Belt: Integral to Male Attire OR So Old School??

Belts hardly need any introduction so far as utility and style is concerned. Though, mostly a unisexual accessory, belts have found special relevance in the day-to-day dressing of males. It has been a part of male attire since the Bronze Age. The belt signifies a lot more than fashion or utility and found special relevance in the military outfit as a decorative as well as utilitarian part of the uniform, particularly among officers. More often than not, it has been known to be used only as show-off with the corset playing the utility role in lieu of belts. As fashion evolved towards hip hop low waist saggy pants, belts found important place in protecting the male integrity as the waist lines flirted with imaginations. Specialized belts like police belts, studded belts judo belts have also found their place in the day to day lives of people. 

One important character of belts is the leather it is made of. Leather belts are by the highest selling type of belts available in the market. The type of leather used or the buckle used makes a difference to the price types. Specifically there are 4 types of leather belts: Synthetic Leather Belts (Using polymer based leather), Bonded Leather Belts (uses waste scraps of unwanted leather) and Genuine Leather Belts (consist of layer after layer of inferior leather glued or sewn together cover of top-grain leather surface) and Full Grain Leather Belts (Made of animal skin e.g. calfskin, ostrich; known to be toughest). Belts have also been criticized for abuse of animals and slaughter, but that doesn’t stop fashion crazy people from paying hefty sums for the belts. Hermes is a leader in this matter. 

Moving on from material, from its array of colours, styles and brands to the mix-and-match opportunities it presents to the wearer, a man's belt can be equal parts afterthought and lynchpin of his entire wardrobe. There are casual belts too that are known to go with cargo and denim. The relevance of buckles cannot be ignored as well as they are the face of the belt, quite literally. Its relevance is very humorously depicted in the hit sitcom series “The Big Bang Theory” in the form of Howard’s passion for buckles. The buckles in some uniforms also differ with the designation of the officer. So the practice of adorning male attire with belt is rather a legacy passed on across generations than an old school practice. The utility of it is very well known to the thin and to the plump; in both cases the trousers are dying to move down.

Why is it that the belts have not been replaced by suspenders or any other form of accessory so far is a question that goes back to the old days. You hardly see any one these days in suspenders. People often make the proverbial faux pas of wearing both suspenders and belt together. Suspenders are also known to look out of place for the young people while belt on the other hand is complementary to their punk, emo or formal outlook and therefore, provides a channel of expression relative to people. Some people go as far as making customized belts as well from vendors like Orosilber. Also, suspenders are known to accentuate chests of people wearing them making it uncomfortable. In conclusion, old school or not, belts are here to stay.