Belt (clothing)

For other uses of the word, see belt

A belt is a flexible band, made of either leather or a type of heavy cloth, worn around the waist.

It generally serves the purpose of supporting clothing items that would otherwise become too loose, particularly trousers.

A belt can also be for the purpose of style and decoration, or for punishment.

Description

At one end of the belt is a belt buckle that is fashioned onto the other end of the belt. The other end of the belt contains several holes, into which a prong (which is part of the buckle) is inserted into it for the purpose of securing the belt. Sometimes, there is a clamp system so that no holes are needed. In Western civilizations, males usually insert the belt through the pant loops in a counter-clockwise manner (as if looking upon from above), while females tend to insert the belt through the pant loops in a clockwise direction.

Since belts must be drawn tightly around the waist in order to hold up the pants, they may be less comfortable than suspenders, which allow trousers to hang loosely about the body.

History

Belts have been documented both for male and female clothing since the Bronze Age. Both sexes used them off and on, depending on the current fashion, but it was a rarity in female fashion with the exception of the early Middle Ages, late 17th century Mantua and skirt/blouse combinations between 1900 and 1910. Art Nouveau belt buckles are nowadays collector's items.

In modern times, men started wearing belts in the 1920s, as trouser waists fell to a lower, natural line. Before the 1920s, belts served mostly a decorative purpose, and were associated with the military. Today, most men wear a belt with their pants; women tend to wear them for more decorative functions.

Trivia

On April 15, 1984, British comedian and magician Tommy Cooper collapsed from a massive heart attack midway through his act. It was the only time throughout his entire career that he had appeared on stage without wearing a belt.

Blackburn Rovers Football Club were the only English Football Association team to play wearing belts. However, this practice had to end in 1993 when Blackburn were promoted to the recently formed Premier League which forbade the wearing of belts for safety reasons. It was claimed that the buckle was a potential cause of injury.

India is the only country in the world where leather belts are illegal. Although India is officially secular, the majority of the population follow the Hindu religion. In Hinduism the cow is considered sacred. Hindus do not worship the cow, a common misconception, yet it holds an honoured place in society and most Hindus will not eat beef or wear leather products. Paradoxically, the ban on leather belts eminates from the latter stages of British colonial rule and was instituted in an attempt to win favour with the increasingly restive population.
The former lead singer of INXS Michael Hutchence is the only celebrity to die from belt induced Autoerotic_asphyxiation. British Conservative MP for Eastleigh Stephen Milligan also died of autoerotic asphyxiation, but he used an electrical flex instead.

Variants

One specialized type of belt is the utility belt, which includes pockets for carrying items that the wearer needs for prompt use and loops to hang larger items. Police officers, soldiers, and repair personnel are typical roles which use this kind of belt. The most famous fictional example is Batman's utility belt.
The sash is another variant of the belt, generally decorative or even ceremonial.
A cummerbund is a belt-like decorative garment worn about the waist.
Many web sites started selling belts, as those gain popularity by the day.

Many offer a large variety of Belts of different materials to fill the void this market has had.

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Description

History

Trivia

Variants

See also