Waist-ed Fortunes: Muston & Co. Belts

For some reason, the belt has never gotten as much shine as other accessories in menswear. Sunglasses have had their time in the sun (pun intended), watches are always in high demand, shoes are perennial favorites and ties are even sometimes considered as prime, collectible items. Where’s the love for belts? Well, we recently got word of a new NYC-based brand named Muston & Co. that’s bringing a fresh new take on the menswear belt. The founders are brothers Lee & Sam Muston, and we were able to reach out to Lee to find the skinny on their new brand. Read below …

First of all, please give us a brief background of your belt brand and how it started? 

Me and my brother Sam Muston began working on Muston & Co. a year ago and recently launched the site January 31st, 2015. 

Why focus on belts? Is this something you’ve always had on your mind? 

About two years ago I started recognizing certain style influencers wearing ties around their waist and loved the look of it. I went searching for D-ring & O-ring belts and surprisingly found that not many brands were making these types of belts and if they were, not to the extent that I wanted to make them i.e., with high-quality Italian fabrics in a large variety of colors and patterns.

Where do you source the fabrics and hardware you use in your belts – and where are they made? 

The fabrics and hardware are from Italy and sourced in New York from fabric importers and tie factories. The belts are then handmade in New York’s Garment District.

All the belts now are currently O-Ring – will they always be like this or do you plan to add different styles in the future? 

Yes, we’re definitely looking to expand upon our initial product offering with more styles incorporating bits of leather, different types of buckles, fraying, etc. Since no other brand is really solely focused on fabric belts, I feel there are a lot of places we can go with it. 

Who do you envision as the customer who will gravitate to your brand and what are the price points? 

Every belt is $52 and I feel that anyone who has a classic style will get it. They go great with suits, jeans & t-shirts, chinos…for the gentleman young and old. Of course you have the preppy aspect of the ring belt but it fits in nicely with a sprezzatura environment as well. 

How are you planning to get the word out about your product in a seriously cluttered menswear lane? 

By offering something unique to the market. Accessories-wise every man has ties, a leather belt, at least one pocket square, a watch…we hope to add ring belt to those essentials of the gentleman. Also with office dress codes becoming more casual our belts offer the perfect alternative to a tie.

Would you consider these belts as casual or more sartorially-inclined? It feels as if they are more suited to more dress-up attires? 

The beautiful thing about the belts is they are both, casual and sartorial. They dress down your suiting and dress up your casual looks.

Lastly, where can we find your belts and are there any surprises we can expect in the near future? 

The whole collection is available online at MustonandCo.com and you can expect to see new styles very soon. Check @MustonandCo on Insta for the latest.

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