<p>What makes a man’s belt a “dress belt?” </p>
<p>Some differences are obvious, but I found myself standing in front of a display of belts today wondering where the line between dress and casual falls. And I need to send a black belt to son for use during interviews.</p>
<p>Thanks to all!</p>
<p>1.5" Width, Smooth Black Leather, Chrome Or Antiqued Brass Rectangluar Buckle.</p>
<p>Ideally the belt buckle should be a closed bar, so that no leather is seen. A really nice one should last your man for decades. This is not something that follows a trend. My dh has one that came from his great-grandfather in tooled silver that looks <em>exactly</em> like the ones you can buy today.</p>
<p>Thanks! I missed these "rules’ somehow.</p>
<p>Novelisto, what is a closed bar? Do you mean that the buckle on the far end (away from the leather) should be one piece??? That’s my guess, but, as I don’t recall seeing another configuration, I’m not sure.</p>
<p>There are belts buckles that do horseshoes, fancy curves, big buckes with a hook arrnagement. Think boring when you think interview quality dress belts with closed bar. </p>
<p>I found it amusing when I went to work at Dell in TX, a men’s belt was not considered dress unless it had metal at the tip. It was actually mentioned in a coaching session for up and coming execs. Does not seem to be a big factor at home in the east. For a student interview, not needed. A dress belt might look boring to student, but a good quality is noticed.</p>
<p>mafool-
I think this might be an example of a solid clasp <a href=“http://www.shoebuy.com/florsheim-5-1156-dress/164543/376559?cm_mmc=nextag-_-none-_-none-_-none[/url]”>http://www.shoebuy.com/florsheim-5-1156-dress/164543/376559?cm_mmc=nextag-_-none-_-none-_-none</a> (its the top belt in this link) <a href=“nextag.com domain name is for sale. Inquire now.”>nextag.com domain name is for sale. Inquire now.; but this site has what I would consider examples of dress vs casual belts <a href=“http://www.belts.com/casualbelts1.html[/url]”>http://www.belts.com/casualbelts1.html</a> and <a href=“http://www.belts.com/casualbelts.html[/url]”>http://www.belts.com/casualbelts.html</a></p>
<p>Dress belts are solid leather- no holes or woven stuff, Just classic,classy solid leather. Can be black or brown, depending on the situation. Please though, don’t go with white :)</p>
<p>edit:
When I found these links, singersmom, I saw the ones with the silver. I thought (“only in Texas!”)</p>
<p>For sartorial questions of this nature, I go right to my source:
<a href=“http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=233&Product_Id=1038464&Parent_Id=228[/url]”>http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=233&Product_Id=1038464&Parent_Id=228</a></p>
<p>As shown in many of the links posted, a dress belt does not need to have a solid metal buckle (closed bar). Most dress belts seem to have very simple, plain buckles.</p>
<p>I knew this was the place to ask! Thanks so much.</p>
<p>With apologies to my friends in Ohio:</p>
<p>Way back when I was in high school, jym626, the white belt look was called a “Cleveland.” </p>
<p>White belt and white shoes was dubbed a “Full Cleveland.”</p>
<p>Mafool: no, a “full Cleveland” has white belt, white shoes, and SOCKS THAT MATCH THE COLOR OF THE (polyester) SHIRT.</p>
<p>mafool ^^^^^ HAHAHAHAHA. I thought it was only in sunny fla where the retirees decked out in white belts and matching socks (with sandals). Where is p2noles when we need him?</p>
<p>ahh- dmd. Thanks for that clarification :D</p>
<p>Well, this was ages ago. I’m sure that the fine folks in Cleveland have long ago evolved beyond that point. (pandering to Ohio-ans to avoid flaming)</p>
<p>dmd: really good one! I missed that distinguishing detail.</p>
<p>ROFL, you guys.</p>
<p>dmd-
Brooks Brothers. Classic. But $98 for a belt??? I was going to post a link to the Cole-Haan belts in my earlier posts, but I thought the $55 pricetag was too high. Now I bow at your feet!</p>
<p><strong>edit</strong>-
I went back to their site and saw some $350 belts!! <a href=“http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/category.jsp?categoryId=300279#page=1,viewAll=FALSE[/url]”>http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/category.jsp?categoryId=300279#page=1,viewAll=FALSE</a> Geex. Now $98 sounds like a bargain! We buy them at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Perfectly fine. and “economical”</p>
<p>I think the Brooks Brothers link was intended as reference material! I found a very nice looking, all leather belt at TJMaxx for a whopping $16. It will be quite sufficient for the present. It probably won’t wear as well as the higher-price options, but that’s fine for now.</p>
<p>My kinda shopper!! $16. There was a thread a while back about expensive shoes and purses. I am way too much of a cheapskate to spend that kinda money.</p>
<p>You’re talking about a belt for a student, right? For some reason, we have had problems hanging onto “our” dress belts for very long (I have two college boys). Between the two of them, I’ve had to repurchase several new belts over the past four or five years. Just a couple weeks ago, my freshman son told me he needed to go to the mall and buy himself new black dress belt, as well as a navy jacket. Navy jackets are also items that we seem to have a problem “keeping in stock”, as this is the second one he’s had in three years. Hopefully we will have a better track record now that my two sons are both a little older. </p>
<p>For this reason, I try to do the TJMax, Marshalls kind of shopping…that way it doesn’t hurt quite so bad if something gets stained, torn, or lost. I don’t expect my sons will be wearing the same size belts in twenty years anyway.</p>
<p>jym626-
I headed over to the Cole Haan site just for fun (I brought work home to do over the weekend and I am indulging in some major procrastination…). Then scrolled down to the women’s shoes and boots. Oh, great, those boots are just what I’m looking for. $475! gasp. close page.</p>
<p>It would actually make some kind of kooky sense to spend that kind of money, as I am likely to wear the same pair of boots for 10 years if they are classic and I like them. But, still!!!</p>
<p>doubleplay- Would that we COULD purchase navy jackets at the likes of TJ. Son wears a 39 Long. A 40 Long will work with tailoring. Not easy to find outside of “good menswear” type establishments.</p>