How the fit works
On a leather belt, someone punched five holes an inch apart and you live with whichever is closest. On a braid, the strands cross and leave openings the whole length of the strap. You push the prong through wherever it needs to go and the braid closes back around it.
Two things follow from that. Your fit is exact rather than approximate. And there's no single hole taking all the wear, which is the spot where a leather belt usually gives out first.
It also means a braided belt is more forgiving of buying the wrong size than anything else we sell.
Braided leather, or braided fiber
Two different products under one word.
Braided leather is strips of Italian calf crossed by hand into a strap. It has body, it holds a shape, and it ages the way leather does. Our two-tone styles at $115 braid two colors together, navy with brown and cognac with tan, so the strap shifts color depending on how the light hits it.
Braided fiber is rayon or cotton braided with elastic through it. Lighter, stretchier, and available in colors leather can't do. The melange rayon at $110 mixes tones within each strand, which is why the navy has depth to it instead of reading flat. The braided stretch rayon at $120 comes in multicolor combinations including purple, green, and gold. The double braided cotton at $120 uses two braids worked together for a denser texture.
Leather if you want it to last and darken. Fiber if you want it light, stretchy, and interesting.
What to wear it with
Braided belts are casual by construction. The texture is visible from across a room and it reads relaxed no matter what color it is.
They're at their best with chinos, denim, and linen trousers. A two-tone braided leather works with either brown or navy shoes, which is a genuinely useful thing when you travel. Fiber braids belong with summer clothes and on a course.
Not with a suit. That's what a smooth dress belt is for.
Care
For braided leather, condition lightly and rarely. Product collects in the gaps between strands and looks worse than dust does. A soft cloth and patience beat a heavy hand.
For fiber braids, spot clean with a damp cloth and mild soap and let them air dry away from heat. Never a machine, and never a dryer.
Store any braided belt rolled or hanging loose rather than buckled tight, because a braid held under tension for months loses some of its spring.
Related
More braided styles, including braided leather with linen, live in Woven & Stretch and Casual. For the course, see Golf Belts. Longer sizes are in Extended Sizes, and the whole line is in all belts.
Questions we get
Do braided belts have holes?
No. The prong goes between the strands anywhere along the strap, so you can set the fit exactly rather than choosing the nearest hole.
What's the difference between a braided belt and a woven belt?
A braid has strands crossed over one another with visible gaps. A woven belt is made on a loom with a tighter, more regular structure. Braided reads more casual and adjusts more freely.
Do braided belts stretch out?
Leather braids relax slightly and then hold. Fiber braids with elastic in them do lose some spring over years, and storing them buckled tight is what causes it. Store loose.
Can you wear a braided belt with a suit?
No. The texture is too casual. A braided belt is right with chinos, denim, and linen.
What size braided belt should I buy?
Two inches larger than your pant waist. A 34 waist takes a 36. Braided belts are the most forgiving thing we sell if you're between sizes.
Are these real leather?
The two-tone braided belts are Italian calfskin. The melange, stretch rayon, and double braided cotton styles are fiber with leather tabs at the ends. Each product page says which.
