Elastic belts are free size and normally don’t tear at all. meaning they can last for life.
I am kind of surprised that they are not commonly recommended in the anti-consumption/ buy it for life communities. Despite the fact that replacing normal belts with them at scale would save the world shitload of resources that are spent on normal belts annually.
Side note: I don’t recommend wearing jeans or suit trousers on daily basis, as there is more durable options that can last for longer time.
Photo is for example, as this is a generic item.
Any options that aren’t plastic, but still business casual? Or that I can wear out and not look like my dad?
I just started making my own belts. Most leather belts are made of thin veneer of leather. It might even be marketed as 'top grain leather" to make it seem special. Get whole grain leather.
I bought parts from one of the last Tandy Leather retail locations. Brought them home and used my hole punches I picked up at Harbor Freight for a different project and some grommets I got for a different project and made a belt. Out of pocket cost was maybe $16. That belt will last me decades.
In theory I could knit some belts with any number of sturdy materials like leftover metal cables but I have never felt the need.
Cant remember when I last wore a belt. But isn’t the entire point of them is to be adjustable.
It is but traditional belts are only adjustable by increments set by the manufacturer. Elastic belts allow total control by the user.
As someone who does need to wear a belt with most of my pants, it makes a huge difference.
There are ratchet belts now that have much finer control of sizing than ones with holes.
That sounds complicated.
They’re easier to put on than a normal belt. It just slides through the buckle (clicking each segment it passes), and you stop when it’s tight enough.
Ahhh. I hadn’t even heard of them until now.
I love my ratchet belts.
Normal belts have a limited adjustability and can tear very rapidly.
Depends on what kind you get. The belts you are talking about are made of two thin strips of leather sewn together with a cheap backing material. A solid leather belt will last decades and you can always punch more holes in it if you lose or gain weight.
I got one of these years ago and its held up really well. I work construction and have skinny hips and this does great double duty as a tool belt.
I bought one of these a few years ago and it’s still in great shape despite frequent use.
Way better, and more comfortable, than a traditional belt.
Obviously it’d be better if they were made from sustainable materials but the fact that these outlast traditional belts by a wide margin is good.
Elastic ALWAYS breaks down and is made from polymers and nylon crap.
Horrible advice. Buy good quality leather and it lasts decades.
Shit advice OP.
Buy good quality leather and it lasts decades.
Where can I find these? Every time a belt wears out I buy a more expensive leather one looking for one that will last. I have not yet found one that stays in good enough shape to wear to work after a year of use. I’m buying new belts every year and moving last years belts to my home/rough jeans use.
I bought mine at artisan fairs, from leatherworkers. Been wearing it for more than five years now every day. It shows a bit of wear, but I think it will last at least another five
A flea market. Find a local leather worker and they can make one super fast with good quality leather. “Genuine Leather” is one of the lowest quality leathers out there.
You’ll probably need to take care of it if you want it for work. Cleaning and conditioning it.
Personally, I avoid belts that are narrow, like 1" wide, as I think they like to twist more if they have to do a lot of lifting.
I’ve heard good things about NAB Leather, but have no personal experience.
What you want is single-piece full-grain leather about 10-12 oz weight. (This is a leather thickness measurement, not the weight of the belt.)
I find that trade shows (e.g, home/garden shows) often have a few vendors who make top quality belts.
Best advice is to learn how to identify real leather vs laminated shit. Once you can tell by sight, smell, feel you can thrift great items. Also going to markets and craft fairs, you can stumble across artisan leather makers (but even then you gotta make sure they are using quality products)
I’m still wearing the fabric belt I thrifted when I went vegan in college over twenty years ago. Elastic isn’t necessary, get a durable cotton or wool belt.
These loose their elasticity over time, which is rather rapid in hot weather. I had a couple for summer, each lasted 2 seasons.
Real thick and plain leather lasts much longer (I have a hand - me - down I got 25 years ago that has distended and become ugly but works as intended), unless in wet weather where leather the requires a shitload of maintenance not to rot. Quality vegan leather lasts long from what I heard, but I have yet to go through the one I already own.
Quality “nylon” belts last rather long too if the metal parts are thick, but tend to either slip a bit or bite hard but damage the fabric. The ones that close over are the best, ones with the roller slip more. I prefer the ones made from cotton over nylon personally, as they are more confortable but last less.
Crap “leather” belts made of two thin leather strips with a padding inside don’t last very long, even higher quality ones.
Real jeans last long, but thick fabric with no elasthane whatsoever is dissapearing from usual stores as thinner with elasthane is easier to manufacture and fits “better”.
Though leather belts stretch over time, the only belt I ever had that actually broke did so after more than a decade of heavy use when the metal buckle eventually gave in.
I have a textile hiking belt (Fjellräven) that I am not particularly happy with. It doesn’t really stay firm over time when walking for hours and hours, and adjusting it underneath the backpack is a pain. An elastic belt with a normal buckle would probably have been better.
Foolish.
I bought a traditional leather belt a few years ago from Hank’s Belts. They have a lifetime warranty on their belts, and so far is shows no sign of wear despite daily use. Most of your “department store” belts are made from leather “sawdust” glued together and they will not last since the glue breaks down. Leather itself will last a lifetime. There are several other small companies that make belts with a lifetime warranty. Often local “art fairs” will have some local craftsman who makes/sells belts that are also made of quality leather and will list a lifetime (but you need to know what to look for as some of them use the cheap “sawdust and glue” leather that won’t last.
Second Hanks
I got tired of having to replace my daily wear belt every year and eventually I went to a local leather shop and bought a belt from them. It cost the exact same as the department store crappy belt, but it’s now been 18 years and I still have the same belt.
In fact, the belt outlasted the leather shop. I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to my belt or my waist gets much larger.
Guess I’m shopping for a belt today!
Leather belts tend to wear out at the holes and you’re always playing with too tight too loose.
Work dress/work belt I went with a Ratcheting one for pretty cheap on Amazon. Its like new 3y later. Def fake/cheap leather though.
For everyday, I got a nylon (?) Belt with a plastic latch clasp. It’s been 6y, like new. And it doesn’t set off metal detectors.
You’re supposed to dial in the middle hole to fit you “right” by shaving the buckle end, that way you’re always within the middle or next up/down range unless you suddenly gain or lose a shitton.
I’ve had it done with suit belts and with normal ones, it’s something they’ll even do right in the shop, all it takes is a cutter and a hole-punch, both of which you can buy yourself, and any leatherworker has on hand.
Admittedly the suit belts take more than just that but that’s beside the point.
I am aware but going from winter layers and materials to summer there’s 1/8" variation at minimum and it’s enough that it almost causes a tick to readjust. And yeah the dress belt also has its own situations.
Honestly I expected the ratcheting/clamping both to fail somehow and for me to go “oh I get why people don’t get these”… That did not happen. At this point for me it’s not “find an argument for why this over traditional” its “what does traditional offer that’s better than this”.
These trap every bit of dirt, Cheeto dust, or shit particle you ever came in contact with
They are also machine-washable.
Source: I have had one of these for approx. 10 years, it’s done probably 100 wash cycles.
Interesting. I have a nylon belt that has vertical groves and a spring cam lock for adjusting inward, and release lever to open it back up. Like a ziptie with a release. The belt will never wear out, but the cam spring already snapped. Lol
Elastic belts have rubber cores which very quickly degrade like the elastic in underwear.
The elastic in underwear lasts a lot longer if you don’t put them in the dryer. Unless you regularly enjoy the sound of a buckle hitting the drum over and over, it’ll last a while in a belt.
i’ve been using the same cargo strap as a belt for the past 15+ years and it’s still going strong. infinitely adjustable, too.
Elastic wears out.
Not BIFL.
