The London Lounge

Dear Gentlemen,

I have a question to you.

How long must be the classical men's belt?

I will be grateful to you for the pictures.

It’s a matter of aesthetics.

To my eye, the belt looks best if the tip extends eight centimeters or so beyond the keeper when the belt is buckled at the middle hole (which should be the wearer’s usual position, with the other holes used only for fluctuation in girth).

My photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8206226@N03/

Mr. Logvinov,

the photos you posted look fine to me, except that you wear your belt one hole in from the middle. On a well-fitted belt, the middle hole is the one that should be used, with the others being available in case of weight gain or loss.

On most belts, the first hole is four inches (10cm) away from the tip, and the center hole is six inches (15cm) away from the tip.

The way you wear your belt in those photos looks appropriate, in either case.

First a couple of comments and then a question:

Comments: Good advice from RWS and Demeter regarding using the middle hole. I've found that, if you use that hole, the length question will sort itself out for you (in that the belt will extend far enough to be captured by the first belt loop of your trousers, but not so far that the belt seems to be doubling on itself). Another observation: the belt in your pictures seems just a little wide for a dress belt (although OK for a casual belt). Belt width is probably best related to a man's height. I'm exactly 6 ft. tall and find widths of 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" to provide the best proportions for me with dress clothes. A few of my casual belts (worn with chinos or cords) are 1 3/8" wide.

Question: Can we safely say that the classic belt buckle is the simple skeleton rectangle form represented in George's pictures? To my eye, it is far more elegant than a solid buckle, particularly one with engraved scroll or initials, or than a buckle that is in the form of a letter (like the Hermes H) or other contrived shape. However, that is just my preference and not necessarily that of others. Is there a classic dress buckle?

Here is the kind I like best:

Costi shows a buckle based on those found in riding tack: a classic shape indeed. I've personally come to like "sliders" (a solid rectangle of silver or gold which, with a swivelling vertical grip at one end -- hidden behind the face of the buckle -- allows the wearer to clasp the belt at precisely the point most comfortable for him), too, but only for the narrow belts an inch or so wide.

For business, semi-formal, and formal dress, though, I increasingly prefer not to use belts. The tab-and-button arrangements on the sides of some work-a-day trousers, or even suspenders (braces), seem more comfortable for me and to give a cleaner line to my clothes. Belts are best for knock-around -- a walk in the country, an afternoon splitting wood -- I think.

Thank you for your answers Gentlemen

Demeter wrote:On a well-fitted belt, the middle hole is the one that should be used, with the others being available in case of weight gain or loss.

I very hope, that the problem of excess weight will not mention me in the future

SouthPender wrote: the belt in your pictures seems just a little wide for a dress belt (although OK for a casual belt)

For an example I dressed the casual cotton trousers and the classical belt

All posts are very interesting! Thank you again.

I like three holes, but this requires a custom belt, cut, taking the thickness of the waistband into consideration.

In the U.S., the one inch belt has been the standard for quite awhile now.
They don't always look right, now that the trend is toward 1.25 and 1.5 inch belts.

The compression or slide buckle, in the "engine turned" buckle form, has been the classic for decades,

This type of buckle requires a special type of belt that has no holes.

I don't think it is a requirement that the belt be buckled in the middle hole, after all, the holes are meant to be used.

What is important : how much of the belt tip shows after it has been inserted through the keepers.

Mark,

agreed on the three holes - a custom belt seldom needs more than three.

Of course all holes are meant to be used, but a newly purchased belt should fit in the middle hole as that will be the size of the man's waist at that time. I probably should have been more clear on what I meant.