Full-grain Italian leatherCut from one solid pieceMade by hand in VancouverSolid stainless steel buckleEvery even size, 26 to 581 3/8 inch, 35 mmFree tracked shippingFull-grain Italian leatherCut from one solid pieceMade by hand in VancouverSolid stainless steel buckleEvery even size, 26 to 581 3/8 inch, 35 mmFree tracked shipping
The short answer
Dress pants usually suit a belt 1 to 1 3/8 inches wide (25 to 35 mm); jeans suit 1 3/8 to 1 1/2 inches (35 to 38 mm), and workwear up to 1 3/4 inches. A 1 3/8 inch (35 mm) belt is the one width that fits most dress trouser loops and still looks right with jeans.
Belt width is the one measurement most people never think about, and it is the one that makes a belt look either right or slightly off with a given pair of trousers.
Width
mm
Reads as
Best with
1"
25
Formal, minimal
Suits, slim dress trousers, evening wear
1 1/4"
32
Classic dress
Business trousers, smart chinos
1 3/8"
35
The all-rounder
Dress pants and jeans alike: the Variani width
1 1/2"
38
Casual
Jeans, heavy chinos, cords
1 3/4"
44
Workwear
Work jeans, tool belts, utility pants
Typical ranges. Your own trousers' loops have the final say.
02
Dress pants: slimmer, cleaner, flatter
One width, two wardrobes1 3/8 in
Black 1 3/8" strap with grey wool trousers and a tweed jacket.The same width with light denim. One belt, both jobs.
Tailored trousers have slimmer loops and a finer cloth, so a belt that is too wide bunches, tilts or makes the waistband look crowded. A slimmer strap with a modest buckle sits flat and lets the jacket do the talking.
Keep the leather smooth and dark, the buckle simple, and the colour roughly in step with your shoes. A plain black full-grain strap like #VAR020 or #VAR007 is about as versatile as tailoring gets.
03
Jeans: a little more presence
Denim is heavier and jean loops are larger, so a very slim dress belt can look lost. A strap around 1 3/8 to 1 1/2 inches has the presence to balance the fabric, and a slightly bolder buckle looks at home.
Jeans are also where colour opens up. Natural tan darkens with every year of wear, slate blue bridges the gap between brown and black, and a textured strap like the alligator-pattern #VAR001 works because denim is casual enough to carry it.
Workwear: a dense, heavyweight strap carries a tool pouch without rolling at the edges.
04
Check your belt loops first
Measure the loopLay a ruler inside one belt loop and note its inside height.
Leave a little roomThe belt should be a few millimetres narrower than the loop so it slides through and lies flat.
Try the tightest pairYour slimmest dress trousers set the limit. If a belt fits those, it fits everything else.
Most dress trouser loops comfortably take a 1 3/8 inch belt; most jeans take up to 1 1/2 inch or more. Very slim fashion trousers are the exception, so check before you buy.
05
Why Variani makes one width: 1 3/8 inch
When I designed the Variani belt, I wanted one strap a man could wear to the office, on a Saturday in jeans, and on a job site, without owning three belts. Every width is a compromise; 1 3/8 inch (35 mm) is the compromise that works.
35 mm1 3/8 inch, every Variani belt
26 to 58Every even waist size
1 pieceFull-grain Italian cowhide, never layered
It is slim enough for dress trouser loops and substantial enough for denim, and because the strap is thick full-grain, it holds its shape instead of rolling at the edges at either width of loop.
06
Buckle, colour and proportion
Buckle size follows width. A large buckle on a slim strap looks top-heavy; a tiny one on a wide strap looks unfinished. Variani buckles are proportioned for the 1 3/8 inch strap.
Metal follows the rest of you. Brushed or polished stainless sits well with a steel watch and most cufflinks.
Colour follows shoes, loosely. With tailoring, keep black with black and brown or tan with brown. With jeans, relax the rule.
From the atelier
One width, every outfit
Every Variani belt is 1 3/8 inch (35 mm) full-grain Italian leather.
Most dress trousers suit a belt between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inch (25 to 35 mm). Narrower reads more formal. Check that it passes through the loops flat, without bunching.
What width belt is best for jeans?
Jeans usually take 1 3/8 to 1 1/2 inch (35 to 38 mm), and work jeans can go to 1 3/4 inch. A wider belt balances the heavier fabric and larger loops.
Is a 1 3/8 inch belt formal or casual?
Both. At 35 mm it is slim enough for most dress trouser loops and substantial enough for jeans, which is why it is the one width Variani makes.
How do I know if a belt will fit my belt loops?
Measure the inside height of a loop. The belt should be a little narrower so it slides through and lies flat. Most dress trouser loops take up to about 1 3/8 inch; jeans loops are usually larger.
Should my belt match my shoes?
With tailoring, yes, roughly: black with black shoes, brown or tan with brown. With jeans you have more freedom; a slate blue or tan belt is a good bridge between colours.
Written by
Bian Variani
Designer and leather artisan. Trained in fashion in London and Milan, dressed clients for black-tie events, then spent years in mechanical engineering and metalwork before turning everything he learned to one object: the belt. He has bought his leather in person from the same Italian tannery for about thirty years and makes every Variani belt by hand in Vancouver. About the atelier
Full-grain Italian leather, cut from one piece by hand in Vancouver. Every even size from 26 to 58, solid stainless steel buckle, free tracked shipping.
