Concho Belt

Just as relevant on the spring 2011 runway as they were in the first women's collections 30 years ago, the concho belt remains an integral part of the Ralph Lauren woman's wardrobe. Whether it's an oversized turquoise and black concho belt, slung over a body-conscious black dress for evening, or a weathered cognac and silver style, cinched over a Beacon sweater and classic blue jeans for day, this finishing touch is as versatile as it is timeless.

The concho belt, as we know it today, was created in the 1870s by the Navajo people, who took inspiration from Mexican bridle ornaments and hair ornaments worn by the Plains Indians while incorporating the unique leather stamping techniques of the Spanish and Moors. The silver disks, called conchos or conchas-the Spanish word for "shell"- were frequently hammered out from Mexican and American silver dollars. These "first phase" concho belts were simpler in design and featured a slotted center through which the leather belt was threaded.


The last evolution on the concho belt came in the early 1900s when buckles, turqoise stones and vertical plagues known as butterfly spacers, began to appear.


In the 1890s the Navajo artisans used new soldering techniques to attach copper loops to the back of the conchos, which in turn eliminated the need to thread the belt through the disks and created a greater opportunity for decoration. During this time, oval- and diamond-shaped patterns and large rosettes appeared on the center of these disks, giving the concho belt a more ornate look.

The last evolution of the concho belt came in the early 1900s when buckles, turquoise stones and vertical plaques, known as butterfly spacers, began to appear. By the 1920s, tourists were purchasing these elaborate styles, leading the Navajo silversmiths to experiment with even greater variations in design.

In the Ralph Lauren seasonal collections, concho belts range from the rugged "first phase"-inspired styles to the more elaborate turquoise styles crafted in the spirit of the concho belts of the 1920s. Promoting craftsmanship and authenticity and representing the rugged, artisanal spirit of the American West, the concho belt is an indisputable RL Classic.

Source: Ralph Lauren.