In 1947 the heiress Millicent Rogers moved to Taos, New Mexico, and started dressing the way her neighbors did, in Navajo and Pueblo clothing and jewelry, concho belts included. Diana Vreeland put Rogers in Harper's Bazaar wearing them, and fashion people took notice. That is more or less where the western belt became a styling decision.

I think that history is why the good ones still feel personal. The word concho comes from the Spanish concha, seashell, and the belts grew out of silverwork that Navajo smiths picked up from Mexican artisans in the 1860s and early 1870s. Metal, leather, a little weight at the waist. Nothing about the formula has needed fixing.

Start your own pile with brown leather, because it goes with everything in a closet that runs on denim. The Tecovas Western 3 Piece in brown has an engraved antique nickel buckle, loop and tip on Italian Vachetta cowhide, and it is the one I would wear with straight-leg jeans and a white tee. The slimmer Tecovas 3 Piece in brandy, at one inch, is the trouser belt. The Tecovas Goat Belt in scotch has a removable brass buckle, so you can swap hardware later.

For a dressier take, the Treasure & Bond Aria in dark brown has gold concho medallions, and the Madewell in aged tobacco has a croc-embossed strap with an oval brass-tone buckle. Before you buy, thread the belt through your widest loops and check the width against them. Wide and chunky belts look wrong on narrow loops.

Black is where a western belt gets sharper, and it is the easiest way to wear the look to an office or dinner. The Ranger set, a horseshoe buckle with keepers and a decorative tip, goes back to the three-piece sets Texas Rangers wore on gun belts, and the Tecovas Western 3 Piece in black and the slimmer Midnight 3 Piece both follow that structure. The black one has a 1 1/2 inch Vachetta strap with an engraved antique nickel buckle. The Midnight is one inch with brass hardware, which is the version I would put through trouser loops.

If you want the buckle to do the talking, the MANGO belt with the big oval buckle engraved with a horse is the loudest of the group. The B-Low the Belt Carter Colt is the opposite: smooth Italian leather and a floral-engraved oval silver buckle that reads as jewelry. The Treasure & Bond Lainey mixes etched silver and gold on a slim black strap, which helps when your watch and rings are different metals.

For a weekend, the Black Suede Studio Spur has silver three-piece hardware with turquoise resin plates. The Petit Moments Nash is faux leather with antiqued silver, and the Modern Rodeo carries a textured gold swirl buckle.

Try the buckle on over the clothes you plan to wear it with. A large oval buckle sits differently over a knit than over a shirt tucked in.

What I would skip: a heavily engraved buckle on a wide strap if you mostly wear high-rise trousers, since the buckle will fight the waistband.

Conchos are the part of this story with a paper trail. The Heard Museum notes that by 1855 a leather belt highly ornamented with silver was being worn, and Teen Vogue, citing the Art Institute of Chicago, says turquoise had joined the belt adornments by the 1890s. So when you see silver ovals and blue stones, you are looking at a very old pairing.

The Petit Moments Concho Belt is the lightest version, a silver chain with oval engraved conchos and turquoise-colored stones, and the Santa Fe is the same idea in gold with debossed conchos and cabochons. Both sit on the hip over a slip dress or a long skirt, and they are easy to wear over a loose shirt. The Fortela Thelma is the one with real presence: black calf leather, a silver buckle and tip inlaid with turquoise stones, inspired by Navajo artistry.

For something a bit more rock and roll, the L'AGENCE Rocha has silver-plated concho stations on lizard-embossed black Italian leather. The Sam Edelman scalloped belt is covered in silver studs with an engraved nickel buckle. The rag & bone Celia sets green stones in silvertone hardware, which I like with a camel coat. The OLD TREND Westland is distressed gray with rows of studs, and the Free People Sola in fig has rounded studs.

Test the weight of a concho belt in your hand and hold the stations up to the light, because loose backs rattle.

What I would skip: stud and concho belts with a fitted waist dress. They bunch under the metal.

Tooling is the quiet craft side of the western belt, where the pattern is pressed or carved into the leather itself. The rodeo world is where the big metalwork took off: the trophy buckle became a favored prize for rodeo performers during the twenties, and a Los Angeles silversmith named Edward Bohlin set up his business in 1922, making buckles for the likes of Tom Mix. Tooled leather and showpiece hardware have shared a belt ever since.

The Alkemie belts, made by Free People, turn that into little characters. The Feather and the Polar Bear come in cognac, with brass buckles in a feather and a round bear medallion, while the Moon has an oversized crescent in burnished cognac. The Whale is in black with floral tooling. They are more playful than a classic ranger set, and I would wear one with a plain tee and wide jeans so the buckle is the story.

The Free People Petra is black with embossed flowers that look hand painted, plus an antique silver buckle. The Duke is rust with an oval antiqued concho buckle. The Petit Moments Roswell has botanic debossing on faux leather with engraved silver hardware, and the THE GREAT. x Stetson Tooled Corset Belt is wide, burnished brown, with suede ties and O-rings. Wear that one over a long cardigan or a shirtdress.

Run your thumb over the tooling. Crisp, deep lines mean the pattern will last, and flat printing will wear off at the holes.

What I would skip: a novelty buckle in a size too large for your frame. Animal motifs read cute only when they are proportionate.

Montana Silversmiths began in 1973 on the Yellowstone River making custom trophy buckles for rodeos, which tells you the buckle is the whole point. This last set is built around hardware, so choose the one that fits your wardrobe.

The Zimmermann Western Leather Belt has an oversized gold western-inspired buckle and a draped chain, and I would wear it over a long, plain column dress. The MOTHER Space Western is the funniest of the group: tan leather painted with cosmic cacti and mushrooms and a sculpted bronze buckle. It is the belt for the person who already owns a good pair of boots. The wide MANGO chocolate belt has floral engraving on the buckle and tip, and the Ettika in mocha has a sculptural gold buckle with tapered keepers.

If suede is your preference, the Madewell Oval Buckle belt in forage has a large brass-tone oval and a stud closure, and the Veronica Beard Arch has two engraved silver buckles on an arched black suede strap. The B-Low the Belt Frank in elephant is taupe suede with an antique silvertone engraved buckle, keeper and pointed tip. The skinny THE GREAT. x Stetson Western Hardware belt is calfskin strung with engraved metal links.

Check that the buckle prong or stud sits flat and the keeper holds the tail without twisting.

What I would skip: two statement pieces at once. A big buckle and a chunky necklace compete.

I would choose in order. Begin with the brown or black Tecovas 3 Piece, depending on whether your shoes are mostly brown or black, and wear it for a month with jeans. If you find yourself reaching for it daily, add a slimmer belt for trousers.

Then pick one with a story. For me that is a concho belt, either the Fortela with its turquoise inlay or the Petit Moments chain, because the history is the best part of the outfit.

Millicent Rogers wore hers in Taos and got herself into Harper's Bazaar. You can wear yours to the grocery store. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The Belt Wishlisht and Bottega Grasp Belt.