Should You Always Match Your Belt and Shoes for Casual Style?
This topic never gets old, and my followers bring it up almost weekly. To give a proper answer, you should ask two questions. If we’re talking about tailoring, then the answer is yes, you should match your belt with your shoes. But if we’re talking about casual style, the answer is much more complex than a simple yes or no. It depends on the number of layers, colors and fabrics you’re wearing. If you’re only wearing one layer, then the answer is yes. If your outfit is very clean and tonal, the answer is yes. If you’re wearing only two colors, the answer is yes. But from here on, things become a bit more complex.
If you’re wearing only two colors, you should match the belt with the shoes.
If you’re only wearing one layer, you should match the belt with the shoes.
If your outfit is very clean and tonal, you should match the belt with the shoes.
There is no strict rule or formula for this, it's not as simple as saying for example "If you wear three different colors, then you can match the shoes with your belt". The busier your outfit gets, the higher the chance you can make it work, even if your belt doesn’t match your shoes. Because a lot also depends on the trousers you’re wearing. If they are very plain and clean - like white jeans, you create a large “empty space “ between the shoes and the belt. In that case, the shoes and the belt act as the frame of this space, like a frame around a piece of art, so any mismatch between them will be immediately noticeable, just like a bold frame would stand out on a minimalistic painting. But if the painting is busy and colorful, the frame doesn’t stand out as much because your attention is drawn to what’s happening on the canvas. The same applies to clothing, if you wear a lot of different textures and colors, the most important thing is that your belt matches your sweater and jacket. These pieces will work together as a unit, allowing the shoes to stand on their own.
In this look, the belt matches the vest and the shirt, and these pieces work together as a unit, allowing the shoes to stand on their own.
In this outfit, the belt matches the shoes, but if you imagine changing the belt to brown suede, it would still work perfectly with the sweater and the jacket, so there would be no problem if it didn’t match the shoes.
In this look, the belt doesn’t match the red tee and navy jacket. Instead, it creates too much contrast, making it stand out, and you can easily notice that it doesn’t match the shoes. In this case, it doesn’t work.
You always have two options when creating a casual look. The first option is a very cohesive look, where all garments work together. The second option is to split the outfit into two parts: the top (the belt and everything above it) and the bottom (the trousers, socks and shoes). If each part is well put together on its own, the full outfit will work, even if the details don’t match. This approach creates two separate points of interest, but they remain connected.
This is another example where the belt doesn’t match the sky blue tee and bright gree jacket. It creates too much contrast, making it stand out, and you can easily notice that it doesn’t match the shoes. In this case, it doesn’t work.
Example of outfit in two parts. If the trousers have a strong visual presence, it’s important for the belt to match them so they work with the top half. A brown suede belt would clash with the trousers, creating too much contrast. This would be the first thing you notice, making the mismatch with the shoes the second.
This is a very cohesive look, where all garments work together.
The most important thing with the second option is that the trousers must work well with the top half of the outfit, if they do, the whole look will come together. Since the belt perfectly complements the shirt (or sweater) and the jacket, it creates a sense of unity and balance in the upper half. You see it as one cohesive section, so what happens on the lower half (the shoes) doesn’t matter as much, because the belt already ties together the jacket and the shirt or sweater.
In this look, the belt matches the shirt and the jacket and these pieces work together as a unit, allowing the shoes to stand on their own.
In this outfit, the belt matches the shirt and the jacket and these pieces work together as a unit, allowing the shoes to stand on their own.
Example when the belt doesn’t match the shirt and jacket, or the trousers. It creates too much contrast with the whole outfit, which is why you immediately notice that it doesn’t match the shoes. In this case, it doesn’t work.
This is my simple explanation of when an outfit can work, even if you don’t match the belt with the shoes. Of course, at the end of the day, this is a personal decision, so if you prefer to always match the belt with the shoes, that’s completely fine. I would like to know your opinion on this topic. Do you ever wear mismatched belts and shoes?
And if you're wondering what belt width works best for different outfits, check out this article on why 1" is the best belt width to help you make even better choices.
*All photos in this article are from previous Drake’s lookbooks.
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