Belt DIrection?

**Mr. MacDougall** · 23rd November 07, 04:47 PM

Horizontally. Vertically is wrong. And awkward.

**James MacMillan** · 23rd November 07, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by Mr. MacDougall

Horizontally. Vertically is wrong. And awkward.

MacDougall has the important point here!

Those of us who served in the Armed Forces, would have to re-trained to do it any other way....... Which in the case of Marines, might be more time than I have left on this earth, so I say the excess should go towards the left.

But really - Who gives a sh

- wear it the way you want.

**O'Neille** · 23rd November 07, 08:29 PM

I've wondered about this myself. I'd read many years ago that the Waiste Plate (buckle) was right hand and the loop on the left. I always figured it was because duty belts or Sam Browne belts have the permanantly attached buckle on the right and the hooks on the left. None of these belts are meant to go through belt loops so to keep the tab on the left hip you put the buckle on the right. Of course a conventional buckle belt would go anticlockwise as usual.

**cloves** · 25th November 07, 09:53 AM

interesting...... my Dad (who also taught me how to tie a tie....even though i'm a girl) always said that as long as the buckle has no up or down ...that you should always reverse the way you wear you belt every so often so the belt does not develop a curve.
I've been doing it that way ever since. Even with my big heavy Cavscout belt. It still hangs straight when I put them in the closet at the end of the day.

**Yaish** · 25th November 07, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by cloves

interesting...... my Dad (who also taught me how to tie a tie....even though i'm a girl) always said that as long as the buckle has no up or down ...that you should always reverse the way you wear you belt every so often so the belt does not develop a curve.
I've been doing it that way ever since. Even with my big heavy Cavscout belt. It still hangs straight when I put them in the closet at the end of the day.

How would that even work? It still goes around the same space in the same shape, just different direction.
For that matter, all mine lay straight as well even though I don't switch them.

**Mark Keeney** · 25th November 07, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Yaish

How would that even work? It still goes around the same space in the same shape, just different direction.
For that matter, all mine lay straight as well even though I don't switch them.

I learned to turn my belts also.

You are not a perfect cylinder so the top of the belt has less stress than the bottom where you are wider, as the belt stretches the bottom side stretches more. When you go the other way the belt is turned over so the top is down and the bottom is on top.

**ccga3359** · 25th November 07, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Mark Keeney

I learned to turn my belts also.

You are not a perfect cylinder so the top of the belt has less stress than the bottom where you are wider, as the belt stretches the bottom side stretches more. When you go the other way the belt is turned over so the top is down and the bottom is on top.

Would this not matter as much in kilts? Many don't use the loops (so not stressed) and it's not holding up the kilt anyhow. Although flipping does make sense with trousers.

**Yaish** · 25th November 07, 11:11 AM

Ah, that makes sense. Still haven't had it become an issue with any of my belts but I can see the reasoning now.

**cessna152towser** · 25th November 07, 11:18 AM

The Wizard of BC wrote:-

the belt goes around yourself in the opposite direction that a trouser belt goes.

Thanks for that explanation. I've always worn my belts with the excess tail running to my right. That is until I bought the Union Kilts jeans belt, for wearing with casual kilts. If I wear it to my right then the logo is upside down, and all the models on their website wear theirs with the belt tail to their left.

**davedove** · 26th November 07, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC

Actually there is a tradition. Weird but it is there. If you look at the waistplate buckles that have an up and down you will find that that the belt goes around yourself in the opposite direction that a trouser belt goes.

I noticed that the first time I wore a clan crest buckle myself. It was very disorienting, as it was opposite the way I had always worn a belt.

Originally Posted by James MacMillan

Those of us who served in the Armed Forces, would have to re-trained to do it any other way....... Which in the case of Marines, might be more time than I have left on this earth, so I say the excess should go towards the left.

It doesn't even take much military time. I would say that if you went through basic training, you will have to retrain yourself. Even with civilian clothes, I find myself checking my "gig line".