If you’ve got belt loops on a trouser, wear a belt. Otherwise, it looks like you forgot. The only exception: jeans. Wear a fresh white shirt with a pair of jeans and loafers or driving moccasins. You will feel like Robert Redford.
Joseph Abboud, menswear fashion designer.
I would say the same for women – belt loops cry out for a belt! And yes, a crisp white shirt with jeans is a winner on everyone.
Glad to see noted fashion designer agrees with me. As a teenager in jr. high school decided to copy some classmates and wear jeans with no belt and tucked in shirt, as they had been doing.
Seemed to me to be an acceptable fashion choice frequently seen in movies as when James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” portrayed teenage Jim Stark, actors Kevin Bacon and Christopher Penn in film “Footloose” played high school students Ren McCormack and Willard Hewitt, etc.
So, after a few months mother surprised me one night after dinner asking, “Where is your belt? And why don’t you ever wear it anymore?” Replied with alibi, “Guess it’s in my room, I just forgot it,” but answer carried no credibility since I continued going without one.
Recall, sometime around end of high school sophomore year, the 3 other boys sitting around me in advanced algebra class responded to a snide comment I’d made about a classmate’s clothes with their inquiry, “Hey, where is you belt? How come you never wear one?” While I didn’t know it at the time, I used Joseph Abboud’s logic rationalizing, “These are just blue jeans! They fit just fine and look okay!”
Finally, along in early March of senior year got dressed up in a new charcoal gray suit, pale blue dress shirt, and maroon tie for high school music department’s Sunday afternoon recital. Father grew up during 1930’s Great Depression, saw blue jeans as work wear for farmers, so during college and in his white collar job afterwards developed good taste in clothing with closet full of suits, ties, cufflinks, etc. and not a single pair of jeans.
Following recital he cornered me and advised, “You need to get a belt!” I gave a demonstrative tug at waistband of pants to negate his idea and retorted, “Oh, I don’t need one!” But he persisted, “Listen, a suit is different jeans – accessory items complete the look and should match or coordinate. Necktie hangs on shirt and points to where trousers covering legs end. Shoes on feet should match something higher up. Thus, a belt in same color as shoes matches them and pairs with tie in middle of body. Tie goes over and covers shirt’s buttons, so belt goes under the trouser belt loops to create a symmetrical look.”
Mindful I didn’t enjoy being preached at, Dad changed tone, “I know you wear jeans all the time, and if they’re more comfortable without a belt I guess that’s a good enough reason not to wear one around them!”
Thank you, Scott for sharing your story. I love your dad! Keep reading ODFL.