TT 4 types of belts

Hello.

This is Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.

Today I would like to introduce you to a belt from TT.

TT

HICKOK BELT

Color: Mud Dyed Brown, Black

size_ONE SIZE

The fall/winter 2021 season has kicked off for Taiga Takahashi menswear.

The HICKOK BELT has been available since the first season.

Even now that the brand has become TT, it continues to be offered as an item that embodies the brand's style.

During the first season, only the mud-dyed Mud Dyed Brown was available, which I loved and have been using ever since.

Because I use this belt all the time, I feel that it is an excellent belt that can be worn with any type of pants, from casual pants like denim to beautiful worsted slacks.

If the belt is too bold it will stand out against the trousers, but if it's the kind of belt you'd find in the men's clothing section of a department store, although it's nice, it will look boring.

I felt that way for a long time myself.

So, when I was only wearing vintage stuff, I used to wear hippie-like belts, but when I stopped wearing that, I started wearing tech-style belts, so looking back, I've had trouble with belts for a long time.

It is because of these changes that this TT belt has such a good balance.

At 2.5mm wide, it's neither too wide nor too narrow, so it goes perfectly with both masculine pants and pants with a delicate look.

The buckle is a roller buckle which allows for infinite adjustment, but it doesn't have the casual feel of a typical gacha belt.

And what's more, Mud Dyed Brown is literally mud dyed.

As some of you may already know, mud dyeing is a natural dyeing method used to produce the color black that has been handed down since ancient times and can only be done on Amami Oshima Island in Japan.

The process involves dyeing the fabric with the reddish-brown juice of a tree called Sharinbai (also known as Techi tree), and then rubbing the mud into it in a muddy pond similar to a rice paddy. The tannins in the Sharinbai and the iron in the Amami mud repeatedly combine chemically, causing the fabric to turn black.

Although it may seem simple when written down, it is a technique that requires a lot of time and effort, including the process of boiling the sharinbai plums and the washing and drying processes after each dyeing step.

As an aside, the other day I had the opportunity to see the actual juice made from boiled Sharin Ume plums, and it had an extremely strong smell...

I had always heard that it had a unique smell, but I didn't realize it was this bad.

The smell is a mixture of rotten eggs and a sour smell like stomach acid, enough to make your face contort.

I was reminded that the job of the dyers who put their arms into the dye solution is truly one that requires great patience.

But back to the belt.

This mud-dyed leather belt will gain a lustre with use, evolving into an increasingly attractive belt.

I will post comparison photos with my personal belongings that I have used for about three years later, so I hope you will get a feel for the difference if you take a look at those.

And not just Mud Dyed Brown, but Black.

Black was introduced as a new color relatively recently, about two years ago.

So for the past two years it has been available in two colors: Mud Dyed Brown and Black.

This black also makes a great change.

And now, this 24AW season.

A long-awaited new model has been added to the TT belt lineup.

TT

BASKETBALL WAVE PATTERN BELT

Color: Mud Dyed Brown, Black

size_ONE SIZE

Here it is.

As the name suggests, this is a belt with a basketweave pattern; although it is not actually woven, it gives the impression of a mesh belt.

This item also comes in two mud-dyed colors: "Mud Dyed Brown" and "Black."

The buckle is an original engraved buckle that references the brass buckles that were commonly seen in the 1920s.

It also seems that at the time, the owner's initials were engraved in the center margin.

The Mud Dyed Brown comes with a gold-colored buckle, while the Black comes with a silver-colored buckle.

This is common to both the plain and basketweave types.

This is what the inside of the buckle looks like.

The belt is secured in place by a metal fitting with a jagged edge that tightly meshes with the leather of the belt itself.

I've been using this belt and it has never become loose on its own while I'm wearing it.

It looks minimalist except from the back, and is perfectly functional, so I think it's a well-constructed belt.

I tried wearing each one with TT jeans.

I don't know if this will be helpful, but try to imagine it in your mind with a pair of pants you have.

It's hard to see in the shadow of the belt loops when viewed like this, but the monkey leather on the basketweave items (the loops through which the belt passes from the buckle) also has a basket weave pattern, so the look is quite uniform.

It's rare to see a truly woven mesh belt that is made by weaving narrow strips of monkey leather together, so I think this is an advantage that only embossing can offer.

Personally, I think that plain black or basketweave Mud Dyed Brown would look great with this type of dark blue denim.

However, since everyone has different preferences, I would be happy if you could choose what you like.

And here is a comparison between a new one and my personal one that I've been using for three years.

The one on the left is my personal item, and the one on the right is new.

After three years of use, it has become much softer and the texture of the leather has taken on a deep, dull luster with the mud dye color.

The areas that come into frequent contact with your hands are a deeper, dark brown color.

Does this mean there is still room for growth for this belt? I'm looking forward to it.

Speaking of "room to stretch," this belt has no lining or stitching, so it will gradually stretch as you wear it.

It had stretched about 10cm compared to a new one.

As a result, it is narrower and thinner than when it was new.

The difference is not so large that it can be measured, but the thickness has changed enough that you can see it with your eyes in the photo below.

As you can see, in this photo the item on the right is my personal item and the item on the left is new.

As you use it, the thickness will gradually change and the fit between the buckle metal fittings and the leather will improve.

When new, when you try to fold the buckle down so that it is level with your pants, the thickness of the leather means that it does not fall completely flat and instead floats at an angle.

However, don't worry, as you use it, you will soon find that the buckle will fall flat so that it is level with your pants.

I also tried wearing some of my personal items with TT denim.

The buckle lies flatter than a new one, and you can feel the softness of the leather.

The denim is brand new and rigid, so it looks a bit mismatched, but if it were pants you wear regularly I think it would look more natural.

At the moment, we have all four types of TT belts that we have introduced in stock, but some of them are starting to look a bit risky.

If you are looking for a belt, it would be a good idea to compare them before making your decision.

If you are interested, I would appreciate it if you could take a look.

CASANOVA&CO Noguchi