Hermes Tube H Belt Buckle & Reversible Leather Strap 38 mm Box 135 and Togo Calfskin Palladium Buckle Silver Bleu Marine Vert Amande

Navy and almond green in one belt sounds like a gamble and turns out to be a workhorse. Bleu Marine is the deep, dependable blue; Vert Amande is the soft, greyed green of the nut, quieter than olive and easier to wear than sage. Between them sits a palladium buckle, cool and restrained.

This one runs 38 mm wide and reverses between Box 135 and Togo calfskin. One face takes the polish, glossy and smooth; the other is pebbled, matte and springier, and that grained side is the one I trust for travel and wet weekends. Turning the buckle swaps the faces, and the strap edge carries a thin line of whichever colour is hidden.

In practice the green face does more work than I expected, pairing with navy jackets, ecru trousers and brown shoes, while the blue face handles black coats and grey knitwear without fuss. Palladium keeps the metal neutral, so neither colour is forced to compete with a warm buckle. The green also lifts an otherwise plain outfit, which is more work than most belts do.

Two caveats: 38 mm is a generous width for tailored trousers, and the glossy Box 135 side shows light scuffs while the pebbled Togo side hides them. Both are characteristics of the leathers rather than faults. Waist sizes run from 80 to 115 cm; take your measurement where the belt sits and, if you are between two figures, size up.