Off the Cuff - Carson Kressley [42]
Why are belts so important? Well, I always like to say that personality starts in the crotch region, and why not draw attention to it by wearing a fantastic belt? Since men wear so few accessories, a belt can say so much about you and add flair to otherwise boring looks. Even if you only have one or two great leather straps, they’re versatile. Change out the buckles, and get that much more use out of them.
A bad belt, on the other hand, is like a bad pair of shoes—you can spot poor quality a mile a way. If your belt is vinyl or vegetarian leather with a cheap aluminum buckle, people can tell. They notice that you’re not paying attention to detail. They might not even realize it consciously, but in the back of their minds, they’ll see you and think, “Hmmmm. Something just isn’t right here. There’s big trouble in River City.”
Heather has two mommies ... and you should have two different types of belts: dressy and casual. Generally speaking, skinnier belts are dressier, meant for suits and dressed-up sportswear, while chunkier, thicker belts are for wearing with casual pants—denim, cargo, roughwear, corduroys.
The belts that you wear with a suit should be sleek and simple. The whole point of wearing a suit is having a sophisticated, luxurious uniform that’s about understatement and elegance. The belt you wear should add to that feeling. This is where you should invest in a couple of great pieces like a crocodile strap and an engine-turned buckle. Diminutive hardware in nickel, sterling, or unpolished brass on a simple leather or alligator strap is always best. These really are investments, so don’t balk at spending a little more for quality. The classic styles don’t change too much with the times, so if you invest in a couple of good ones now, you’ll have them for the rest of your life.
Is Your Belt Buckle too Big?
If you look like an Oklahoma state team roping champion, like you’ve won a major prizefight, or if you risk injury when sitting, your buckle is too big.
TIP
Fairy Godstylist Carson
Is your belt always supposed to match your shoes? Well, yes, your belt should match your shoes, but I hate to use absolutes. I don’t think it always has to match exactly. Ideally, they should complement each other. It’s really simple. If you wear a brownish belt, you should wear brownish shoes. Black shoes and a brown belt would obviously be all wrong. You may want to wear a cotton belt or a grosgrain belt. In that case, it’s impossible to match your shoes, unless you’re Imelda Marcos.
Casual belts are where you can really have fun. There’s a great selection of cool casual belts available in leather, nylon, grosgrain, etc. I love old western belts and buckles or those with cool logos or your name on them. They look fantastic with denim. And you can throw in some whimsical ribbon belts for summer. You can also find cool military-inspired vintage belts at thrift stores, vintage shops, or army surplus stores.
Just for the record, you may have seen me wear a belt with a pair of pants that did-n’t actually have belt loops—say, sweatpants. That is definitely not for amateurs. Do as I say, not as I do. There are some things Mother just can’t explain.
SUSPENDERS aka BRACES
This will be admittedly brief. Who really wears suspenders anymore? The Amish, yes. Really weird people with no lives who attend Mork and Mindy conventions, yes. Most sane people, no.
I do think suspenders are so cool, though. They look really sophisticated with a suit or a tuxedo. (And by the way—you’re buying that tuxedo, not renting, right? See chapter Nine.) Suspenders should be made of silk, grosgrain, or fine cotton webbing, but they can also be made of braided leather. With a finely tailored suit where the pants are constructed with side tabs and