Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Fashion & Style

Waist Management: A Guide to the Season’s New Belts

Christopher Blomquist
By

Nothing says “nice stylistic try but no cigar” like a pair of $300 Japanese selvedge jeans falling off your ass or a pair of crisp, custom-looking khakis held up by a belt that is so battered and ill-fitting that it is obvious that you’ve been wearing it since middle school. Guys have no problem updating their shoes and neckties every couple of seasons yet belts–those underappreciated accessories that actually serve a function–often seem to be relegated to “I will wear you every day and for a lifetime” status, which is really loyal of you and all, but doesn’t do much for your overall appearance.

(And, classic as they are, belts needn’t be just either black or brown leather, by the way.)

Related Videos

So perhaps it’s time to update that strip above your hips the next time you go shopping.

Here are some of the latest eye-catching belt options, from a wide variety of brands, and spanning a broad range of prices. Thin woven models are currently the most popular belt styles but if they are not your speed there are plenty of others to choose from….

Related

Askov Finlayson

This Minnesota-based specialty retailer and brand collaborated with Smathers & Branson to create a snakeskin-looking fabric belt with leather and brass buckle in four colors (black, red, green, blue) that uses the outline of Minnesota as its pattern. ($165). It also sells a multi-color woven stretch belt by Anderson’s that is made in Italy and doesn’t need holes as the buckle slips right through the fabric ($135).

Beltology

This direct-to-consumer brand creates belts only and stretch woven styles are its signature. This season’s key styles include the rayon Monkey Run, the gray wool Cookie Duster and the bright red Big Burn with a nickel buckle (all $75 each).

Billy Reid

For those who are willing to spend $495 for the ultimate luxury, the award-winning designer has created this classic black belt out of alligator skin. It’s one style we actually do recommend wearing for a lifetime.

Camp Hero

This Brooklyn-based belt company offers some fun 1970s throwback with its hand-beaded models, some of which celebrate specific places such as Maine, Rockaway or Austin. They retail for $165 each.

Filson

The heritage company has created this American made Bridle leather classic, which is certain to be timeless ($88).

Levi’s

The jeanswear brand offers a slew of belt options that are as easy to wear (and look as good) as its denim. Prices range from about $38 to $54.

Patagonia

This web Friction Belt model comes in a wide variety of colors and is as suitable to the great outdoors as it is to the inner city ($29).

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Leave It to Todd Snyder To Dream Up a Winning Menswear Collection For Golfers
footjoy todd snyder collaboration cover tsfj

Many people mark the beginning of spring by observing their favorite seasonal event — waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to see his shadow, watching the cherry blossoms bloom, attending baseball's Opening Day.

For golfers, spring starts with the Masters Tournament — the first major championship of the year. Here, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the world's best golfers come and play for four days in hopes of getting to put on the highly coveted green sports jacket when it's all said and done. The beautiful blooming landscape, combined with the tournament's rich history and tradition, makes the Masters one of golf's most iconic events.
Related Guides

Read more
VRST Is the Best Alternative to Lululemon’s Athleisure We’ve Seen So Far
vrst athleisure line 2021 q1

This is not a story about Lululemon. It is a story about VRST, a Dick's Sporting Goods exclusive line of athleisure clothing, including commuter pants, joggers, tees, hoodies, and other easy-wearing lifestyle pieces that you'll want to wear every day, especially when the occasion calls for something that both breathes well and looks put together. But it's about Lululemon in the same way that the subtweet you sent was really about Drake even if you never mentioned Drake specifically. (We all knew who you were talking about.) Let me explain.

VRST is about Lululemon even if it never mentions Lululemon because Lululemon crushes with its ABC Pant, which stands for Anti Ball Crushing and, as its name suggests, is very comfortable. I have no fewer than five pairs of them, and I've owned more because they look like a pair of khakis but feel like a pair of running shorts. And in my home in the South, where the interminable summers are trying to crush my family jewels for six months out of the year, minimum, they are a godsend. Playing golf? Yes. Attending a Sunday service? No doubt. From date night to work event, they are so versatile and comfortable and flattering that I bought them in every color. To date, my only complaint is that, after repeated wears, they can retain the stink of old sweat the same way your workout tees can hold past funk. Lululemon's essentials, from tees to pants to polos, are guy favorites the world 'round, which is quite an accomplishment for a company previously synonymous with women's workout tights.

Read more
The Best Men’s Leather Gloves, Hands Down
best mens leather gloves 2020

The old saw about losing the majority of your body heat through your head has been disproven. The reality is that you lose the same amount of heat through any exposed skin on your body — so if your hands are bare, you’re also losing heat. While sport gloves or work gloves preserve your digital dexterity with thick lining, waterproofed exteriors, and reinforced palms, “streetwear” gloves rarely combine good looks with effective thermal protection. Generally speaking, you’ve got a choice between chunky knitted mitts that don’t pair well with grown-up fashion, or driving gloves made from thin, unlined leather that are pretty to look at but impractical in the cold.

If you’re out there suffering from frostbitten fingers, we’re here to help. It’s time for you to discover the world of dress gloves. Made for the style-conscious urbanite who isn’t above nodding to trends, the category of dress gloves is narrow, but the offerings are broad and inclusive. You can find dress gloves at online outlets like Huckberry as well as department stores like Bergdorf Goodman — basically, wherever you shop for quality goods. And if you want pieces to go with your leather gloves, check out our Black Friday fashion deals.
Best Men's Leather Gloves
Top Pick:  ELMA Winter Leather Gloves for Men

Read more