In the 70s, if decal-laden shirts and patched jeans wasn’t enough to promote your preferred philosophy, tastes in music, or even your favorite beer, there was still a little bit of bodily real estate to let the world know who you were and what you held dear. And there was nothing subtle about it. Of course, we are talking about the obligatory, over-sized belt buckle, keeping those jeans securely in place while letting the world know of your intention to “Keep on Truckin!” or whatever other declaration you needed to share.

While they may not have had the advertising space afforded by a t-shirt, their presence was impossible to ignore. Usually made of a large metal plate, these buckles first gained prominence in the trucking industry before everyone realized that they could say something about themselves - via a big metal billboard attached to the front of their jeans.

Perhaps it was to display your preferred choice in automobile manufacturer, your affinity for horses, or simply whether you were a Budweiser or Coors kind of guy. Perhaps it was to display a telling statement, such as “Bad to the Bone,” “Born to be Wild” or the iconic “Keep on Truckin’.” Perhaps you wanted to show that you were a Led Zeppelin kind of guy or a country music aficionado. No matter your preference or lifestyle, there was a large chunk of brass or steel ready to fulfill your needs.

Later decades would take the spotlight from these cumbersone belt buckles and their advertising potential would diminish greatly. But for a time at least, telling the world where your product loyalties lay via a bold, gleaming metal belt buckle was the simplest way to get your point across and assert your individuality – even if millions of others were displaying their individuality with the same exact buckle.