How to take care of a leather belt
Hello everyone! We’ve been wanting to talk about belts for a long time, an accessory that has become one of the most common among wardrobes around the world. An accessory that regardless of the fashion we follow, will be an essential in our wardrobe. However, today we will focus on talking about leather belts, one of the most common for users and the belts that require the most care if we want to keep them alive for a long period of time.
But before we delve into the best leather care and how to keep leather belts in a perfect condition for a long time, we are going to tell you some curiosities about the origin of belts.
As you all know, the belt is like a strap that can be made of different materials, but this has not always been the case. Its origin dates back to the Bronze Age, where there are documents that already spoke of this mythical accessory beyond the years 1,200 BC. The belt was one of the first articles of clothing for humans and the first was designed by Adam and Eve to cover their shame, a fig leaf belt.
How far is this! However, we may be more familiar with some images from ancient Greece, where men and women wore a kind of strap or cord tied around their waists that shaped the tunic that they wore. The most modern began to use decorative buckles on them, until they became a mythological symbol in which the gods and goddesses used the belt as a complement to dress up your precious tunics. So much so that women used it to highlight their figure, make it slimmer and even the most daring hid items inside their tunics, held by the belt.
But let’s go a little closer in time and see the influence that the belt had on our lives. Another historical and curious fact is that the belt was compulsory use among the military from the Middle Ages. Men’s civil and military clothing included a belt, something that completely changed men’s clothing. In the case of women, only a certain type of women could wear it, who continued to use it as a decorative element.
As the years and centuries passed, the belt took on different uses and symbolism. The bourgeoisie was one of the first classes to use the leather belt. This was used so that bags, keys and knives could be hung on it. For women it was a symbol of fidelity, since when her husband died, they deposited her wedding belt on top of her husband’s grave.
Today the belt is a garment that is part of all wardrobes and is part of our day to day, both as a fastening element and as a decorative element. Leather belts need special care since they come from animal skin.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR LEATHER BELTS
Next, we recommend some of the products most valued by our customers to keep your leather belt in good shape for many years, hydrated and allowing it to continue doing its job without weakening. At The Elegant Oxford we tell you what to do to make your leather belt look like new. Keep reading!
1.- Cleaning:
One of our first recommendations is to clean the belt even if dirt is not visible to the naked eye.
It is possible that if you have had your leather belt stored in a closet and in disuse, it smells somewhat unpleasant. It is important to ventilate the belt in an air-filled space before starting the cleaning.
The first thing to do is gently remove dust and dirt from the surface with a polish brush. We recommend the Polishing Brush Saphir Médaille d'Or as it is ideal for cleaning suede, nubuck and smooth leather.
Then use the Saphir Cleanser to remove dirt, wax and polish. This product is like a face tonic, it prepares and opens the pores of the leather so that when the moisturizing cream is added it penetrates well and gives a better result. This product is very simple and fast to use. You can apply a small amount of the product to a cotton chamois cloth and make small circular movements on the belt. Once you have finished, use a clean, damp cloth to remove excess product and allow it to air dry.
2.- Hydration:
Hydration is one of the most important processes in skin care. With the years and the use of the belt, the leather can become cracked and dry. For this reason it is important to apply good hydration and nutrition after having cleansed the skin as we have explained above. This allows us to maintain the flexibility of the leather, recover its shine and prevent it from breaking with use.
Two of our recommendations for moisturizing and repairing leather belts are the Renovateur Suede and Nubuck Spray 250ml Saphir, which perfectly nourishes the belt and respects any leather color, and on the other hand, the Renovateur Cream Saphir Médaille d'Or with Macadamia, made with a water base with a incredible contribution of macadamia. Macadamia nourishes and rejuvenates the leather. The most valued by our customers is the ease of use and the effectiveness in hydration.
- Finally, our star step: the protection -
3.- Protection:
Before carrying out this last step, it is important to brush the belt again to remove and polish any remaining product that has become embedded. Once brushed, we move on to the last step to keep our leather belt perfect. A good protection. At The Elegant Oxford we boast of having one of the best products on the market; Saphir Medalille D’Or Super Invulner.
This product is a spray that is applied from 10 inches away and allowed to dry for 5 to 10 minutes. The spray creates an invisible protective film to protect the belt from any scratches or dirt. The result is amazing!
Easy right? We hope we have helped you keep your leather belts in perfect condition. And don’t forget that these steps can be applied to other natural leather garments.
And finally, if you know that you will not use your leather belt for a long time, store it in a cotton bag or in a cardboard box and thus avoid moisture and fungus.
See you soon! :)
