Indian Retro Leather Belt

Work belts are 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide. It is the width that carries weight, shows under an open jacket and goes with heavy denim and field pants. This one is 0.9 in (2.3 cm), and it solves a different problem.

The slim belt exists for trousers with narrow loops. It slides in without forcing, disappears under the shirt and does not thicken the waist when you button a blazer. It goes unnoticed, which is exactly its job. Anyone with pleated trousers in the closet has already found out that the wide belt does not fit them, or fits by crushing the loop.

The piece is full grain cowhide, the top cut of the hide where the fiber is tightest. Single layer, no glued lining, with a hand dyed edge and a cream thread stitch holding the buckle end. The line is called Indian Retro, and its signature is a small embroidered mark in the same thread color, shaped like a leaf, right after the buckle.

What is written on the inside

On the flesh side of the leather, hot stamped in gold foil, a line with an anchor beside it: "People should live, rather than simply in order to survive and live." It faces the body, invisible with the belt on. It is a detail only the wearer knows about.

The buckle and the stitch

Single prong buckle, oval frame, in zinc alloy with a brushed silver finish. The leather folds over the bar and is held by three wide stitches in cream thread, with a leather keeper over it. The contrast of light thread on dark leather is what reads as a stitched piece, not a glued one.

Full grain leather

Full grain is the top layer of the hide, where the fiber is densest. It is what lets the belt resist twisting without stretching and what lets it gain a shine with wear instead of peeling. The tone is black with a warm undertone, and the surface shows the natural grain of the hide.

Comes in a pouch

Comes with a natural cotton drawstring pouch, printed with a stylized bird, inside a cardboard box. Good for storage and solves gift wrapping with nothing else needed.

Technical details

• Material: full grain cowhide, single layer, no glued lining
• Width: 0.9 in (2.3 cm)
• Total length: 45 in (115 cm), buckle included
• Buckle: single prong, oval frame, zinc alloy with brushed silver finish, 1.4 in (3.5 cm)
• Holes: 8, with free area before the first hole for punching extra holes
• Finish: dyed edge, cream thread stitching at the buckle end and an embroidered leaf shaped mark
• Inside: gold foil hot stamp with an anchor and a quote
• Color: Black
• Includes: cotton drawstring pouch and box

Which waist this belt fits

The chart below is read from the real hole layout of the piece. Choose by your waist measurement, not by your pant size.

The first factory hole sits 31.7 in (80.5 cm) from the tip of the buckle and the last at 38.6 in (98 cm). Waist under 32 in: you can punch a new hole in the smooth area before the first hole, which runs down to 30.3 in (77 cm). Waist over 38.5 in: this length does not fit, and the Drover Leather Belt or the Tooled Leather Belt are the store's longer options.

Care

• Wipe with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Do not wash and do not soak.
• If it gets wet, dry in the shade, away from heat.
• Condition every few months with a neutral leather cream or balm, in a thin layer.
• Store hanging or loosely rolled. Folding at the same point marks the leather.
• Punching a new hole is permanent. Measure twice first.

Indian Retro is the name the maker gives this line. The embroidered mark on the piece and the print on the pouch are graphic elements of the product. Wild Soul Co. has no affiliation with any third party brand that may appear stamped on the piece.