Yes, I think someone should start offering men's belt buckles. That probably sounds ridiculous, since there are thousands of belt buckles out there; surely it's easy to find one. Well, yes, it's easy to find one -- unless you're looking for one that's tasteful or well-made or pretty.
That's still probably confusing, so to help clear this up pretend for a minute that you're looking for a belt buckle that doesn't impart some message. It doesn't tell everyone that you like Harley-Davidson motorcycles, or you're a Vietnam vet, or you're a firefighter, or whatever. It doesn't even have your monogram on it. You've just eliminated a considerable portion of the available belt buckles from consideration.
Now, let's say you're looking for a belt buckle that doesn't have a Western theme. You're not interested in a buckle that's so big and gaudy that it looks like you're wearing a Wrestling Championship belt, and you're not interested in the swirly flourish designs so popular in western styles. You've now eliminated another huge sector of the existing belt buckle market from consideration.
Finally, let's say you're looking for a belt buckle that's made well enough that you'll be able to wear it for years and it'll still look good. Since most of the buckles available are made of plated pot metal (which will start flaking and look awful very soon) or solid brass or pewter (which will need buffing or polishing regularly to avoid looking awful), the pickings are slim indeed.
Fact is, you're pretty much down to the simple buckle that came with the belt, a horseshoe-shaped device with a tang that sticks through the hole. Functional, but not very pretty.
Here's some ideas I'd like to see in belt buckles:
Somebody should start offering belt buckles made from
cast
stainless steel. Pretty much any design that can be cast in brass
or pewter could be cast in stainless steel, and it probably wouldn't
even cost that much more. Bronze and Monel are other materials
that might be considered.
Somebody should start offering belt buckles made from
solid
gold, or at least "gold filled". Gold plating won't do, since the
plating will rub off quickly. Yes, they'll be expensive -- but
people happily pay for Rolex watches and gold rings, why wouldn't they
pay for a jewelry-quality belt buckle? And, yes, buckles should
be offered in both white and yellow gold, although attractive offerings
in stainless steel will probably reduce the demand for white gold.