The slim belt
More environmentally friendly than chrome tanning (the most common method), vegetable tanning allows the leather to develop a patina over time.
If it's too thin for you, take a look at our classic belt.
It's Manon who assembles our belt. Based in the Tarn, in southwest France — one of the country's homes of leather craft — she inherited both her father's workshop and his taste for careful finishing.
The techniques behind the quality
Full-grain leather
Our buckle is made of solid brass, a sturdy metal whose quality we've put to the test: even by trying to scratch it or leaving it to soak in water for a long time, we couldn't make a dent in that lovely golden finish.
Full-grain leather
Brass buckle
Metal rivets
Brass buckle
Metal rivets
For our belts and shoes
The slim belt
A slim strap on a pretty gold buckle, leather colours that are a little out of the ordinary but easy to match: here's a belt that's simple but far from plain, made for everyday wear. And the quality is right there with it: we chose an Italian full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather and a solid brass buckle, two sturdy materials that age beautifully. Finally, this belt is handmade in France, in a workshop that specialises in leather goods.
In detail
Square buckle
Perfectly balanced.
Single layer
Some straps are built as a "sandwich" of several layers, which can peel apart over time. Ours is made from a single layer of leather, 3 mm thick: no risk of it splitting in two.
Origin and certifications
- Hides: France
- Tanning and dyeing: Italy
- Manufacturing: France (the Tarn, in southwest France)
How this product will age
How do we know? We ask our customers what they think of the product one year after they've bought it. And if the product is less than a year old, we give you our predictions based on some spontaneous feedback and on our experience with similar products.
This belt isn't about to give up on you, but it will change over time: that's the nature (and the magic) of vegetable tanning.
The colour will gradually darken and, over the years, scratches will leave faint marks on the leather. But that's no sign of poor quality — quite the opposite: the passing of time will give your belt a personality all its own (and we explain here how to easily soften these marks).
The belt will curve as you wear it and mould to the shape of your waist (click here to see what it looks like after a year of daily wear). Don't worry, it's perfectly normal: that's exactly what makes leather belts so comfortable.
Care instructions
Leather that isn't cared for will sooner or later dry out, crack or lose its shape. And after that, it's game over: there'll be no going back, even if the leather is of excellent quality. On the other hand, if you spend a little time on it, you'll be able to keep your belt for years.
The key thing to understand is that leather is made up of around 5% oils — these are what give it its suppleness and strength. If they escape, the leather dries out. So your goal is simple: keep the leather oiled. You therefore need to regularly "feed" it, at least once a year, with a product made specifically for leather. Be careful — tempting as it is, don't use a cosmetic cream like Nivea: these are water-based emulsions that can contain 70 to 80% water, which over time risks driving the oils out of the leather and causing it to crack. That's the opposite of the effect you're after!
Also, your belt is made of full-grain vegetable-tanned leather, a process that allows the leather to develop a patina over time. Over the years, scratches will lightly mark the leather and its colour will evolve. This isn't a sign of poor quality — quite the opposite: the passing of time will give your belt a unique personality. We explain here how to simply reduce these marks.
Please note: under the effect of sun, friction or moisture, the leather dye can stain lighter fabrics. It's best to avoid wearing it with white trousers or a beige skirt on a scorching day or for a long bike ride…
If you find the belt is a little too big, you don't necessarily need to exchange it: you can take it to your cobbler to have an extra hole punched.
The belt will curve as you wear it and mould to the shape of your waist (click here to see what it looks like after a year of daily wear). Don't worry, this is normal: it's what makes leather belts so comfortable.
Reviews for this product
The standard practice is to send review request e-mails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month, the minimum time needed to form a well-informed opinion
Customer review policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We send you a review request one month after you receive your order. We reckon that's the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed a garment several times and to really form a well-informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within the week, whether they're good or not.
Do you ask for reviews on 100% of the products customers order?
We used to do that at first, then we realised we were starting to send far too many emails to some people who buy from us regularly. In short, we were spamming a bit. On top of that, it was starting to take up way too much of the team's time to reply to reviews - since we want to reply individually and privately to almost every person who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews shown on the site for people who want to buy to form a well-informed opinion about the product 2/ We've read enough reviews within the Loom team to understand how to improve the product for the next generation.
Hold your horses: what proves we don't tamper with reviews by slapping 5 stars everywhere?
Honestly: nothing, we're just giving you our word. Same as for everything else, by the way: where we manufacture, where our wool comes from, our lab test scores, and so on. The only times we might touch what you write are if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it's racist, homophobic, and so on (but that's never happened so far).
Asking for a review after a month isn't enough to know whether the clothes really are durable, is it?
You're right, which is why we send you another review request email a year after your purchase – we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. The answers help us improve our clothes and provide information about "how this product will age" on our product pages. To avoid bothering our customers needlessly, we don't ask for these reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand the areas for improvement, we stop asking for the one-year reviews.