Belt Size Chart: How to Find Your Belt Size from Your Waist

Waist to belt size chart

Read across from the waist size printed on your trousers. The belt size is the length that lands on the middle hole, which leaves two holes of adjustment either side. Metric sizes are converted from inches and rounded to the nearest 5 cm, because that is how European brands step their sizes.

Letter sizes are not standardized. One brand's M covers 32 to 34, another's covers 34 to 36. When a belt is sold only in S/M/L, look for the brand's chart of the belt length in inches or centimeters before you order.

The +2 in rule assumes the waist size on the label is your real waist where the trousers sit. Many trousers, jeans in particular, measure 1 to 2 in larger than the label (vanity sizing), so if belts always end up on the last hole, measure as described below instead of trusting the tag. The jeans size guide shows how to measure a pair flat.

Three ways to find your size without a chart

1. Measure a belt that fits. Lay it flat. Measure from the inside edge of the fold at the buckle (not the buckle tip) to the hole you use most. That number in inches is your belt size. If you use the second-tightest hole, add 1 in to the result to land on a middle hole next time.
2. Measure yourself through the belt loops. Put on the trousers you will wear the belt with and run a soft tape through the loops, around the body, at the height the belt will sit. Round up to the next even number. This is more reliable than the label because it includes the waistband and anything tucked in.
3. Use the pant label. Add 2 in to the waist size. For metric trousers, add 5 cm. This works for most tailored trousers, less well for low-rise jeans worn on the hips.

Belt widths and what they match

Width is measured across the strap, in inches in the US and in millimeters elsewhere. The belt has to pass through the loops, and the buckle is sized to the strap, so width is not interchangeable.

Suit trousers have narrow loops, usually sized for belts up to about 1.25 in. Jeans loops normally take a 1.5 in belt, and a 1.75 in work belt may not fit through standard jeans loops, so check the inside width of the loop if you are buying a heavy belt. For suits, the suit size guide covers trouser rise and waist allowances.

Buckles for interchangeable straps are sold by strap width. A 38 mm buckle will not grip a 35 mm strap firmly, so match the exact millimeter figure rather than "about 1.5 in".

Women's belt sizes

Women's belts are sold three ways, and the measurement that matters depends on where the belt sits.

• Hip or jeans belts: sized like men's belts. Measure through the loops of the jeans you will wear it with and round up to the next size.
• Waist belts: worn at the natural waist, the narrowest part of the torso, over a dress or blazer. They are often 4 to 6 in shorter than the same person's jeans belt, so a hip-belt size will be far too long.
• Letter or dress-size labels: a common pattern is XS for a 24 to 26 in waist, S for 27 to 29, M for 30 to 32, L for 33 to 35 and XL for 36 to 38. Treat these as a starting point and check the brand's length chart.

Stretch and elastic waist belts usually come in two or three sizes, each covering about 4 in of waist. Wear them on the size that fits without stretching more than about 2 in, or the elastic slackens quickly.

How long a belt should be overall

A belt of the right size, fastened on the middle hole, leaves a tail that reaches past the first belt loop on your left side (for a right-handed buckle), usually 3 to 5 in of strap. A tail that reaches the second loop means the belt is a size too long. A tail that does not reach the first loop means it is too short, and the belt will pull on its last hole.

If a leather belt is slightly long, a cobbler or the store can shorten it from the buckle end, where the strap is held by screws, studs or stitching. Shortening from the tip is harder because the tip is shaped. Webbing belts with friction or ratchet buckles have no holes and can be cut to length.

How belts change as they wear

Full-grain leather stretches a little under daily tension and the hole you use most elongates. Over a year or two this commonly adds about half a hole of slack. Bonded leather does not stretch evenly; it cracks instead. Nylon webbing does not stretch at all.

Ratchet belts, which use a track on the back of the strap, adjust in steps of about 1/4 in (6 mm) instead of 1 in, which helps if you sit between two hole positions. Extra holes can be punched in leather with a rotary punch; keep the spacing the same as the existing holes, typically 1 in (25 mm) in US belts.

Belts for children

Kids' belts are short, narrow (usually 0.75 to 1 in) and often elastic or with a sliding buckle. Sizing by age is rough because waist size varies a lot within each age, so use the same rule as for adults: measure through the loops of the child's trousers and add 2 in (5 cm). An adjustable or elastic belt is a better buy for children who are growing quickly. For pairing belts with other accessories, the wallet size guide and watch size guide follow the same measure-what-you-own approach.

Frequently asked questions