English Bridle Leather Belts. Day 2: Worcestershire Leather Company
About the author: Chris (aka bruschetta) is an America-born university researcher and teacher based in Glasgow, Scotland. His sense of style is inspired by a childhood dressed in Ivy league trad, and the fact that he is enormously well bred. He’s the moderator that the Dappered Threads deserve, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt him. Because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian of style. A watchful pro… Joe, are you writing this down?
My second foray into the world of custom English belts was an attempt to find the perfect belt for my work outfits. I work as a teacher, so I navigate the murky realm of business casual style. Because I live in the UK, work attire is slightly more formal than a business casual setting in the United States. A typical work day’s outfit consists of a nice pair of trousers, brown derbies, a vneck sweater, and a jacket. Tie optional.
I stumbled upon Tim Hardy’s company, the Worcestershire Leather Company, after searching for custom leatherworkers in the United Kingdom. Tim Hardy has been in the highend handmade leather trade for over thirty years. He boasts an impressive background as a designer, craftsman, and supplier for Gieves & Hawkes, Dege, Purdey, Paolo Gucci, Denime, Nepenthes & Needles, Jay Kos, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and others. Despite this impressive history, his personal line of belts aren’t priced for the millionaire/billionaire only crowd. They’re an investment for sure, and maybe too spendy for some, but this is the search for the “perfect” belt… so I was willing to splurge.
His website is clean and easy to navigate, and his product photographs are among the best that I’ve seen among online retailers. However, for some reason Tim has not enjoyed the same level of hype that similar companies have received from the style community. I have some thoughts on why, but more on that in a bit.
Tim has organised his belts into three categories: Benchmark, Thoroughbred, and Strand. His Benchmark belts are classic and timeless. The Thoroughbred belts are edgier and stray into the territory of fashion. The Strand belts are wider variants of the Benchmark belts with added features such as brass or nickle loops, Sam Browne buckles, and nickel tips. Each belt sports its own product name.
Tim’s method of categorization can be a source of confusion: the long list of product names and categories serves to obscure the fact that each of these belts is custom made to custom specifications. I suspect that he could condense all of the belts in the Benchmark category into a single belt offering with a long list of customizations.
Want a 1 1/4th inch belt with a circular brass buckle and a brass loop in Newmarket Tan? Tim can make one, but which product name do you choose as a base? That brings me to another interesting point: Tim offers more leather colours than any other company offering custom bridle leather belts. You can choose any colour on any of his belts. He has some beautiful, exotic colours on there too. I notsosecretly lust after a belt made in British Racing Green or Newmarket Tan. Worcestershire belts are made with J & E Sedgwick bridle leather (Sedgwick leather is also used by Equus Leather).
Great packaging and fantastic service.
I chose the Cropthorne West End belt in Australian Nut. Australian Nut bridle leather is a mid-to-dark brown with a slight red tone. It’s also the most popular choice at all of the companies that I reviewed. The belt costs £63 shipped to the UK, or £67.50 shipped to the USA ($112). Yes, a hundred and twelve dollars.
Editor’s note: WHOA. That’s… a lot of money for a belt. Leather is sorta like denim though. Some guys won’t settle for anything less than the best, and that’s what Chris is going for here. But it’s fair to acknowledge that $112 for a belt really doesn’t fall into the realm of “affordable” for plenty of us.
Tim contacted me shortly after I placed my order to personally thank me, confirm my order details, and ask if I had any questions. I told him that my waist measures 34” (I’ve lost some weight since ordering my Journeyman Leather belt; feel free to compliment me in the comments) and he offered to customize the belt holes so that the second tightest hole would perfectly fit my waist. Wonderful. He followed up twice to update me on the progress of the belt, and I received it after a little over three weeks.
The belt arrived in a beautiful orange box with the Worcestershire Leather Company logo embossed on the top. The belt itself was wrapped in tissue paper. There was a personal letter included that thanked me for my purchase. These little details added to the overall experience, and betrayed Tim’s extensive experience with selling his belts under high-end brand names.
Love it. Highly impressed.
The belt is flawless. I’m trying to be careful to avoid hyperbole when describing Tim’s work, but this is quite honestly the nicest bit of leatherwork that I’ve ever seen. The stitching, edge work, dying, finishing, and decorative line are all perfectly crafted. The leather is smooth, polished, and without any imperfections. The decorative lines come together to meet perfectly at the tip. “Worcestershire Leather Company” is meticulously stamped under the belt buckle. I was not expecting this level of quality for around one hundred U.S. dollars.
My honest assessment is that the quality of Tim’s belts is second to none. And many might be surprised how expensive high quality belts can get (I’ve seen £500- £600 belts on some of Styleforum’s more pretentious threads). So why are these a little closer to attainable than those other stratospheric price points? I strongly suspect that it comes down to marketing. Tim has not been successful in marketing his own name in the style community. Worcestershire Leather Company seems to be a pretty well kept secret.
A few readers may question the simple appearance of a $112 belt on a site that specializes in “affordable” style. To preemptively respond to this criticism, here’s my stance on the cost of all of the custom belts that I have reviewed. Middle income workers such as myself (and most of Dappered’s readers) have few opportunities to experience the best in the world simply because they’re too expensive. We can’t afford the highest quality luxuries. And that’s what these belts are: luxuries. They are luxuries that are within the realm of affordability for a teacher (me) on a tight budget.
After I recieved my belt, I asked Tim about the philosophy of Worcestershire Leather. His response was the “Company philosophy summed up would be: ‘The best quality we can produce at an affordable price’”.
It just depends on what you consider “affordable” when measured against the quality you receive.
Summary
Company: Worcestershire Leather Company
Length: Custom
Style: Cropthorne West End
Width: 1 1/4th inches
Colour: Australian Nut (“Brown”)
Cost: £63 shipped within the UK, £67.50 shipped to the USA ($112).
Recommended: Yes
Coming up tomorrow, the third and final installment of Beltman Bruschetta’s search for the perfect bridle belt. Same belt time! Same Belt Channel!
Editor’s Note II: So a question for you guys… is $112 for a belt just not something you’d ever consider, no matter the quality? Gotta say, my jaw dropped a bit when I saw that price. Or is it something you’d potentially save up for? Leave it below in the comments.
$112 for a belt? Better put the pants on for me..
man, that box is pretty.
If you’re telling me I can pay the same amount for 1 belt (and get higher quality) as I would for multiple belts over a given time period…I would pay $112.
Price seems pretty on par with Allen Edmonds or Saddleback Leather. AE has poor reviews on their belts though and I like the look of this belt better than Saddlebacks.
I’d save up for a really really really nice belt, I mean, theoretically, if the quality is there it could be a lifetime piece.
I love AE belts, currently own 5 in various shades of color.
I have a narrow waist (30) and have a hard time finding dress belts that fit and that last more than a year. 5x$30 belts is less than 1x$112 belt. Cole Haan does a good job, but they only sell one belt in a 30. I have been trying out Banana Republic belts, but not convinced of the quality so far.
No issues with them? Seems like a lot of the reviews mention them not lasting long for a belt in that price range.
“5x$30 belts is less than 1x$112 belt”. Are you sure that’s what you meant to say?
From the site: “…our leather belts are known to last for up to twenty years it allows the wearer to expand,..” If it even went ten years, I kind of feel like that is money I’d be saving in the long run. I end up buying at least a $30 belt every year or so…$300 over that time period.
Yes, edited to say “more,” thanks!
My only belts that last are casual chunks of hide used with denim. I’ve never had a suit belt last more than a couple years of frequent use. But $112 is a lot of cake. Interested to see what day three brings.
You can take a longer belt to a cobbler shop and ask them to trim it. If you get a great deal on a 36 inch belt, it might be worth the price and another ten or fifteen bucks to get it cut down to size with new holes for the buckle.
Beautiful….I would have no hesitation in ordering this, if shopping for belts.
None yet. Time will tell though. They’ve held up well for me.
These look really fantastic, and I’ve been looking for a good dress belt to pair with my new AE McAllisters in bourbon. It looks like Dark Havana is a pretty close shade, though I’m not exactly what length I should be ordering. My waist measures 35″, but I don’t want a 35″ belt of course. How much do I add on? Two inches?
I agree the belt looks pretty damn nice, and if it lasts forever (15 years?) I would gladly throw down that kind of money on one eventually. However, the rest of my wardrobe just isn’t where I want it to be to justify spending that kind of cash. At the moment my favorite belt (which coincidentally looks just like this one) cost $20 when Martin + Osa closed their stores (2009? 10?). Matches perfectly with my Frye Jeffrey Oxfords that I also purchased at M+O for $65 ($225 retail). Maybe one day!
If you get the belt to match the AE McAllisters in bourbon, please let me know how it turns out. I also have those shoes and have been looking for a belt.
Just out of curiosity, why so much Australian nut? I’m just wondering what one does with two Australian Nut belts. Unless there is some important difference I’m missing between today’s and yesterday’s belt, which is totally possible.
No problem, I felt like it was one of those, “A train leaves the station in Chicago at 6, another leaves LA at 12…” type scenarios I wasn’t getting. Racking my brain for a while.
I hate to always plug Suit Supply, but if you are able to go to one of their stores, you pick out your belt and they are made to take apart and cut off the end near the buckle. So the associates put it on you right there and cut it in front of you. I’m not vouching for it lasting longer than you’ve gotten in the past, or saying they are way cheap, but if you need it sized perfectly, that’s hard to beat.
Looks like he got yesterday’s belt to wear with jeans or casually, whereas today’s is a dress belt, or at least business casual for use with work.
Just a guess, but maybe he has some shoes that walk the line between the two and these will both match? Bruschetta, is that the color reason? (I want to feel like Sherlock Holmes here) The only other thing I could think is to be able to compare a similar color between companies.
There are instructions on the site for how to measure. But basically you take a belt you like and measure from the hole you normally use to where the leather meets the buckle.
Tom’s absolutely right. I liked the Australian nut color of my Journeyman belt, and I wanted a dress belt in the same color.
J & E Sedgwick Australian nut leather beautiful. It’s the perfect belt with mid to dark brown shoes. I also wear it with my burgundy shoes because the leather has a slight bit of red.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s installment for a bit of a change.
I used Tim’s guide at http://www.worcestershireleathercompany.com/blog/leather-belts/how-to-order-the-correct-belt-size
Elementary! Great color tips for how to match this too. Thank you.
Perfect example of “buy better, buy less”.
Nope. I don’t think I’d ever be able to justify spending more on a belt than I’ve spent on any clothing item other than shoes. If it ever went on sale, sure, but I doubt these ever go on sale. I think I’d splurge on a belt from Orion Leather Company first. Those look similar and are 1/3 of the price.
One of my favorite belts is my Honest belt. I spent 15 minutes trying to find the company with google, but was not able to find it (stumbled across Orion instead). I’m also perfectly happy with the casual Levi belt I spent $6 on two years ago (on sale, I think was $20-$30 MSRP).
As others have said, if this belt is going to last me decades versus 1-2 years a $30-$40 belt will get me I’m all for it. A belt is the sort of thing you wear almost every day.
Also, I never thought I’d get so much enjoyment reading about a man buying a belt, but here we are.
I’d pay $112 for a belt provided it holds up as long as I would expect high quality leather to last (which is a long time).
As a Glasgow resident I’m always surprised to hear of my home city on the internet. I guess I shouldn’t be; it is great to hear.
University researcher; might I enquire which University?
Great review, think I’ll drop over to the website right now for a quick peruse.
Seems like a lot of people are interested in this thing if it is durable.
Would be great to see a yearly follow-up on how these nicer belts are holding up, a la the Saddleback bag series. If it lasted a while (even 5+ years), I could see a lot of folks making the plunge. The $30 belt I’m wearing now with cracks at half the holes could certainly use an upgrade.
When you see the plasticy top grain leather-on-cardboard belts many department stores will sell you for $40, or the gaudy high-fashion brand name garbarge (green pleather $154 Armani belt, I’m looking at you) , these belts start to look pretty good at $112. Having said that, I think you can get comparable quality for less. Have a look at Narragansett Leathers in Maine, for example. English bridle leather belts in the $46 range.
Martin, Glasgow’s finest! We’re members of the same institution, fella.
P J, that’s a great idea. Thank you!
I’ll second that idea.
I’ve been wanting to buy a quality dress belt and this looks right up my alley. I’m patiently awaiting your next installment, but I have a feeling my next belt will be a Worcestershire.
I would definitely consider paying $112 for a belt. I don’t like shopping for belts, I just want something that has a classic look, is high quality, and would potentially last for several years. It seems that this might just fulfill all of those requirements. However I would like to see how this belt held up compared to a similar product from Orion Leather or Saddleback.
My favorite bridle belt is a Narragansett. They’re fantastic.
Heh that’s great. I’m sitting in my office right now which is only a hop, skip and a 10min walk from University Avenue.
I’ve gone back to the previous story (Journeyman Leather), which I had missed and now you are potentially costing me lots of money my friend. Not cool, in a cool way.
I’ve had no issues either with my AE belts. I purchased mine from the seconds shoebank – same process as the shoes, but discounted belts. ~$40 for a perfectly matching walnut belt to AE walnut shoes is fine for me.
When I can walk into Nordstrom and pay $80 for “just a belt”, all of a sudden $112 doesn’t seem like much more – especially if it’s considerably better.
That being said, I do shop sales so I have a hard time justifying anything at full price. But if you’re measuring MSRP to MSRP, then sure… I don’t see a problem here.
I’m noticing that you’ve got a 30″ waist and you’re buying 30″ belts. The norm is to buy belts that are 2″ larger than your waist so that you fall somewhere around the middle belt loop when it’s buckled. Have you considered 32″ belts?
I have tried 32″ but I hate all the extra overhang from a 32″ belt. I prefer to buckle closer to the end of the belt.
I would most definitely buy one of these. I have been on the hunt for the perfect belt as well and they are hard to come by. I don’t want something that will wear out in a couple years. I may have to look into this.
I got a custom belt from someone in Georgia about five years ago, and I can’t for the life of me figure out who it is (no markings on it at all). Wanted to get a casual one as well, and I’m stumped.
I know for certain I will be purchasing a new belt now, probably from one of the three magnificent artisans listed here. Great articles, exactly what I have come to expect from Dappered – bravo sir!
One small point which both amuses and makes me cringe at the same time. To my American friends who seem to be the majority of the readers here – a word about the word Worcestershire:
It is pronounced ‘WUUS-tər-sheer’.
Not ‘Wor-cest-er-shy-er’.
In fact, all English Counties with a Shire suffix are pronounced ‘sheer’.
Tomatos grown in Worcestershire, however, can be called ‘to-MAY-tos, if you wish.
Shane,
Great comments and thanks for your assistance on pronunciation.
Tim Hardy
Thanks to everyone for their varied and interesting comments and especially Chris for his great writing. I don’t do much ‘posting’ on blogs or forums because there’s a lot of living to do and loads of belts to make. Anybody has a question about my years at the leather bench or just wants to ask a question, feel free to email me.
Thanks to all the customers who read this article and subsequently placed orders – very much appreciated and hope everyone is happy so far. I’ll now revert to my internet shy and retiring self and get back in the workshop.
Best,
Tim Hardy