Size Guide
Get it right the first time
Three ways to get it right
Any of these works. They are listed fastest first.
1. Use your pant size
Buy a belt two inches larger than your pant waist. A 34 waist takes a 36 belt. A 40 takes a 42.
That puts the prong in the middle hole, which leaves room in both directions. It is right most of the time, and it is the reason belt sizes exist as separate numbers at all.
The catch is that it assumes your trousers are labelled honestly, and plenty are not. Waist labels drift, and they drift more the further you get from a 34.
2. Measure yourself, which is the most accurate
Put on the trousers you plan to wear with the belt. Thread a tape measure through the loops the way a belt would go, and pull it to where it sits comfortably.
Do it at the height you actually wear a belt. A man who wears his belt on his hips needs a different number than one who wears it at his natural waist, and that difference can be two inches on its own.
Add two inches to what the tape says. That is your belt size.
3. Measure a belt you already own
Only works if you have one that fits, but it is the quickest check.
Lay it flat. Measure from the fold at the buckle end, where the leather wraps around the bar, to the hole you actually use. Not to the end of the strap. Not to the middle hole. To the one with the wear mark on it.
That measurement in inches is your belt size. If it comes out at 37, buy a 38.
Ignore the number stamped on the back. Brands measure differently, and plenty stamp the total strap length rather than the fit length, which is why an old belt might say 40 when you actually wear a 36.
| Pant waist | Belt size |
|---|---|
| 28 | 30 |
| 30 | 32 |
| 32 | 34 |
| 34 | 36 |
| 36 | 38 |
| 38 | 40 |
| 40 | 42 |
| 42 | 44 |
| 44 | 46 |
| 46 | 48 |
| 48 | 50 |
| 50 | 52 |
| 52 | 54 |
Sizes past 44 are in Extended Sizes.
US belts are sized in inches. European belts are sized in centimeters, so if you are used to a 100 that is roughly a 40 here. Multiply your centimeter size by 0.39 to get inches.
If you are between sizes
Go up rather than down. A belt slightly long sits on an outer hole and looks fine. A belt slightly short is unwearable.
Better still, look at a woven or braided belt. Those have no punched holes at all, so the prong goes through the weave wherever you need it. The fit is exact rather than approximate, and no single point takes all the wear. If you are hard to fit, or your waist moves through the year, that is the answer.
Width
Width decides how formal a belt reads, and it is the part most men never think about.
1 inch to 1 1/4 inches is dress. Narrow enough to sit clean in trouser loops, quiet under a jacket. This is what goes with a suit.
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches is casual. More presence, heavier hardware, and it suits denim and chinos. Anything wider starts to read western.
The practical test is your trouser loops. A belt that has to be forced through them is too wide, and it will wear the loops out.
Buckles come off
Most of our belts have removable buckles, held at the tab with snaps. One strap can wear more than one buckle as long as the widths match, and a damaged buckle does not cost you the belt.
A few styles ship with a specific buckle as part of the design. Those are noted on the product page.
Still not sure
Ask. Call (332) 273-7377 or email made@kestleather.com with your waist size, or tell us about a belt you already wear, and we will tell you what to order.
It takes two minutes and it is easier than a return for both of us.
