1 inch dress belt useless?

[iroh]

i just bought a size 34 1" width black dress belt from LCG to wear with non-jeans pants, when i got it i didn't realize 1" was a lot less width than i expected.

now what can i wear this 1" belt with? dress pants? what about chinos/khaki's? i know i can't wear it with jeans cause i tried and the belt looks too small.

should I keep the belt or sell it and go with a 1.25" belt, to wear with dress pants or jeans?

 

[TRA8324]

Generally the slimmer the belt, the more dressy it is considered. Of course slimness is relative to your waist size as well. A 30" waist can get away with a slimmer belt than a 38" waist. Considering that is is black, I would say dress pants would be your best bet.

 

[JakeLA]

A good tailor can shorten your belt loops so they're more in proportion with the belt. This costs me about $5 per loop which I think is a pretty good deal for the handwork involved. The alternative is to run the belt through an Ashworth Belt Flattener, but very few shoe repair places have those machines anymore.

 

[David Reeves]

I think its to wear fine with wider belt loops. A bit relaxed in look.

 

[ThinkDerm]

Originally Posted by JakeLA

A good tailor can shorten your belt loops so they're more in proportion with the belt. This costs me about $5 per loop which I think is a pretty good deal for the handwork involved. The alternative is to run the belt through an Ashworth Belt Flattener, but very few shoe repair places have those machines anymore.

would it really make sense to flatten a belt? I can only imagine this ruining a belt.

to the OP - one inch belts are very dressy, and considered high quality.

an under appreciated sizing is 1.125 (1 and 1/8th) - this is the perfect sizing of dress and not too thin.

most slide buckle belts take only 1 inch, so that is what they are used for mainly now.

 

[JamesX]

You can wear it with anything. Just make sure the belt isn't the only thing keeping your pants up, or you will bend it in no time. A Belt doesn't have to fill the entire belt hoop.

 

[jrd617]

1.25'' is ideal. That's what Brooks Brothers/AE/C&J/Dingman/RL/Zegna belts are.

 

[iroh]

.

 

[yorkjj]

In addition, I purchased an excellent quality dress belt years ago online in black, but when it arrived it was 1 1/2" wide. I have a 31" waist, and it barely went through the loops on dress trousers and looked way too wide. So, the sweet spot seems to be 1 to 1 1/4". I also purchased a vintage alligator belt which was 7/8" - way too slim. Chinos and khakis are good candidates for the thinner ones.
I keep the wider belts for jeans, the skinniest ones for khakis when a sweater covers them up. Otherwise, it looks a bit weird.
I also fully agree on the 1 1/8" as almost perfect for most size men and most trousers.

 

[ThinkDerm]

Originally Posted by yorkjj

I also fully agree on the 1 1/8" as almost perfect for most size men and most trousers.
this.

1 and 3/8ths is also a great size for denims

 

[ThinkDerm]

Originally Posted by iroh

goddamn it i wish i hadn;t wasted $57 on this belt and gotten a 1.25" black belt instead, it would have been more versatile and i would have actually worn it. now the damn 1" belt is just sitting in the back of the closet what a waste of money the most expensive belt i ever bought cause i will probably never wear it.

 

[Flartchy]

1.25 ftw

 

[iroh]

I just tried on my 1" dress belt with my new pair of slim fit chinos/khakis and it looks strange.

Does anyone have any pictures of themselves wearing a 1" dress belt with a pair of pants?

 

[pvrhye]

whether it's useless or not depends on which dimension is 1"

 

[ewc]

Originally Posted by iroh

I just tried on my 1" dress belt with my new pair of slim fit chinos/khakis and it looks strange. Does anyone have any pictures of themselves wearing a 1" dress belt with a pair of pants?
1" dress belt from LGC, black, to assuage/confirm your fears (31.5" waist):

bonus shot with jacket (Yes, I know the belt is an inch or two too long.)