Now the question is, should you wear a belt? Is it appropriate not to wear one? If so, when is an appropriate occasion for the belt-less look?

If you’ve taken a look at any of the photoshoots that we’ve done at SuitUpp, you would see that we’ve never shown a model without a belt. Take a look at the following Calvin Klein Light Grey suit to see an example:

The reason for why we’ve never done so has primarily been due to functional reasons. A belt, of course, like suspenders, serves a purpose: it keeps your pants from dropping. When we conduct a photoshoot, we do try to find the best fit for our models – but we tag on a belt almost as a default action. Now, if you think about why belts exist, you’ll realize why almost everyone wears them. People wear belts so popularly that it seems like it is a requirement – i.e. even if your pants do fit perfectly, you’ll still put on a belt. The belt in itself can be a major part of your look and most consider it to be an “essential” part of your look.

The fact is that if you survey most people in the suit business, they’ll tell you that a belt is a must. The idea that we’d like to leave you with is that most people think this way because since childhood, they’ve grown up seeing everyone around them wearing a belt. When something becomes so commonplace, it is almost blasphemy to suggest that it is not necessary.

The reality is that if your pants are a perfect fit (made to measure – bespoke) and you have the right slim fit to go with it, then you CAN skip the belt. Avoiding the belt will give you a more seamless and continuous look. The most important factor, though, in pulling off this look is that you must be confident in what you’re wearing. If you’re afraid of drawing attention, then do not do it as you will definitely be drawing attention by choosing this style.

As a side note, many people do also suggest that the only time that you can skip the belt is if you have loopless trousers or side-straps. Take for example Brad Pitt in Ocean’s 11:

You’ll notice that Brad’s trousers don’t have belt loops. This, however, is not a requirement for ditching the belt At the end of the day, one should wear what they feel will express themselves best. If you have a photo of yourself pulling off the belt-less look, please do send it to us and we’ll post it!