I tend to dislike buying belts and ties. I have trouble spending the money retailers charge for what amounts to a strip of leather or fabric. I used to rummage the clearance racks at Marshall's looking for something decent in my size thinking that a belt is the most unimaginative of purchases...like tires and motor oil.
Then I realized buying the same crappy belt every 6 months was getting old and staring to get expensive. So I went on a hunt for a great belt and this is what I found:
1. Material
Leather. With very few exceptions leather is your go-to material. To quote Alex Muniz over at AskMen, "There are, indeed, colored cloth or canvas belts sold by brands like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. While undoubtedly of high quality, take a pass on these. Bright belt colors are fine if you're a teenager, a champion yachter or a superhero, but for everyone else, they're a fleeting trend."
By the way, not all leather is the same. You want a 'full' or 'top' grain leather. Don't be fooled by the marketing techniques dubbed 'genuine' or 'bonded' leather. I'll touch on different leathers more in a later post but for now head over the Dave's blog and do your research.
