Hermes Tube H Belt Buckle & Reversible Leather Strap 38 mm Box 135 and Togo Calfskin Brushed Permabrass Buckle Yellow Gold Noir Bleu Tempête

The Tube H buckle takes the letter to its logical conclusion. Instead of a flat bar, the H is formed from a rounded tube of metal, so the buckle has a soft, rolled profile that catches light along its length rather than in one flat plane. In brushed permabrass over black and Bleu Tempete, it looks like hardware rather than an ornament.

Bleu Tempete is a deep, stormy blue with grey in it, close to black in low light and clearly blue in daylight. It covers the grained Togo face of this 38 mm strap; the black sits on the glossy Box 135 side. Togo is pebbled, matte and forgiving, Box 135 is smooth and reflective, and turning the buckle swaps between them.

On the waist, the width suits denim, chinos and heavier cotton, and the warm brushed gold of the buckle flatters the blue rather than fighting it. The belt is at its best with a navy coat, charcoal flannel or stone chinos, where the blue registers as texture more than as colour. On a plain jeans-and-shirt day the buckle does all the talking.

Two things to know: the rounded tube profile gathers a little dust and polish along its inner curves, so it likes an occasional wipe, and 38 mm may not suit very narrow tailored trouser loops. Sizes run from 80 to 115 cm, and the measurement that matters is where the belt sits rather than your trouser label.