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What belt design do I recommend for office?
1. The belt must compliment your pants and not replace them
First of all, a belt should be used to accentuate your outfit and not substitute it. If you’re wearing a pair of brown dress boots then black biker or leather buckles belts would look good with anything from blue jeans to casual chinos/khakis. You can also wear a belt with brown or black shoes and blue jeans to create a contrast that will make your outfit stand out even more.
2. Match metal colors of the belt buckle
The belt buckle should be colored in the same metal as your watch, bracelet, rings and any other accessory you’re wearing. If you’re wearing silver accessories then a silver belt buckle would work. However, you should avoid wearing gold belt buckle if you’re wearing silver watch or ring for example.
3. Match metal colors of the shoes
Shoes could be made from different materials but most often they are made from leather. If your shoes are brown, especially darker toned ones match belt color with shoe color using brown belt for dark brown shoes and black belt for black shoes.
4. Match metal colors of the watch
If you’re wearing a silver or white gold watch then wear a silver or white gold belt buckle to match it. If you’re wearing a golden watch, we recommend matching belt color with the metal in the bracelet, watch or rings you’re wearing in the same outfit.
5. Match belt color with shoes if your pants are darker than your shoes
If your pants are darker than shoes (light gray pants for example with dark brown/black shoes) then match belt ble color with shoe color. If you want to wear brown belt with lighter colored pants, we recommend wearing darker shoes.
6. Avoid belt colors that will clash with the pants color
The only time when we don’t recommend matching belt and shoes is when your belt and shoes are very different colors (bright yellow belt with bright red high heels for example). In such cases, it’s best to avoid belts altogether.
7. Match belt color with belt stitching
If you have a belt that has different colors or tonal leathers, match the belt color to the lighter tone of the belt stitching. If your belt has black stitching then wear a black belt with it.
8. Match belt width to trouser width
Match as well as possible as you can, as belts are no exception to the rule “width matters” (the belt should be half as wide as trouser width, for example).
9. Match belt buckle type with your pants waistline shape
If you’re wearing flat front dress pants then wear a belt with square or rectangular shaped buckle. If you’re wearing pleated or straight leg relaxed fit pants then wear a belt with oval or round buckle.
10. Match belt color to your socks
If you’re wearing dark dress socks, match the belt color with them. If you’re wearing no socks at all, match belt color with pants color (if they are lighter) or shoes (if they are darker).
Belt styles for the office
Belt designs for the office are much more limited than belt styles you can wear with jeans or pants in general. With that said, there are still many possibilities to choose from when designing your outfit for work.
The belt should be made of leather and have an understated design without any buckles showing. If your belt buckle is silver or gold tone then it should be made of the same metal as your other accessories (watch, bracelet and rings).
You can’t go wrong with simple black belt with silver buckle. It’s an ideal choice for casual office outfits but also looks very good when paired with formal attire. Leather belts are usually more dressy than fabric ones so if you’re wearing dark dress pants, consider matching belt color with them.
If you want to wear brown belt with your office attire then pick a lighter shade of brown for the belt and darker ones for shoes, watch and bracelets or rings. You can’t go wrong with classic black business shoes so they work very good when paired with any other type of brown belt.
If you’re wearing dark pants, it’s best to wear black belt with them. If your pants are lighter than shoes then match pants color with belt buckle (silver or gold tone) and not with the belt itself.
Trendy Men’s Belt
Match belt width to trouser width if possible, just like in every other casual outfit combination with belts.
