Hermes Traverse Belt Buckle & Reversible Leather Strap 38 mm Box 135 and Togo Calfskin Palladium Buckle Silver Noir Gris Mouette

Grey belts get a bad reputation as an afterthought, and I think that is unfair. A grey strap against dark denim or charcoal wool breaks the black-on-black monotony at the waist without raising its voice. Here the grey is gris mouette, soft and slightly cool, laid over the grained side of a reversible 38 mm strap.

One face comes in glossy Box 135 calfskin and the other in pebbled Togo. Box 135 is the glossy, smooth one and carries the black; Togo, pebbled and matte, carries the grey. Flipping between them is done by rotating the buckle, and the surfaces behave very differently in practice: the smooth face shows scuffs, the pebbled one hides them almost entirely.

Palladium finishes the buckle in a cool silver tone that suits the grey particularly well, and it is the least attention-seeking hardware in my drawer. Worn under a dark coat, the grey face reads as a deliberate choice; worn with a grey suit, it very nearly disappears, which is useful on days when the trousers are doing the talking.

Travelling with it has taught me one thing: the Togo side comes out of a packed case looking untouched, while the Box side benefits from a soft cloth and a minute of attention. Neither needs product or polish.

Practical notes: 38 mm is a casual width, at its best on denim and heavier cotton, and it can be snug in slim tailoring. Size options range from 80 to 115 cm at the waist.