photograph: courtesy of carson's

Belts are one of those accessories that, like socks (or hosiery, if you want to get fancy) or watches, you might be tempted to skimp on. And truly, who among us average guys is ready to pull the trigger on a $460 John Lobb calfskin belt at Barneys, its British bootmaker’s pedigree and deep red-brown lusciousness notwithstanding?

Me? I prefer Calvin Klein’s black/brown reversible belt. Like the John Lobb beauty, it has a silvertone buckle, a rich brown tone and, as a bonus, it is reversible to black.

$36 at carsons.com