How many times have you put a belt on without even considering how it syncs up with the rest of your outfit?

Chances are that probably happens a lot and you’re not alone. Many of us simply don’t pay enough attention to our belts, which is a shame really.

Belts can be hugely consequential elements of any outfit. Wear one well and it can be the reason why your entire look comes together. Pick out the wrong belt and your ensemble may look like a disjointed mess.

What we’re going to do in this article is highlight the most important points pertaining to belt selection and matching so that you can come up with better looks moving forward.

Now that all of that is out of the way, let’s discuss the belts further.

Choose the Right Type of Belt to Wear

Before we talk about the different belt characteristics, we have to start by determining which type of belt you should be wearing. Ties.com notes that belts generally fall into one of two categories – formal and casual.

Unlike with most articles of clothing, you are more likely to have a formal belt than you are to own a casual belt. Formal belts are easy to work with because they are so versatile. They often come in colors such as black, brown, or blue, thus making it easier to find pieces that pair well with them.

If your fashion sense tends to be on the safer side, you probably have at least one formal belt in your wardrobe. Often, these belts are also fashioned out of leather.

Casual belts are more varied in terms of styling. Different fabrics may sometimes be featured in a single belt and the colors can be varied too.

Because of their bolder looks, it’s often tougher to find items to pair with casual belts.

Formal Belts and Shoes Should Match

If you’re attending a formal event of some kind, you will obviously have to reach for your formal belt. But what should you pair it with?

Many may assume that their belts should match with their pants, but that’s not the case. It’s more important to consider how your belt pairs together with your shoes.

As this article from Berle points out, you should pay more attention to the belt and shoe pairing because the distance between those items matters more when it comes to rounding out your look. Belts paired with the right colored shoes signify cohesion throughout the ensemble.

Thankfully, the rule for pairing belts and shoes is straightforward. The color of your shoes should match the color of your belt. As long as you keep that in mind, you should be able to create an outfit that works.

Don’t Go Overboard with the Buckles

Lastly, you should consider what kind of buckle is on the belt before you decide if it will work for you. We understand that more than a few men out there are fond of the belt buckles that take up a sizable amount of real estate and feature all kinds of patterns and even jewels in some instances.

To be honest though, it’s simply hard to make any kind of work look work with that kind of belt buckle. Some hint of design on the buckle is good, but if the whole thing is just meant to draw attention, it’s not going to be a positive addition to your outfit.

Keep things simple with your belt buckle and you should be fine.

Belts can do a lot for your outfit if you carefully consider how to make the most out of them. The tips above should make it easier for you to select the belts that will hold your outfits together better moving forward.