Don’t get overwhelmed by step 1, choosing material is easy.
Although leather still dominates the belt industry, suede is starting to pick up the slack. Suede impresses with is unique texture and sophistication, but leather is a better everyday material and can handle the elements better than suede. In the end, leather vs. suede comes down to a matter of preference since leather and suede can be just as dressy as each other depending on the color. Choose depending on your function.
Cotton is a totally different animal. It’s much more casual – great for shorts and jeans in the summer. Cotton belts have become popular in all kinds of colors and patterns.
Well Black and Brown belts are an easy place to start.
Every man needs a black belt, a dark brown belt (chocolate recommended) and a light brown belt (cognac recommended). Period. Beyond that, you need some belts that let you not look like every other robot out there…
Glossy vs. Matte Leather?
Glossy leather is a bit shinier than matte, making it look more formal. Don’t wear a matte black belt with a suit, but looks great with jeans.
Dark vs. Light Material?
An easy rule of thumb is the darker the color, the dressier the belt. Beyond Black and Brown belts, Navy, Burgundy and Forest Green will be easy to wear and subtle in any situation. Lighter and brighter colors will be great in the spring / summer with your pastels or on the golf course.
Cotton belts can work in absolutely any color. Remember that you are going to get to add a stripe to your cotton belt as well.
Add a little panache with a solid or patterned stripe to your cotton belt. We sew the design right onto the belt and you are ready to go. Great way to make themed belts for holidays or sporting events in addition to just general fun.
We use the same Italian-tanned leather for the trim of our cotton belts as we do for our leather belts. If you chose D-Ring buckles, your trim will be much less noticeable (because there is a lot less of it) than if you chose the classic belt buckles. Either way, to avoid clashing colors, its easiest to stick to basics for the trim. Browns are by far the easiest to match.
Now things are getting interesting
Choose “Same as Belt Color” to have a regular belt. Choose something more exciting seems like a better idea. Even a dress belt for the office can have a different color loop – think brown belt with a navy loop. Are you horrible at matching colors or picking ones that look good together? Think of your favorite sports team, they have spent a lot of money matching colors. Could backfire completely though, my Bengal belt is a bit aggressive…
No crazy belt buckles here
Roller buckles add a casual element to the belt, where as the non-roller buckles are more traditional and better for a dressier workplace. Square buckles are generally more popular than the circular.
If your making a cotton belt, D-Rings are the classic connector, but the other buckle choices will make your cotton belt look a bit more formal.
Have your own belt buckle that you want to use? When you are checking out, in the comments field, write "Give me a button snap buckle connection so I can attach my own buckle." You will be able to interchange buckles as your please.
Don't over think this
Buckle color is really a matter of preference but gold tends to be slightly dressier and silver a bit more versatile. Each color comes in two finishes: polished or burnished. Similar to leather, the shinier polished finish is dressier than the matte. Both are fine with any type of belt material.
Have your own belt buckle that you want to use? When you are checking out, in the comments field, write "Give me a button snap buckle connection so I can attach my own buckle." You will be able to interchange buckles as your please.
I bet you’ve never chosen the stitch color on anything. Don’t worry, its not so hard…
First-off, do you want stitching? Non-stitched belts look far more casual than stitched belts, they are mainly for jeans and shorts.
Matching vs. Colorful Stitching?
All of your current belts have stitch that matches the belt color. You can certainly go this route - just choose the closest color and we will make it match. We don’t believe a colorful un-matching stitch means less dressy. Just remember, if you want a subtle approach choose dark stitching with dark belt fabric. For a more bold statement, contrasting light and dark stitch/fabric combination stands out far more.
"Feathered Edge" belts puff out in the middle and are stitched tightly on the edges, giving a much dressier and classic look. "Straight Edge" belts have a more casual look and appear wider because they don't slope off at the edges. Straight Edge belts have become very popular as of late. All cotton belts will be made "straight edge." Belts with no stitching will be "straight edge".
All of our cotton belts will be made 1.25". 1.5" in leather and suede is great for jeans and shorts and more casual looks, but be careful it may not fit the belt loops on your dress pants. 1.25" should be your answer for all more formal outfits.
Length matters
Please select your pant waist size. We will add 3 inches to it so it fits nicely over your pants.
Want more information? Visit our Sizing Guide.
After purchasing your custom crafted belt, if it’s a new unique design, we will post it on our website for 30 days. Every time another person buys it, you will receive $2 and the charity of of the month will receive $2!
So just choose a user name, a name for your belt and let us know how to pay you (obviously this won’t be displayed), or you can opt-out of this all together.
We will refund you for any rewards. If you earn more rewards than you spent on BeltCraft, then we will PayPal you or mail you a check. Please be careful to choose the right option for how to get paid. Payments will not be reissued if you enter the wrong information!
Find Your Perfect Size: Sizing Guide