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What makes a great belt?

TCN

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Originally Posted by Teacher
Polo used to have some great, great belts. I have three or four, and all have held up very beautifully for the many years I've had them. I can't say what Polo belts are like now, but several years ago they were gems.

I picked up a great English made, suede Polo belt at the recent sale (retail: $125), any idea who makes it?
 

cloud9eleet

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Originally Posted by drink8648
LAI, which stands for Luxury Apparel International. Best belt in the market. All our belts have snap backs, all our belts are 1 3/8" all belt buckles are interchangable, all belts are made in Brooklyn, NY. The best belt you'll ever own, period! We also special order to your specs in a selection of leathers and skins.

Gary


Where is this place located in Brooklyn? I need a few new belts.
 

FidelCashflow

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Originally Posted by drink8648
Men do care when considering luxury goods. I would not have taken the time to post about these belts if they where ordinary.
Well at the very least, we need to see pics of these belts to get an idea of what is so special about them. Also, doesn't a financial interest count as a reason to post about these belts? If the belts are as special as you claim, your heaping of praises may well be warranted. But until we see, I think a few people will be skeptical. But going back to the OP, we seem to be stuck in a rut here, because from the answers, it seems there is no definitive list of what makes a great belt beyond being all full-grain leather, which is fairly common.
 

Drinkwaters

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Originally Posted by caelte
Are you saying your selling a high end luxury belt? If you are, I'd like to see it. I'm always looking for a top quality belt maker.

Here are a few of the belts we offer from LAI.
 

Jared

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Originally Posted by drink8648
Here are a few of the belts we offer from LAI.
Ah okay, in addition to being quality these are quite unique. They are artisan belts made with stylish combinations of custom options. I have no doubt that such belts are a step apart and worth at least what you're charging for them.
 

lawyerdad

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Very nice, Gary. Thanks for posting the pics.
 

FidelCashflow

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Those are some pretty nice belts Gary.
 

erdavis

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My take on what makes a great belt is a few things.

1) Don't wear boring buckles. I don't wear anything flashy like a cowboy belt, I just look for clean designs made out a decent metal like silver. Don't worry about price, if you like the buckle at its $500, who cares!! It is only going to last between 20-40 years and even then it has scrap value, try doing that with shoes.

2) Pick out a hide that is well made. Any belt is going to last pretty well, but look at the details, the stitching, the way the edging is done etc... This isn't a longevity game, this about texture, appearance and how it feels when you wear it. I have hidess from $50-1,000 and the $500 hide definitely feels and looks better than the $50 one.

The biggest thing to realize is BELTS MATTER. They are that small detail that when people see you, they see, but don't think about.

In the high dressing game, the little details matter alot. If you don't care about small details, why would a person spend time on SF.

--That is my 5 cents worth.
 

Drinkwaters

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Originally Posted by cloud9eleet
Where is this place located in Brooklyn? I need a few new belts.

LAI is not a retailer. They are a manufacturer of Luxury Leather Accessories. Here is a link to their web site. Enjoy! They really are the best. www.luxuryaccessories.com

Gary
 

Drinkwaters

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Originally Posted by caelte
It's difficult to photograph belts.

Does this mean I meet your standard of photgraphy skills. I have finally achieved how to post my own pics on this forum. Thanks to everyone who assisted me before.

Gary
 

ThinkDerm

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Originally Posted by emptym
Visited your shop a couple of years ago. Nice place.
1 3/8, huh? A bit too wide for my taste, except for w/ jeans.

I read once about a small company in Germany that makes belts w/o a separate underside/liner. Instead, to create say a 1" belt, they start w/ a 2" wide piece of leather and roll or fold the sides into a tube, flatten it, and then stitch it flat, either just in the middle or at the edges too. That way you have one solid piece of top-grain leather making the belt. The founder argued that this was the best way to make a belt. Has anyone seen or heard of this?


tubo
 

Klobber

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Originally Posted by DocHolliday
My two considerations:
1. Looks decent
2. Is cheap


Smart man. I have gone through a revolution of thought - accessories like belts, ties, pocket squares etc dont have to be the premium quality. Look nice = a must. Reasonable quality = a must. Exceptional quality = not necessary.

I went through a stage earlier last month questioning whether I should replace a beat up old Hermes belt with a new one, and decided my days of blowing $700 on accessories like this are over (even though I have more than double the income compared to the time I actually spent this much on a belt).

I would rather spend my childrens inheritance on other material possessions rather than copious amounts on accessorizing.
 

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