THE 'JEWEL' BELT

The belt does not begin by holding up, but by carrying. From the Bronze Age, and into antiquity, one grafts upon it weapons, nourishment, and tools.

Early on, it is granted the value of a status symbol. It is also the emblems of the defeated soldiers that one wears on one’s belt. Sometimes embellished with diamonds, belts are at their most luxurious in Ancient Egypt. They are made of leather, linen and gold to which gems and pearls are added. For the Romans, the belt distinguishes the citizen from the soldier. Its value is symbolic, and not utilitarian.

For the Franks, to take a man’s belt is to take power over him. In Mongolia, a military pact could be agreed through the exchange of belts. The thinnest belts were then found around monks’ waists: a simple cord signifying faith and chastity.

This symbolic meaning is reflected in its military use. Ceremonial belts are wide and fitted: they are designed to accentuate a slender silhouette and allow for the wearing of a sword.

The industrial revolutions raise the stakes. The belt is no longer a mark of individuality, but an object worn by all. The invention of belt loops follows shortly. Buckles become mass-produced and lose their association with the upper classes. Waistlines are lower: the belt was a luxury, it is now a necessity.

A precious aspect survives this development. The inter-war period sees golden belts made fashionable: medallions ensure the steadiness of a long chain.

The 1970s and their precise waists guarantee the thin belt’s success: sold by Old England, Sulka or Lanvin, with a golden buckle, an exotic or patent leather.

Worn by some men on clothing made to their measure, the belt loses its obedience to duty. No longer compliant, it becomes a jewel. This is a french turn. In the United States, this kind of belt seems too precious. In Britain, where the authority of tailors then still reigned, to wear a belt is to be inelegant. Trousers must hold or risk revealing they were not made to measure.

The ‘jewel’ belt is in-between. Belonging to ready-to-wear, its preciousness undoes its utility. Worn like a jewel around suit trousers, it is a staple of french style.