Tall Mens Fashion Advice

How to put on a Belt: Don’t Skip the Back Loop!

This is how to put on a belt.

How to put on a Belt

Jeans & Dress Pants

When you start putting on a belt, 99% of the time you will want to use the left side loops first. Majority of belt companies make belts with this initial starting step in mind. Next you will guide your belt (leather belt, cloth belt, braided belt, dress belt, etc) through the loops. You will end up back at your front, and can buckle the belt there.

This is How to put on a Belt: Don’t Skip the Back Loop!.

Welcome to our article on how to put on a belt. 

Once you have used a belt a few times, slipping your belt through the loops of your pants’ waistband will become so familiar that you can do it with your eyes closed.

However, those first few times fumbling around with your belt can be frustrating! Especially with how often you miss the loops that sit right on your tailbone.

Let these other guides help you will all your belt needs.

Use these simple steps below to keep up your pants.

How to put on a Belt

1. Pull your pants to your waist

Pull your pants to your waist. You’ll need to put your pants (jeans, slacks, khakis, dress pants) on before you can put your belt on. When you pull on your pants, they should sit comfortably at your waist, not around your hips. Your pants should stay in place as you put your belt on.

Pull your pants to your waist

2. Insert your belt through the left-side loops first

Insert your belt through the left-side loops first. Take the end of your belt and insert it into your belt loops with the loop on the front left side of your pants. Thread the strap end through each loop, pulling the belt through as you go. Once you reach the last loop, buckle your belt.

Insert your belt through the left-side loops first

3. Secure your belt with the buckle

Secure your belt with the buckle. Thread the end of your belt through your belt loops as you normally would. Then take the end of the belt and push it through the frame of the buckle. When the belt feels tight enough, push the prong through the closest hole at the end of your belt. Then tuck the end of the belt in the most immediate belt loop.

Secure your belt with the buckle

4. Use the loop

Use the loop. Once you’ve threaded and notched your belt, the tongue should emerge on the other side of the buckle near the belt loop, where you can slide the tip through and secure it.

Use the loop

How to put on a Belt: Tips

  • The buckling process will vary based on your belt’s type of buckle (single tongue, webbing, cinch, obi, etc.).
  • To unlatch your buckle, untuck the loose end, and pull it in the opposite direction until the prong pops out of the hole. Pull the open end back through the frame of the buckle, then remove the belt back through your belt loops.
  • Put your belt on in front of a mirror to twist your body to see if you find the loops on the back.

How to put on a Belt FAQ

The correct way to put on a belt is to have the belt strap go through all the waistband loops and buckle it at the front of your waist.

To decide on which side you will start your belt, you must first look at the belt buckle and its design. If it is a simple design that looks the same no matter how it is facing, you start looping your belt on either the left or right. If the belt buckle has a design, it should be started on the left because most brands make belts for the left first entry.

Written and reviewed by
Tall Paul
Tall Paul
Paul Marlow, standing at an impressive 6'7 (201cm) and weighing 225lb (102kg), is a mental health speaker, fashion expert, and ex-athlete who excels at helping tall men find well-fitting clothing and teaching them how to style it effectively. As a model in the fashion and film industries, Paul shares his expertise in tall men's fashion, offering valuable advice on measurements, tailoring, and alterations. In addition, he founded Never Alone, an organization that provides mental health and therapy inspiration, and started the Mental Growth Newsletter to support those facing mental health challenges, drawing from his own experiences.

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