Hermes Tete de Cheval Belt Buckle & Reversible Leather Strap 38 mm Epsom Calfskin Palladium Buckle Silver Gold Noir

A horse’s head could easily look like a novelty on a belt buckle. Here it is restrained, a small equestrian motif worked into the plate, and it feels at home on a house that began with saddlery. In gold-tan and noir, with palladium hardware, the whole belt stays sober enough for a weekday.

The strap is Epsom calfskin, 38 mm wide and reversible: warm gold-tan on one face, black on the other. Epsom’s heat-embossed grain gives it a fine, even surface and enough firmness that the belt will not twist between the loops. The palladium buckle is cool and slightly grey, which stops the motif from reading as shiny decoration and keeps the focus on the leather.

In practice the tan face is the one I wear with chinos, tweed and brown boots, and the black face covers dinners, interviews and the occasional formal evening. The plate sits flat and comfortable when I am seated, which matters more than people admit on a belt worn all day at a desk.

Worth knowing before you commit: Epsom needs a little time to break in at the fold, and this width will not thread every tailored trouser loop. Because the strap is reversible, the hidden colour shows at the edge and a faint bend remains near the buckle after wearing, both of which fade with use.

Waist sizes are 80 to 115 cm, chosen by the measurement where the belt sits.