Dockers Men’s Classic Belt

A little thinner than expected but I like it.

Well made and cheaper than some retail outlets.

Nice looking belt…. only problem is it show wear in a very short time.

Summary: Bonded leather of poor quality that will deteriorate quickly.
Size: Need to order 2 sizes above your pant size

After looking over several different belts, I choose this one as it seemed ok and most of the reviews were positive. However, it’s a poor quality belt in my opinion. After receiving this, I’m very surprised that many people say “good quality”. It is definitely not. But again, that’s my opinion. If you are looking for a nice leather belt, pass on this one.
If you want a brown leatherish belt that can be dressy and causal, that’s decently cheap, this would be fine. Depends on what you want. Maybe the positive reviews mean that, overall, belt quality has decreased over the years. I know the belts I see now are cheaper and cheaper in quality. I realize I sound like an old, crotchety man now. My wife says I’m just picky. (She didn’t like the belt either though)

When I want a leather belt, I want a leather belt, one that will last. I don’t think that this one will. Plus, since the outer layer of leather is thin and cheap, it’s just going to wrinkle/crack and eventually debond.

Looks: On first glance it seems fine. Not suit wearing dressy, but most other “dressy” things would be fine. And it would be fine for casual (jeans). Buckle is a little big for my tastes, but not too big.

Build: Poor. Seems good, but once you really look at it and “move it”, it’s pretty clear that this is your standard, cheaply built, bonded leather belt. Sigh.
The leather is bonded, not a one piece setup. That should be somewhat obvious with the “padded” design. Those aren’t one piece designs. But they don’t have to be this bad. (My experience with bonded belts is mostly poor. One or two lasted, but most fell apart. Any dual color belt fell apart rapidly).

The description on Amazon says “100% leather”. The belt says “genuine leather”…but not sure what they are referring too. It’s at least 3 layers, if not more, so “leather” could be any of them…but I doubt all regardless of the description.
Top/Outer Layer: the visible layer of leather (thin)
Middle Layer: The “stiff” layer (leather?, not sure)
Bottom/Inner Layer: the layer against the pants

The top/outer layer (that you’d see), is clearly a very thin piece of leather bonded on top of the stiff layer. When you look at the holes, it’s easy to see the layer thicknesses, and the top isn’t very thick. It wrinkles as you move the belt. Bad sign.
The Mid Layer provides the stiffness of the belt…and it’s very stiff out of the box. I’m sure it would soften, but it gives the impression that it isn’t leather.
The bottom/inner layer is a different leather…or differently treated (looks like fabric). Again, cheap, but nicer than the other layer.

Again, first impression is that it is a stiff, thick belt. But as soon as you feel it and move it, you know it’s not good leather. It is stiff, but that’s due to the “mystery” middle layer. It is thick, but that’s mostly due to that middle layer as well. The layer that should be thick, that you want thick to last, is the outer layer. But it’s the cheapest and thinnest.
The surface of top/outer layer starts wrinkling right away….something people have mentioned in other reviews (cracking/wrinkling).
This is a huge sign that it is bonded, that the top layer is a thin piece of leather and that it’s not going to last long (several reviews have said that much). At the very least, it is going to really wrinkle/crack in places (looking like crap). At the worst, it will crack and start to debond, then fall apart.

I bent the belt around a few times, put it on and pulled it off. Leather already looking wrinkly/cracked and worn…but not in a good way. Seriously, this is a cheap belt.

Size: I’m a 34/33 guy. The 36 is very small, I’m on the second hole and it’s tight. Go up 2 sizes if you order.

My recommendation is to look elsewhere. I’ll be return this, and will be the 2nd thing I’ve ever returned to Amazon. But for belts, I’ve yet to see one on Amazon that really jumps out. There’s a lot of mediocre ones in the $15-$30 range, but all basically seem the same. Good luck and I hope you find a good one.

Good belt

This is a good belt. I was in need of a brown leather belt to match my watch and shoes, so this fits my clothing needs nicely. It’s the right size for me, it looks good, and it seems well built enough for the moment. I do tend to put my belts to work though, and wonder how well the small clasp will hold up over time. I also feel like the holes for the clasp are a tad bit small and take extra effort to feel for. If you like this belt, are looking for a thinner and less wide belt, give this your consideration. Ultimately you should feel good about the construction and mostly decide on this based on your style needs.