# Choosing Color of Belt Buckle



## nsocias (Jun 22, 2009)

I have searched and searched and can find nothing on the topic. Is there anything other than personal preference that goes into deciding between a gold or nickel/silver belt buckle? I can understand trying to match with a watch for example but do you work the color of the belt buckle into the outfit? Maybe gold buckle with gold tie? Thanks!


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## ATLien (Jan 6, 2009)

I'd try two match metal-items (watch, cufflinks, buckle) such that they are either all silver or all gold. However, matching the buckle to the tie takes it a bit too far IMHO. 

I keep everything silver since I think it looks more understated and elegant, but that is personal taste and others may disagree.


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

To me silver coloured is more appropriate with a dark suit, and our customers tend to buy silver coloured buckles with black straps. Gold/brass coloured buckles are probably seen as more casual, but I think it comes down to ones own style. I have known people try to match watch straps and belt buckles, personally I think the link is to tenuous and the only person who will get what you're trying to do is yourself.

I always tend to say to customers
dark brown or black belts with silver buckles for dark business suits
Mid brown or lighter belts with brass for casual
Whatever colour you like with nickel as a "crossover"
but rules are made to be broken!

HTH

Charlie


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Salmon or mint green usually.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

This is an area of pure personal preference. Ignore nonsense about matching to a watch - a watch is a piece of personal property, not part of an outfit, and so there's no requirement to match it, any more than there's a requirement to match your wedding band. Matching to other pieces of metal that _are_ part of the outfit is viewed by many (including myself) as a generally desirable practice, so consider your cufflinks, tie pin, collar bar, monkstrap buckles, etc.

There is also no rule that silver is more formal than brass/goldtone or vice versa.

My personal approach is to evaluate whether the outfit as a whole is "cool" or "warm" in tone. If I'm wearing a grey suit, blue and white bengal stripe shirt, and navy tie with black or dark brown shoes, the whole ensemble is cool, and a silver buckle is more harmonious in my view. Conversely, if I'm wearing (as I am today) an olive-brown suit with a rust check, a dark orange tie, and reddish brown shoes, the dominant effect is warm, and is best echoed with a brass buckle. I find that I get more use out of silver-buckled black belts, and brass buckled brown belts.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I buy a belt without regard for the color of the buckle. I believe that all of my black belts have silver buckles while my brown, tan, and burgundy belts all have gold colored buckles. I didn't choose those colors, it's just what was on the belt that I liked. It's a non-issue with me.

Cruiser


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## nsocias (Jun 22, 2009)

Thanks everyone- This is exactly what I wanted to know.


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## Kurt N (Feb 11, 2009)

The seasonal color system recommends brass for people with a yellowish skin tone (springs and falls) and silver for people with more reddish/purplish coloring (summers & winters). Since the seasonal scheme also recommends different fabric colors for different people, it ends up tracking pretty well with CuffDaddy's recommendation about pairing with cool vs warm colors.


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## triklops55 (May 14, 2010)

It doesn't matter all that much to me.
I made an effort, however, to get a brown belt with a gold-colored buckle to go with my brown monkstraps with gold buckles.
I think if your shoes have metal buckles or bits, the buckle should match the color of the metal on the shoes.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Salmon or mint green usually.


salmon and mint green are good basic colors if you prefer. 
but the most and proper for a gentlemans buckle is puce.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Other than reading of such in threads such as this, I really don't invest a lot of thought in the color of my belt buckles. LOL. As Cruiser opined, I 'I just wears-em, as they comes!'


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

I just get everything in silver metal so it all matches. But I have a pair of black monk shoes with a brass buckle so I got a black belt with a brass buckle to wear with them. Other than that it's all silver for me.


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