A Little History About Mens Belts

Mens belts have been around since the Bronze Age, later on they were used by women as well but mainly for fashion. During the 19th century, belts were made fashionable by the military and were worn strictly as a decorative part of the uniform. Thanks to the Eastern European armed forces such as Crimea and Prussia, it was standard for officers to wear tight wide belts around the outer coat of their uniforms. This was done to bring in the waistline, thus giving the soldier a slim statuesque physique.

During the 1920s fashion designers began to make men’s trousers that fell low on the waistline. This is the time period when belts became more of a must in order to keep the trousers up. Once the new fashion design caught on among men it also ended the era when belts were worn for fashion purposes only.

Today, belts for men come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and they are used for several purposes. For example there are specialized utility belts such as a police duty belt, which has pockets and loops for carrying job related equipment. This type of belt is also used by repair personnel, construction workers, and soldiers for their equipment and utilities.

In certain cultures a mens belt can symbolize status, for example in martial arts the color of a belt can indicate such things as rank or a skill level. Among rodeo cowboys, mens leather belts are a symbol of manhood. The same applies with mens leather belts among some African cultures such as the Moors. The different emblems and notches on the belts of the Moorish people stood for various things such as bravery, manhood, and even identified which tribe they were from.

Mens leather belts were commonly used among the Native American cultures to symbolize manhood, rank, and bravery. Even to this day many Native American cultures still use the leather belt as part of their dress regalia during their ceremonies.

What about the shoestring belt buckle? That was not a misprint. Shoestring belt buckles have been fashionable among skateboarders who discovered that the traditional buckle on belts would dig into their stomachs when trying to skate and do various tricks. The shoelace was found to be more flexible, as well as fashionable.

Although it is unpredictable to say what the future of mens belts has in store, it can be guaranteed that it will be innovative and exciting. Rumor has it in the fashion world that companies are already designing an iPhone belt buckle that is sure to be a hit among the technology enthusiasts.

Buying a Mens Leather Belt

There are many different types of mens leather belts. Some are formal wear, suitable for the office or meeting a client, whereas others are studded and perfect for a night out on the town. Prices vary a lot depending on what brand name and type you buy. You can purchase a cheap mens leather belt for less than $3 or spend over $300 for one made by a well known designer.

If you are looking for a belt to wear to work, then a brown or black leather belt is a good choice. Choose a plain one that does not have studs or other patterns. You can either buy the belt online or at a department store; if you prefer the latter option then Sears and J.C. Penney are both good places to shop.  The ever popular J.C. Penney department store sells a number of affordable leather dress belts for less than $25 such as the Dockers Leather Feather-Edge Belt, Men’s Stafford Reversible Leather Dress Belt and Men’s J.Ferrar Glove-Grain Reversible Belt. Sears’ belts are slightly more expensive; they usually cost in the range of $25 to $35 for more affordable models such as the Dockers Leather Belt and Canyon Ridge Reversible Belt.

Buying a belt online can be a lot more affordable than purchasing one from a regular store. Some online retailers offer very good deals on belts for men and it is not difficult to find and purchase a good looking leather belt online for less than $10. You can buy a Black Leather Men’s Dress Belt with two buckles for around $4 or a Basic Dress Leather Black or Brown Belt With Silver Buckle by Executive Collection for $6 at Amazon.com. Online retail site, The Men’s Warehouse, sells a Black Smooth Belt made from leather for just under $10 and Sheplars.com currently sells a Wrangler Men’s Reversible Leather Dress Belt and Men’s Brown Leather Dress Western Belt for around $10 each.

If you have the budget for it, there are some brand name leather belts for men that are quite good looking. A Hugo Boss men’s belt can cost between $75 and $140. A Ralph Lauren men’s belt can be purchased online for around $70, although some models cost quite a bit more. Versace, Prada and Gucci all make men’s belts; these cost at least between $100 and $150; in many cases you would need to pay between $300 and $500 for one of these high end belts. Designer leather belts can either be bought online or at a Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue store. The next time you hit the town with friends, go out in style with a designer leather belt.