A belt is a patch for a trouser that doesn't fit. It also cuts you in half, right at the point where a good outfit should be one clean line.
What side adjusters are
A short strap and buckle sewn onto each hip of the waistband. Pull the strap and the waist takes in by a small amount. That's all. No loops, no leather, nothing across the front.
Tailors have used them for a very long time, for a simple reason: your waist isn't the same size at breakfast and after dinner. A belt has five fixed holes. A buckle has every position in between.
What a Gurkha waistband is
The other famous way to skip the belt. A Gurkha waistband wraps across the front and fastens at the side with a buckle. The name comes from the Gurkha regiments, whose uniform shorts closed this way.
If you've been searching for Gurkha pants, you already like the idea: a high waist, a clean front, a bit of hardware at the hip.
How the Palazzo does it
Our trouser sits in the same family. It has two buckled adjusters at each hip, and an extended tab at the front that closes with a single button. You get the adjustability and the clean front, in a slightly quieter form than a full Gurkha wrap.
Why it looks better
- One unbroken line. Shirt meets trouser with nothing in between. You look taller.
- No buckle at the centre. Nothing shiny pulling the eye to your stomach.
- The shirt stays put. A high waistband holds a tuck better than any belt.
- It fits after lunch. Let the strap out a notch. Nobody will know.
When a belt still makes sense
With jeans. With chinos that have loops, because empty loops look forgotten. That's about it. On tailored trousers, the belt has been optional for a century, and the best-dressed men in the room tend to have noticed.
New to all this? Start with how to wear a high waist, then put your name down.