How to Choose a Good Quality Men's Leather Belt - A Complete Guide

If you are looking to buy a leather belt, but you are confused about which color & style will match your suit & personality, what size will fit you, how to choose the best quality at the lowest price & so on. Do not worry!

We are a professional leather belt manufacturer, and we have experience selling millions of belts in hundreds of styles each month to customers worldwide. So, you can expect to get the most authentic information from us.

Figure 0 How to Select Leather Belts

In this blog, we will make you a pro in finding, selecting, testing, buying & wearing a leather belt. So, let us start right away.

What You Should Look for When Buying a Men's Leather Belt?

Most people think that buying a belt is an easy task; you can just go to a pricey brand, select the design & pay for it. That's all. But they are wrong; if you buy like this, you will probably get the wrong size, color, buckle style, width thickness & a lot more.

Choosing a belt is a very decisive task, let alone a leather one. I am not saying it's hard; I am just saying that you have to do a little research and learn some tactics if you want to choose the best at the lowest price.

Figure 1.1 Buying Guide to Leather Belts

You can follow our 7-Step plan on buying a Men’s leather belt if you want to choose a belt that will not only match your personality but also lasts for years, if not decades, and saves you a lot of money.

7-Step Plan to Buy a Men's Leather Belt

✓  What kind of Leather Belt do You Want?

✓  Choose the Proper Color for your Belt?

✓  Choose the Surface Finish & Pattern?

✓  Select the Buckle Style & Attachment?

✓  Select the Material & Craftsmanship?

✓  Test the Quality of Leather Belt?

✓  Choose the Right Size?

1. What kind of Leather Belt do You Want?

Before buying, you must choose for what purpose you are buying it, like;

? For Formal Dress

? For Casual Clothes

? For Special Garment

Formal Leather Belts

Figure 1.2 Formal Dress Belts

As the name suggests, formal leather belts can only be worn with dress pants in offices, marriage events, etc. They are simpler; their buckle is mostly a simple frame style. These belts' colors must match your clothing & shoes. Plus, formal belts are usually smaller than casual ones to fit perfectly in the tight belts loops of your dress pant.

Casual leather Belts

Figure 1.2 Causual Wear Jean Leather Belt

As the name suggests, Casual belts can be worn with any dress like jeans, shorts, etc. Casual leather belts have no such limitations as formal ones, you can choose any buckle design, and you do not need to match the colors of a belt with your dress.

Special Belts

There are two kinds of Specialty Belts that are mostly used in today's world;

• Kilt belts
  

• Waist Belts

Figure 1.3 Scottist Kilt Belt

Kilt belts are the old kind of belts which are only used with kilts, a type of skirt which mostly Scottish men & boys wear, which you probably have seen in movies. Kilts belts are mostly made from hide leather and are more than 2.25 inches wide ( widest of all forms of belts ).

Figure 1.4 Waist Belts for Womens

Waist Belts are worn mainly by women around their avast to show how slim it is. They are entirely aesthetic in purpose. These come in a lot of designs & colors. Waist belts come in a wide variety of sizes; they can b smaller in width than formal belts or large than kilt belts.

“It is essential to know that you can find formal & casual leather belts almost everywhere. Waist belts are a little hard to find in remote areas. In contrast, Kilt belts are practically impossible to find in usual shops; they are only available online or in specific stores.”

2.Choose the Proper Color for Your Belt?

As discussed earlier, formal leather belts must match your dress, while casual belts may or may not. But what do we mean by matching?

Thumb rule for Selecting Colors of a Formal Leather belt;

• The metal color of the buckle must match your dressing metal parts, such as cufflinks, watch, etc., ( except the ring, which can be of a different color).

• The strap leather color must match the color of the other leather accessories of your dress, such as shoes, etc. And not only this, the shine level must also be the same.

Figure 2.1 Match Your Leather Belt With Your Garment Acessories

In Formal Leather Belts, the color must be subtle, just like a gentleman. Formal leather belts straps mostly come in two colors, and both are most famous & worth investing in;

• Black

• Brown

Figure 2.2 Formal Brown & Black Color Belts

While famous colors of formal belts buckles are;

• Gold

• Silver
  

Figure 2.3 Silver Vs. Gold Buckles for Belts

Thumb Rule for Choosing Casual Belt Colors

There is only one rule in selecting colors for your casual belt;“

That there is no rule; choose whatever you like without any worry of matching”

Unlike Formal Leather Belts, In Causal Leather Belts, there are many colors to choose from;

• Navy

• Gray

• Black

• White

• Brown

• Orange

• Oxblood

Figure 2.4 Colors in Casual Belts

3.Choose the Surface Finish & Pattern?

Now that we are done deciding the color, it is time to choose the surface finish on your leather belt.

In Formal Leather Belts

Figure 3.1 Choose Subtle Formal Leather Belts

You must choose the following;

• Surface must be solid, smooth & better to have a soft shine on it.

• Must be no pattern at all, and if necessary, only a light invisible design.

In Casual Leather Belts

You can choose anything you want;

• Surface can be matte, rugged, high-gloss shine, etc.

• In patterns, you can choose braided, textured, decorated, etc.

Figure 3.2 Matte Vs. Decorated Vs. Braided Casual Belts

4.Select the Buckle Style & Attachment?

There are 2-Points you must consider when looking for a buckle;

➢Buckle Style

➢Buckle Style

Buckle Style

In formal leather belts, the buckle is mostly;

• A simple & small frame style.

Figure 4.1 Choose Simple Frame Style Buckle in Small Size for Formal Belts

While in Casual belts, the buckle can be a;

• Frame Style

• Plate-Style

• Box Style

• D-ring

• O-ring

• Snap

• Micro-Adjustment / Ratchet Style ( require a special track system on the strap )

• More…

Figure 4.2 Various Buckles for Casual Belts

How Buckle is attached to Strap

The buckle is attached to the belts to the strap in 2-ways;

• Permanently joined  ( mostly by stitching )

• Can be separated if needed ( for changing the buckle or strap )

Detachable buckle leather belts are preferred over fixed buckle leather belts because, firstly, you can easily cut them from the buckle side to fit your waist. Secondly, you change the buckle anytime you want according to the situation ( formal or casual ) or mood.

Figure 4.3 Fix Vs. Detachable Belt Buckles

5.Select the Material & Craftsmanship?

Types of Leather Materials

Leather belts are made mainly from the following;

• Calfskin

• Cowhide

• Ostrich skin

• Alligators skin

• Crocodiles skin

• Faux Leather

In the market, you will find that most leather belts are made from either cowhide or calfskin. Cowhide belts are a little stiff, while calfskin belts are soft. If you want to invest in an excellent formal belt, buy a full-grain calfskin leather belt.

Figure 5.1 Cowhide Belts are Most famous in the Market

Ostrich skin belts have more of a dashing look; they mostly fall in the casual category.

Figure 5.2 Ostrich Skin Causal Leather Belts for Man

Alligator and crocodile skins belts have a textured surface and elusive pattern, which makes them very high demanding. They can be used for formal ( preferred in black color ) and casual purposes.

Figure 5.3 Best Quality Alligator Subtle Leather Belt

Faux leather / Fake Leather, also known as vegan leather mostly made from PU or PVC plastic materials. Faux leather belts come in many qualities, from low to high to choose from. Fake leather belts can be as good as real leather in looks, but they will not have the same properties as real leather ones.

The benefits of faux leather are;

• It's cheap, and everybody can afford it.

• It is not made by killing animals, so vegan people can also buy it.

Figure 5.4 Geniune Looking Faux Leather Belts

Detailing in Craftsmanship

Material is not the only thing that matters in leather belts; craftsmanship must also be good.

If leather is poorly made, for example, stitches are wide apart & loose, surface finish is poorly done, etc., then your belt will not only look bad, but it will also easily get frayed or cracked, etc.

So, investing in good craftsmanship is more necessary than in a brand name. Because belts are a small accessory & it completely hidden, no one will be able to look at the brand logo, but everybody will be able to see how properly it is made.

Figure 5.5 Close Stiches & No loose threads Good Craftsmanship Leather Belt

6.Test the Quality of Leather Belts?

You can perform the following observation & test to check if the quality is ok or not;

• Press the belt backside with your fingernail very gently; if a faint line appears, it means the leather is soft and good to buy.

• Bend the bend and see if cracks appear or not. If you see cracks, it means the belt is brittle and not of good quality.

• Look for stitches; if they are close to each other & tightly sewn with no loose ends, then belt craftsmanship is exemplary.

• The good quality leather belt will be heavy.

Figure 5.6 Check Quality of Leather Belts

7.Choose the Right Size?

The important thing to note here is that after passing the buckle, a belt strap will either fit in the buckle's built-in loop or pants 1st  loop; it must not go any further.

For formal belts, the above rule is a must, but for casual belts, the length may increase a bit, but not much, because it will look bad.

Method no 1

Take your Pant Waist size, add 1~2 inches, and buy the new leather belt in that length.

Method no 2

Take your previous belt; which size fits you. And with the help of measuring tape, from the end of the buckle, measure to the hole where you always buckle it and buy close to that size.

For example, if the distance from the end of the buckle to the right hole is 35 inches then buy a 36 inches size belt. Do not buy a 34 inches belt, because the extra length can be cut ( by detaching the buckle if it's removable ) but short length can not be made long.

Figure 6 Measure your Previous Belt Size to Select New Belt Size

Men’s Belt Size Conversion Chart

What Price Leather Belts are of Good Quality?

“The Leather Belts' price varies between $5 ~ $100 and more.”

3rd Class Leather Belts

Usually, 3rd class leather belts, whose prices vary between $5 ~ $25 are either made from cheap faux leather or scrap leather products. The belts in this price range may be affordable, but they will certainly get worn out in a few weeks or may even in a few days.

2nd Class Leather Belts

Now, the Second class of leather belts prices vary between $25 ~ $50. In this class, you will find good-quality faux leather belts and medium-quality real leather belts. These belts look good as well as last for months or years if cared for them well.

1st Class Leather Belts

In this class, you will mostly find 100% authentic leather belts with great craftsmanship. These belts have a premium look, and they will probably last for years, if not for decades. This class leather belt's average price ranges from $50 ~ $100 or more.

FAQs

1) Do Leather Belts Crack?

Yes, real leather can crack because it is made from animal skin, and just like any skin, it needs to be moisturized; otherwise, it will dry out, become brittle, starts to crack, and peel off with time. So, always moisture your leather belts if you want them to last longer.

2) How Long Will A Leather Belt Last?

Usually, how long a leather belt will last will depend upon its quality. If it is of premium quality, it will mostly last for years or even decades, but if it is cheap faux leather, it may not even last for a few days.

3) How Thick Should A Leather Belt Be?

A good leather belt thickness should be between 2 mm ~ 6 mm. More thick a leather belt is, means more leather material is used in it, giving it more strength to make it last longer.

4) Difference Between Full-Grain & Corrected Grain Leather Belts?

Every leather material is made from different cowhides. Each cowhide has its own marking, like injury scars, insect bites, etc.

➔If a cowhide has too many marks, its upper layer is sand or buffed down, and an artificial grain layer is printed on it afterward. This type of leather that is altered is called a Corrected Grain Leather. And the belts made from it are called Corrected Grain leather Belts.

➔If the cowhide has too few markings, it is not buffed, and its natural grain pattern remains. This kind of leather is called Full Grain leather, and the belts made from it are called Full-Grain Leather Belts.

What's Next:

If you are looking to buy Leather Belts, then we are the best solution for you. We at HongDing have 17+ years of experience in making real & faux leather products. We can make you any material, design & size of a leather belt in the best quality but at the lowest prices.

Just Send Us a Message to get Free Samples of our Products!

Figure 7 Buy HONGDING Best Quality Leather Belts at Wholesale Prices