Why it’s time to throw out all your belts and get one of these instead

by Barron Cuadro  |  in Accessories

Thanks to Anson Belt & Buckle for sponsoring this article. And to you, my readers, for checking it out and supporting the brands that make EG possible.

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I used to be a big guy.

Ten years ago, I had a 38-40″ waist at 5’9″. As I lost the weight and my waist size shrunk, one of my biggest struggles was buying pants.

Sometimes, the waist fit fine. But the seat and legs would be too snug.

Other times, the seat and legs would fit perfectly. But the waist was just a bit too loose.

It’s all a compromise, especially when you’re not built like a mannequin.

Naturally, I’d go with what fit well in the seat and legs. How you feel as you sit down or walk around is a huge factor in overall comfort.

But when everything else fit well, that usually meant the waist was a bit big.

So there was a new dilemma:
Should I take the pants to a tailor and have the waist taken in? Or should I just deal with it and use a belt?

Belts were the easiest (and cheapest) option – one I defaulted to as long as the waist wasn’t too loose. But because I was still dropping significant weight at the time, the belt didn’t always do its job. With the holes spaced so far apart in the leather, it was never a perfect fit.

Some days, wearing my belt at its usual hole (third from the end) felt a bit too snug. Other days, cinching it to the third hole wouldn’t be tight enough. But the second hole from the end would be too loose.

You get my point.

One hole, too tight. The next one over? Too loose.

If you’ve ever been in that same situation, you know how annoying it can be.

And maybe you’re not trying to lose weight. Maybe you just need to loosen that belt up because you ate a big meal. Maybe you fluctuate a few pounds throughout the year.

If you’ve been in similar situations, you should check out Anson Belt & Buckle.

I was first introduced to the brand last year at StyleCon, and they recently sent me a few samples to try for myself. They’re slowly becoming part of my regular rotation, and here’s why:

1a.) Micro-adjustability = No holes = Better fit

 

 

Instead of fastening the belt with a traditional prong buckle, Anson’s belts have a track built in to the strap. A ratchet on the buckle catches each groove as you adjust the belt on your waist.

This means you have over 30 individual sizes, not just five or six sizes like your typical belt. The belt adjusts every 1/4″.

It will fit you perfectly every time.

Another benefit: The track system is super clean. You won’t have to deal with the leather stretch or discoloration that’s normal with most belts.

discoloration and stretching of leather belts for men
Typical discoloration and stretching on a regular belt.

 

1b.) Really small (or really big) waist? No problem

Speaking of better fit, your belt is guaranteed to work for you no matter your waist size.

Anson always ships an extra long strap (approximately 55″). You just trim it with scissors to fit your waist.

Make sure you leave a few inches of extra room. You don’t want to trim too short. It’s best to measure against one of your existing belts and cut it to the same length.

You could technically trim it down to 12″. But you won’t have to, unless you’re a toddler…

So you dudes with small waists who sometimes have to shop in the boy’s department for belts — that issue is a thing of the past.

2.) Lean Wardrobe friendly

Here’s all you need if you’re trying to stay minimal:

  • one black belt
  • one brown belt
  • one canvas belt
  • one casual antiqued style buckle
  • one polished buckle in steel or gold

That covers all your formal and business formal situations, whether you wear brown or black leather. And it covers your casual situations too. Simply switch to the less polished buckle or wear the canvas belt (i.e. with sneakers).

3.) Interchangeable Belts + Buckles = A ton of different looks and styles

A simple black belt can be more casual with an antique metal buckle. Or you can dress it up with a polished gold or steel buckle.

Same goes for a brown belt. Want to dress it up? Use your polished buckle. Want to wear it with chinos and sneakers? Choose something a bit less polished (the antiqued versions are my favorite).

Being able to swap out buckles and belts also makes matching your other leather goods easy.

With one in brown leather, one in black leather, one casual buckle, and one formal buckle, you can cover 97.6% of clothing situations.

Something more exciting

If you have your Lean Wardrobe staples covered, Anson offers a bunch of other options. They have a wide range of leather belts for men (canvas too) in a variety of collors, plus a selection of buckles in different finishes.

Anson Belt & Buckle leather belts for men
There are also 1.25″ straps if you’re looking for something slimmer.

 

Anson Belt & Buckle leather belts for men
Mmm, so many metals to choose from.

 

As you can see, you’re not limited to what I’ve mentioned above. But if you only need the bare minimum, the examples I gave are perfect.

These are the belts I got

If you’re looking for a few belts that would go with almost everything, here are my two suggestions.

anson belt & buckle leather belts for men

The brown leather and black leather are no-brainers.

As far as buckle choice, you have more flexibility. I like the traditional buckles (left, with the brown leather belt) and they come in a variety of metals.

The golf buckle (right, seen here with black leather) is interesting, though I prefer the flat, untextured buckles.

Anson does a gift box option as well.

anson belt & buckle gift box
Choose three straps and two buckles, or two straps and three buckles for right under $100. That gets all your bases covered and you’ll never need another belt again 🙂

Anson also has a lifetime guarantee. If anything happens to the belt’s functionality for any reason, they’ll repair or replace it for free. No fine print, no catch or gimmicks. Just an honest guarantee backed by the owners themselves.

CHECK OUT THE ANSON GIFT BOX

Ready to dump your old belts?

Never had a great belt? Constantly struggle with the spacing between holes in most leather belts for men?

Check out Anson Belt & Buckle.

Which belt + buckle combo is your favorite?