Allen Edmonds Manistee Belt – $115
Also available at Brooks Brothers
I recently received a sincere message from the Chairman and CEO of Brooks Brothers noting that it had been some time since I bought anything from one of his stores. He let me know about their Spring line and included a few coupons, 40% off one item and 20% off my entire purchase. That was nice of him, so I decided the least I could do was stop in and look around.
I usually don’t buy much at Brooks Brothers (I like their socks) so I wanted to get something worth my while (more than socks). An Allen Edmonds dress belt to match my walnut Strands was an easy choice.
The detailing – the stitching and perforations – is great and the color is a close match, a touch redder than the shoes. It’s a good choice with any tan shoes, and especially ones with detailing similar to the Strand, such as the Franciscan they just introduced.
The Manistee belt is excellent quality, but before this I had never spent more than $30 on a belt. Even at 40% off this belt was still $69. Much better than the original $115, but it seems like a lot for a belt. It’s probably the only belt I’ll wear with these shoes now, but I don’t know when I’ll be buying another one at this price.
On the other hand, it’s a hell of a nice way to finish off an outfit. And it’s cheaper than some of the more, uh, casual belts Brooks Brothers sells.
Thoughts? Are belts something you’re willing to pay a lot for? Or are they something you don’t think much about?