When a belt is matched correctly with your suit, the result can be remarkable – the belt can unobtrusively complete the outfit. Without you being aware of it, the belt literally holds everything together.
The color of the belt is key to this. The concept in deciding the right color for a man’s belt is simple: leather should match leather. In particular, the color of your belt should match the color of your shoes.
So if you are wearing black shoes, you need to accessorize it with a black belt – and a black shoe with a brown belt can be a fashion disaster. If your shoes a patent leather, you should go for a glossy, highly polished belt. Similarly, a matt-look belt should be paired with matt shoes.
Choosing the color of the belt will also depend on the amount of attention you want to attract to your midriff. When you wear a belt with obvious characteristics – a super glossy leather, say, or a reptile print – the belt will become the focal point of a man’s suit.
Equally though the belt can complement a suit. You can rev up a muted grey suit with a textured belt; you can tone down a dashing navy blue suit with a subtle, matt finish black belt.