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Taking Care of Turquoise Belt Buckles

Posted on May 2, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Special Buckles | Leave a Comment

J.W. Cooper’s Indian head belt buckle was cut from 441 carats of turquoise culled from the Kingman Mine in Arizona. It’s set against sterling silver and the feathers are mother of pearl with onyx tips. Priced at $2700, this is not your standard western belt buckle.
All jewelry requires care, but turqoise, because it is naturally porous and easily scratched, demands special attention. It takes millions of years and very specific natural conditions for even the smallest amount of turqoise to develop. For these reasons, you’ll want to treat your turqoise belt buckles and accessories as the precious gems they are. For a ten point list of cleaning and care suggestions, click here.

Bands in Belt Buckles at SxSW

Posted on April 29, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Events, Fashion | Leave a Comment

South by Southwest, Austin’s annual music festival, gets props for introducing little-known alterna-rock bands to larger audiences. It’s also known for sparking hot trends in fashion. This years festival, held last month, was no exception.
Seen on the scene were skinny jeans and, surprise!!, belt buckles. Gaspard Auge, of goth dance band Justice, sported a retro belt buckle while headlining the Playboy Party at SxSW and Texas’ own Trail of Dead’s members were snapped donning western belt buckles with tight black jeans throughout the festival.

Raising the Bar for Western Belt Buckles

Posted on April 23, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Celebs, Vintage Belt Buckles | Leave a Comment

Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR’s most popular driver, has opened his very own watering hole in Charlotte, North Carolina that features a bar rimmed with vintage western belt buckles. Not only is it gorgeous but it’s one of the finest recycling efforts I’ve seen in a while. I just hope they’re affixed with more than superglue. Creative collectors might get sticky fingers after a few beers.

Skin Is In

Posted on April 22, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Fashion | Leave a Comment

A recent Detroit Free Free Press article touts exotic skin belts and rock star belt buckles as the current “it” items in Menswear. As one interviewee explained, “There’s not a lot for men to do or change when it comes to fashion.” A cool belt buckle provides a solution, mixing easily into a ready-made ensemble and spicing up the standard suit/jeans/tee trifecta that is the typical man’s work week to weekend wardrobe.
Among the best ideas the article put forth was the favorite rock band belt buckle. Specifically, it suggested wearing buckles with the insignias of Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd. I couldn’t agree more, although I’d restrict these to weekend wear only. Pair with casual denim, colorful sneakers and a well-fit tee shirt for day and crisp, dark denim, leather boots and blazer for night.

Belt Buckles that Inspire…Riots

Posted on April 15, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Celebs, Collecting Belt Buckles, History, Special Buckles | Leave a Comment

Collecting vintage belt buckles is a popular endeavor. Archaeologists and historians often chronicle their finds in books focused on buckles of a particular type. Some books, however, are bound to be controversial. Confederate Belt Buckles and Plates, a compendium of Civil War relics, is one such book.
It may have historic value–so does a Confederate flag but I wouldn’t buy one of those either– but for anyone considering wearing a Confederate Belt Buckle, well, let’s just say it’s probably best not to stroll through any neighborhood within walking distance of a MLK Boulevard.
Wearing the wrong belt buckle can get you in a tight spot. Witness the flap over Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2007 Time Magazine cover. His pinstriped suit looked nice. Mayor Mike appeared shell shocked. The article was interesting. But what people were talking about was The Governator’s belt buckle. The silver skull buckle is a hand-me-down from his Father, an alleged member of the SS–there is much disagreement about whether he was a member of the SS, SA or German Military Police–and it has been suggested that the buckle is a Third Reich original. Before solving that mystery, the question that comes to my mind is ‘Doesn’t Arnold have a publicist or a stylist or Maria Shriver to keep him out of trouble’?
Collecting artifacts is one way to honor human history. Just be advised, your belt buckle may advertise and if the message you’re sending could get you shot, reconsider.

For other, less controversial books on collecting vintage and western belt buckles, click here.

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