New York City-based Luxury Accessories International (LAI) began as a leather importer in New York in 1953, importing crocodile skins from South America and selling them to makers of shoes, handbags, and other leather goods. In 1971 the company expanded the range of skins to include python from Indonesia, ostrich from South Africa, and lizard from South America. Today, the company makes a variety of high-end products for men and women, but I'm going to focus on the men. Where to begin? Belts, bags, a flask, a watch box, portfolios, wallets ... all custom dyed all over the world and made with skins selected by hand for cutting at the LAI manufacturing house in Long Island City, N.Y. Orders are individually cut and sewn, and often customized, but the LAI boutique at 35 E. 65th St., NYC, offers custom pieces.

You know something's expensive when every piece on the Web site is followed by: "To purchase, please contact the LAI Boutique: 212-794-3874." So I can't help you with pricing, but if you see something you like, give LAI a ring. See the gallery for a few of the beautiful pieces.

I have been obsessing with finding a red belt for the summer. The quest began at the start of summer to pair with a dress I purchased at J. Crew. I figured that a sleek red belt would add a pop of color and break up the stripped print. And I also thought that I could find one in a very short period of time. Who would have thought that finding a red belt would take so long? So, needless to say, I was very happy to come across Orciani's Eowyn Red Patent Belt. The large square buckle is complimentary to the width and only adds to the belt's modern and fashionable feel. Although bright in its hue, it would be a great accent piece to an outfit that needed some revamping. Price $202.

At first glance it looks like weathered multi-colored wood flooring, and at second glance maybe some kind of throw rug, but then by the third glance hopefully you've got it figured out: it's a floor mat made of vintage belts! I'm not usually one for leather accessories, but I'm all for recycling and reusing and this is pretty cool. Designed by Inqhua Ting, the Vintage Belt Floor Mat brings old leather belts new life by mounting them together on a backing of reconstituted leather and glue. Handmade, each mat is unique and will have it's own earthy warm feeling. 27.5" across, $648.

At one point, belts were a necessary, but understated, part of a man's wardrobe. This season, it looks like designers are trying to call more attention to them by adding logo buckles that could almost rival champion rodeo buckles. Dsquared2 seems to have the most visually arresting "status belts," but Prada's Logo Belts ($295)are a bit more refined, with large oval buckles that feature a tastefully engraved rendition of the designer's logo. A better choice, for those who want to stay with the trend in a more subtle way, is Prada's Plaque Buckle Belt ($260), which has a rectangular silver buckle with a small black logo.