My son, 17, wears a belt with jeans. I seem to remember that jeans were once the only pants where a belt was not to be worn.
Why do jeans have belt loops if they are not meant to be held up with belts? And why not use the opportunity to finish your look with a pleasant piece of leather - a delightful natural substance - and an elegant belt buckle? A cool belt can make jeans into a dressy item. Without a belt, any trousers look unfinished and childlike. All trousers should be worn with belts unless they are held up with suspenders - and in that case they have suspender buttons sewn inside the waistband (these are known to tailors as a "suspender set"). In this case, the empty belt loops will not be visible, because you will only be wearing suspenders under a jacket. And it goes without saying that you never wear clip-on suspenders, or suspenders and a belt.
Russell Smith's new novel, Girl Crazy, has just been published.
Have a fashion question? E-mail style@globeandmail.com