What Kind of Belt Do You Wear With Jeans?

You always need to wear a belt with jeans- nobody wants to see your butt cleavage. Those belt loops aren?t for show.

Being a casual piece, jeans need to be worn with a casual belt. This doesn?t mean you are limited to canvas belts in garish colors. Canvas is an option, but a thin leather belt is so much more stylish.

Wear a jeans belt

Luckily for you, some designers specifically sell belts labelled as ?jeans belts?. A jeans belt is thick and durable, unlike a more dainty dress belt. You can be sure that a jeans belt was meant for daily use and will last you awhile. Jeans belts commonly come in brown or black leather, with brown especially being a good choice for blue jeans with prominent brown stitching. Your best bet is to obtain a reversible jeans belt, which is black on one side and brown on the other.

Use the rule of thumb

When you are not sure if a belt is formal or casual, you can use a rule of thumb (literally). A skinny belt that is smaller than the width of your thumb is (probably) a dress belt, while one that is thicker than half a thumb length is more than likely to be a casual belt. There are exceptions- for example, a thin but colorful belt made from heavy cloth is most definitely a casual belt.

Never wear a dress belt with jeans

Even your best pair of jeans doesn?t deserve a dress belt. Jeans don?t have to be a strictly casual item- you will often find a nice pair of jeans at a nightclub or a low-key networking event. When you?re wearing a pair of good jeans, you might think the rules about jeans belts do not apply and may be tempted to wear a dress belt in an attempt to enliven your outfit. Consider that jeans belts were designed specifically for jeans, so an appropriate jeans belt is going to look much better than one designed for slacks. When you?re wearing jeans in a dressy way, however, there is a little less leeway for expressing yourself with your belt. Go for leather in a dark brown or black, and always matching the color of your shoes, when you want to look sharp.

What about the brand label?

Some jeans were just not designed with a belt in mind. Jeans with a leather tag on the back proclaiming the brand name can be tough to wear a belt with. It doesn?t look right to wear a belt partially covering the label, especially if your belt is a completely different color to the label. One option is to slice the vertical stitching and slide your belt behind the label, using it as another belt loop- this is used by those who wish to show off the brand of their jeans. An even better option is to cut the label off altogether, and look for jeans without the label for future denim purchases.