“German Rose” Belt with Fittings

Leather and brass belt with enamel

Grace, fine materials, and understated beauty were the driving inspiration for our new “German Rose” Collection. All of the pieces use natural textiles, fitted garments and masterfully designed patterns to produce a lovely set of historically inspired items. While we could decorate our dresses with lavish trims, embroidery and details, we decided to take a step back with this collection and focus on the beauty of form. This belt is a little bit more on the fancy side - we decided to make a few key accessories that stand out and add a pop of class to the otherwise plain linen and cotton dresses.

We have done something a little bit creative with the construction of this belt. Usually we would use our strong belt leather for it, but we wanted it to have a bit more of a delicate, luxurious look. Unfortunately, the thinner leather couldn’t hold up to the weight of the fittings, so we weren’t able to use that. The solution was to create a base belt out of our stronger leather, and then cover it in the finer, soft one - a solution that is both historical, and practical! It was not uncommon to use a stronger leather as a base and cover it in more delicate fabrics, such as velvet. The result is a strong belt that has the outer delicacy and classy finish.

The whole belt has an aesthetic that could be applied to the late 14-16th century. It is adorned with little fittings that we have designed in-house, which are constructed from 1.5mm brass which has been laser cut to get the perfect shape, and then filled with enamel. The design is reminiscent of the St. Andrews cross, but that isn’t necessarily the only thing it represents. These little pieces of jewellery run the whole length of the belt, attached with tiny solid brass rivets that are functional but also don’t detract from the look.

The closure for the belt has been designed by us here at ArmStreet. To stay within the spirit of the collection, it is practical, but we have taken extra care to add beauty to function. It has a filigree aspect to it, and has been laser cut to get the precise shape. There are two layers of brass, with the leather going in between it and then riveted together, which makes the connection to the rest of the belt extra secure. On both ends, gorgeous round fittings with enamelled roses in them become the centrepieces of the belt, using slightly brighter colors than the rest of the belt. To close the belt, there is a hook and a chain, which means it is a little bit adjustable (useful after a big feast!). The chain then gracefully dangles down the middle like a piece of jewellery.

To check how to measure yourself please click here.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.