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Massdrop x The British Belt Co. Dress Belt
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Massdrop x The British Belt Co. Dress Belt
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Product Description
We teamed up with The British Belt Company to develop the ideal dress belt: one that’s handsome and understated, affordable and well-made. The British Belt Company has been producing leather goods since 1946, using centuries-old leather-working techniques to bring out the most in each item Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downpayodpanda
958
Mar 10, 2017
Okay so I've had a sample of this belt for a few weeks now. I've worn the belt quite a lot in this time, and the TL;DR version is I love it and wouldn't hesitate one bit to buy it at the asking price. A more thorough look at the belt follows.
Sizing. Since most of the questions tend to be around sizing, I'll start with the objective review around sizes. Having had experience with other BBC belts before, I find that the sizes on the collab belts have been the best and consistent with their sizing guide. MEASURE A BELT THAT FITS YOU PERFECTLY. Typically if you wear size 32 trousers, you would want a size 34 belt. This is assuming that the trouser company uses "vanity" sizing--where the size of your trousers is actually ~2" lower than your actual waist size. Makes you feel good dunnit?
Sizing photo. There is a measuring tape in the center, hopefully you can see the markings if you zoom in. Top to bottom, ~2 year old BBC cobberly belt in size 36, BBC dress belt, size 36, BBCxMassdrop collab (brown), size 34, BBCxMassdrop collab (black), size 32
Looks. I got the mid brown + nickel belt, and is what I will be using. The color on these is fantastic--just the right shade of brown where it doesn't look off if worn with smarter smart casual, and right at home at the more casual spectrum of smart-casual as well. The brown is rich and has a nice depth, not completely flat like most dress belts. A scuff or two wouldn't look bad on this belt imo. Heresy, I know. But this is why I love this belt--a nicely textured scuffed belt in a dress belt form factor? Love. I would personally not wear this belt with the more "refined" (for lack of a better word) outfits--you know, the crisp white smooth-textured shirt with formal trousers and dress shoes. Totally at home with a white OCBD + wool textured pants and brogues, preferably of the boot variety, though. Yes. Beautiful. Maybe throw a sport coat on. Or replace your trousers with slim-fitting jeans, keep the brogue boots, and switch the sport coat out for a chunky cardigan (or not).
In the pic here the bottom two are the collab belts (brown and black), the top two are other BBC belts. You can see some scuffs on the brown collab, that's what I love.
By the way, when I initially got the belt, my knee-jerk reaction was "only smart casual--chinos etc--no jeans". However I feel the belt feels oddly at home with jeans. Or at least with the kind of jeans I have, which tend to be on the skinnier side. I don't think it'll go with the slim-straight or straight cuts, but I might be wrong. Also, at the end of the day, I say screw the rules and wear what you like cause it's your style, don't follow fashion rules that random people online (or elsewhere) make up. Hypocrite? Maybe. But here I go on one of my rants again. Back to the belt.
Materials and construction. The belt is made up of three layers. The top layer is French calfskin. I actually have no idea which tannery British Belt Co. sources their leathers from, but it feels nice. Then there is a middle layer of leather which gives the belt its beveled padding. The bottom layer, which serves as the lining, is nubuck, which is created from the suede side of the Frech calfskin of the top layer.
The materials feel wonderful to the touch. I love how the nubuck feels to the touch. It'll avoid scratching your trousers, but will also take indigo from your raw denim VERY easily, so keep that in mind. Sizing pics above show how easily the nubuck takes indigo. For comparison, I've owned the one on the top of the sizing pic for ~2 years, and the collab I've had for two-three weeks. I personally don't care about how the lining looks but I wouldn't wear this belt with light-colored trousers / chinos after having worn it with raw denim.
Unlike most belts I've tried, this one feels more flexible--as in, I can twist the belt around its length no problem. The leather seems to crease less than other belts I've tried as well. The black seems to crease more than the mid-brown. I am no leather expert, but I would personally attribute this to two things: 1. The top French calfskin layer is pretty thin, in comparison to other belts I've seen (see cross-section pics below). 2. The lining is nubuck, which tends to be much more supple than calfskin (and most belts use calfskin lining).
My comparison of the layers on the calfskin top comes from comparing with other BBC belts I have, and another that was provided explicitly for comparison purposes. In my opinion, this is a perfectly okay sacrifice for what you're gaining instead--an extra $100 in your wallet. :) In all honesty and sincerity though, I really don't think that the thinner calfskin would matter that much. That's because you're not gonna (and shouldn't wanna) put the belt to extreme use. The belt in a gentleman's attire is not to keep his pants up, it's simply there to complement his garment and other accessories. You should be wearing trousers / jeans that fit you perfectly on the waist, and in such a case there will hardly be any stress laid on the belt itself.
The belt is machine-stitched with a pretty high SPI count. It is cleanly done, and looks nice. I can't find any errors on my belt's stitching. The buckle is stitched-in too. My personal opinion is that Chicago screws or snaps would not have felt too out of place on this belt, but would have thrown it on the more casual side of the spectrum. I know, I know, hardware like snaps or screws on a dress belt?! HERESY. I'm feeling especially heretic today. I guess I like things to be quirky and not normative. *shrugs*
I personally just don't see this belt as a dress belt, per se. It doesn't have a higher polished finish, for example. It's a more... I don't know. Everyday belt, if there is such a thing.
Value for money. I'll keep this section short. As far as belts go, this feels like extremely good value for money. It SEEMS like it'll last a long time, but I can't vouch for that for another five years. Maybe I'll update this review in five years' time. Who knows.
Conclusion. I was told that Massdrop is positioning this belt as a "anytime anywhere everyday belt", and I must admit they've nailed it on that. I could wear it with all but the dressiest or most rugged outfits, and the belt feels like it'll last long (but of course nobody can guarantee that until they're actually tried it out). But my verdict is, buy it. You probably won't be disappointed.
I'll try and add images to speak to some of the points I've made (eg thickness of top leather layer) when I can.
Sizing. Since most of the questions tend to be around sizing, I'll start with the objective review around sizes. Having had experience with other BBC belts before, I find that the sizes on the collab belts have been the best and consistent with their sizing guide. MEASURE A BELT THAT FITS YOU PERFECTLY. Typically if you wear size 32 trousers, you would want a size 34 belt. This is assuming that the trouser company uses "vanity" sizing--where the size of your trousers is actually ~2" lower than your actual waist size. Makes you feel good dunnit?
Sizing photo. There is a measuring tape in the center, hopefully you can see the markings if you zoom in. Top to bottom, ~2 year old BBC cobberly belt in size 36, BBC dress belt, size 36, BBCxMassdrop collab (brown), size 34, BBCxMassdrop collab (black), size 32
Looks. I got the mid brown + nickel belt, and is what I will be using. The color on these is fantastic--just the right shade of brown where it doesn't look off if worn with smarter smart casual, and right at home at the more casual spectrum of smart-casual as well. The brown is rich and has a nice depth, not completely flat like most dress belts. A scuff or two wouldn't look bad on this belt imo. Heresy, I know. But this is why I love this belt--a nicely textured scuffed belt in a dress belt form factor? Love. I would personally not wear this belt with the more "refined" (for lack of a better word) outfits--you know, the crisp white smooth-textured shirt with formal trousers and dress shoes. Totally at home with a white OCBD + wool textured pants and brogues, preferably of the boot variety, though. Yes. Beautiful. Maybe throw a sport coat on. Or replace your trousers with slim-fitting jeans, keep the brogue boots, and switch the sport coat out for a chunky cardigan (or not).
In the pic here the bottom two are the collab belts (brown and black), the top two are other BBC belts. You can see some scuffs on the brown collab, that's what I love.
By the way, when I initially got the belt, my knee-jerk reaction was "only smart casual--chinos etc--no jeans". However I feel the belt feels oddly at home with jeans. Or at least with the kind of jeans I have, which tend to be on the skinnier side. I don't think it'll go with the slim-straight or straight cuts, but I might be wrong. Also, at the end of the day, I say screw the rules and wear what you like cause it's your style, don't follow fashion rules that random people online (or elsewhere) make up. Hypocrite? Maybe. But here I go on one of my rants again. Back to the belt.
Materials and construction. The belt is made up of three layers. The top layer is French calfskin. I actually have no idea which tannery British Belt Co. sources their leathers from, but it feels nice. Then there is a middle layer of leather which gives the belt its beveled padding. The bottom layer, which serves as the lining, is nubuck, which is created from the suede side of the Frech calfskin of the top layer.
The materials feel wonderful to the touch. I love how the nubuck feels to the touch. It'll avoid scratching your trousers, but will also take indigo from your raw denim VERY easily, so keep that in mind. Sizing pics above show how easily the nubuck takes indigo. For comparison, I've owned the one on the top of the sizing pic for ~2 years, and the collab I've had for two-three weeks. I personally don't care about how the lining looks but I wouldn't wear this belt with light-colored trousers / chinos after having worn it with raw denim.
Unlike most belts I've tried, this one feels more flexible--as in, I can twist the belt around its length no problem. The leather seems to crease less than other belts I've tried as well. The black seems to crease more than the mid-brown. I am no leather expert, but I would personally attribute this to two things: 1. The top French calfskin layer is pretty thin, in comparison to other belts I've seen (see cross-section pics below). 2. The lining is nubuck, which tends to be much more supple than calfskin (and most belts use calfskin lining).
My comparison of the layers on the calfskin top comes from comparing with other BBC belts I have, and another that was provided explicitly for comparison purposes. In my opinion, this is a perfectly okay sacrifice for what you're gaining instead--an extra $100 in your wallet. :) In all honesty and sincerity though, I really don't think that the thinner calfskin would matter that much. That's because you're not gonna (and shouldn't wanna) put the belt to extreme use. The belt in a gentleman's attire is not to keep his pants up, it's simply there to complement his garment and other accessories. You should be wearing trousers / jeans that fit you perfectly on the waist, and in such a case there will hardly be any stress laid on the belt itself.
The belt is machine-stitched with a pretty high SPI count. It is cleanly done, and looks nice. I can't find any errors on my belt's stitching. The buckle is stitched-in too. My personal opinion is that Chicago screws or snaps would not have felt too out of place on this belt, but would have thrown it on the more casual side of the spectrum. I know, I know, hardware like snaps or screws on a dress belt?! HERESY. I'm feeling especially heretic today. I guess I like things to be quirky and not normative. *shrugs*
I personally just don't see this belt as a dress belt, per se. It doesn't have a higher polished finish, for example. It's a more... I don't know. Everyday belt, if there is such a thing.
Value for money. I'll keep this section short. As far as belts go, this feels like extremely good value for money. It SEEMS like it'll last a long time, but I can't vouch for that for another five years. Maybe I'll update this review in five years' time. Who knows.
Conclusion. I was told that Massdrop is positioning this belt as a "anytime anywhere everyday belt", and I must admit they've nailed it on that. I could wear it with all but the dressiest or most rugged outfits, and the belt feels like it'll last long (but of course nobody can guarantee that until they're actually tried it out). But my verdict is, buy it. You probably won't be disappointed.
I'll try and add images to speak to some of the points I've made (eg thickness of top leather layer) when I can.
payodpanda
958
Mar 14, 2017
Gotta help the community! :)
Do you have a measuring tape? If you do, then measure an existing belt that you have, and measure from your buckle to the hole that you use. Refer to my sizing photo to see where to begin measuring. Measured that way, the 34 belt is 34" from buckle to center hole.
If you have a measuring tape but don't have any belt yet, then measure the waist on a pair of well fitting trousers / jeans / pants / whatever else you wear on your legs. Typically, size 32 pants will be 34" on this measure and that's what you should get (assuming you prefer the belt on the tighter side - if not, then go for 36).
If you don't have a measuring tape, then (don't laugh but) take a long piece of thread, maybe a long charging cable would work. Measure your existing belt with the cable, then use a straight edge ruler to measure the cable.
I hope this helps! I used my charging cable to do most of my measurements until I could get a measuring tape of my own. It works! :)
Do you have a measuring tape? If you do, then measure an existing belt that you have, and measure from your buckle to the hole that you use. Refer to my sizing photo to see where to begin measuring. Measured that way, the 34 belt is 34" from buckle to center hole.
If you have a measuring tape but don't have any belt yet, then measure the waist on a pair of well fitting trousers / jeans / pants / whatever else you wear on your legs. Typically, size 32 pants will be 34" on this measure and that's what you should get (assuming you prefer the belt on the tighter side - if not, then go for 36).
If you don't have a measuring tape, then (don't laugh but) take a long piece of thread, maybe a long charging cable would work. Measure your existing belt with the cable, then use a straight edge ruler to measure the cable.
I hope this helps! I used my charging cable to do most of my measurements until I could get a measuring tape of my own. It works! :)
Nick0
113
Mar 15, 2017
payodpandaMakes perfect sense. Thanks Payodpanda - appreciate you taking the time!
PurelySmart
144
Apr 8, 2018
Ok, this is completely ridiculous. Every day this drop comes back with the same stock it used to have before the drop ended.
This is not a drop anymore but just a regular sale.
The belt quality is also complete garbage.
Like lv1ushka stated, the belt creases like crazy. Not worth the $50 by a long shot. Quite disappointed with Massdrop on this one (Not with The British Belt though, their belts were always garbage. Just a shame it took me 3 belts to find that out)
Here are pictures:
sfang
3
Oct 15, 2018
PurelySmart I wish I saw your post earlier. I am experiencing the same creasing and am disappointed by the quality of the belt
phoenixsong
1055
Nov 21, 2020
sfangOh my, those look bad! Some creasing might be fine, but definitely not on a dress belt ^^"
YabosMcGee
338
Mar 2, 2017
I didn't see it mentioned in the description, but is there a padding material between the leather and nubuck lining? The pictures make it seem like the belt is "raised", and would therefore have some type of padding material in the middle.
Also, is there any chance of getting an English Point option? Or, at least adding it to the poll, and if there's enough interest, getting that option?
Also, is there any chance of getting an English Point option? Or, at least adding it to the poll, and if there's enough interest, getting that option?
Will
8470
Chief Product Officer
Mar 5, 2017
Nah, the white part is the calfskin. The "bulky yellow stuff" is the padding, but that's also leather, not some type of padding filler material.
Will
8470
Chief Product Officer
Mar 5, 2017
Ha, yea I debated borrowing one of our nicer cameras but the potato was faster.
Vigrith
4081
Mar 19, 2017
For what it's worth I usually wear a 34 and I got the 36 size sample here and it fits perfectly using one of the center holes - won't promise the 32 will work as you'd ideally want it to but still, these are a little tighter than you may expect so might be worth taking it into consideration.
Will
8470
Chief Product Officer
Mar 2, 2017
Hello Friends,
Thanks for coming to another Massdrop Collaboration launch!
People have been making leather goods for thousands of years. It’s one of the oldest industries on earth and as a result, it’s one of the most competitive, and heavily optimized industries. Generally speaking, quality in leather goods scales linearly with cost. This is because all the factors that separate good from bad leather products come down to materials and manufacturing process.
With the Dress Belt project, to achieve our goal of redefining what you can get at the entry price point; we had to find a partner who had substantial scale, a willingness to sacrifice profit to generate more value for the community, and clearly the highest level of quality possible. The British Belt Co was the clear choice. They have access to the right materials, they have the craftsmanship, and they understand the goal of Massdrop Collaborations; making enthusiast level products accessible.
The result is a belt made from French Calfskin, Nubuck, and solid brass, finely stitched, with edges burnished to a deep black luster.
These details came from our Men’s Style community, through their voting activity, through their purchasing activity, and through their discussions.
We’re excited to make this available next week. In the meantime, feel free to post your questions/thoughts/feelings here, and engage with the poll regarding buckle options. We’re launching with one buckle to start, but if there’s enough interest, we can expand to offer a raw brass finish as well (brass + walnut has my vote)
Link to the poll:
https://www.massdrop.com/vote/Massdrop-x-The-British-Belt-Co-Dress-Belt-Options
Best,
Will
Thanks for coming to another Massdrop Collaboration launch!
People have been making leather goods for thousands of years. It’s one of the oldest industries on earth and as a result, it’s one of the most competitive, and heavily optimized industries. Generally speaking, quality in leather goods scales linearly with cost. This is because all the factors that separate good from bad leather products come down to materials and manufacturing process.
With the Dress Belt project, to achieve our goal of redefining what you can get at the entry price point; we had to find a partner who had substantial scale, a willingness to sacrifice profit to generate more value for the community, and clearly the highest level of quality possible. The British Belt Co was the clear choice. They have access to the right materials, they have the craftsmanship, and they understand the goal of Massdrop Collaborations; making enthusiast level products accessible.
The result is a belt made from French Calfskin, Nubuck, and solid brass, finely stitched, with edges burnished to a deep black luster.
These details came from our Men’s Style community, through their voting activity, through their purchasing activity, and through their discussions.
We’re excited to make this available next week. In the meantime, feel free to post your questions/thoughts/feelings here, and engage with the poll regarding buckle options. We’re launching with one buckle to start, but if there’s enough interest, we can expand to offer a raw brass finish as well (brass + walnut has my vote)
Link to the poll:
https://www.massdrop.com/vote/Massdrop-x-The-British-Belt-Co-Dress-Belt-Options
Best,
Will
datglasstho
38
Mar 3, 2017
Great, trying to find a 46" dress belt typically means settling for a department store piece that falls apart or going over $100 for a quality piece which is tough to spend for something as ubiquitous as a belt. Would love to be in for 2, if not 3 of these at this price if you can secure that 46" size.
Will
8470
Chief Product Officer
Apr 28, 2017
Hey everybody, just wanted to check in with you and let you know that The British Belt Company is busy working on producing the 1100+ custom belts.
With 4 different belt/color combinations and 8 different sizes, there's a lot of sorting and segmenting to do in order to get everything just right! We have just received some photos from the production line, in them you can see the buckles are ready to go and the hand cut leather hides have just finished being prepared and will soon be cut. After that, the belts will go through multiple finishing/stitching phases, quality control, and then finally shipped overseas to the United States. We're looking forward to getting these to you as quickly as possible.
With 4 different belt/color combinations and 8 different sizes, there's a lot of sorting and segmenting to do in order to get everything just right! We have just received some photos from the production line, in them you can see the buckles are ready to go and the hand cut leather hides have just finished being prepared and will soon be cut. After that, the belts will go through multiple finishing/stitching phases, quality control, and then finally shipped overseas to the United States. We're looking forward to getting these to you as quickly as possible.
Bendi
37
Jan 26, 2018
Hi Adam, no problem. Got my handy brush to carefully get rid of the stain: https://kentbrushes.com/home-garden/clothes-brushes/cg1
Still love the belt though... Couldn't part ways with it. So much so that I bought the tan one, but it arrived with some slight defect, not visible to the unsuspecting eye I guess(notice the black ring hole).
Still love the belt though... Couldn't part ways with it. So much so that I bought the tan one, but it arrived with some slight defect, not visible to the unsuspecting eye I guess(notice the black ring hole).
AdamJ.Plotnick
144
British Belt Co.
Jan 30, 2018
BendiHi Bendi, Please note, the hand painted hole colour is black on purpose. The designer choose to go with black rather then a match. And this has been the standard on the other drops too. Cheers Adam
Rockinrob
4
Nov 10, 2017
Just received mine - quite disappointed in the color (Walnut - Light Brown). I would describe it as Khaki - it has some greenish/faded tones to it and doesn't reflect the rich color in the photograph. I'm not sure I can even wear this with any of my shoes...
Mulberry6
2
Dec 4, 2017
RockinrobAbsolutely agree. It's more of a diarrhea-brown than it is 'walnut'.
The build quality is pretty great, but the color is very disappointing.
The build quality is pretty great, but the color is very disappointing.
I've had a sample for a few weeks and must say that it is a spectacular belt. I'm not a belt expert but this is far higher quality than I'm used to. The stitching is very clean, and the leather is incredibly soft - which is probably the first thing I noticed about it. I took a few pictures (forgive me for mediocre shots - I generally only shoot keyboards! haha). I generally wear a size 30 waist, and the size 32 fits perfectly, with a few holes in either direction to compensate for the time of the month when I'm poor and eating only ramen and for Thanksgiving when I ear far too much.
For the price I definitely plan to pick up one or two more in alternate colors.
For the price I definitely plan to pick up one or two more in alternate colors.
It's simply because mine is a sample. The final product is calfskin and will be worded just like drop pics.
Iv1ushka
32
Jan 25, 2018
I am very disappointed with this purchase. I got two belts in December and after one month of wear they have visible wrinkles and bends. I have 8 years old French leather belt that looks better than this belt after one month. Low quality, very frustrating. Pics attached.
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