Can you imagine a western outfit without a western belt adorned by an authentic looking belt buckle? The answer is a resounding NO. The true essence of the West lies in its attire and in its belt and buckle. Western belts have been popular for more than a century now.

The finest leather was reserved for the western belts. Handmade belts require a lot of skill but last longer than all other belts. They are very expensive and yet very popular. Factory created belts are a lot cheaper. Fancy belts come with rhinestone and other such semi precious stones embedded in them. Such belts were preferred by cow girls. The most popular color is tan or brown as far as the belts are concerned. However, they are now available in bolder colors as well. There is a lot of variety as far as designs are concerned as well

Most of the designs of the western buckles have been inspired from the Old West. Despite so many years, few designs have changed a lot from its original. The designs are not the result of fashion and style alone. The designs enhance the utility of the belt and the buckle for the cowboy. Hence, they cannot be tampered to such an extent that they are no longer of any use for the cowboy.

Leather remains the most popular choice of material as far as manufacture of western belts is concerned. However, more and more manufacturers are using snake, crocodile and alligator skin as the material to make western belts.. There have natural designs and also tend to look and feel unique. Many manufacturers offer embossed, printed or standard designs on belts. Some popular western belts include the western concho belt and belts with the weave basket design.

However, the new designs have not been successful in reducing the popularity of leather belts. Traditional leather belts with traditional embossing are still extremely popular. One reason is that these belts are considered as authentic western belts. A few manufacturers offer belts made out of bull hide as well. However, they are not as popular as leather belts.

Custom made basket weaves or belts imprinted with different designs do not come cheap. However, you should definitely opt for this if you can afford it. They are a lot fancier than your traditional leather belt. Custom belts are made out of materials like reptile skin like the skin of lizards, snakes, crocodile etc. Some makers even use animal skin like elephant skin, ostrich skin and kangaroo skin.