Everyone who wears a belt knows the problem, it's neither short nor long enough to fit perfect and not getting in the way of your left elbow. Has anyone got a lifehack to fix the leftover part so it won't stick out anymore?
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1Look closely at the back of your belt, behind the buckle. If it look at all complex, it might be made to be shortened. All the belts I see in the street markets near my home are made to be shortened, but perhaps yours is not. If you're not absolutely certain, please post a photo (of the back, near the buckle--the "neck").– piojoCommented Aug 31, 2015 at 9:10
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@piojo can't post a photo, cus at work ;) i'll have to have a look at my "real" belts, if that's true what you're saying. the one that I'm wearing right now is a cheap one made out of imitation leather, so it's not the case with this one...– WayneEraCommented Aug 31, 2015 at 9:34
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Nothing looks sloppier than an improperly fitting belt no matter how great the rest of your appearance. Whenever possible shorten belts from the buckle end so that it aligns with the middle hole of your cincture.– StanCommented Oct 17, 2019 at 20:52
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8 Answers
Cut it off.
You don't need it. It is thus useless to you. Further more, it seems to be getting in your way.
It may seem wasteful to cut if off. But you just don't need it.
But what is your plan? To suddenly gain a lot of weight? If you are underweight, and intending on doing so, then wait until you have done so before trimming your belt. If you are a healthy weight, then I suggest reconsidering your plan to gain more weight.
If you are concerned about reselling it or giving it away, then that would be overlyselfless, prioritising a possible future user over your current needs.
How to cut it:
Leather:
Trace the curve on the end on to paper as a stencil, then trance back with a marker. Cut it with a sharp knife or a sturdy pair of scissors.
Cotton:
Cut it with sissors. Fold it and stich a hem on to stop it unraveling. Not too hard with a hand needle, but if you have a sewing machine, use it.
Nilon:
Cut and seal it like a rope. Heat up a old butter knife til it is red hot. Cut it, melting the ends shut. Dip fingers in water and mold it to a rounded edge. Or/And use a nail file to round it after it has cooled.
Metal Tips
If it has metal top on the end. Then you will need to examine how it is attached. The ones on cloth belts can normally be opened up prior to cutting and folded back over after you have cut.
Metal ones can be reattached with rivets or superglue
answered Aug 26, 2015 at 9:16
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I've got it, cut it off, then somehow reuse the cut off end to form a new end loop... :) Commented Oct 17, 2019 at 19:35
If you wear a belt, your trousers probably have bet loops to hold the belt so you can just tuck the leftover part into those.
If you don't have that (then the belt will probably be less useful) or the loops are to far away from each other so that the leftover part of the belt could be long enough to bother you, I would suggest using a rubber band that you put around your belt around the point where the leftover part ends. You then just have to tuck the ending part of the belt into this rubber band.
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7Belt Loops is the word you are looking for (rather than buckles). I find a hair tie (wrapped) makes a good replacement replacement for the belts own loop. I expect it would make a good supplementary loop also (marginally better than rubber bands) Commented Aug 27, 2015 at 12:13
A great thing to do when a belt is too long is to use little elastic bands or 'rainbow looms' matching the color of your belt. Before putting on the belt put on the elastic bands to the side of the belt that has the buckle at its end. Then when you put on your belt slide the end of the belt through the bands so that extra part does not hang out and irritate you.
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My Ex girlfriend was into clothing design. I had this problem and on some of my pants she moved the belt loop and on others she made a new belt loop from fabric she scavenged from inside hems. She learnt to do it from an old lady she worked for while she was studying who would charge less than $10 as it took less than 15 min. Maybe ask around some local alterations places.
If you buy a belt that's a couple inches too long, it gives you a little room to expand if needed, without being overly long. But let's say you do that and lose some weight and now you've got several extra inches.
My pants have about 6 inches (15 cm) between the front loops. My belt buckle is about 2 inches (5 cm) across, meaning I have about 4 inches (10 cm) of play. I buy the belt so the tip is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) sticks out the loop on my left (I put my belt in right to left, so it wraps around me and sticks out to the left), and I center the buckle right over my button/zipper area.
Now, let's say I get fat and add 2 inches (5 cm) to my waste size. I can shift my buckle to the left by the same 2 inches and the loop still holds the excess.
On the other hand, let's say I lose weight and remove 2 inches. Now I shift the buckle to the right and the original 1 inch is sticking out the left loop.
This doesn't work as well with dress pants if you want to keep the buckle lined up with your zipper line, but it's nice for more casual wear. Even if you don't want it to be extremely offset, a little movement can help a lot.
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1This works great under a sweater where the waistband is not visible/covered by the bottom of the sweater. This also works with polo shirts that are worn 'out' rather than being tucked into your trousers.– StanCommented May 25, 2019 at 23:26
Just get a belt that tucks behind the belt buckle.
It's my all time favorite and looks SUPER Clean. They are hard to find, but they exist. Adidas still makes some. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005V04924/?coliid=I33JXCOADZ6K9B&colid=1KHFV1DG352XD&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
EDIT and UPDATE: The generic name for this is a "cam lock" belt buckle. It does not use holes for length adjustment. A cam pinches the belt between two metal parts instead of using a "prong" that fits into holes at the end of the strap.
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Welcome to Lifehacks SE! While your answer is definitely a valid solution, consider that this would not help someone who already has a number of belts, and wants to solve the problem without an expending an additional large sum of money to buy all new belts. As it is, your answer is not a "hack", but rather, a suggestion to purchase an existing solution. To make your answer much more broad-reaching and helpful, consider adding some details to make this an actual Life Hack (hence the name of our Stack Exchange site). Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 20:15
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In some cases it might be useful to exchange the current buckle for one that hides the extra behind the belt. There are several kinds of belt buckle that would work and are easy to attach to an existing belt.– WillekeCommented May 27, 2019 at 16:30
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amazon link says "currently unavailable" fascinating concept though LOL :) Commented Oct 17, 2019 at 19:34
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1@rogerdpack Hi, check again using "cam-lock" buckle and you'll turn up several different ones. A good upmarket menswear/haberdashery will also have a selection.– StanCommented Oct 17, 2019 at 20:48
I stuck 2 sided Cello Tape (Transparent Tape) between the left over portions and they stuck well together throughout the day. Might save your day, if going for an important meeting or a presentation. Make sure it is stuck properly.
You may be able to purchase a replacement "keeper loop" https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=keeper+loop+belt
Another suggestion: somehow create your own replacement "keeper loop" (out of similarly colored fabric) ref: https://archive.triblive.com/news/find-a-fix-to-keep-belts-tip-from-flapping/
