Saddlery

I am by no means a fashion expert so I may have ‘borrowed’ a lot of these style tips from people who are more in the know!

Essentially Men’s belts can be placed in to two styles; Casual and Formal, with each suited to a particular situation.

The Formal Belt

Should men even wear a belt with their formal wear? I'm going to say yes! That is because it would be pointless of me not to if I want you to read this and then buy one of my belts! So lets forget the ins and outs and look at formal belts.

A formal belt should be a slim, plain brown or black (depending on your shoe colour) leather belt, with a silver or gold buckle. The buckle should also be quite light in weight.

Formal belts should have a few inches of leather to the left of the buckle once fastened, enough to tuck in to the first belt loop. A long tail looks awkward when hanging down or wrapped halfway around your waist. This shouldn't be a problem with a handmade belt as my belt will be made to measure and should buckle up on to the middle hole with two or three holes left visible and a short tail that easily fits to your first belt loop.

If you feel that a more casual style of belt would make more of a statement. Then maybe try a leather plaited belt. It still has the same material and colour but adds a bit more of a casual look.

The Casual Belt

Casual belts are far more varied in their nature. You are not tied to a particular uniform so you have more freedom to wear what you want. And if you want to wear a belt with a big novelty buckle, then go ahead and wear one! Just so long as I have attached a decent leather belt to it! We all love Star Wars anyway!

Standard casual leather belts are generally wider and have a larger buckle. This is so that they better suit heavier jeans. The leather should still match your shoes but could be varied. Plaited belts are definitely an option here.

Colour

The rule is – Leather should always match leather. This is the same for both formal and casual wear. Brown shoes – brown belt – brown watch strap, Black shoes – black belt – black watch strap.

To get a leather belt that is going to last a lifetime requires that you order your belt from one of the traditional Cordwainers around. This will give you a hand-crafted leather belt that is made-to-measure. Not too long nor too short. And designed to fit and compliment your style.

Ignore your leather belt and you are ignoring an item that has a big aesthetic impact on your style!

Si

www.oaksidebelts.co.uk
www.oaksidesaddlery.co.uk