Picking the Best Leather Dress Belt

Belts have been used for many many years, but it wasn’t until the early 1900's that the belt really took off as we know it today.

The belt itself has not changed much over the years, with leather being the preferred fabric, and a long, tapered material being the usual shape.

Leather belts replaced suspenders and offered men a more causal and easy way to adjust and wear their pants. As such, we saw the introduction of the modern belt buckle, which tends to feature a beautiful metal buckle or a cowboy buckle, or even a custom made buckle. 

Because of the simple mechanics of a belt, we see this utilitarian tool used in all manner of ways; from the police officer’s duty belt to concealed carry belts, it seems there is a belt for every occasion. 

The trouble is, many guys go through life with only one or two belts – likely a black one and a brown one. Not only is this kinda boring, but it ignores how much belts have to offer the average man.

Pick the wrong belt, and you could look completely out of place. Choose a great leather belt, and you could find yourself on the receiving end of a compliment. 

Not to mention, the right belt will also save you embarrassment from any disastrous pants-down scenarios.

So, for this crucial reason, I’m going to show you how to pass the test of men’s fashion:

Belts typically fall into one of two categories: Dress Belts and Casual Belts.

Dress belts are more formal and are typically worn with suits and dressier types of attire. Casual belts are less formal, and can be worn with jeans, shorts, and a multitude of other types of clothes.

Occasionally belts can be both dress and casual, but that's fairly rare. We'll dig into the specifics of each type of belt, and what you should keep in mind when selecting your belt.

Generally, casual belts are fairly wide and are crafted from a nice bridle leather, which tends to get more comfortable over time since it shapes to your body.

Not to mention, the best everyday belts also get better looking the longer you wear it, showcasing your little victories over the daily grind. Here are our favorites.  

These are some of the leather belts that you don't have to think twice about. You roll out of bed, tug on some decent pants and chinch it all together with a nice, sturdy and stylish strap of leather. 

There’s a reason leather belts are so popular; they last. Unlike other fabrics that wear away with daily use, leather stands up to a beating and can last many years with very little maintenance. 

The main question you should be asking is: "Is genuine leather real leather" In a pop quiz, most men get this wrong. 

Here’s why.  Genuine leather is a lot like 'fake gold' and doesn’t actually mean the leather is real, or that it will last as long as a high-quality and real leather belt. 

Genuine leather is simply the lowest grade that a product can be sold as leather with.  These tend to have a lesser quality appearance and will always be the lowest priced of all leather belts.

Top-grain leather is the mid-range option and is a great choice for most men. Top-grain leather has a much more attractive and quality look than genuine leather, without the price tag of real leather.

Full-grain leather takes the entire grain of hide, with all the imperfections and inherent toughness of the material.

And real leather, as noted, is the highest quality leather you can buy. This is the one you will covet the most because it acts, smells, and lasts like leather ought to. Expect to pay top retail dollar for this kind of leather, but for that investment, you will get a lifetime of wear. 

Bridle Leather refers to the way that a piece of real leather (cow hide) is finished at the tannery. Bridle leather has both the flesh and grain side of the leather treated with greases and finished with wax. 

This is usually a labor intensive process, thus expensive! Only the best grades of leather are treated like this, as it would not be economical to treat poor quality leather in this way. 

Most of the belts made by MAJR Leather Goods are made using Bridle leather. We also use only the best quality buckles and Chicago style screws and snaps (Yes they are removable). 

You can shop with confidence that you are only getting the best from us. Hand-made bridle leather belts for any occasion!