Who knew keeping your pants up could involve such artistry, and expense?
Roland Iten’s Calibre R822 Predator — $550,000
We never thought that holding up your trousers demanded the same degree of technical expertise as engineering an opulent Swiss timepiece, but the 167 separate components going into this half-a-million-dollar buckle suggest otherwise. The Predator was a collaboration between luxury mechanic Roland Iten and French sports car manufacturer Bugatti and looks more like something you’d sooner see in a million-dollar convertible than sitting on someone’s waist. The 90 grams of 18-carat white gold and 387 baguette- and round-cut 14-carat diamonds explain the price tag, as does its rarity — only 11 were ever made. Oh, but you’ll have to provide your own strap — that $550,000 doesn’t include the waistband itself.
Gucci Platinum & Diamond Belt — $250,000
The Italian fashion brand commissioned luxury British designer Stuart Hughes — the same man who produced a £599,000 diamond-studded suit — to produce this custom-made, quarter-million-dollar belt, which features a Gucci monogram buckle made of platinum and encrusted with 30 carats of diamonds.
Selfridges & Co. Gold Belt — $32,000
Who does a British department store call when they want to create a waistband worth a small African GDP? The aptly named designer ‘Money’, which crammed 70 shimmering 18-carat gold pyramids on a white leather belt, weighing 500 grams. Selfridges released the piece in their flagship London store in 2006 for £20,000 in the smallest size — 28 inches — then an extra £800 for every inch thereafter.
Louis Vuitton LV Initiales 40MM — $3500
At AU$4200, this is the most expensive belt you can buy right now, worth thousands more than the competition. Louis Vuitton’s iconic monogram buckle is made of brass ruthenium, while the glossy black crocodile leather (with smooth calf leather lining and invisible seams) is one of the rarest — and most commonly counterfeited — materials you can get your hands on.
Gucci’s Double G buckle crocodile belt — $1500
The most affordable option on this list (if you can consider the cost of about 10 fancy dinners ‘affordable’), this Italian-made, 1.5-inch wide, unisex belt comes in 10 styles — the most expensive being the emerald green crocodile leather, but there’s also a garish red, white and blue python print for a couple of hundred dollars less.
