Tan Cognac Brown Calf Leather Belt Aniline Dyed Cut-To-Size - Folded Edges 3cm x 120cm - Fort Belvedere

For gentlemen of style, a belt is far more than just a means to keep your trousers up: it is a unique accessory that communicates so much about you and your personal style. But the modern belt industry is swamped with belts in two extremes: excessively expensive belts that lack versatility and shoddy, cheap belts that are poorly made.

Fort Belvedere has solved this problem by offering well-made belts in classic colors and metallic finishes that function as part of a modular system. Every one of our belts and buckles can be mixed and matched with other belts and buckles in the system. This offers you considerably greater versatility than individual fixed-sized belts with attached buckles without having to compromise on quality.

As with all Fort Belvedere products, you can also be sure that you are investing in quality: unlike other belt makers, we never market inferior cowhide as “top grain” leather, and you can be sure that our hardware is the best available, not cheap zamac buckles pumped out by Chinese factories.   

 This belt is part of our Exchangeable Belt System. Each belt is sold individually without a buckle. You can select any of our Fort Belvedere buckles and purchase them separately to start building a collection of belts and buckles that can be combined in a multitude of ways, offering a variety of belt styling options at a fraction of the cost.

Volume discounts can be applied for both belts and buckles: the more that you buy, the more you will save. See below for details. 

Well-made belts are often extremely expensive, but also extremely particular: conventional belts come in one color with one type of metal buckle, severely limiting the versatility of the belt and its ability to function with multiple outfits and shoes. In order to properly harmonize with your entire wardrobe, you might be compelled to buy almost a dozen belts in various combinations of belt leathers and buckles.

Fort Belvedere has solved this problem with our Exchangeable Belt System. Now, you can enjoy belts of the highest quality that have the flexibility of an interchangeable buckle system, making pairing with shoes and metals a breeze. For example, during a trip, packing three Fort Belvedere belts and three buckles will allow you to create combinations that are equivalent to having packed nine belts, all at a fraction of the cost and the space needed for packing. 

Our Exchangeable Belt System is also completely future-proof, so you can feel secure in knowing that any future belts or buckles we release will be fully compatible with the current system. As our collection grows, you will have even more options for expanding and diversifying your belt and buckle collection.

What makes this belt special?

1. Handmade by Master Portuguese Belt Makers. Belts seem to be deceptively simple accessories, but when you factor in the details that ensure quality like hand-stitching, folded edges, 3-layer construction, and artisanal embossing, it’s clear that they require a great deal of work in order to be done right. That is why we have commissioned our belts from a master craftsman in Portugal whose family has been working in this trade for generations. That dedication to quality is exactly what sets Fort Belvedere belts apart from inferior mass-produced alternatives that cannot match the quality of our raw leather, interlining, threads, or buckles.

2. Convenient Clip On/Off Lever System. Interchangeable belt buckles should never have clunky hardware that is ugly and obvious, nor should swapping them out be a time-consuming hassle. A hallmark of Fort Belvedere buckles is that they have the same refined detailing and low profile of conventional belt buckles, but with the added benefit of interchangeability. A discreet but durable solid brass lever allows you to easily slip the buckle off of one belt and onto another. When locked in place, the lever activates three sturdy teeth that ensure a secure, comfortable fit. No special tools or excessive force are required to remove the buckle, and the entire operation takes about three seconds thanks to our smart clip system.   

3. Superior Calfskin Leather. Most belts on the market today use cowhide because the skins are available in larger sizes at lower costs. Calfskin, however, is superior to cowhide in every way when it comes to belt leather, thanks to its exceptionally soft touch, dazzling grain appearance, and durable flexibility.

4. Calfskin Sourced from the Finest German Tannery. The outer shell of Fort Belvedere belts is made from calfskin prepared by a small, artisanal tannery in Germany. This tannery has been dying leathers for centuries, and they specialize in the production of luxury calf skins. In fact, this same tannery provides leathers for fashion houses like Hermes, with belts that retail for over $800.

SInce Fort Belvedere adds no fashion-house mark-ups, we can offer to you at a fraction of the cost the same superlative quality of leather. Because the cows are raised in the colder climate of the Alps, there are fewer pests to bite their hides, meaning that the final leather has fewer blemishes. This leather also has open pores and is aniline dyed, so as the belt ages it will develop a unique and gorgeous patina that will make it feel and look all your own.

The leather has also been carefully finished and treated during the dying process with a waterproofing agent that causes water and moisture to pearl off of the belt, preventing water stains and enhancing the overall lifetime of the belt. Because of when in the dying process these treatments were added, they do not adversely affect the feel or quality of the belt leather.  

5. Exceptional Saffiano Leather. To save money, most belt makers will use inferior suede as the lining for their belts. Because of its tacky texture, however, suede clings to fabric and can stick to your clothing when you try to remove the belt. High-end belt makers often use the same leather for the shell as the lining, but leathers that are suitable for the exterior of belts, like Nappa, will wrinkle and crease because the interior circumference of the belt is smaller than the exterior circumference, putting the delicate inner leather under constant strain.

To resolve these issues, Fort Belvedere utilizes Saffiano leather, with its iconic crinkled texture, sourced from an Italian tannery that specializes in this unique leather type. Many companies use Saffiano leather on the exterior of their leather products, because of its unique look, but we realized that the structure of Saffiano leather was actually ideal for the interior. Saffiano leather is smooth enough to ensure no difficulty when putting it on or taking it off, and the natural ridges in the leather resist the development of unsightly wrinkles or creasing, as the leather is already wavy. Saffiano is, therefore, the perfect leather for belt lining. 

6. Three Layer Construction. The overwhelming majority of belts available today are made from a single strip of cowhide. This simple construction is cheap and easy to do, but it produces an inferior belt that wrinkles easily, dents, and often falls apart even after normal wear. Higher-end belts are often made with two layers, a lining and a shell, and while this improves the overall quality of the belt, it still does not offer the best possible results. For superlative belts, three layer construction is required, featuring a shell, lining, and leather core.

All Fort Belvedere belts are made according to the rigorous standards of three layer construction, with a calfskin shell, Saffiano leather lining, and real leather core. This triple-construction helps the leather maintain its shape for the longest possible time, and reduces the appearance of unsightly wrinkles, creases, or dents. 

7. Folded Edges. An often overlooked hallmark of quality for belts is how the edges of the belt are constructed. The overwhelming majority of belts are simply cut and burnished, leaving raw edges that are painted to hide their rough exterior. Over time, this paint will crack and crumble away, exposing the unsightly, rough edges. Not only is this aesthetically unappealing, but because the interior leather is not fully treated, it will age more quickly, compromising the belt and contributing to its more rapid degradation.

Using the same process employed for Fort Belvedere wallets, after initial cutting, Fort Belvedere belts are carefully skived down at the edges with a knife. This makes it possible to then fold the thinned edges inwards and then sew them down. This process takes considerable skill and is not cheap to do, but it offers a superior belt with a beautiful double edge that is also much more resistant to wear and tear.

When you have your Fort Belvedere belt in hand, look very closely at the edges and you will see the shell color at the fore and the edges of the dark green Saffiano leather folded behind it. This subtle two-tone effect is only visible upon close inspection, but it is a telltale sign of a belt made to the highest standards of genuine craftsmanship.

To further emphasize its quality, the folded edges also highlight the elegant stitching along the perimeter of each belt, tastefully rendered in a harmoniously colored, high-quality thread. The slightly slanted threads are a subtle source of visual interest, and the excellent workmanship ensures a tight hold that will remain secure for the life of the belt.  

8. Flexible Sizing. According to conventional knowledge, your belt size is approximately two sizes larger than your trouser size. In reality, however, even if belts are sized in centimeters or inches, you cannot tell if they will actually fit you without trying them on because the location of the belt holes and buckles varies based on the manufacturer.

Even if a fixed-length belt fits you when it is purchased, these belts rarely have much give-in sizing to account for fluctuations in weight. Therefore, if you lose or gain weight, the belt becomes effectively useless.

Fort Belvedere belts are all sold at a standard length of 47 inches or 120 centimeters. You then cut the belt down to size on the unfinished side opposite the holes. By cutting the belt down so that the belt buckles at the middle hole, you will have sufficient leeway in the event of minor fluctuations in weight.

In the event of considerable weight loss, the belt can be easily cut down to account for your new weight. In the event of considerable weight gain, you will need to purchase a new belt, but all of the buckles will function with your new belt, reducing the overall cost to you.