“My belt holds my pants up, but the belt loops hold my belt up. I don’t know what’s happening down there. Which one’s the real hero?” Mitch Hedberg.
The belt Mitch. Definitely the belt. The belt is the unsung hero of accessories, the unseen band that keeps us buckled up tight and neatly tucked in.
Everybody has a belt and every gent has a favourite belt. The real peacocks may even have several belts; dress, formal, casual, sporting and business. Most of us have one, multi-role device that can be deployed on any and every trouser situation.
But who knew that a humble belt could be a powerful tool for building brand awareness and loyalty too (there’s a joke about customer retention in there somewhere)? Who knew that there was such a thing as a celebratory belt?
Everyone knows the anniversary gift thing. First anniversary you get paper, fifth is wood, thirtieth is pearl, fiftieth gold and sixtieth diamond. What is less well known is that 200 is a belt. Apparently.
With our friends at SLAM, we've recently made some rather snazzy and distinctly classy belts for the Royal Yacht Squadron’s bicentenary. It’s not the only way to celebrate two hundred years of competitive sailing camaraderie, but we think it’s one of the most dapper.
Encircled in leather and fabric, the Squadron’s pennant is beautifully embroidered either side of the dates, and would be appropriate for any gentleman to wear at any occasion from weddings to bar mitzvahs. It would even be rather fetching gift for the nautical lady.
The last word goes to that timeless fashion maven, Twiggy. “Belts distract the eye from a bloated tummy, a heavy-set upper body and all manner of sins. They can be a superb way to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank, and there's no reason to stop wearing them, ever!”
Listen to Twiggy Mitch. The belt’s the hero.
