Top grain, full grain, glued, 100% cowhide? There are so many ways to hide the quality of leather goods. My guess is that this belt has at least one plastic backing (inside the belt). Overall the belt is a nice belt for a dress. I ordered 2 inches longer than my pant drop size and it is correct. But the belt is terribly hard on the skin. I've only worn it once so it's probably torn but it actually looks like it's leather only on the outside and the rest looks and feels like plastic.