Belt facts for kids

Different belts

A belt is a piece of clothing worn around a person's waist. They can be used to hold up trousers or skirts, or for carrying things in pockets, such as on a utility belt. Belts are commonly made using cloth or leather.

Materials

Belts are commonly made from cowhide leather. Full-grain leather is the highest quality cowhide leather available, and is recommended for its longevity even with daily use. Calfskin is the soft and supple, making a full-grain calfskin belt one of the highest quality available.

Belts are also available in a range of other materials, including braided leather, tooled leather, suede, leather-backed ribbon, canvas, webbing, rope, vinyl, and others.

Fashion and formality

Belts have transformed from a strictly utilitarian item, to a fashion accessory in today's modern era. There are several unspoken rules for belts when it comes to belt shape and color, especially for men wearing suits, vs. a woman's choice of belt that is rooted in fashion trend, and not out always out of necessity.

Formal

Belts for formal dress pants/attire are usually 28–32 mm wide (a little under 11⁄4 inch). These belts offer specialty accents such as trapunto straps, beveled edges, fine stitch gauge, and a tapered tip. The leather, if it is made of leather, is commonly in a semi or high-shine finish (ex: spazzalato leather), with a tight grain, and a smooth leather backing. Dress belts typically have a buckle in a polished metal finish. When wearing a formal belt, the leather of your belt and shoes should match, and the metals of the buckle and accessories (like watches) should match.

Casual

Casual belts commonly worn with denim are usually between 35 mm and 42 mm wide (a little under 11⁄2 inch). These are typically made out of a one-piece leather construction with a textured appearance, with a belt buckle in an antiqued finish, wider, thicker stitching, or bar-tacking, to ensure a strong construction.

Ancient belt buckles

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  Belt buckle

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  Belt buckle loop

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  Belt plate

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  Belt stud

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  Belt fitting

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  Belt mount

See also

In Spanish: Belt para niños