As simple as it seems, belt sizing can be somewhat tricky if you are looking for an exact fit. Ideally, your belt will fit you best when the buckle PRONG is positioned in the center most belt hole. The other holes then are used when we expand or shrink a bit.
So, when placing an order online, how do you know what size belt to order?
One of the most reliable ways to get close to an ideal fit, is to take a belt you currently wear often (that fits you in a way you are happy with) and note what hole it is that you most often put the buckle prong through. Then, lay that belt out STRAIGHT (beware of the curvature most leather belts will take on with frequent wear) and measure from the start of the leather where it wraps around the buckle bar measuring out to your most preferred hole. The distance from the belt start at the buckle bar (A) to the favored, most comfortable hole (B) will be your belt size. If that measurement is 32 inches, then I will make your belt so that your centered hole will fall at 32 inches away from where the belt wraps around the buckle bar.
If you do not have a favored belt that you are happy with the fit (maybe that’s why you want a new belt) then I recommend taking one of the leather belts you do have that you are unhappy with and punching or drilling new holes in it until you find a hole position that does fit you well. Or… if the belt holes are such that one hole is too big and the very next hole down is too small, then make a mark between the two and measure as described above to the ideal mark you made between the two less than perfect hole positions. Note that the thickness of leather can actually greatly affect this measurement. For example, if you measure this distance using a belt that is super thin but are ordering a belt that is relatively thick, you may be surprised to find the two belts, despite having holes in similar locations, will fit somewhat differently. Try to measure using at least an average thickness leather belt.
LEONIDAS SIGNATURE BELT TREATMENT – Leonidas Leatherworks gives a signature treatment to our belts that will give you an advantage in getting the best fit. I punch my belts with NINE holes instead of the very typical 5 or 7 holes. I also punch my belt holes at 3/4 inches apart instead of the very typical belt punching of 1 inch to 1.5 inches apart. This method gives you more holes available to you but at a tighter spacing to better allow you to find that perfectly satisfying size. So, even if by some variable, your measurement is slightly off, rest assured a nearly ideal fit is still very much within reach.
If you are still uncertain on how to order a correctly sized belt, then please feel free to contact me for assistance or look at my “Assured Belt Sizing Program”.