Be it your favorite denim, workwear, or heritage brand, there is one seemingly random leather thread that connects these distinct clothing outlets. And it’s time to finally buckle it up: the Garrison Belt. Doesn’t it seem like most, if not all, of the quality, heritage-leaning clothing sites and specialty stores you frequent carry at least one?
Brands like Sugar Cane, Samurai Jeans, Barnes & Moore, Iron Heart, and many more have all championed this style of belt. But why is that? Is it a huge coincidence? A government conspiracy? Or is there simply something to it that makes it worth the while for companies and their customers. Let’s take a look.
What Is A Garrison Belt?
A vintage Garrison Belt via James Mountain Antiques
A Garrison Belt is a leather belt with a wide leather strap and a pronounced square or inverted rectangle buckle. When fastened traditionally, both sides of the buckle sit in front of the leather strap, rather than the strap covering half the buckle.
As it turns out, the Garrison Belt has been around for just as long or longer than a lot of other items in the heritage wear canon and was once a fixture of daily life on the home front.
Stationed in History
Images via US Militaria Uniform
Believed to have gotten its start around World War I, the Garrison belt went through a major transformation from its early days as a utility belt made of fabric webbing and featuring more of a clasp closure, before transforming into the classic belt that has stayed in the public consciousness til now.
An earlier Garrison Belt, the US M1910 Mills Garrison Belt, via Online Militaria
But let’s get to the elephant in the room – what does “Garrison” in the garrison belt stand for? The word garrison means ‘military outpost’ or ‘a permanent military station’. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. It’s clear to see the connection here—you hold down a strategic position, the belt strategically holds up your pants.
From sometime between WWI until 1942, all U.S. soldiers were issued a Garrison Belt (the wide-strapped leather belt with square buckle that we know today) for wear with the overall smarter and less combat-ready dress worn in Garrison, such as dress blouses, wool pants, and the side cap (also known as the Garrison Cap). Soldiers could of course opt to wear their webbing trouser belts, and even wear their Garrison Belts as part of their Battle Dress Uniform, but the Garrison Belt had a more formal edge.
An original WWII USMC Garrison Belt via G503 Military Vehicle Message Forum
Typically coming in a reddish-brown, russet leather, the Garrison Belt, also known as the ‘fair leather belt’ featured a square brass buckle that could be snapped in or out. It was worn by multiple branches of the military up to WWII with a sliding expiration date extending to active duty dress like formal wear, field fatigues, and off-duty, leave fashion.
And like much of the early military we know and love, this simple leather belt plainly hides a secret. According to some accounts, it came in handy as a weapon when needed. By holding the buckle in your fist with a corner poking through and wrapping the leather around for fist, you have a formidable weapon at your fingertips! Let’s just hope you got the right size pants to begin with!
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After returning home, the belts melded into daily life, an easy transition based on their previous use which, like other crucial but maybe more noticeable elements of the military ensemble, make it an iconic, integral component of Americana.
How to Style It
While carrying on the tradition of such a storied accessory, how can you do it justice? Luckily for you, it’s nearly impossible to style the Garrison wrong as long as you leave basketball shorts out of the equation. Whether you wear it discretely with a pair of five-pocket jeans or khakis with a t-shirt or casual top and have it peek through or go the full nine yards and wear some repro work pants or work denim and a tucked-in work shirt to fully show it off, the Garrison is nothing if not versatile, fitting in no questions asked, no matter where on the spectrum your outfit falls.
And don’t discount the potential for asymmetrical styling. In old photographs, keen-eyed observers can often spot old soldiers placing the buckle on the side of the hip instead of symmetrically in front of the fly.
How Much Will An Original Cost You?
An original WWII USMC Garrison Belt via G503 Military Vehicle Message Forum
Like most mass-issued military garb, original articles can be picked up for under $100 when they turn up. A quick scour online has shown that you can’t just pick one up, though, you’d need to be on the hunt and most likely engage on some US Military garb forums to get a lead. The belt above was found on G503 Military Vehicle Message Forum, with the seller only wanting $25.
It’s likely the originals will have either deteriorated or simply won’t stack up to today’s reproduction offerings, so let’s get into those.
Modern Garrison Belts
Belafonte Ragtime Leather Garrison Belt, $200 from Clutch Cafe
As we alluded to at the start of this piece, Garrison Belts are everywhere. Unless they’re made out of period-correct Russet leather, you can’t really call ’em reproductions, but many makers have taken the Garrison Belt silhouette and made them with artisan leather and high-quality materials, resulting in a belt you will only need to purchase once.
Pigeon Tree Crafting 35mm Color 8 Horween Chromexcel Japanese Garrison Belt, $165 from Pigeon Tree Crafting
Burgus Plus 4mm Leather Garrison Belt BP13000, ~$81USD from Hinoya
Samurai Full Grain Cowhide Garrison Belt, ~$185USD from Corlection
