Practicality in travel gear can mean many things. To some, cost is a priority. To others, functionality. One of my decision factors in acquiring gear in whatever way you define “gear,” is to focus more on quality than quantity. I need fewer items of clothing if the items I do have are likely to serve me for a long time, in as many varied ways as possible.
Recently, I realized that I must have swept up the belts I owned in one of my donation moments, so I needed one belt that I could use on my travels. Not more than one, and that one needed to serve many looks with many items of clothing. I chose the Cuyana Wide Leather Belt. It comes in black or chestnut, and black goes with absolutely every item of clothing I own (mostly because I have a lot of black), so that’s what I picked.
I like to pack lightly for travel, but I also like to keep things minimal at home. I don’t need a closet packed with clothing items when I only need half the space for the things that really work for me.
The belt is made from smooth Italian leather with a gold buckle, in a small family-owned factory outside of Pisa. The leather is LWG Gold certified, which ensures that it’s tanned responsibly against measures like traceability, resource consumption, and effluent treatment.
The style is so simple and versatile that you can wear the best at the hips or at the waist for a cinched look. The belt measures 1.88 inches wide, and has 9-11 (depending on which of the three sizes you choose) holes 1.2 inches apart. The XS belt is 38 inches long, the S/M belt is 41.5 inches long, and the L/XL belt is 46.5 inches long. Get yours ($148) on the Cuyana site.