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Business casual - no belt

TwelveStyles

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Hey folks,

I've seen a number of threads discussing the no-belt look when wearing a suit. I was surprised to see so many were okay with this.

Anyway, I had a similar question. What if you're wearing dress pants, shoes, and shirts, but no tie or jacket? The reason I ask, is that I don't ever recall seeing someone wearing a suit without a belt (of course, the jacket would hide this mostly), but I've seen quite a few people go without a belt when not wearing a jacket or a tie.

So, what do you all think of this look? Assuming the pants do have belt loops, no side adjusters, no suspenders, but fit the person very well without a belt.

As for me, sometimes when I see someone dressed as such, it looks off, while other times it looks perfectly fine.
 

YRR92

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If you have belt loops, you ought to wear a belt.
 

archibaldleach

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If your trousers have belt loops, you need to wear a belt. Period. Whether you are wearing a jacket or not does not matter.

Trousers (suit or odd) with suspenders or side tabs do not take a belt. I greatly prefer the belted look when not wearing a jacket but prefer no belt and trousers with side tabs when I am wearing an odd jacket. If your trousers fit, you really don't need a belt to keep them up and the jacket should sufficiently cover the waist area so nobody will care if you are wearing a belt. I don't think that there is necessarily anything wrong with having side tabs on your business casual trousers worn sans jacket but it is definitely something people will notice. I would avoid suspenders, however, anytime you are not wearing a jacket.
 

Seluv

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Whether a person can pull off the no-belt look in a business casual outfit of: trousers (suit or odd), tucked in shirt, but no jacket or tie and tie and look perfectly fine is going to depend on the fit of the clothes and the comfort level of the guy wearing the items. Some man who always wear a belt and accidently forgot it will probably "look off," while likely the style conscious person can come across as "perfectly fine." The fact, I have been waited on by a few clerks in men's clothing stores wearing the exact outfit you described demonstrates it is a legitimate choice.

As someone, who never wears a belt with blue jeans and will often go without a belt when wearing a suit, you can probably guess I have done the same in the middle business casual ground too. While I almost always have on a sport coat, there is a peculiar classic look when coat is pull back or deliberately taken off to reveal the empty loops and waistband.

While a couple of other posters commented, "If you have belt loops, you need to wear a belt," they forget some of us, who are shorter in height don't benefit by wearing anything that visually cuts us in height.

Last week one day at work, I noticed a guy somewhat shorter than myself, who never wears any belt with his suit trousers had threaded a thin black one around, which puckered and wrinkled up the waistband of stylish light gray suit. I was tempted to tell him of his mistake, but politely kept thoughts to myself.
 

archibaldleach

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While I almost always have on a sport coat, there is a peculiar classic look when coat is pull back or deliberately taken off to reveal the empty loops and waistband.

While a couple of other posters commented, "If you have belt loops, you need to wear a belt," they forget some of us, who are shorter in height don't benefit by wearing anything that visually cuts us in height.


I am somewhat shorter in height myself but will wear a belt if trousers have belt loops. If you want a beltless look, do not get trousers with belt loops or at least have the belt loops removed. In fact, the classic beltless look exists because a lot of custom trousers traditionally did not come with belt loops. I have found myself getting more of my MTM trousers made sans belt loops since I greatly prefer it when wearing a jacket but am not self conscious sans jacket either. The key is that the right way to pull off a beltless look is to get the proper trousers for it, not wear trousers designed for a belt and omit the belt. That just loops sloppy IMO.
 

TwelveStyles

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Are pants without belt loops, or with the loops removed considered more casual or less conservative (with or without jacket, no suspenders or side adjusters)

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GBR

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Something of a naïve question: If the trousers have belt loops you MUST wear a belt. If they were designed and made without then of course you don't. Some people have their suits made without which is what you will have seen.
 

AlexE

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Whether a person can pull off the no-belt look in a business casual outfit of: trousers (suit or odd), tucked in shirt, but no jacket or tie and tie and look perfectly fine is going to depend on the fit of the clothes and the comfort level of the guy wearing the items. Some man who always wear a belt and accidently forgot it will probably "look off," while likely the style conscious person can come across as "perfectly fine." The fact, I have been waited on by a few clerks in men's clothing stores wearing the exact outfit you described demonstrates it is a legitimate choice.

As someone, who never wears a belt with blue jeans and will often go without a belt when wearing a suit, you can probably guess I have done the same in the middle business casual ground too. While I almost always have on a sport coat, there is a peculiar classic look when coat is pull back or deliberately taken off to reveal the empty loops and waistband.

While a couple of other posters commented, "If you have belt loops, you need to wear a belt," they forget some of us, who are shorter in height don't benefit by wearing anything that visually cuts us in height.

Last week one day at work, I noticed a guy somewhat shorter than myself, who never wears any belt with his suit trousers had threaded a thin black one around, which puckered and wrinkled up the waistband of stylish light gray suit. I was tempted to tell him of his mistake, but politely kept thoughts to myself.


There is nothing wrong about you preferring the belt-less look since wearing belts, suspenders or going without side tabs are equally correct choices with a lounge suit and merely matters of personal taste and comfort.

However, there is nothing peculiar classic about showing empty belt loops - this actually just shows that you bought the wrong trousers for your purposes. If you wanna go without belt or suspenders then I highly recommend you buying trousers with side tabs ... Or at least get the belt loops of your trousers removed.
 

TwelveStyles

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I understand the argument that one should wear a belt because it doesn't look good otherwise, but I'm having trouble seeing logic in the statement that a belt should be worn simply because there are belt loops, especially if the pants fit well and the belt serves little to no functional purpose. Wouldn't this be akin to saying that if a suit jacket comes with two buttons they should both be buttoned?

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AlexE

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I understand the argument that one should wear a belt because it doesn't look good otherwise, but I'm having trouble seeing logic in the statement that a belt should be worn simply because there are belt loops, especially if the pants fit well and the belt serves little to no functional purpose. Wouldn't this be akin to saying that if a suit jacket comes with two buttons they should both be buttoned?

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The example you picked is a convention which developed over decades. Leaving the belt loops empty remains sloppy until it becomes a convention like leaving the bottom button of a jacket open (which it probably never will).
 
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TwelveStyles

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The example you picked is a convention which developed over decades. Leaving the belt loops empty remains sloppy until it becomes a convention like leaving the bottom button of a jacket open (which it probably never will).

Not a perfect example by any means, but I was trying to make a point that just because something is there shouldn't be the reason behind why it must be used. I know jacket buttons are a long-time convention, not using jacket pockets is out of necessity, etc.

Having said that, enough people think the no-belt on pants with loops is inappropriate (regardless of their reasons) that I will not be doing this. I may invest in some trousers with side tabs for this purpose in the future. Thanks everyone for your input :)
 

archibaldleach

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Not a perfect example by any means, but I was trying to make a point that just because something is there shouldn't be the reason behind why it must be used. I know jacket buttons are a long-time convention, not using jacket pockets is out of necessity, etc.

Having said that, enough people think the no-belt on pants with loops is inappropriate (regardless of their reasons) that I will not be doing this. I may invest in some trousers with side tabs for this purpose in the future. Thanks everyone for your input :)


Well, the other thing is that jackets today are cut assuming the bottom button will not be buttoned and buttoning it has sub-optimal effects other than defying convention. I can't see this happening with belt loops.

I do think the side tabs will serve you well, though.
 

Academic2

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[...] Wouldn't this be akin to saying that if a suit jacket comes with two buttons they should both be buttoned?

No. That’s a false analogy. Loops without a belt looks like you didn’t finish dressing yourself, an entirely different effect.

Cheers,

Ac
 

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