“They don’t make them like they used to.”
Sometimes I wonder if I’ll utter that phrase when I’m a septuagenarian. Probably not considering most goods in America in the 2010s are mass produced in the Vietnams, Bangladeshes and Chinas of the world. That’s not to bash those countries, though. Many of the products are very well made, and priced much lower than any made in America product could. In fact, Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple claimed that only China had the skilled workers who were able to make the iPhone, whereas “[t]he U.S., over time, began to stop having as many vocational kind of skills”. I recognize and appreciate that benefit.
One brand in America, though, Tanner Goods, does have the skills, and is making leather goods like they used to. After over a year of eyeing the Tanner Goods’ Classic Belt, I finally pulled the trigger and bought it.
The $100 retail price was hard to swallow as a college student. But the mind has its ways of rationalization. Hey, it’s a high quality belt and I’ll probably end up wearing it for the rest of my life. And it looks pretty versatile, so I’d probably wear almost every day.
Does the belt live up to the hype? Is it worth the money?
I’ve been wearing the belt for a few months now, and I’ll answer those questions and more in this Tanner Goods Classic Belt review. But first here some pros and cons.
Pros
- Sturdy – thick and burly, high quality English Bridle leather. Most belts in department stores are bicast leather, semi-plastic pieces of junk.
- Very versatile – I purchased the belt in Cognac, which matches with pretty much everything. I’m a big fan of the color.
- Great width – it’s been hard to find a belt that’s the right width. The general rule of thumb is that thinner belts are usually more formal. I can wear the Tanner Goods belt with chinos, denim or even dress pants.
The leather is fairly stiff when you first start wearing it, but it’ll soften up after wearing it for a few months. The metalware is solid, and the belt is quite heavy.
Cons
- Slightly pricey
Fit
The belt fitting is pretty straight forward and the Tanner Goods website has a slider for determining your belt size based on your waist size on every belt product page.
With the belt width of 1.25 inches, it fits on most pants’ belt loops. From past experiences, some thicker belts (1.5 inches) sometimes don’t fit on the belt loops of chinos. The Classic Belt was just right.
Is it worth $100?
Not really. It’s a great product, that’s for sure, but $60-ish would probably be more reasonable. I guess you could say I’m supporting an American business and doing my part in creating American jobs.
I bought the belt because I couldn’t find anything just right in stores or online. Most of the belts at Macy’s were bonded leather and too long. Neither was I a fan of the designer belts at Nordstrom, which also were priced in the $300s. I considered Gustin’s belts, (which are in the $45-65 range) but they were too wide for my preference, at 1.5 inches.
I paid $85 for it during the Tanner Goods’ Black Friday sale, but any time of the year if you sign up for Tanner Goods’ email newsletter, you’ll receive a coupon code for 10% off your next purchase.
The Verdict
Overall this belt made from high quality materials, albeit slightly overpriced. The tag which accompanied the Classic belt bore the words “break them in. wear them well. pass them on.“, with the implicit meaning that it’ll last longer than my life will. While I’m skeptical of most marketing claims, I will admit, I believe this one.
The Classic belt from Tanner Goods comes in 5 colors: Natural, Saddle Tan (light brown), Hickory (brown with a slight reddish tint), Cognac (a deep brown, which I purchased) and Black.
Where To Get It
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.
Tannergoods leather is well made but overpriced plenty of quality leather goods on Etsy as well made ore better than tanner but cheaper. Asimpleleatherbelt.com , thirteen50leather.com, corterleather.com all make quality belts that are better deal than tanners.
Hi Jeff! Thanks for the comment! Yeah, as I mentioned in my article, Tanner Goods belts are a bit pricey, so thanks for the recommendations.