Outside's Go Magazine - Travel and Style for Men

Alligator O ring belts.
Photo courtesy Martin Dingman

One of the joys of editing a magazine dedicated to travel and style (other than, obviously, some of the choice trips which come our way) is to take stock of men's fashion and pick through the rag pile, so to speak, and see what fits our reader.

When we started Go, I came up with a prototype outfit which I thought was right for our guy: A pair of Carhart trousers, maybe an Eddie Bauer turtleneck sweater, a silk and wool Zegna blazer and belt and ankle high boots by Martin Dingman. The idea was American country gentleman--nothing too fancy, just high quality, comfortable clothing that showed taste without ostentation.

So, to say the least, I didn't have too worry about spending any time checking out the skinny, twentysomething runway fashions. They're about as appropriate for our guys as a Laura Ashley wedding dress.

Recently, I received a press release from the Dingman company promoting his vintage alligator O ring belts. On the average I get about 150 press releases and product pitches per day. I have the fastest delete finger in the West. But, man, when I took a gander at this belt, all I could do is mutter in awe, 'Wicked!' and immediatley hit the save keys.

For those of you not familiar with Martin Dingman leatherworks, I am happy to enlighten you.

First of all, you'll probably be surprised to learn that Dingman leather goods are not headquartered in Milan, New York or Paris. Neither is it a made-up name to cover for some huge leather factory in China or India.

It is, in fact, located in a small town in the foothills of the Ozarks in Arkansas.

Martin Dingman, as they say, has not fallen far from the tree. Born in Iowa and raised in Southern Missouri, he grew up helping out on the family cattle ranch and, according to his website history, he watched "his grandfather repairing saddles and bridles that seemed to be a hundred years old".

He got his start in men's wear working with the venerable department store of Stix, Baer and Fuller in St. Louis and after a time started his own business, Rainbow Neckwear, in the mid-eighties, but was soon drawn to leathergoods and for the next five years created distinctive accessories for a large, well-known brand. In 1990, tired of corporate culture and working for someone else, he went out on his own.

From the start what set apart Dingman leather goods from his competitors was the craftsman-like approach to his goods. A case in point, is his use of American alligator. Considered the finest skin of the 39 species worldwide used in leather work, Dingman goes to great pains to pick the best skins on the market....he neither favors wild or farm raised, but looks for the most flawless skins. Typically, a factory operation will glaze the skin to give it that shiney appearance. At Dingman, his glazing is achieved through heat, friction and pressure, while his matte finish is done through a traditional saddle tanning method. A great example is the Joseph glazed alligator wallet. With its buffalo calf interior and smooth glazing on the alligator exterior, this is the wallet you keep for the rest of your life. It's a pure classic.

What strikes a chord in me about Dingman leather goods is that the style falls somewhere between American classic and some more fashion forward European brands. The penny loafers and driving mocassins appear at first glance to be the classic examples of their kind. But on closer examination you see that certain details set them apart. Take, for example, the Arlo Inlay vintage Cabretta Ventian shoe. The silhouette is a fairly classic loafer, but the leather inlay and style give it an edge....not the kind of edge that will look stupid or dated in a few years, but an edge that simply gives it a unique quality. It's a shoe you can wear with a blazer and slacks, or jeans and a sweater.

Dingman has said that his goal is to create the kind of leathergoods so that when a father passes it on to his son, his son can feel his father's presence.

In the all too often disposable culture of fashion, that is a truly admirable goal.

I urge you to visit www.martindingman.com.