The belt is definitely the most important accessory in everyday clothing for a man as well as being a very important element in defining the waistline of many types of women’s clothing. There are endless types of belts: smooth or convex, lined or unlined, fine, high, colored etc. In this article we are going to look at the importance of the belt, what are the best leathers and show you some of our top choices.

The importance of a good belt.

Many people underestimate the importance of a belt in highlighting the wearer’s elegance or emphasizing a particular garment: take, for example, a woman’s loose-fitting sheath dress. Without a detail at the waist level, such as an elasticized belt or a 1 cm, convex and wide belt, it would lose personality and remain anonymous without defining and enhancing the figure. The same is true for a man. Pants with a pleat, shirt and no belt? Impossible. Showing the trouser button would be unforgivable, on the contrary, seeing instead a belt coordinated with the colour of the shoes and, why not, even with the work bag would enhance its elegance by far.

What leathers to buy?

Women’s belts

There is a wide choice of materials suitable for making a belt, but if we want to enhance its quality and elegance, leather is definitely the best choice. For a women’s belt, to be used solely as a decoration, which takes into account good taste, style and elegance, we will look for calfskin, half calfskin or whole calfskin, chrome-tanned, with matte, shiny, laminated or stamped finishes. Alternatively, exotic leathers may also be used. Instead, to produce women’s denim belts, we can use vegetable-tanned breeches, shoulders, forelegs or croups, polished or greased finishes, 2.5- to 3.5-mm. thick leathers resined on the underside, which do not require lining.

Men’s belts 

As for the choice of material for making men’s belts, again leather is by far the ideal solution. For elegant belts it can be calf, half calf, whole calf or breech, strictly chrome-tanned to increase softness, maximum thickness at 1.2 mm in order to be rounded. In case of sport belts, suitable for jeans or casual pants, the best option are vegetable-tanned leathers, breeches, shoulders or gropponi, up to 4.5 mm. thick, which with plasticized back, do not require lining and guarantee extreme durability even in case of customers with bellies.

Florence Leather Market’s choice

For this early spring, the staff of Florence Leather Market suggests Samanta, the elegant and refined belt. A women’s belt made of genuine calfskin leather.

This accessory will add a touch of femininity to any look. A versatile and multifaceted belt, as it can be worn either tight at the waist or just resting on the hips. The material used in its production is genuine calfskin, tanned and processed in Italian workshops in the heart of Tuscany.

For men, we have selected Diego, a belt characterised by a simple design, capable of giving a casual but still classic touch to your looks. Made of leather, a material that makes it flexible, shiny and above all very elegant. In addition to the fine leather used in the production of the belt, the buckle part is made of nickel-plated silver-coloured zamak. Like Samanta, the Diego Toscani belt is also hand-assembled by skilled artisans and experts in the field of Made in Italy.

Happy Women’s Day! Today is a very special day, a day when we celebrate the achievements and contributions of all women around the world. A day when we recognize women for their strength, courage and intelligence. If you, like others, are looking for the perfect gift to give the maidens in your life, in this article our team has selected some of our top leather handbags that will make you look great!

First, however, we will briefly explain how this holiday comes about…

The origin of Women’s Day

Where did the idea of celebrating International Women’s Day come from? The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911 in New York City. March 8 was the day when New York women protested their exclusion from electoral rights by holding rallies, meetings and peaceful demonstrations in the streets of New York. These protests were inspired by the American Socialist Party’s “Declaration of Sentiments,” which was presented at the first meeting of the National Association for Women’s Suffrage on October 28, 1869, in New York, United States. This declaration stressed the need to guarantee women equal rights, including the right to vote. Since the first International Women’s Day in 1911, countless celebrations have been held around the world to commemorate women’s contributions to society. It is the duty of every man to recognize and pay tribute to the women in his life and respect their rights. So what can you do to celebrate this day? Simply show your appreciation to the ladies in your life by giving her a gift that you know she will enjoy.

Our top picks

Not sure what to gift your beloved? The staff at Florence Leather Market has selected some outstanding women’s handbags to help you with this decision:

To start we have our Linda, compact and casual chic, it has all the sophisticated details and impeccable functionality to become a new favorite handbag. The soft calfskin leather is embellished with refined touches. Very versatile, it can be carried by hand, over the shoulder or crossbody.

We follow with Serafina, a genuine calfskin bag with two handles, well made both inside and out, has three small pockets inside:

one with a zipper, the other two are just for keys or cell phone and are unzipped. It is very simple, lightweight and of excellent quality. It can be carried in two ways: as a shoulder bag or as a hand bag. This bag is sun-resistant and is available in different color styles.

Last but not least is the Open Tote bag, which is functional by definition: it holds everything you need, from your laptop to your gym essentials. With an eye always on style. It is a large, hand-held bag made of soft crocodile-printed calfskin. It closes with a handy zipper and has an adjustable shoulder strap. The unexpected pattern brings a cheerful touch of trendiness, while its capacity makes it effortlessly practical.

If you are interested in the leather world and want to be update with tips, recommendations and interesting facts about it, come to have a look at our blog where you will find everything you are looking for.

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The leather processing requires precise techniques and tools. Over the centuries, craftsmen have used different tools, so that they could perform every single process in the best way, from cutting to perfecting the leather.

Year after year the techniques have evolved, developing precise and efficient tools. In this article we will try to briefly tell you how these tools have changed and which are the ones most used today by Florentine artisans.

The evolution of tools for the processing of leather

Leather processing has not always been as we know it today. Over the years the processes have undergone different changes, allowing leather workers to work with greater safety and obtain an increasingly precise final product.

An example is the cutting of the leather. In the past this process was carried out only by hand through a blade, not allowing the craftsman to make a precise cut. Nowadays, however, among the tools that can be used there is the shear, a machine that allows the worker to make precise cuts. 

Today there are also other advanced technologies to cut the leather, but at Florence Leather market we prefer to continue with more slow and artisanal techniques, which allow us to follow every processing phase, step by step. 

Another example that shows how much tools have evolved is that of sewing. This phase, in fact, many years ago was possible only through needle and thread, which in most cases led to a mediocre resistance of the object. Today, however, there are modern sewing machines that facilitate the entire process, still requiring continuous manual work.

Handcrafted leather processing tools of today

Nowadays, due to the excessive technological innovation, lots of leather factories have replaced classic artisan tools with industrial machinery that doesn’t involve manual intervention. This has led, therefore, to the neglect of the true values of craftsmanship and product quality. 

Fortunately, even today there are still those who continue to believe in the goodness of manual work and attention to detail. A true craftsman takes care of the leather with great attention and professionalism, using the right old tools. 

Among them, a not properly modern tool, which is still really useful is the shearing (mentioned above) which is fundamental for the first cut of the leather. Then the leather is redefined by an edge smoother, whose name is explanatory to its function.

Another important tool is the curved needle, which thanks to its distinctive shape is used for sewing the corners of bags or leather goods in general. The pyrograph allows craftsmen to make engravings and decorations on the leather, even on the stiffest one.

Widely used is also the tools to make holes, which allows you to make various types of changes on the leather. It is use to create holes for belts and shoulder straps. 

Florence Leather Market, always an artisan workshop

We are a small artisan leather factory since 2007, the year in which our parents made their very first production of leather key rings. Strong with these values, we still protect craftsmanship today. 

We are proud to prefer hot gilding, made by hand on every single piece, instead of prints and decorations performed by a machine. Ours is a small family-run business, with objects passing from one family member to another, depending on the processing phase.

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