Parachute Webbing Belt - Chapman Bags

Brass Buckle and Canvas Belt from Chapman

What to say about a belt? You slide it into your belt hoops and it keeps your trousers up. Big deal. Wrong. There's so much more to contend with.

We'll side-step the comparison of braces, belts, waist-adjusters and 'Daks tops' for bespoke and off-the-peg trousers. A vocal minority disagree, and it's a matter of personal taste, but trousers with belt hoops look fine to me. Even when switching to braces. I had a pair of trousers made once with belt hoops, brace buttons and side-adjusters — the youthful Tweedy wanted options. Without hoops, for certain you're not going to be able to wear a belt. And then you're missing out on some very fine accessories.

Some say the buckle of a belt should always be brass, never silver metal, and the strap in leather, boxcloth or cotton canvas depending on the level of formality required. A cotton woven belt with surcingle buckle won't be good with a chalkstripe suit, as you'll be aware.

If you're looking for something on the casual side, how about this fine Parachute Webbing Belt from new friends Chapman Bags? You won't get a more manly-sounding belt than one made from English belting leather and cotton parachute webbing. (Richard Francis Burton would find this sufficiently robust for one of his adventures.)

The belt has the traditional brass buckle, so you won't offend any belt purists. It's available in different colour combinations, but I'm very keen on the one in khaki with a red stripe.

The belt is hereby awarded a Tweed Pig rosette for being handmade in Chapman's workshops in Cumbria, England.