I Finally Found the Perfect Belt

I got called on to consult for a friend’s belt purchase. That’s the life I live. I’m happy to help someone drive anywhere, move apartments, or anchor a TV to the wall. I’m cool being a menswear consultant, but a belt felt kind of mundane. “What’s a good belt to buy? I know you’ve got opinions” was the ask. Is that all I’m good for? Not sure, but my friend was dead-on, because I’ve got some fucking belt opinions. I own only two (on purpose), both made to order from a townie in my old college town. My friend wasn’t into that. So I had to find a mass-market option that matched everything I love about my small-town belt—classic look, top-notch leather, versatility, and durability. The perfect belt, essentially. Not easy, but I did it. I dug around, and I found that perfect belt. It’s a Shinola one-and-a-quarter-inch belt in U.S.A. Heritage leather [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [I Finally Found the Perfect Belt]( [I Finally Found the Perfect Belt]( I got called on to consult for a friend’s belt purchase. That’s the life I live. I’m happy to help someone drive anywhere, move apartments, or anchor a TV to the wall. I’m cool being a menswear consultant, but a belt felt kind of mundane. “What’s a good belt to buy? I know you’ve got opinions” was the ask. Is that all I’m good for? Not sure, but my friend was dead-on, because I’ve got some fucking belt opinions. I own only two (on purpose), both made to order from a townie in my old college town. My friend wasn’t into that. So I had to find a mass-market option that matched everything I love about my small-town belt—classic look, top-notch leather, versatility, and durability. The perfect belt, essentially. Not easy, but I did it. I dug around, and I found that perfect belt. It’s a Shinola one-and-a-quarter-inch belt in U.S.A. Heritage leather [Read More](   [The Best Toiletry Bags Will Carry All Your Essentials With No Fuss]( [The Best Toiletry Bags Will Carry All Your Essentials With No Fuss]( Efficient, durable, and damn good-looking, these picks make traveling a breeze. [Read More]( [Shop Our Editor in Chief’s Favorite Gifts for Father’s Day]( [Shop Our Editor in Chief’s Favorite Gifts for Father’s Day]( Our stylish leader (and dad of two), Michael Sebastian, weighs in on the best gifts you can buy your pops this Father’s Day. [Read More](     [I’ll Never Be a Father. Finally, I’m Okay with It.]( [I’ll Never Be a Father. Finally, I’m Okay with It.]( Are you less of a person if you don’t have a child? Emily and I were childless—this, years before the term “child-free” entered the lexicon. When I saw a kid napping on their parent’s chest on the 1 train or walking hand-in-hand in Van Cortlandt Park, I knew I’d never experience that poignant bond deeper than the one that exists between partners. Weeks, then years went by in therapy before we got married. Sometimes I resented Emily. Sometimes she resented my resentment. Was it worth leaving? Maybe, but I didn’t. I finally had to accept that children were not part of our future and feared a lifetime of regret lay ahead. [Read More](   [Oklahoma Is Opening Its Waterways To a Deluge Of Chickensh*t]( [Oklahoma Is Opening Its Waterways To a Deluge Of Chickensh*t]( This is not the first time Governor Kevin Stitt hasn't given a cluck about public health. [Read More]( [The ‘Shōgun’ Writers Opened Up About the Next Two (!) Seasons]( [The ‘Shōgun’ Writers Opened Up About the Next Two (!) Seasons]( This is the best news we’ve heard all week. [Read More](     [Is Your Japanese Whisky Actually Japanese?]( [Is Your Japanese Whisky Actually Japanese?]( I’m sitting at the bar of the Edition Hotel in Tokyo sipping a glass of whisky poured over one exquisitely clear ice cube, par for the course at any upscale Japanese drinking establishment. The reason I’m here isn’t just to ponder how the flavor opens up and changes as the whisky is slowly diluted by this piece of frozen art; I’m here to interview Hiromi Ozaki, chief blender for Nikka Whisky, on what is a very special occasion. Nikka, the second biggest Japanese whisky company after Suntory, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, and Ozaki is just the seventh person to hold the chief blender title. Unlike scotch, up until recently Japanese whisky did not have the strict guidelines that define whiskey in other countries. [Read More](   [From the editors of Esquire: In an exclusive piece of fiction from Stephen King, a family takes a scenic route–and everything goes terribly wrong. Learn More!]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( [How satisfied are you with the content of this newsletter?]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779