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Belt direction

Bradford

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OK - I was watching some of the NBC, Brian Williams interview with President Bush in New Orleans and I couldn't help but noticing that they were each wearing belts going the opposite direction. By that, I mean that President Bush was wearing his belt so that the end was going towards his left and the end of Brian Williams' belt was going toward his right.

I'm guessing that this may be done by people who are right and left-handed, similar to people who wear their watches on different arms, but I've never noticed it before.

I write with my left-hand, but I also wear my watch on my left hand and I thread my belt counter-clockwise around my waist so the end is going to my left.

Does anyone do the opposite, or is this just some strange sartorial choice on the part of Mr. Williams?
 

grimslade

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I'm a lefty. The tip of my belt points to the left. FWTW.
 

Get Smart

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it turns out I'd been belting up backwards....I guess the standard for men is for the belt to go towards the left, whereas I belt towards the right (which is how a woman's belt is supposed to go). Sort of like how women's shirts and jackets button on the opposite side of men's. But it feels more natural for me to belt backwards. When I've bought belts that have a visual construct that requires correct alignment, that's when I belt towards the "correct" left
 

epa

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I always insert my belts clockwise around my waist.
Except for one: I bought a MOSCHINO belt with a metal lock which states MOSCHINO, and I found that the letters ended up upside down in I inserted the belt clockwise. I though that OK, maybe it's a woman's belt I've got. I still use it, though, I like its simple design and the leather is very nice. That belt I insert counterclockwise.
Recently, I bought a Burberry belt which has this horse+knight symbol, and I also have to insert it counter-clockwise of the symbol is not to end up upside down. And that belt is definitely supposed to be a "male" belt. So my theory that women are supposed to insert belts counterclock-wise and men clockwise appears to be BS.
I am looking forward to seeing these doubts of mine clarified in this thread.
 

grimslade

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Maybe it's not that your theory is BS. Maybe you've just been threading your belt like a girl all these years.
 

epa

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Originally Posted by Get Smart
it turns out I'd been belting up backwards....I guess the standard for men is for the belt to go towards the left, whereas I belt towards the right (which is how a woman's belt is supposed to go). Sort of like how women's shirts and jackets button on the opposite side of men's. But it feels more natural for me to belt backwards. When I've bought belts that have a visual construct that requires correct alignment, that's when I belt towards the "correct" left
It seems that Get Smart clarified my doubts while I was writing them down...so there is a RIGHT direction, which is counterclock-wise. Contrary to what I have been doing all my life.
 

Nonk

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The British Army are usually a good indication of what is "right" when considering these small details, as they have a direct, and unbroken history of hundreds of years in the cases of some Regiments and these things are considered important and are taught every day.

The Army belt with the female part on the left, male on the right, so in these circumstances the excess would be on the left.


Anti-clockwise as viewed from above, if that makes it easier.

Females may of course do it differently, but I cannot comment on that.
 

nelly

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I am always a little annoyed when people wear belts pointing right. The reason men's items (belts/buttons) go in the opposite direction to women is because back in the old days, when men used to go off into battle, the women buttoned up their armor for them. Thus, the opposite direction (although it was the same for the women who were putting it on the men). Unless you are having another guy put on your belt for you, lets keep it pointing to the left.

we should note that for D-ring belts, you have to put it on in the opposite direction to make it point left.
 

Kent Wang

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Do women belt backwards from men?
 

Get Smart

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Originally Posted by nelly
I am always a little annoyed when people wear belts pointing right. lets keep it pointing to the left.


mmmm....nah. Like my politics I like the belt going to the right.
alien.gif
 

Kent Wang

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Originally Posted by nelly
we should note that for D-ring belts, you have to put it on in the opposite direction to make it point left.
I always insert counter-clockwise so with D-ring belts, the excess goes right. I wonder which one of us is correct.
 

aybojs

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The idea of there being some absolute correct way to thread a belt is pretty marsupialed. I'm left-handed and I thread my belts clockwise because it's simply the intuitive way for me to go, as it allows my dominant hand to control the buckling and unbuckling process (I've tried doing it the other way a few times, and it feels very forced and awkward). It makes perfect sense to me.
 

Nonk

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The idea of there being some absolute correct way to thread a belt is pretty marsupialed

Given that I (and the entire British Armed Forces) am being called a "marsupial", I would point out that, funnily enough, the remarks are made by someone who does it wrong.

Some rules are meant to be broken, but when you have been doing it against the convention because of ignorance and not some considered rejection, don't shoot the messenger and call him a "marsupial".
 

aybojs

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Originally Posted by Nonk
Given that I (and the entire British Armed Forces) am being called a "marsupial", I would point out that, funnily enough, the remarks are made by someone who does it wrong. Some rules are meant to be broken, but when you have been doing it against the convention because of ignorance and not some considered rejection, don't shoot the messenger and call him a "marsupial".
Sorry, but not being of immediate British ancestry, nor having been presented with any reason why I should regard their armed forces as authorities on sartorial matters, I see no reason why that tradition should be of any relevance to myself, or really, any average person trying to decide how to thread his belt. It's not out of ignorance that I choose to thread my belt one way or another, but a matter of practicality and logic. Gee, should I thread my belt in one direction in a quick, familiar motion that affords my natural hand dominance, or should I spend several extra minutes awkwardly pushing it through another way because someone is going to browbeat me by saying that the British Army demands I do it that way? Getting worked up about how other people thread their belts is what I find "marsupialed."
 

j

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On Fok's suggestion, I was first threading the EG quick release belt the wrong way, i.e. clockwise, so the trip lever would be up instead of down and ostensibly prevent accidental release. I found it extremely awkward to have the buckle on the right - everything else on men's clothes overlaps the other way. I went to doing it the regular way and it works fine. Everyone who doesn't do it my way is an idiot.
 

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