The formal belt
Released in January 2016
Released in November 2017
Switching to a single layer of leather to stop them from peeling off.
Sewn fasteners replaced with metal rivets.
Released in July 2020
Change of buckle: switched to a stainless steel buckle.
Change in assembly: option to swap out or shorten the strap.
To learn the story behind the improvement of this belt, read this article.
Less toxic to produce than the classic (chrome-tanned) version, this type of tanning lets the leather develop a patina over time.
Machined from stainless steel that won't get damaged by knocks and the passing years.
Perfect for pairing with a suit or slightly dressier trousers.
If you're looking for a more casual belt, go for the classic belt, which is 3.5 cm wide.
It's Manon who assembles our belt. Based in the Tarn, in southwest France — one of the country's homes of leather craft — she inherited both her father's workshop and his taste for careful finishing.
Worn, tested and approved by thousands of customers, this belt is the result of several years of continuous improvement. We've refined it over time to reach a quality-ethics-price balance that we now consider ideal. For instance, we could lower the price by opting for a zamak buckle, but it would wear out far too quickly.
The techniques that ensure quality
Full-grain leather
For the strap, we chose full-grain leather, the toughest part of the hide – it's where the density of collagen fibres is highest.
Full-grain leather
304L stainless steel
Metal rivets
304L stainless steel
Usually, brands use buckles made of "zamak". The problem is that their coating always ends up peeling off (as in the photos here). Our buckle is made of 304L stainless steel: sure, it costs three times as much as a standard buckle, but it will never wear out (see our test results).
Full-grain leather
304L stainless steel
Metal rivets
Metal rivets
For our belts and shoes
For the classy fellas
This belt is made from Italian full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather – a top-quality material that will develop a beautiful patina over time. So it can stay with you for life, we designed a timeless stainless steel buckle: it costs three times more than a standard buckle, but it will never wear out.
In detail
Square buckle
Single layer
Some straps are made in a "sandwich" of several layers, which can peel apart over time. Our strap is a single layer of 3 mm thick leather: no risk of it splitting in two.
How to wear it
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
Strap: Full-grain leather
Buckle: 304L stainless steel
Origin and certifications
- Hides: France
- Tanning and dyeing: Italy
- Manufacturing: France (the Tarn, in southwest France)
- Buckle: China
- Pouch and label: Italy
How this product will age
How do we know? We ask our customers what they think of the product one year after they've bought it. And if the product is less than a year old, we give you our predictions based on some spontaneous feedback and on our experience with similar products.
This belt isn't about to give up on you, but it will change over time.
1/ Your belt is made of full-grain vegetable-tanned leather. The strap will have a darker mark and a fold where the buckle presses. And over the years, scuffs will lightly mark the leather and its colour will change. This isn't a sign of poor quality, quite the opposite: the passing of time will give your belt a unique character. We explain here how to easily soften these marks.
2/ The belt will curve as you wear it and mould to the shape of your waist (click here to see what it looks like after a year of daily wear). Don't worry, it's normal: it's what makes leather belts so comfortable.
3/ Finally, leather remains a natural material, so if in a few decades you want to give your belt a new lease of life, you can take it to your usual cobbler, who can replace the leather strap and keep the buckle thanks to the belt's rivet fastening system.
Care instructions
Leather that isn't looked after will sooner or later dry out, crack or lose its shape. And once that happens, it's game over: there's no going back, even if the leather is of excellent quality. On the other hand, if you spend a little time on it, you'll be able to keep your belt for years.
The key thing to understand is that leather is made up of around 5% oils — they're what give it its suppleness and strength. If they escape, the leather dries out. So your goal is simple: keep the leather oiled. That means regularly "feeding" it, at least once a year, with a product made specifically for leather. Be careful: even if it's tempting, don't use a cosmetic cream like Nivea. These are water-based emulsions that can contain 70 to 80% water, which over time risks driving the oils out of the leather and causing it to crack. That's the exact opposite of the effect you want!
What's more, your belt is made of vegetable-tanned full-grain leather, a process that lets the leather develop a patina over time. Over the years, scratches will lightly mark the leather and its colour will change. This isn't a sign of poor quality — quite the opposite: the passing of time will give your belt a unique character. We explain here how to easily soften these marks.
Please note: under the effect of sun, friction or moisture, the leather dye can rub off onto lighter fabrics. It's best to avoid wearing it with white trousers or beige shorts on a scorching day or for a long bike ride...
The belt will curve as you wear it and mould to the shape of your waist (click here to see what it looks like after a year of daily wear). Don't worry, it's completely normal: it's exactly what makes leather belts so comfortable.
Finally, leather is a natural material, so if a few decades from now you want to give your belt a new lease on life, you can take it to your usual cobbler, who can replace the leather strap and keep the buckle thanks to the belt's riveted fastening system.
Reviews for this product
The standard practice is to send review request e-mails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month, the minimum time needed to form a well-informed opinion
Customer review policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We send you a review request one month after you receive your order. We reckon that's the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed a garment several times and to really form a well-informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within the week, whether they're good or not.
Do you ask for reviews on 100% of the products customers order?
We used to do that at first, then we realised we were starting to send far too many emails to some people who buy from us regularly. In short, we were spamming a bit. On top of that, it was starting to take up way too much of the team's time to reply to reviews - since we want to reply individually and privately to almost every person who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews shown on the site for people who want to buy to form a well-informed opinion about the product 2/ We've read enough reviews within the Loom team to understand how to improve the product for the next generation.
Hold your horses: what proves we don't tamper with reviews by slapping 5 stars everywhere?
Honestly: nothing, we're just giving you our word. Same as for everything else, by the way: where we manufacture, where our wool comes from, our lab test scores, and so on. The only times we might touch what you write are if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it's racist, homophobic, and so on (but that's never happened so far).
Asking for a review after a month isn't enough to know whether the clothes really are durable, is it?
You're right, which is why we send you another review request email a year after your purchase – we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. The answers help us improve our clothes and provide information about "how this product will age" on our product pages. To avoid bothering our customers needlessly, we don't ask for these reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand the areas for improvement, we stop asking for the one-year reviews.