Daily Archives: August 1, 2011

Family friend James Fox of 10engines always manages to find the real diamonds in the rough. Which makes him a very cool dude. And an even cooler because he often shares his finds with me. Recently he told me about Rilleau Leather from Woodstock, VT (home state pride for both of us) and I was so excited to share their product here on N’East Style. Rilleau leather specializes in bags, sandals, and specialty goods. But their real gem is their sculptural, buckle-less belts. The belts were designed out of necessity during WWII when domestic metal production shifted its concentration towards the war, leaving every day items such as metal belt buckles in very short supply. Founder Richard Rilleau took advantage of the challenge to design a buckle-less belt and began producing the Rilleau Knotted Belt. The belts do not require rivets or stitching and are cut freehand from cowhide, making each belt unique and exceptionally durable. It’s the perfect antidote to the common buckled leather belt.