5 Tips to Matching Your Belt and Shoes

Section: Building Your Wardrobe - Blog

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Black shoes plus black belt; brown shoes plus brown belt. That's all you need to know - right? Wrong! Here's the crucial tips you need to mix and match like a fashionista.

Black and black – easy right? If only the world of men’s suiting was such a simple place, we’d all look wondrously stylish day in, day out. The truth is, matching your belt to your shoes is a sartorial commandment that has somehow been lost or forgotten, perhaps it was written on the back somewhere, who knows? What we do know is it’s not rocket science, but there are a few pitfalls that are easy to fall into.

Match Colours as closely as possible

Never tell someone to pick out a brown belt for you as it’s almost guaranteed it won’t match your shoes.

There are fifty shades of brown, so wearing your belt to the shoe store is a piece of common sense everyone should possess.

Textures should also match

Those shiny brogues might look the proverbial bee’s knees, but do they really match that knitted belt? Would a matte black belt look good with glossy patent leather shoes? These are the small details that make or break a look, so pay attention to them.

belt Buckles can match accessories

If your shoe has a buckle, then match those to your belt buckle, if not then you can go with your accessories such as your cufflinks, your tie clip, or even your watch.

Matching to any of these accessories makes your buckle one of the team, but don’t over accessorize, that’s just for wannabe hip hop stars.

Buy the Belt First

It might seem odd to do so but getting your belt first is a much easier option than doing it the other way around. Shoes provide endless shades, styles, and textures and let’s face it, there are far more shoe shops that there are belt stores.

Slim shoes need slim belts

If you like the pointed toe and slimmer style shoe, then a thinner belt is a must. It continues a theme throughout your look and, believe it or not, is a surefire way to score high points in the style stakes. After all, if you've gone to the trouble to choose slim fit suitsto accentuate your body style, why not make it a couple look? Likewise, can be said about broader shoes and wider belts. Size matters but only in so much as it should match.

We’re quite sure that every man (like us in our early days) has worn a black belt with brown shoes at some point in his suit-wearing life. But now that you’re in the loop, we’re more than confident that it won’t happen again, will it? If you'd like more help putting together jaw-dropping outfits, just pop by our showrooms and schedule a personal consultwith one of our style specialists.

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