Luxury Belts for Men: How to Choose the Best Belt for Your Suit

Wearing a suit well is an essential skill for every man. A well-put-together suit is an asset to your professional and personal life. And, it simply feels good to wear a suit well. A well-fitting suit is made by its accessories: a tie, the right shoes, cuff links, pocket square, tie bar, and of course, a fine leather belt. This article will discuss the politics behind belts and suits and explore how to choose the right belt for your suit and different luxury belts for men.

Are Luxury Belts for Men Necessary for a Suit?

There isn’t a simple answer to this question; this is a subject of great debate in the style world. The argument goes like this: a belt shouldn’t be needed for a suit. Your suit pants should fit securely without a belt, turning the belt into an accessory. If you need a belt to keep your suit pants up and fit comfortably, then your first step is purchasing a suit, or suit pants, that work without a belt.

Proponents of the beltless suit look say that wearing a belt interrupts the vertical line of the suit, resulting in two halves. This can lead to an optical illusion of less height and more width, whereas wearing a suit without a belt may lead to a slimmer visual line. However, belt advocates support men having more accessories and say wearing a belt adds visual interest, elegance, and class. Also, since suit pants have belt loops, going sans belt can lead to an incomplete look. The majority of men choose to wear belts for how they look and feel. Given the custom of wearing belts, a suit without a belt may look unfinished.

When choosing a belt to go with a suit, what is necessary is that the belt fits well. A properly fitting belt feels comfortable secured on the middle hole of the belt strap. A quick and easy way to determine your belt size is to look at the size of your favorite pair of pants and go up one size. This ensures that your belt will fit comfortably. So, if you’re a 38 pant size, your belt size is a 40.

But, if you don’t think this method works for you, or if you’d like a more accurate sizing, we’ve got you covered. You can use a cloth measuring tape, if you have one, or print out a measuring tape here. Put on your suit pants and slide the measuring tape through the belt loops. Measure at your waist and add two inches to even numbers and three to odd numbers to find your belt size. Please click here if you’d like a complete guide to determining your belt size.

How to Match a Men’s Belt to Your Suit

Men’s belts can play a supporting role in your ensemble or be the show’s star. This decision is up to you! Generally, for more formal occasions, belts play a supporting role. If you’re a member of a wedding party, for example, you’ll need to match the aesthetic of the other party members. But if you’re simply attending the wedding, you could use a formal belt as a statement piece. Here’s how to match your belt to your suit.

• Match to shoes.

This is the standard rule of thumb. Your belt color should be the same as your shoes, and the leather finishes ought to be similar. For example, a pebble grain leather belt doesn’t match a high gloss formal shoe, even if they are the same color. The match doesn’t need to be exact; you simply want colors and finishes that are similar. You could pair a Saffiano leather belt with shoes of the same color if they had a matte finish or some texture, like tassels.

• Match to accessories.

While the idea of pairing a belt and shoes by color is widely known, you may be unfamiliar with this next suggestion. Match the metal of your belt buckle to the rest of your accessories. Like with shoes, we are also concerned with color and finish. If your metal buckle has a textured or matte finish, it will clash with a shiny, smooth tie tack or cuff links. When wearing a suit, you want all the metals you are wearing to match or coordinate with each other. So, if your belt buckle is stainless steel, choose a silver-toned watch, cuff links, tie pin, etc.

• Choose leather belts.

Leather is the choice material for formal, luxury men’s belts. This also works with the cardinal rule of matching a belt to shoes when wearing a suit. Your more formal shoes will be leather, so the material of your belt needs to match your shoes.

For wearing a belt as a statement piece, choose a color or style that matches and supports your ensemble. For black suits, cobalt, purple and red are good choices. For a brown-toned suit, reds, golds, or oranges may work. You don’t want your belt and suit to look like two separate pieces. Even with a bold belt choice, you’ll look best if it still complements your suit color-wise.

Different Men’s Belt Types to Consider

• Smooth finish leather.

The finest smooth leather men’s belts are made with Italian calf hide. These are the gold standard of formal or dress leather belts. Their texture will likely match a pair of dress shoes you already own, so you’ll be good to go. Roger Ximenez’s smooth Italian leather belts come in a wide variety of rich colors. The fine quality of their colors distinguishes their belts, making them truly one of a kind.

• Pebble grain leather.

Pebble grain leather is one of the most popular styles of luxury belts for men. These finely textured belts are used for dressy occasions, be they formal or professional. Premium pebble grain leather men’s belts are made with full-grain leather. Full-grain leather is the highest quality leather on the market and is made with minimal processing. This results in more durable leather that will develop a rich patina over time.

• Genuine Python leather.

Make a statement with our richly finished python leather belts. Belts made from genuine python hide are classy with a touch of flair. They come in several different colors, including the classic black and brown. The subtle scaled texture adds visual appeal to any suit ensemble. Choose from solid colors or natural patterns. A genuine python belt tells everyone that you have style and know what to do with it. 

• Genuine Crocodile leather.

Nothing says fashionable and formal like genuine crocodile leather belts. With their iconic texture and design, genuine crocodile belts are naturally eye-catching. Elevate your look with a luxurious crocodile leather belt. Roger Ximenez’s full-grain crocodile leather belts come in the classic shades of black and brown. Crafting belts from genuine crocodile leather takes high levels of skill. We source our crocodile leather from across the globe, and our artisan craftspeople make each belt by hand in the United States.

• Saffiano leather.

Pair this delicately crosshatched leather belt with shoes that have more texture and flair. Saffiano leather is stamped with a fine crosshatch design that subtly catches the light. These belts are made for any occasion where you want to look your best. Our formal Saffiano leather belts come in rich colors of black, brown, blue, tan, and orange. 

• Mock Ostrich

Mock ostrich leather belts add subtle flair with their unique dappled pattern and interesting texture. These men’s belts will complement your favorite suit and add visual appeal. Made from premium, full-grain Italian calf leather, Roger Ximenez’s mock ostrich leather belts will last for years, looking as good as the day you bought them. Wear your suit with pride and a Roger Ximenez mock ostrich leather belt. These stunning belts come in black and brown.

• Mock Alligator

These attractive formal men’s belts are made to give you confidence during your next formal occasion. Mock alligator has all the luxury of an alligator belt and the durability of full-grain Italian calf leather. Our mock alligator men’s belts are made with the veg tan or vegetable tanning method. Vegetable tanning uses plant-derived tannins to process the leather. This results in one of the highest qualities of leather available and rich color that last. Roger Ximenez has one of the largest selections of veg tan mock alligator leather belts available. And you can choose from a wide variety of colors, including black, brown, Carolina blue, pink and yellow.

Shop Roger Ximenez Luxury Belts for Men

All of Roger Ximenez’s belts are handmade by artisan craftspeople here in the United States. Your bespoke Roger Ximenez belt is made to last with premium full-grain leather from around the world. Our luxury belts for men come with custom-colored stitching. You can choose a complementary color to show your style! If you’re in the market for a dress belt, look at our premium full-grain leather men’s belts here.