Belts

Few accessories can do what a good belt does: alter the proportions of everything around it. Slip a shirt inside your jeans, loop on a slim leather belt at the waist and suddenly an outfit that was feeling a little sloppy reads put together. That is not insignificant. Proportion is perhaps the majority of dressing well, and a belt is one of the quickest ways to adjust it. As such, we have long been annoyed by belt collections that feel like an afterthought. Rows upon rows of boring brown and black basics with nothing interesting to offer. Or conversely style dumps of statement pieces that fight every outfit they touch. We wanted neither. Instead, we started looking for belts with real versatility; belts with a clearly defined point of view that also know how to stay out of the way when they need to. These are the ones we came up with. The skinny belt that clips through your trouser loops and instantly sharpen tailored separates. The wide cincher made from buttery leather that adds shape to a blazer or a boxy dress. The woven style you can just as easily wear to a weekend market as you can a fancy dinner reservation. We have been deliberate about hardware because belt buckles matter more than you might realize. Where a chunky gold buckle centers attention on itself a small silver bar keeps things simple and lets your outfit take focus. Belts are also an investment. Trends sift through this category more than most, and we decided early on to avoid most of them entirely. These are our bets on belts we will still be reaching for in 5 years; ones that actually age rather than feeling dated next season. Quality leather where it counts. Sturdy weaving that won’t unravel after a few wears. Belts built with the kind of craftsmanship that justify costing more without having to sell themselves. To be clear there are some budget friendly styles as well. Ones we chose because they actually punch way above their weight instead of simply skimping on materials. Because when it comes to belts you should never compromise. It’s the piece quietly doing all the structural work to hold your whole outfit together, and it deserves to be treated as such.