How to Color Match Your Belt with Your Outfit
General rules for every gentleman
Matching for women is usually lots of fun; “My purse, nails and stilettos are the same yummy shade of lilac!” But for men? It’s quite often a real pain. Men are always desperate in need of advice on matching, especially when it comes to belts.
Belt; for such a small, seemingly obvious accessory, it can cause lots of confusion. The leather belt, a member of the accessory family, is often an after-thought purchase. As much as it is functional, it is ultimately an article that complements an outfit and adds further appeal.
Contrary to popular belief, one shouldn’t just wear a belt out of necessity. Put simply, the role of a belt should not be to keep one’s suit pant from falling but rather, should be worn because it complements an overall look.
Want in on a little secret, gentlemen? It’s not that hard, in fact, it’s really quite simple as long as you remember a few basic rules.
The best part? You’re also free to bend (or break!) these rules when they don’t work for you. This especially applies to matching your belt with your leather footwear.
First of all, be comforted in the knowledge that even fashion gurus debate the belt. They disagree on whether a man should wear one every time his pants have loops for it, or if he should wear it only when the spirit moves him and he doesn’t mind the visual line of his body being cut in have right at his (not-always-toned) gut.
When deciding on a new belt, the biggest question and mistake men make is how to correctly match your belt to your outfit. Well, we’re here to lend a hand. Let us elaborate…
Rule #1 – Match The Leather Colors.
This rule couldn’t be simpler. Lucky you! In general, the more contrast there is between your belt strap and your shoes (or even briefcase or messenger bag), the less stylish you’re going to look.
You’ve probably heard this before: your belt should match your shoes in both color and finish. This means that if you’re wearing slick, black leather dress shoes, you should wear a black leather belt. If you’re more casual and wearing canvas shoes, a cloth belt is the way to go. When you’re casual, the color restriction is a bit looser. If you’ve got a dark brown belt strap, the most logical choice for shoes would be dark brown ones. If your shoes have a distinct oxblood color, then an oxblood belt strap is the way to go.
Nevertheless, don’t worry too much about a slight difference in the tones of both items. It’s not a big deal if, for example, your dress shoes are darker in the front than at the back. As long as they’re closely similar in color, you got the job done.
Rule #2 – Match The Metals
It’s not just your shoes you need to think about. Your belt buckle should also match the finish of your other accessories, essentially the same concept as leather. You want the belt buckle to have a very similar color to the metal on your shoes if they have metal. Specifically, we are talking about the buckles on monk strap shoes.
Gold goes with gold, silver with silver, etc. You might even want to take it a step further by matching these buckles to the metal in your other jewelry, in particular your watch or whatever rings you’re wearing.
A notable exception: your wedding ring, which it’s perfectly acceptable to keep on at all times.
Rule #3 – Match Your Outfit
The formality of your belt should match the formality and style of your outfit. So, you need to know what a dress belt looks like and what a casual belt looks like. A dress belt will be thinner, have a simple, square buckle and be made of plain, smooth leather. A casual belt is wider, will have a bigger, perhaps more complicated buckle, and can be cloth or a more showy print of leather. Some animal-skin and woven belts can be both casual and dressy — the key is to make sure they aren’t too flashy or shiny, and the buckle is simple if you want to wear them as dressy.
Ultimately, you have to be confident enough, whether you follow these matching tips or decide to ignore them every once in a while. Trust me when I say that confidence in your style and clothing makes life so much easier and enjoyable. If you truly believe in what you’re wearing, show a genuine smile, and can be yourself all day – voila! You can bet that others will comment how great you look.
