Hermes Neo Etrier Belt Buckle & Reversible Leather Strap 38 mm Epsom Calfskin Permabrass Buckle Yellow Gold Noir Gold

Last autumn I wore a black wool coat for three months straight, and this belt was the only thing at my waist that made the outfit look considered rather than accidental. The gold-tan face picks up camel, olive and brown; the black face goes quiet; the Neo Etrier buckle, drawn from stirrup hardware, adds a shape you notice on second glance.

Both faces are Epsom calfskin at 38 mm. The leather is heat-embossed with a fine, regular grain that resists scratches, rain spots and the dulling that smooth calfskins suffer around the buckle. Brushed permabrass, a warm gold tone with a soft non-reflective finish, matches brass zips and older brass hardware instead of competing with them.

In practice the belt flips by rotating the buckle, giving me black for evenings and tan for daylight from a single piece. The strap edge shows a thin line of the opposite colour whichever face is out, which I have come to like as the signature of a reversible construction. The tan face is the friendlier of the two in daylight; black does the formal work.

A trade-off to plan around: 38 mm is generous for slim suit trousers, and Epsom’s firmness means a short break-in before the belt hugs the waist rather than standing away from it. On denim and chinos, neither issue arises.

Waist sizes run 80 to 115 cm, and I would measure over a shirt rather than a bare waist if this belt will sit on knitwear.