Man Mode: Rules of Belts and Shoes

Hey guys, welcome to the blog! I know you’ve been watching me ;), so I hope you’ll continue to stick around, and come back often.
One of my goals for the new year is to incorporate some styling advice for you into this lil ‘ol space of mine. Since I dress you in real life, it seems only fair that I include you in the style advice I offer here.

Today’s topic: The Rules of Matching Belts and Shoes.

One of the biggest looming questions in the minds of men seems to be: Must I match my belt to my shoes?

Great question! I think that there are a few rules of thumb to stick to, but I also think you can break them depending on the situation. Everyone knows black belts should be worn with black shoes, and brown belts should match tones of the brown shoes, right?… but is playing it safe really all that fun? If you want to be one in a million, that’s the easy answer. However, there are a few ways you can show your personality and be a little more stylish than the average joe… I’m breaking things down for you below:

• Blacks

1. The more dressy the outfit, the more the need to match belt and shoes.
2. When wearing a suit, your belt and shoes should match in color AND leather finish AND shine.
3. Dress shoes require a dress belt when paired with suits and tailored trousers. Dress shoes paired with more casual business wear and jeans get a pass on pairing with dress belts. Matching texture and shine are more the concern in this situation.

• Browns: this is a whole different game. And you can get away with breaking the rules a bit. You go daredevil!

1. The more dressy the outfit, the more the need to match belt and shoes in the same tones. Keeping to similar shades works great, and the pants will break up your look, so there’s no need to be too matchy-matchy.
2. Just as with black, keeping to the same leather finish and choosing a dress belt when dressing in a suit should be your goal. You don’t want to opt for a beautifully shiny leather and then add a suede belt, for instance.
3. Most style rules dictate that when wearing a dress shoe, the belt should match, but if you’re in a business casual environment, I definitely think you can bend the rules and play up personality. Try a brown-suede oxford with a belt in a pop of color. And yes, you can wear dress shoes with jeans {so long as it’s done correctly ;)}, and opt for a wider leather belt in a complimenting texture/shine.

In summary, your shoes will mostly decide the type of belt you’re wearing. With suits/tailored trousers, only wear dress shoes and a dress belt. You’re advertising yourself; make an understated and sharp impression, don’t go for silly distractions. When opting for browns, a dress shoe in any other occasion can be paired with a belt of similar texture/shine, but you can also break the rules while letting your personality aid in the styling {as you can see on the style board below}. Brown shoes lend more style ease when it comes to mixing and matching, and can be less formal than black. Of course, when going casual and wearing casual footwear, your options for coordinating belts are aplenty. 

cashmere sweater // blazer // pant // belt // oxford

Style Note: I always love finding clients a super great pair of socks that really bring out their personality. It’s a good way to add that lil somethin’ somethin’ to your business suit {or any outfit} while keeping it professional, especially if you’re not one to stand out too much. Socks, and ties for that matter, are perfect for playing with your style.

You may also like a refresher on dressing the male body: trapezoid & inverted triangle, triangle and oval, and rectangle. Also check out a few tips on how your vertical proportions affect your dressing.

Next week’s topic: Wearing a suit without a tie…
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